Top Items:
Jonathan Swan / Axios:
Scoop: Trump lawyers to avoid Michigan lawmaker meeting after COVID exposure — Rudy Giuliani and other key members of President Trump's outside legal team won't be attending today's meeting with two Michigan lawmakers because they've been exposed to the coronavirus, two sources familiar with the internal discussions tell Axios.
Discussion:
NBC News, New York Times, Raw Story, The Hill, The Daily Caller, Washington Post, The Week, Balloon Juice, Daily Kos and Outside the Beltway
RELATED:
Bloomberg:
Donald Trump Jr. Infected by Coronavirus and in Isolation — Giuliani's son, Pence aide also recently tested positive — Infections add to dozens of cases associated with president — President Donald Trump's oldest son, Donald Trump Jr., tested positive for coronavirus earlier …
Discussion:
The Hill, NBC New York, Talking Points Memo, POLITICUSUSA and Mother Jones
Veronica Stracqualursi / CNN:
Ben Carson says he was ‘desperately ill’ from Covid but is now ‘out of the woods’ — (CNN)Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson said Friday he became “desperately ill” from Covid-19, but now believes he is “out of the woods” after receiving an antibody treatment.
Discussion:
Twitchy
CNN:
Donald Trump Jr. tests positive for coronavirus — (CNN)Donald Trump Jr., President Donald Trump's eldest son, has tested positive for the coronavirus, a personal spokesman told CNN on Friday. — “Don tested positive at the start of the week and has been quarantining out at his cabin since the result,” the spokesman said.
Discussion:
New York Times and The Wrap
Politico:
Trump bid to overturn vote crashes into wall of deadlines
Discussion:
Bloomberg, Axios, CNN, HotAir and Alternet.org
Jonah Goldberg / The Dispatch:
This Was Always the Plan — President Trump telegraphed that he would try to steal the election if he didn't win. — Dear Reader (including those of you who are starting to layer up like Steve Bannon to deal with the cold), — I rather enjoy not writing about Donald Trump.
Discussion:
Washington Examiner and Forbes
RELATED:
Jeremy W. Peters / New York Times:
Tucker Carlson Dared Question a Trump Lawyer. The Backlash Was Quick. — The president's allies quickly closed ranks behind Sidney Powell and her pro-Trump conspiracy theory, accusing the Fox host of betrayal. — For more than a week, a plain-spoken former federal prosecutor named Sidney Powell …
Discussion:
RedState, Washington Post, Daily Kos, The Root and No More Mister Nice Blog
Jim Geraghty / National Review:
Americans Deserve the Truth, Even If It's Unpleasant — On the menu today: a blunt message about who is conning whom in the aftermath of the 2020 elections. — You Are Being Conned — Rudy Giuliani, yesterday: … Sidney Powell, yesterday, in the same press conference:
National Review:
Trump's Disgraceful Gambit
Discussion:
The National Interest, Breitbart, CBS News and HotAir
Mark Leibovich / New York Times:
‘The Ballots Might Have Been From Mickey Mouse,’ the President's Lawyer Said. Likewise, His Legal Strategy.
