"STOP THE STEAL!"
Today is the day the 2020 presidential election is expected to be officially certified, making former vice president Joe Biden the next President of the United States.
President Trump and his team have been trying to make the case for widespread voter fraud, but all of their legal efforts have fallen short in courts across the nation, including the U.S. Supreme Court. READ MORE
Trump supporters have all stood by the president as countless instances of voter fraud have been uncovered, and as hundreds of Americans have come forward to swear to their witnessing of voter suppression and voter fraud.
But just as it appears as if all of Trump’s legal remedies are about to expire, a last-ditch effort was made this weekend to press upon the Supreme Court to hear several “emergency filings” made by Trump’s attorneys.
Long-time GOP operative and Trump amigo Roger Stone led a large group of Trump faithful at the latest “Stop the Steal” event in Miami, Florida.
The event was peaceful, even though a couple of BLM protestors showed up. Stone led a chant of “NO JUSTICE! NO PEACE!
And then Conservative Journalist Laura Loomer addressed the crowd. Loomer dropped the mic with her call to action. MUST-READ
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“Allen West responds to AOC calling Americans stupid racists” by Texas Politics’ Javier Manjarres – After suggesting that “law-abiding states” consider forming a new union, Ret. Lt. Colonel, former congressman, and Texas GOP Chairman Allen West has made a couple of new suggestions, one in response to the Supreme Court’s ruling against Texas’s lawsuit, and the other to Progressive Democratic Socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for calling “law-abiding” Americans, stupid racists. In response to Texas Politics’s request for comment about what he would like to see happen next, and what he would suggest today after Trump attorney’s filed ’emergency filings’ with the U.S. Supreme Court, West stated, “I suggest Go Army, Beat Navy!” Shortly after the Supreme Court refused to hear the Texas lawsuit to overturn the apparent voter fraud-ridden 2020 presidential election, West suggested that “law-abiding states should bond together and form a Union of states that will abide by the constitution.” West’s statement through the Texas Republican Party has been received with unprecedented support from Republicans around the country. A recent Fox News poll shows that over 70-percent of Republicans believe the election was stolen away from them and President Trump. “The Supreme Court, in tossing the Texas lawsuit that was joined by seventeen states and 106 US congressman, has decreed that a state can take unconstitutional actions and violate its own election law. Resulting in damaging effects on other states that abide by the law, while the guilty state suffers no consequences. This decision establishes a precedent that says states can violate the US constitution and not be held accountable. This decision will have far-reaching ramifications for the future of our constitutional republic. Perhaps law-abiding states should bond together and form a Union of states that will abide by the constitution.”
“Supreme Court Rejects Texas Lawsuit Challenging Four Battleground State Election Results” by Texas Politics’ Mona Salama – Supreme Court on Friday rejected a lawsuit filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. The motion that was supported by President Trump sought to overturn the 2020 presidential election results of four battleground states — Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan, and Wisconsin. In a brief order Friday evening, no justice indicated endorsement of Texas’ arguments filed in a suit on Monday. The court stated that the Lone Star State lacked standing to pursue the case and “has not demonstrated a judicially cognizable interest in the manner in which another state conducts its elections.” “The State of Texas’s motion for leave to file a bill of complaint is denied for lack of standing under Article III of the Constitution,” the Supreme Court wrote in an unsigned order, dismissing all other claims as moot. “Texas has not demonstrated a judicially cognizable interest in the manner in which another State conducts its elections,” the order added. Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas wrote in a brief statement expressing their view that the court does “not have the discretion to deny the filing of a bill of complaint in a case that falls within our original jurisdiction.” This granted Texas to file its challenge under a rarely-used procedure for interstate disputes. However, the two justices stressed that they “express no view on any other issue,” and “would not grant other relief.” The lawsuit from Texas that was filed directly in the Supreme Court, sought a last-minute intervention to challenge the election results of four battleground states. The motion argued that the states used the coronavirus pandemic as a pretext to change its election rules that expanded mail in-ballots in violation of the Constitution.
