‘This Must Be Your First’  —  On the evening of September 11, 1980, my mom was approached by a neighbor who held rank in the Turkish military.  He told her to stock up on bread and rice.  “Oh, another coup,” she immediately groaned.  The neighbor was aghast—he wasn't supposed to tell anyone what was coming.

‘The people have spoken’: Michigan judge rejects lawsuit from disavowed Trump attorney  —  A Michigan federal judge has ruled against a sweeping legal bid to overturn election results in the state, determining the lawsuit brought by an ally of President Donald Trump was riddled with “theories …

Bob Dylan Sells His Songwriting Catalog in Blockbuster Deal  —  Universal Music purchased his entire songwriting catalog of more than 600 songs in what may be the biggest acquisition ever of a single act's publishing rights.  —  Bob Dylan's memoir “Chronicles: Volume One” …

Hawley urges Trump to veto Covid bill absent stimulus checks  —  If Trump rejects it, a new round of aid could be delayed until after Biden is sworn in.  —  Sen. Josh Hawley argues that it is “wild” that a Senate GOP proposal and a bipartisan $908 billion plan offers aid but doesn't include more checks.

Supreme Court declines to hear transgender bathroom case  —  The Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear a case challenging an Oregon school district's policy allowing transgender students to use locker rooms and bathrooms of their choice.  —  The case, which the court declined without comment …

Georgia Recertifies Its Results After 2nd Recount Affirmed Biden's Victory  —  Lawmakers on Capitol Hill face a set of looming challenges this week: breaking a stalemate on coronavirus relief negotiations, pushing through legislation needed to keep the government funded past Friday and neutralizing …

CREW obtains receipts for Pompeo's notorious “Madison Dinners” … Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spent more than $40,000 in taxpayer money on a series of “Madison Dinners” attended by major donors and figures in the Republican party, according to documents obtained by CREW.

How Kelly Loeffler got backed into admitting Donald Trump lost  —  (CNN)Since coming to the Senate in January, Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler has been the single biggest supporter of President Donald Trump's agenda.  But even she knows the jig is up when it comes to his ongoing attempts to contest an election that he quite clearly lost.

Armed protesters alleging voter fraud surrounded the home of Michigan's secretary of state  —  Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson had just finished wrapping string lights around her home's portico on Saturday evening and was about to watch “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” …

Trump to sign coronavirus vaccine executive order prioritizing Americans over foreign nations  —  Order reemphasizes the Trump administration's ‘America First’ approach  —  HHS Secretary Azar: Coronavirus vaccine could be distributed 24 hours after approval

Matthew McConaughey criticizes Hollywood ‘far left;’ says the right is in election ‘denial’  —  Matthew McConaughey is doing his best to demonstrate during his current, seemingly unending book promotional tour that he is different from other Hollywood stars who discuss politics.

Social Security Administration is preparing to bar 500,000 Americans from getting benefits  —  Over the weekend, the Social Security Administration (SSA) sent the Trump administration's Office of Management and Budget a proposal that — if similar to a version leaked earlier this year …

No, The Georgia Vote-Counting Video Was Not ‘Debunked.’ Not Even Close  —  A Big Tech-backed ‘fact’ ‘checking’ outfit claimed to debunk explosive evidence for Republicans' claims of significant election problems in Georgia.  It didn't.  —  A Big Tech-backed “fact” “checking” …

The Places That Had the Biggest Swings Toward and Against Trump  —  Education was a key dividing line, but other things mattered, too.  —  With most of the slow-to-report votes tallied, we finally have a clearer picture of last month's presidential results.

Millions of Americans are heading into the holidays unemployed and over $5,000 behind on rent  —  Economists warn many unemployed families won't be able to pay rent and utilities without more stimulus aid from Congress  —  Millions of Americans who lost their jobs during the pandemic …

Federal watchdog finds Peter Navarro violated Hatch Act  —  The Office of Special Counsel issued a report on Monday finding that White House trade adviser Peter Navarro repeatedly violated the Hatch Act — which restricts government employees from engaging in partisan political activities …

The Man Who Found Forrest Fenn's Treasure  —  The decade-long hunt captured the world's attention, but when it finally ended in June, everyone still wanted to know: Who had solved the mystery?  This week, as legal proceedings threaten his anonymity, a 32-year-old medical student is ready to go on the record.

The ‘Safe Harbor’ Deadline Is upon Us  —  On the menu today: As of tomorrow, under U.S. law, the 2020 presidential election is really, really, really over, under something called the “safe harbor deadline.”  The Supreme Court might weigh in on Representative Mike Kelly's suit …

POLITICO Playbook PM: The government funding plan  —  UPDATE ... AS WE REPORTED SUNDAY NIGHT, it's now certain that Congress is going to pass a one-week stopgap funding bill, which will avert a shutdown at the end of this week, and give negotiators time to continue to try to cobble together an omnibus bill and Covid relief package.

Americans' Mental Health Ratings Sink to New Low  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. — Americans' latest assessment of their mental health is worse than it has been at any point in the last two decades.  Seventy-six percent of U.S. adults rate their mental health positively, representing a nine-point decline from 2019.

Biden's ambassador to the GOP  —  Chris Coons was in the final two when it came to Joe Biden's search for a secretary of State.  But the president-elect had a simple message when he broke the news that the job would instead go to Tony Blinken.  —  “I need you in the Senate,” …

The Suburbs Helped Elect Biden.  Can They Give Democrats the Senate, Too?  —  Some Atlanta suburbs that used to be “blood red” went blue in November.  But Democrats need strong turnout in January, not just disaffected Republicans seeking to give Trump one final defeat.

Cameroonian Operator Charged in Fraudulent Online “Puppy Scam” that Exploited the COVID-19 Pandemic  —  A criminal complaint unsealed Friday in federal court in Pittsburgh charges Desmond Fodje Bobga for his alleged involvement in a puppy fraud scheme perpetrated against American consumers.