Discussion:
USA Today, Daily Mail, National Review, Snopes.com and Israpundit
Josh Feldman / Mediaite:
Jonah Goldberg Goes Off on Trump Team's ‘Unpatriotic Lie’: Trying to Steal Election With an ‘Insane Bat Guano Conspiracy Theory’
Michael Brendan Dougherty / National Review:
The Insanity Oath — Conservatives sense that social progressives have achieved a critical level …
Discussion:
The Stream, HotAir and Raw Story
New York Times:
Transition Live Updates: After Trump Meeting, Michigan Lawmakers Maintain They Will Follow the Law — The president invited a delegation of Michigan Republicans to the White House on Friday. In Georgia, the state certified President-elect Joe Biden's victory in the state hours …
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Washington Post:
Trump suffers twin defeats in his effort to overturn Biden's victory in key states — President Trump received twin blows to his effort to overturn his defeat on Friday, with Georgia officials certifying President-elect Joe Biden's slim victory there and Michigan Republicans declaring …
Discussion:
Fox News, Michigan Advance, New York Times, Chicago Sun-Times, National Review, Rising Up with Sonali, Los Angeles Times, Mediaite and Reuters
Karen Tumulty / Washington Post:
Republican leaders swore an oath to defend the Constitution. That means telling Trump it's over. — Where is our Barry Goldwater? Our John Rhodes? Our Hugh Scott? — As President Trump becomes more and more detached from reality, it is past time for him to hear directly from senior members …
Discussion:
Detroit News, Reuters, New York Times, Florida Politics, Sara A. Carter and New York Post
Washington Post:
Michigan attorney general ponders criminal probes of state and local officials who bend to Trump's will on overturning election results
Discussion:
Associated Press, New York Times, CNN, Bloomberg, VICE, Japan Times, Forbes, Mediaite and WTOP
New York Times:
Here's What We Know About Trump's Meeting With Michigan Lawmakers
Discussion:
The Texas Tribune, HuffPost, Washington Post, Washington Examiner, American Interregnum, WXYZ-TV, The Daily Poster, Al Jazeera, Democracy Journal, Reuters, Snopes.com, Florida Politics, HotAir, The Atlantic, Washington Times, Twin Cities, Politico, NBC News, Conservative News Today, Crooks and Liars and The Week
Jan Wolfe / Reuters:
Detroit asks judge to sanction Trump campaign for spreading ‘disinformation’
Discussion:
Washington Examiner and Raw Story
Politico:
After Trump meeting, Michigan GOP leaders say Biden's win still stands
Discussion:
New York Times, Business Insider, The Hill, BuzzFeed News, NPR, ABC News, USA Today, Michigan Advance, WWLP-TV, Newsbusters, Breitbart, Alternet.org, Mock Paper Scissors, IJR, WTOP, CNBC, CBS News, NBC Los Angeles, CBS Pittsburgh, Reuters and Political Wire
Laura Wagner / VICE:
GSA Administrator Emily Murphy Alive, Mad We Emailed Her — The government bureaucrat holding up the peaceful transfer of presidential power refuses to explain herself. — Laura Wagner — Emily Murphy is the Trump appointee who heads up the General Services Administration and is therefore in charge of …
Discussion:
RedState
RELATED:
Carrie Johnson / NPR:
Merrick Garland Among Biden Candidates For Attorney General, Sources Say — Federal appeals court Judge Merrick Garland is under consideration to serve as attorney general in the administration of President-elect Joe Biden, NPR has learned from two people closely following the process.
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, Reason, Vanity Fair, National Review, The Week, Talking Points Memo, Washington Times, HotAir and CBS News
RELATED:
Jordan Williams / The Hill:
Merrick Garland on list to be Biden's attorney general: report
Discussion:
Power Line
The New York Times Company:
Ezra Klein Joins Times Opinion as Columnist and Podcast Host — Ezra, in his columns and on his podcast, will be able to help our readers and listeners navigate the political future as Washington moves into a new era. Read more in this note from Kathleen Kingsbury and Paula Szuchman.
Discussion:
RedState, The Daily Beast, The Hill and The Wrap, more at Mediagazer »
RELATED:
Sara Fischer / Axios:
Ezra Klein and Lauren Williams are leaving Vox
Discussion:
New York Post, New York Times, Washington Post, Variety, Washingtonian and Washington Examiner, more at Mediagazer »
New York Times:
In All 50 States, Deaths Are Now Higher Than Normal — Brazil Canada France Germany India Italy Mexico Spain U.K. — Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland …
Discussion:
Political Wire
Reuters:
Exclusive: Mexico agreed with U.S. Attorney General Barr to arrest drug capo in deal for general - source — MEXICO CITY/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Mexico has committed to the arrest of a high-level cartel leader under a deal with U.S. Attorney General William Barr to drop U.S. drug trafficking charges …
Discussion:
Washington Post
Nancy Scola / Politico:
Twitter will hand @POTUS to Biden on Inauguration Day, even if Trump doesn't concede — The presidential @POTUS Twitter handle will automatically transfer to President-elect Joe Biden the moment he's sworn in at noon on Inauguration Day — whether or not President Donald Trump has conceded, the company confirmed to POLITICO on Friday.