“Gohmert says Democrats want Americans to ‘just smoke some dope’ to get past COVID worries” by Texas Politics’ Javier Manjarres – On the closing day of the 2020 legislative session in the U.S. House of Representatives, and when legislators were delivering their one-minute floor speeches, Texas Rep. Louie Gohmert (R) spoke on the floor of the House and pointed the finger at House Democrats and called them out over their refusal to pass a meaningful COVID-19-only bill. Gohmert said that Democrats didn’t want to negotiate with Republicans outside of their “comprehensive” and pork-filled stimulus bill and that this was the reason why the COVID relief was being held up. As businesses are going bankrupt, my friends across the aisle are allowing them to go bankrupt, basically hilding them hostage and saying, ‘we’re going to keep letting businesses go broke. We’re not going to let you use the money that’s sitting there waiting to be used to help these businesses to save them from bankruptcy,” said Rep. Gohmert. The ever-so sarcastic Gohmert then tore into his Democratic colleagues for refusing to use billions of dollars in COVID funding that has already been appropriated, and instead opting to ‘Make Ceiling Fans Great Again’ and pushing a “dope” bill. Like last week and this week, all these important things. Let’s see. We took care of saving the lives of ceiling fans this week. So, that apparently was very critical,” snarked Gohmert before giving an overall assessment of what House Democrats feel Americans should do in dealing with the spreading pandemic.
“AG Barr Knew For Months About Hunter Biden’s Federal Probes And Kept It Secret” by Texas Politics’ Mona Salama – Attorney General William Barr was perfectly aware of federal investigations involving President-Elect Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden’s business and financial dealings for months and worked overtime to shield them from the public during the 2020 presidential election, the Wall Street Journal reported late Thursday evening. A source told the Wall Street Journal that Barr knew since before spring about federal investigations centered in Delaware and Manhattan looking into Biden’s business and financial dealings. Barr’s attempts to stop the Hunter’s probes from being made public, according to the newspaper were in accordance with Justice Department rules that restrict prosecutors from taking public investigative steps that could affect the outcome of an election. Barr’s actions are a reversal of what former FBI Director James Comey did during the 2016 presidential election in disclosing to congressional committee chairs that the FBI discovered additional emails relevant to the investigation into Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton’s server. The letter released a week and a half before the General Election made Congressional Democrats furious and demanded immediate answers on his decision of the letter and more answers. Comey didn’t respond to the demands but revealed two days before Americans headed to the polls in a subsequent letter that the FBI found no additional evidence in the new emails. The “Comey Effect” letter is considered by Democrats as one of the potential factors that attributed to Hillary losing the 2016 election. But, in 2018, the Justice Department’s internal watchdog on Comey’s public disclosures released a 500-page investigation report that ultimately found that the former FBI director did not exhibit political bias or try to influence the election; nor did he contest the decision not to charge Clinton with a crime when he made the “October Surprise” announcement.
“Trump Announces Morocco Joining ‘Abraham Accords,’ The Fourth Arab Nation Normalizing Relations With Israel” by Texas Politics’ Mona Salama – Morocco has agreed to establish full diplomatic relations with Israel, becoming the fourth Arab nation to move toward normalization with Israel in the last four months under President Trump’s “Abraham Accords” U.S. brokered peace deals. “Another HISTORIC breakthrough today! Our two GREAT friends Israel and the Kingdom of Morocco have agreed to full diplomatic relations – a massive breakthrough for peace in the Middle East!” Trump tweeted the news Thursday. Morocco follows the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Sudan as the fourth nation since August to normalize relations with Israel. Saudi Arabia is believed to follow its neighboring Arab neighbors in becoming the next country in normalizing relations with Israel. Thursday’s announcement can help smooth the course for Saudi Arabic to join Trump’s brokered peace deals due to the close relationship and special bond between the royal houses of those two countries. Currently, under an agreement recently secured by White House Senior Adviser Jared Kushner allows Israeli commercial flights to use Saudi Arabian airspace. Trump announced Thursday that the two nations would restore diplomatic relations, leading to the two countries to reopen liaison offices in Tel Aviv and Rabat as well as opening embassies. Part of the deal includes U.S. recognition of the disputed territory of Western Sahara as part of Morocco, a big shift in U.S. policy, and a major diplomatic achievement for the North Africa Arab nation.
