 -- NOTABLES

--TRUMP ADVISER KELLYANNE CONWAY JOINING WHITE HOUSE TEAM: Donald Trump has named Kellyanne Conway counselor to the president, adding a senior transition team member and his third campaign manager to the incoming West Wing staff, ABC’s BENJAMIN SIEGEL reports. Conway, who became the first female campaign manager from either major party to steer a winning presidential bid, will continue to advise Trump in the White House and help coordinate Trump administration messaging. “Kellyanne Conway has been a trusted advisor and strategist who played a crucial role in my victory,” Trump said in a statement. “She is a tireless and tenacious advocate of my agenda and has amazing insights on how to effectively communicate our message.” http://abcn.ws/2hg0m7h

--BACKSTORY: Conway was planning to move her family to Washington from New Jersey. She had been considering whether to help Trump’s efforts from outside the White House, and spoke frequently about building out a political “super-structure” to help amplify his message. http://abcn.ws/2hg0m7h

--TODAY ON ‘GMA’ -- CONWAY DEFENDS WEALTHY CABINET AND ADMINISTRATION PICKS: Conway today defended the president-elect's wealthy cabinet and administration picks, saying his relationship with Wall Street is unlike Hillary Clinton's. "There's a difference in Hillary Clinton's relationship with Wall Street where she's getting tens of millions of dollars in speeches, tens of millions of dollars in contributions for her foundation, even while she's sitting at the State Department, and Donald Trump tapping some of the greatest talents that we've seen on Wall Street to go and serve in his Cabinet," Conway said on ABC News’ "Good Morning America." More from ABC’s MORGAN WINSOR: http://abcn.ws/2hg0fsj

--ANALYSIS -- ABC’s RICK KLEIN: With the North Carolina legislature keeping the so-called “bathroom bill” in place, 2017 gets to deal with some more unfinished business from 2016. But the issue serves as a reminder that this new era of Republican dominance has severe limits. The tide has already turned in North Carolina, and new efforts to repeal the bill – under public and economic pressure – are likely to be more successful after Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper takes office. While there’s no predicting the president-elect’s Tweets, does anyone think Donald Trump will provide air cover on the issue next year? It’s a reminder – like the minimum-wage increases that passed last month – the country is shading red, but not necessarily moving right.

SPEED READ with ABC’s ADAM KELSEY and JENNIFER HANSLER

TRUMP SONS SKIPPING EVENT THAT PROMISED DONORS ACCESS TO PRESIDENT-ELECT. President-elect Donald Trump's eldest sons are now expected to skip an inauguration weekend fundraiser, according to transition sources, after questions emerged about the group offer of access to Trump to anonymous donors, reports ABC’s BENJAMIN SIEGEL, JOHN SANTUCCI and KATHERINE FAULDERS. Billed as a benefit to raise money for unnamed conservation charities, the "Camouflage & Cufflinks" event planned for Jan. 21 had initially promised donors access to the Trump family, according to a draft invitation first obtained by TMZ and confirmed by ABC News. On Wednesday, the Trump team said Eric and Donald Trump Jr. would no longer be attending the event, which touted their appearance and listed them as "honorary co-chairmen." "They are not going - period," a senior transition source told ABC News. http://abcn.ws/2ihb9d9

--NOTED: Senior level transition sources also confirmed Wednesday night that Eric Trump will no longer solicit donations for his Eric Trump Foundation, given his father’s status as the president-elect and possibility that contributors would support the foundation in an effort to get his father’s ear. The move was first reported by the New York Times. http://abcn.ws/2ihb9d9

CLINTON FBI DIRECTOR BACKS TRUMP'S ATTORNEY GENERAL PICK. The campaign to rally support for Donald Trump’s pick to head the Justice Department is growing, with former FBI Director Louis Freeh, who served under President Bill Clinton, now joining the effort. In a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee, ABC’S MIKE LEVINE reports. Freeh offered his “strong recommendation” that Senators confirm their colleague Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., as the next attorney general, defending his record on civil rights, which has become a key concern for critics. http://abcn.ws/2hUjMeY

TRUMP CALLS BERLIN TRAGEDY 'AN ATTACK ON HUMANITY.' President-elect Donald Trump called the deadly truck attack in Berlin an "attack on humanity" that's "gotta be stopped," he told reporters at his property in Florida today. Trump also appeared to double down on his proposed ban on Muslim immigration when asked if the attacks changed any of his positions on that specific proposal. ABC’s KATHERINE FAULDERS and ALEXANDER MALLIN have more: http://abcn.ws/2igiEkS

TRUMP'S DOCTOR: 'IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO HIM, THEN IT HAPPENS TO HIM.' Dr. Harold Bornstein, who once claimed that his longtime patient, Donald Trump, would be "the healthiest individual ever elected president," has raised eyebrows with what appears to be a new outlook on the president-elect's health. “If something happens to him, then it happens to him,” Bornstein told the health and medicine publication STAT, produced by Boston Globe Media. “It’s like all the rest of us, no? That’s why we have a vice president and a speaker of the House and a whole line of people. They can just keep dying.” As ABC’s JENNIFER HANSLER explains, Bornstein also took aim at Hillary Clinton, calling her an "old lady," according to the interview. http://abcn.ws/2hUgLv3

TRUMP REVERSAL OF OBAMA'S DRILLING BAN MAY BE DIFFICULT, EXPERTS SAY. The announcement by the Obama administration that vast areas of Arctic and Atlantic oceans are off-limits to offshore drilling may be harder for President-elect Trump to overturn than other actions the president has taken. Concerns over how Trump and his cabinet picks -- which include the CEO of ExxonMobil and a leader for the Environmental Protection Agency who believes that the global warming debate is not settled -- will approach environmental issues raised questions over how effective Obama's drilling ban would be, notes ABC’s MEGHAN KENEALLY. http://abcn.ws/2igUg2p

OBAMA IN HAWAII: All the details of the president’s final winter Hawaiian vacation while in office, courtesy of ABC’s SERENA MARSHALL: http://abcn.ws/2gKBn6K

WHO’S TWEETING?

@TheBrodyFile: Proximity is everything so top notch @KellyannePolls landing in top West Wing job is probably best thing ever for @realDonaldTrump

@NikkiSchwab: Other nuggets from @KellyannePolls on @foxandfriends - her 12-year-old daughter started an online petition to NOT move to D.C.

@CarrieNBCNews: "I fear that I am not an expert on mustaches" -- out of context Kellyanne Conway on @Morning_Joe

@WashTimes: Matt Mackowiack says #Democrats have learned nothing from the #Trump defeat http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/dec/21/democrats-have-learned-nothing-from-trump-defeat/ … #Politics

@JillDLawrence: My latest, 8 #Christmas gifts for the president-elect who has it all. (Not heartwarming or inspirational) http://usat.ly/2iil4zm @usatoday