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, National Archives and The Verge, more at Techmeme »
Jackson Danbeck / TMJ4:
Kyle Rittenhouse released from custody on $2 million cash bond — KENOSHA — Kyle Rittenhouse, accused of shooting and killing two people during protests in Kenosha, has been released from jail on bond Friday. — A spokesperson with the Kenosha County Sheriff's Department announced …
Discussion:
The Daily Beast, The Daily Caller, The Week, The Root and New York Post
Washington Examiner:
It's time for Trump to concede and move on — When President Trump refused to concede the election to Joe Biden in the immediate aftermath of Nov. 3, we argued that he had the right to mount legal challenges if he believed there had been irregularities, mistakes, fraud, or all three.
Discussion:
The Daily Beast, Washington Post, The Right Scoop, CBS Atlanta, Bloomberg, Raw Story, Reuters, Washington Times and Florida Politics
Lee Davidson / Salt Lake Tribune:
Mitt Romney's inspirations for bucking his party: his dad and his Black grandson — Mitt Romney is once again showing himself to be a GOP maverick, this week calling the president's efforts to overturn election results “undemocratic” while most of his Republican colleagues stay aboard the Trump train.
Discussion:
Raw Story
Reuters:
Why Republican voters say there's ‘no way in hell’ Trump lost — SUNDOWN, Texas (Reuters) - Brett Fryar is like many mainstream Republicans. A 50-year-old chiropractor in this west Texas town, he owns a small business. He has two undergraduate degrees and a master's degree, in organic chemistry.
Discussion:
Digby's Hullabaloo, CNN, Al Jazeera, Washington Monthly, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, ABC News, Breitbart, Blue Virginia, USA Today, Raw Story and The Week
Jack Nicas / New York Times:
No, Trump's sister did not publicly back him. He was duped by a fake account. — On Friday morning, President Trump shared a seemingly innocuous article on Twitter. The piece said that his sister, Elizabeth Trump Grau, had publicly voiced her support for her brother amid his baseless claims that he won the 2020 election.
Discussion:
The Daily Dot, The Guardian and Raw Story
Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:
There Was a Second Pro-Trump Conspiracy Hearing Thursday We Didn't Even Notice — Yesterday, a prominent Republican who has squandered his reputation for sobriety plunged headlong into nuttery by promoting a series of wild conspiracies promoted by Donald Trump. — Wait. Actually this happened twice yesterday.
Discussion:
Digby's Hullabaloo and Washington Post
Jay Caspian Kang / New York Times:
‘People of Color’ Do Not Belong to the Democratic Party — It's past time to start seeing voters the way they see themselves. — Mr. Kang is a writer at large for The New York Times Magazine. — Every immigrant arrives in this country with an implied debt.
Discussion:
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Andrew J. Tobias / Plain Dealer:
Trump tweet further complicates Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine's path to re-election in 2022 — COLUMBUS, Ohio - In a single tweet, President Donald Trump put a jolt into Ohio Republican circles recently when he said the state's upcoming governor's race will be “hotly contested.”
U.S. Department of Justice:
Executions Scheduled for Inmates Convicted of Brutal Murders Many Years Ago — Attorney General William P. Barr today directed the Federal Bureau of Prisons to schedule the executions of three federal-death row inmates sentenced to death for staggeringly brutal murders, including the murder of a child and …
Discussion:
Washington Examiner
Hans Nichols / Axios:
Biden aims to deflect fights over first Cabinet picks — President-elect Joe Biden has made his choice for secretary of state, three people familiar with the matter tell Axios, moving quickly to assemble a Senate-confirmable Cabinet even as President Trump refuses to concede the election.
Discussion:
The Hill, Associated Press, Politico and Political Wire
Paul Egan / Detroit Free Press:
GOP Senate candidate John James asks Board of State Canvassers to delay certification — LANSING — John James, the Republican candidate for a U.S. Senate in the Nov. 3 election, asked the Board of State Canvassers Friday to delay its certification of Michigan's statewide election results.
Discussion:
News & Views … and The Intercept
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