“UT Health Austin and Dell Medical School among first facilities in Texas to receive COVID-19 vaccine” by Central Austin’s Jack Flagler – After the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization late Dec. 11 for a COVID-19 vaccine, health care facilities in Texas will begin receiving doses Dec. 14, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention have allocated 1.4 million initial doses of the vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech to Texas. Of those 1.4 million, the state has a plan to allocate more than 224,000 doses to 109 health care institutions the week of Dec. 14 for frontline health care workers. Eleven facilities in Central Texas are slated to receive a total of 16,575 doses in the initial shipment. Facilities in the state’s four largest cities will be first to receive the vaccine Dec. 14, including UT Health Austin and Dell Medical School at the University of Texas, DSHS confirmed. The other three facilities receiving doses are Wellness 360 at UT Health San Antonio, the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and Methodist Dallas Medical Center. An additional 19 facilities are set to receive their first doses of the vaccine Dec. 15. The remaining 86 institutions tabbed to accept initial shipments would then receive their first doses later in the week.
“Texas GOP chairman suggests seceding from the US following SCOTUS rejection” by WKRN’s Staff and Nextar Media Wire – Following the Supreme Court’s decision on Friday to reject a lawsuit backed by President Donald Trump to overturn Joe Biden’s election victory, the Republican Party of Texas appears to have suggested seceding from the United States as a result. Republican Party of Texas Chairman Allen West released a statement on Friday evening: “The Supreme Court, in tossing the Texas lawsuit that was joined by seventeen states and 106 US congressman, has decreed that a state can take unconstitutional actions and violate its own election law. Resulting in damaging effects on other states that abide by the law, while the guilty state suffers no consequences. This decision establishes a precedent that says states can violate the US constitution and not be held accountable. This decision will have far-reaching ramifications for the future of our constitutional republic. Perhaps law-abiding states should bond together and form a Union of states that will abide by the constitution.” The chairman added, “The Texas GOP will always stand for the Constitution and for the rule of law even while others don’t.” In a brief order, the court said Texas does not have the legal right to sue those states because it “has not demonstrated a judicially cognizable interest in the manner in which another State conducts its elections.” The court’s order was its second this week rebuffing Republican requests that it get involved in the 2020 election outcome and overturn the will of voters as expressed in an election regarded by both Republican and Democratic officials as free and fair.
“CNN's Jake Tapper thanks Trump for 'exposing' Republicans who supported Texas' 'un-democratic, un-American, mendacious joke of a lawsuit'” by Business Insider – CNN anchor Jake Tapper had some sharp words for President Donald Trump and other Republican lawmakers during Sunday's episode of "State of the Union." At the end of the show, Tapper said he wanted to thank Trump for "exposing" every Republican lawmaker who supported Texas's longshot bid to nullify President-elect Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 election and throw it to Trump. The case was "insane," Tapper said, adding that it relied on a "clownish legal brief based on conspiracy theories and lies." The Supreme Court decisively rejected Texas' case on Friday, which Tapper described as an "unconservative, un-democratic, un-American, mendacious joke of a lawsuit." As Tapper spoke, CNN's chyron read, "Thank you, President Trump, for exposing those who supported your assault on democracy." Texas' Republican attorney general, Ken Paxton, filed the case and was backed by 18 Republican attorneys general, some US senators, and a majority of the House Republican caucus. In the lawsuit, Paxton argued that the election results in Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Georgia - all of whom voted for Biden - should be thrown out over unsubstantiated allegations of widespread voter fraud. The two highest ranking members of the GOP caucus, minority leader Kevin McCarthy and minority whip Steve Scalise, joined 124 of their colleagues in an amicus brief expressing support for Paxton's lawsuit. The case was the most brazen and far-fetched attempt yet by the Republican Party to ignore the will of the voters, overturn the results of a free and fair election, and reinstall Trump as president despite the fact that he lost both the popular vote and the Electoral College vote, as well as nearly 40 lawsuits challenging the 2020 results.
