Senior U.S. cybersecurity official tells associates he expects to be fired: sources  —  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Top U.S. cybersecurity official Christopher Krebs has told associates he expects to be fired by the White House, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

I'm Not Yet Ready to Abandon the Possibility of America  —  The Atlantic is pleased to offer, below, an adapted and updated excerpt from former President Barack Obama's new memoir, A Promised Land, which will be published on Tuesday by Crown.  Yesterday, The Atlantic's editor in chief …

Scoop: Trump eyes digital media empire to take on Fox News  —  President Trump has told friends he wants to start a digital media company to clobber Fox News and undermine the conservative-friendly network, sources tell Axios.  —  The state of play: Some Trump advisers think Fox News …

As Trump Focuses on 2024, Aides Mull Agenda for Final Days  —  The president's attention has been on his legal fight and a possible comeback bid, not a policy to-do list for the next two months  —  WASHINGTON—President Trump in recent days has expressed increasing interest in running for president again in 2024.

Pope Francis congratulates Biden on projected election win  —  President-elect Joe Biden spoke with Pope Francis on Thursday, according to his transition team.  —  Biden, a devout Catholic, thanked the Pope for “extending blessings and congratulations,” saying he expressed a desire to work together …

Senior Republican senators say Biden should have access to classified briefings  —  GOP senator says he will ‘step in’ if Biden doesn't get intelligence briefing  —  (CNN)Two top GOP senators told CNN on Thursday that Joe Biden should have access to classified briefings …

Maricopa County Republican chairman Rae Chornenky steps down  —  PHOENIX — The Maricopa County Republican chair has stepped down from her post after it was publicly revealed she was a no-show at a voting machine test in October.  —  Rae Chornenky resigned Tuesday night, one week after Election Day …

Justice Department probe ends with no action against prosecutors who oversaw Epstein deal  —  A Justice Department investigation found that federal prosecutors who oversaw a controversial non-prosecution deal with Jeffrey Epstein in 2008 exercised “poor judgment” but did not break the law, Sen. Ben Sasse said Thursday.

Notes on the State of the 2020 Election  —  Dear Readers: Check out our YouTube channel, UVACFP, later today for our latest Crystal Ball webinar.  It will feature the 22nd annual American Democracy Conference: We'll be hearing from New York Times columnist Jamelle Bouie; CNN commentator Tara Setmayer …

Scoop: Pompeo to make unprecedented visit to West Bank settlement  —  Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is planning to visit the Golan Heights and an Israeli settlement in the West Bank next week, both firsts for a U.S. secretary of state.  —  Why it matters: Since 1967, all previous U.S. administrations …

Uline founders Liz and Dick Uihlein test positive for COVID-19.  She has criticized coronavirus restrictions.  —  Mary Spicuzza Daniel Bice Molly BeckMilwaukee Journal Sentinel  —  Liz and Dick Uihlein, founders of the shipping supply giant Uline and major donors to President Donald Trump …

How to cover a coup — or whatever it is Trump is attempting  —  President Trump lost.  The nation knows it.  The world knows it.  And, although he won't admit it, he certainly knows it, too.  —  But because he is claiming otherwise — with his Republican enablers joining the chorus …

Georgia counties prepare for hand tally of presidential race  —  ATLANTA (AP) — As Georgia counties prepare for a hand tally of the presidential race, the state's top elections official plans to quarantine after his wife tested positive for the coronavirus, his office said Thursday.

Appeals court rules in favor of Harvard in affirmative action case, paving way for Supreme Court challenge  —  A federal appeals court on Thursday agreed with a lower court ruling that Harvard University does not intentionally discriminate against prospective Asian American students.

Evidence suggests several state Senate candidates were plants funded by dark money  —  MIAMI - Why would candidates for Florida Senate seats do no campaigning, no fundraising, have no issue platforms, nor make any effort to get votes?  —  Local 10 News has found evidence to suggest three …

This Election Result Won't Be Overturned  —  Recounts occasionally change margins in the hundreds, never in the tens of thousands.  —  It has been an eventful, unsettling year: A deadly virus struck without warning and claimed almost a quarter-million American lives; a lockdown demolished personal routines …

Top US general stands firm amid Pentagon turmoil  —  Starr: White House is cleaning house for political reasons  —  (CNN)The top US general is standing firm amid sweeping changes at the Pentagon which have seen senior officials replaced by Trump idealogues and alarmed senior defense officials.

Donald Trump Has Suffered a Defeat of Historic Proportions  —  The president may deny reality, but it's still reality.  He's losing the popular vote and the Electoral College by far greater margins than many past elections.  —  Republicans have their differences, but they generally agree on Ronald Reagan …

Pennsylvania court: Secretary of state lacked authority to change deadline 2 days before Election Day  —  Judge ruled ballots that were previously set aside should not be counted  —  Pennsylvania Supreme Court change to state election law challenged  —  A Pennsylvania judge ruled in favor …

Trump Campaign Lawyer Admits to Judge: Our Search for Evidence of Fraud Produced Obvious Lies and ‘Spam’  —  A Trump campaign attorney conceded in court on Thursday morning that he tried to enter hundreds of dodgy form-filed affidavits into evidence, even though their own investigation found …

Democrats' 2024 Problem Is Already Clear  —  Joe Biden often describes himself as a bridge between the Democratic Party's past and future generation of leaders.  But the 2020 election results signal that he may play an even more indispensable role, as a bridge between the party's past and future electoral coalitions.

N.Y.C. Schools May Close Again, a Grim Sign of a Global Dilemma  —  The school system, the nation's largest, has had strikingly few virus cases.  Even so, the mayor may end in-person classes because the city's overall rate is surging.  —  New York City has more students in classrooms …

Utah Man Driving 115 MPH Said He Was on His Way to Kill Former Missouri Senator: Police  —  STOPPED IN HIS TRACKS  —  A Utah man who was arrested after police clocked him driving more than 100 mph told state troopers he was on his way to Missouri to kill former Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Desert News reports.

Passenger Aboard First Cruise Ship to Return to Sailing in Caribbean Tests Positive for COVID-19  —  Passengers and non-essential crew are now isolating in their cabins as the ship heads back toward its departure point in Barbados  —  The first cruise ship to set sail in the Caribbean since …

At dinner parties and game nights, casual American life is fueling the coronavirus surge  —  A record-breaking surge in U.S. coronavirus cases is being driven to a significant degree by casual occasions that may feel deceptively safe, officials and scientists warn — dinner parties, game nights, sleepovers and carpools.

Louisville police, county attorney's office hide 738,000 records in Explorer sex abuse case  —  Louisville Metro Police concealed at least 738,000 records documenting the sexual abuse of Explorer Scouts by two officers — then lied to keep the files from the public, records show.

Biden Can Pass His Agenda If He Gives Republicans What They Want Most  —  The Democrats won the presidency, but they don't have what a parliamentary system would call a “government.”  Even if they win both Georgia Senate seats in the runoffs, they'll have just 50 Senate seats and will need …