“SpaceX Falcon 9 launches and deploys satellite, days after another rocket crashed in Texas” by CNN’s Eliott C. McLaughlin and Melissa Alonso – SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket launched into space Sunday, successfully deploying a satellite for radio provider SiriusXM. Falcon 9 took off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida's Brevard County at 12:30 p.m. ET, according to NASA. It marks the the rocket's 25th flight this year, NASA said. About 10 minutes after posting video of the liftoff to its Twitter feed, SpaceX tweeted that the rocket's first-stage booster had landed on its droneship, Just Read the Instructions, located in the Atlantic Ocean. The booster separates after ascent and performs a flip maneuver, allowing it to use its engines and "grid fins" to steer itself to a soft landing on the droneship. The reusable booster has been recovered seven times, SpaceX said. The same first-stage rocket booster supported Crew Dragon's first flight to the International Space Station, the Canadian Space Agency's RADARSAT Constellation Mission to deploy Earth-observation satellites and four launches for Starlink, a SpaceX initiative to provide satellite internet access, the company said. Sunday's recovery marked the 69th time the company has recovered a Falcon 9 first-stage booster, it said. Shortly after 1 p.m., SpaceX tweeted that the rocket's latest payload, an SXM-7 satellite for SiriusXM, had been successfully deployed.
“Swalwell Demands Probe Claiming Trump Is Behind Leak Of Questionable Relationship With Chinese Honeytrap Spy Story” by Texas Politics’ Mona Salama – Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) is demanding a probe of the Axios report that exposed he was entangled with someone suspected to be a Chinese spy, alleging the leak came from President Trump as retaliation for his criticisms and his impeachment push. “The wrongdoing here, Jim, is that at the same time this story was being leaked out is the time I was working on impeachment on the House intelligence and judiciary committees,” Swalwell said in an interview with CNN’s Jim Sciutto Wednesday. “And if this is a country where people who criticize the president are going to have law enforcement information weaponized against them, that’s not a country that any of us want to live in. And I hope it is investigated as to who leaked this information,” he added. On Tuesday, Axios reported that a Chinese national named Fang Fang or Christine Fang was an operative for China’s Ministry of State Security, the country’s top intelligence organization, and targeted up-and-coming local politicians, including Swalwell. Fang reportedly helped fundraise for Swalwell’s 2014 campaign and even managed to install one intern in his office. During her brief four year mission in the states, Fang allegedly slept with at least two Midwestern mayors while pursuing a slew of local-level politicians across the country in a bid to infiltrate the U.S political system. Intelligence officials believe that Fang did in fact had a sexual relationship with Swalwell during her time she helped bundled donor checks for his 2014 re-election campaign as well as the countless interactions she had with the congressman in numerous events.
“Ted Cruz says Swalwell literally took his advice about screwing the Chinese communists” by Texas Politics’ Javier Manjarres – After news broke that Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell got caught up in a Chinese spy operation, where one of his trusted fundraisers was found out to be a foreign agent, who along with several other elected officials, may have slept with the congressman, the jokes started pouring in from all corners of the political world. One of Swalwell’s jesters is Texas Senator Ted Cruz, who post an unbelievable funny tweet referencing the potential sexual affair Swalwell had with the foreign agent. More than once, I’ve said “screw the Chinese communists.” Little did I know how closely Swalwell was listening,” quipped Sen. Cruz, who we can only imaging was bent over in laughter as he “stroked” the keyboard. Congressional Republicans have called on Speaker Nancy Pelosi to pull Swalwell off the House Intelligence Committee in fear that he may have compromised, or could compromise the intelligence-sensitive committee. Swalwell has since tried to blame Trump for his “China girl” encounter as Republicans have pointed to the irony that Swalwell accused Trump of colluding with the Russians, even saying that the president was a Russian agent.
“McCaul Wants Congress to Focus on COVID-19 Relief, Not Cats” by Texas Politics’ Daniel Molina – Texas Rep. Michael McCaul (R), the lead Republican on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Chairman of the China Task Force, took to social media to criticize House Democrats for prioritizing anything but COVID-relief for Americans. Those “anything” issues include voting on legislation for kitty cats. Calling it another “important week in Washington,” Rep. McCaul explained that “Democrats have brought forth legislation on cats, cannabis, and ceiling fans.” In a time when Americans “are losing their livelihoods in this pandemic,” McCaul asserted that “the American people deserve better.” Since before the election on November 3rd, Republicans and Democrats have not been able to agree on an effective COVID-19 relief package as Americans continue to face financial hardships during the pandemic. In recent weeks, a number of lawmakers have joined the mounting criticism that Democrats have received, launching verbal jabs at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D) for her handling of providing relief. Just this week, responding to a press conference held by House Speaker Pelosi, Texas Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R) commented that “it’s hard to imagine a more awful, heartless strategy by Speaker Pelosi,” adding that “we’ve been telling the American people this for months” and “now she is actually admitting it.” What Pelosi is purported to have admitted is that she had leveraged “aid for small businesses and families to score political points.”
“Bill seeking to modify Texas ‘castle doctrine’ causes stir ahead of 2021 legislative session” by Click 2 Houston’s Aaron Barker – A bill seeking to modify the so-called “castle doctrine” in Texas is getting lawmakers riled up ahead of the legislative session that begins next year. The “castle doctrine” is outlined in the state’s penal code. It gives people the right to use deadly force to protect their “land or tangible, movable property.” State Rep. Terry Meza, D-Irving, filed House Bill 196 in early November, which would modify part of the code to require a person to be “unable to safely retreat” before they could use deadly force to protect their habitation or property. It would also remove robbery and aggravated robbery as crimes that could be legally stopped with deadly force by property owners. Some posts circulating on social media have insinuated that Meza’s bill seeks to end the “castle doctrine” because it requires a person to retreat from their property before using deadly force. Vince Leibowitz, spokesman for Meza, told the Associated Press that the bill deals only with situations outside the home, leaving intact Texas law relating to situations inside someone’s own “habitation,” defined in the state penal code as “a structure or vehicle that is adapted for the overnight accommodation of persons.” Meza took to Twitter last month to say that her bill and position have been “misrepresented.” “It does not repeal the Castle Doctrine, and it does not restrict homeowners from using firearms in self-defense as applicable to current Texas stand your ground laws,” Meza wrote in a Nov. 19 tweet. “What my bill would do if passed, would require a homeowner to exhaust the potential of safely retreating into their habitation before using deadly force in defense of themselves or their property.”
“US Carries Out Execution Of Texas Gang Member Brandon Bernard” by CBS DFW – The Trump administration on Thursday, Dec. 10, carried out its ninth federal execution of the year and the first during a presidential lame-duck period in 130 years, putting to death a Texas street-gang member for his role in the slayings of a religious couple from Iowa more than two decades ago. Four more federal executions, including one Friday, are planned in the weeks before President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration. The case of Brandon Bernard, who received a lethal injection of phenobarbital inside a death chamber at a U.S. prison in Terre Haute, Indiana, was a rare execution of a person who was in his teens when his crime was committed. Several high-profile figures, including reality TV star Kim Kardashian West, had appealed to President Donald Trump to commute Bernard’s sentence to life in prison. With witnesses looking on from behind a glass barrier, the 40-year-old Bernard was pronounced dead at 9:27 p.m. Eastern time. Bernard directed his last words to the family of the couple he killed, speaking with striking calm for someone who knew he was about to die. “I’m sorry,” he said, lifting his head and looking at the witness-room windows. “That’s the only words that I can say that completely capture how I feel now and how I felt that day.” Bernard was 18 when he and four other teenagers abducted and robbed Todd and Stacie Bagley on their way from a Sunday service in Killeen, Texas. Federal executions were resumed by Trump in July after a 17-year hiatus despite coronavirus outbreak in U.S. prisons.
“Six GOP-led states join Texas bid to overturn Biden’s election, as Trump dines with Paxton and other AGs” by Dallas Morning News’ Todd J. Gillman – Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s effort to overturn President-elect Joe Biden’s victory sparked a legal war between the states on Thursday. Six fellow Republican attorneys general asked the Supreme Court to let them join Texas’ bid to nullify 10.4 million votes in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan and Wisconsin. As filings poured into the high court, they and others joined President Donald Trump at a private lunch in the Cabinet Room. Trump has also asked the court to let him sign on to the Texas lawsuit as a plaintiff. By the close of business Thursday, 21 states — including several led by Republican governors — had filed objections, calling Texas’ request unconstitutional, unfair and outrageous. Texas’ allegation is that governors or courts in the four states it is trying to sue had unlawfully expanded mail-in voting, usurping a power reserved solely for legislatures. Paxton, who co-chaired Lawyers for Trump for the president’s reelection campaign, asked the Supreme Court to let the legislatures in those states, which are all controlled by Republicans, substitute their choice of electors for the 62 collected by Biden because he won more votes. That would presumably transform Trump’s decisive ouster into a court-ordered victory. “Texas’s request to disenfranchise tens of millions of voters who reasonably relied upon the law at the time of the election does great damage to the public interest,” Pennsylvania argued in a response filed Thursday afternoon. “Nothing in the text, history, or structure of the Constitution supports Texas’s view that it can dictate the manner in which four sister States run their elections, and Texas suffered no harm because it dislikes the results in those elections.”
National:
“Arizona Republicans Are Racked by Infighting Over Trump, Coronavirus” by WSJ’s Eliza Collins – The Arizona Republican Party has been racked by infighting as elected officials argue over President Trump’s efforts to overturn the election results and as the GOP governor grapples with a worsening Covid-19 pandemic. The public spats have some worried about the party’s chances going into the next round of elections. The chief disputes are between the party’s establishment and its right wing over whether to keep contesting President-elect Joe Biden’s win in the state, despite no evidence of widespread fraud, and how far to go on restrictions related to the pandemic. After Republican Gov. Doug Ducey defended Arizona’s election system last month, the state GOP chairwoman, Kelli Ward, tweeted that he should #STHU, shorthand for “shut the hell up.” (She later said in a radio interview she meant “shut the heck up.”) Mr. Ducey told reporters: “The feeling’s mutual to her.” On Wednesday, the Arizona GOP Twitter account accused Mr. Ducey of trying to replace Ms. Ward as state party chairwoman. Ms. Ward said in an interview she hasn’t decided what she will do next, adding that Mr. Trump told her he would support her remaining the state GOP party’s leader or running for another position. “The world is my oyster,” she said. Both the White House and the governor’s office declined to comment for this article. Separately, U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs, an Arizona Republican who has pushed for less intervention on the virus, tweeted on Dec. 4 that he worried the governor would force vaccinations and the Republican legislature would allow it, to which Mr. Ducey’s chief of staff responded that Mr. Biggs should “enjoy your time as a permanent resident of Crazytown.”
“Trump Pursues Appointing Special Counsel to Probe Election, Hunter Biden” by WSJ’s Aruna Viswanatha, Rebecca Ballhaus and Sadie Gurman – President Trump has expressed interest in pursuing the appointment of a special counsel to investigate allegations of fraud in the November elections and issues related to Hunter Biden, according to people familiar with the matter. In recent days, the president has directed advisers to look for people who could serve in such a position, one of the people said, as lawsuits and other efforts by Mr. Trump and his campaign to reverse the election results flounder. White House officials and allies of the president on Capitol Hill and elsewhere have also pushed for the appointment of a special counsel, another person familiar with the discussions said. White House chief of staff Mark Meadows has told people that the president is interested in pursuing a special counsel to investigate election fraud and wants to act quickly, one of the people said. Senior White House officials have also discussed the possibility of pursuing a special counsel to investigate Hunter Biden, expressing frustration over Attorney General William Barr’s handling of investigations into Mr. Biden’s business and financial dealings and concern that the incoming administration of Joe Biden could seek to shut down any probes into Mr. Biden’s son, Hunter, an administration official said. The White House declined to comment. A spokeswoman for Mr. Barr declined to comment. A spokesman for the Biden transition team declined to comment. Joe Biden isn’t implicated in the investigations into Hunter Biden, according to people familiar with the matter.
“Meet the Electoral College, America’s Most Important Voters” by WSJ’s John McCormick – A few famous names are among the 538 Americans about to cast the votes that matter most when electing U.S. presidents. But many are people like Mary Arnold, a retired social worker and a first-time member of the Electoral College. Ms. Arnold, a Democrat from Columbus, Wis., will cast one of her state’s 10 electoral votes for President-elect Joe Biden on Monday, when electors nationwide meet in their states. “I was blown away to be asked,” she said. “It never occurred to me that I might be an elector.” Ms. Arnold, who is 72 years old and leads her county’s party organization, said she received a phone call in September from the state Democratic chairman asking if she would like to be an elector. She was told she was selected because she had been a good local leader. She said the occasion will be the first time she gets dressed up since the coronavirus pandemic hit, and she figures she will stop for takeout food to celebrate during her 30-minute drive home from Madison. “I am going to put on makeup for probably the first time in nine months,” she said. The nation’s founders created the Electoral College as a compromise between those who favored a direct popular vote and those who wanted lawmakers to pick presidents. Mr. Biden won the national popular vote by more than seven million ballots, according to the Associated Press. But the number that counts is his electoral vote total, 306, to President Trump’s 232. Mr. Trump has refused to accept the election outcome and pushed dozens of legal challenges, with losses at all levels including the U.S. Supreme Court. His unwillingness to concede has put a spotlight on the mechanics of choosing the president.
“Trump signs stopgap funding bill to avert shutdown at midnight” by CNN’s Clare Foran and Manu Raju – President Donald Trump signed a one-week stopgap funding bill, passed by the Senate earlier Friday, to avert a government shutdown at midnight. The short-term spending bill, which the Senate passed by voice vote, extends government funding by a week to December 18 and is aimed at giving lawmakers more time to reach an agreement on Covid relief and broader funding legislation for a new fiscal year. It passed the House earlier this week. So far, however, stimulus talks remain at an impasse over critical sticking points, creating uncertainty over whether an agreement can be reached. Lawmakers now have just one additional week to work out thorny issues that are currently holding up an agreement or potentially witness the collapse of the talks. A timeline for the stopgap funding bill vote -- and whether it would happen ahead of the critical midnight deadline -- had been uncertain earlier Friday morning amid a series of last-minute holdups. The Senate needed all 100 senators to agree to schedule a vote, and several senators had been making demands that complicated the ability reach an agreement for swift passage. Sen. Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican had been objecting to a quick vote on a defense bill but told CNN Friday morning he would let the stopgap funding bill pass later in the day, explaining that his main point was to delay the Senate's vote on the National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, for a day.
“Review largely blames Iowa caucus problems on Democratic National Committee” by CNN’s Deanna Hackney – An internal review of the 2020 Iowa caucuses found that the reporting app used in February was largely successful and that the main source of delay in reporting results, as well as other mishaps, was intervention by the Democratic National Committee, according to a report released Saturday. The review, which was commissioned and released by the Iowa Democratic Party and conducted by a group of independent lawyers, examined a collection of thousands of documents and dozens of interviews. The DNC's late request for a feature in the Shadow app, as well as delays in the development and approval of the app, and other issues were to blame for the multiple problems seen in the reporting process during the caucuses, the report says. Among the reasons highlighted in the report as contributing to the then-new app's software outage that didn't allow precincts to report results the night of the caucus was a delay in the approval process by the DNC. Despite the problems before and during the caucuses, the report concluded that the app was not hacked or compromised. The report also laid some of the blame on planning by the Iowa Democratic Party. "The findings of this independent, detailed review of what happened during the 2020 caucuses should speak for itself. In the interest of clarity and public reassurance, the IDP commissioned this self-critical report to help guide conversations as we move forward," IDP Chair Mark Smith said in a news release.
“US agencies investigating hacking of government networks” by CNN’s Brian Fung – The US Commerce Department confirmed Sunday it has been the victim of a data breach. "We can confirm there has been a breach in one of our bureaus," the Commerce Department said in a statement to CNN. "We have asked CISA and the FBI to investigate, and we cannot comment further at this time." The Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency also confirmed the data security incident, telling CNN in a statement, "We have been working closely with our agency partners regarding recently discovered activity on government networks." "CISA is providing technical assistance to affected entities as they work to identify and mitigate any potential compromises," the statement continued. Reuters was first to report on the data breach. The Washington Post reported Sunday that Russian government hackers targeted Commerce as well as the Treasury Department and other government agencies, according to people familiar with the matter, who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter. The paper reported the FBI is investigating and that the same Russia-linked group breached the elite cybersecurity firm FireEye, which just last week disclosed an attack compromising the so-called "Red Team" tools it uses to protect cybersecurity clients, including government customers. CNN has previously reported the Russian-affiliated group, known as APT29, as the suspected culprit behind the FireEye breach, citing a person familiar with the matter.
“NY GOP candidate Tenney on House reportedly sending envoys to observe recount in congressional district” by Fox News’ Talia Kaplan – New York Republican candidate Claudia Tenney told “Fox & Friends Weekend” on Sunday that because the race in the state's 22nd Congressional District is “so close,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sent lawyers who are “supposed to be in an observing role” in the election’s recount, but are getting “very aggressive.” Tenney made the comments referencing a report that the House of Representatives is sending envoys to observe recounts in the close and still uncalled race in New York’s 22nd Congressional District. The contest between incumbent Democratic Rep. Anthony Brindisi and Tenney is the state’s only race that has not yet been certified by the state Board of Elections, the New York Post reported, adding that the House has notified several county board of elections that they’ll be sending envoys to observe the recounts, which is expected to begin on Monday. The contest has been tied up in court since Election Day, with unofficial results showing Tenney with a lead of just 12 votes in the race. “If the judge follows the legal process I think we should prevail,” Tenney said on Sunday. “But what’s happening now, it’s so close that Nancy Pelosi, the current House speaker, has sent lawyers who are supposed to be from the House administration and they're supposed to be in an observing role, not anything more than that, but it looks like they're getting very aggressive.” “They had asked the court to have cameras and electronic equipment so that they could really work on these ballots in a way that we don't think it is fair and that we think could prejudice the opening of these new ballots,” she continued.
“Rep. Jordan raises 'fundamental questions' in Swalwell scandal” by Fox News’ Talia Kaplan – Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, raised what he called “fundamental questions” surrounding allegations that Rep. Eric Swalwell had been compromised by a suspected Chinese spy. Jordan told “Sunday Morning Futures” in an exclusive interview that he wants to find out what House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., knew “when she put Rep. Swalwell on the intel committee.” “She [Pelosi] gets all kinds of briefings,” he told host Maria Bartiromo. “She gets briefings I don't get. She gets briefings you don't get certainly, so what did she know when she made that selection?” On Thursday, speaking with FOX Business’ “Mornings with Maria” Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., expressed similar concerns and explained why he believes Swalwell, D-Calif., should be removed from the House Intelligence Committee, noting that the Democratic congressman “has access to information that could hurt us” given his alleged “relationship with the Communist Party of China.” The Republican senator warned that Swalwell’s “got our most important secrets” because he serves on the House Intelligence Committee. “This is so basic. Nancy Pelosi cannot allow him to stay on the intelligence committee,” Scott said one day after he sent a letter to the House speaker calling for Swalwell’s removal from the committee. A yearlong Axios investigation revealed links between Swalwell and suspected Chinese spy Fang Fang, aka Christine Fang. The report indicated Fang targeted up-and-coming local politicians, including those who had the potential to become national figures.
“Former WH communications director Alyssa Farah says GA Senate runoffs will play role in Hunter Biden probe” by Fox News’ Julia Musto – Former White House communications director Alyssa Farah asserted Sunday that the result of January's Georgia Senate runoff races would play a role in the future of a probe into Hunter Biden's business dealings. In an interview on "America's News Headquarters" with host Leland Vittert, Farah said she believed the Delaware U.S. Attorney’s Office's investigations into the younger Biden's “tax affairs” should lead to the appointment of a special prosecutor. "But, what's going to matter, frankly, is who is in control of the Senate. I think we've seen that if it's just Democrats, we're not going to get answers to these basic questions around Hunter Biden's business finances," she noted. "So, we've absolutely got to make sure that Republicans keep control of the Senate, so we get answers on [this]." The control of the upper chamber will be decided in a pair of runoff elections on Jan. 5, during which two Republican incumbents in the newly blue state will try to hold their positions. GOP Sen. Kelly Loeffler is being challenged by newcomer Raphael Warnock, as Republican Sen. David Perdue battles young Democrat Jon Ossoff. The Senate balance currently leans in favor of Republicans 50-48 seats, with 51 needed for a majority. Should Democrats take the coveted Peach State seats, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris could serve as a tiebreaker, giving both the White House and the Senate to the progressive party. Farah told Vittert that there are two main issues for Georgian voters: the coronavirus pandemic and the economy. "Obviously, the coronavirus is at the forefront and because of Operation Warp Speed, because of the incredible public-private partnership that got us to where we are – that we're going to have millions of vaccines deployed by the end of the month – I think that there's real confidence that we're trending the right way on COVID," she said.
