‘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.

Leading Covid-19 vaccine makers Pfizer and Moderna decline invitations to White House ‘Vaccine Summit’  —  Both Pfizer and Moderna, the two major drug manufacturers likely to receive emergency authorizations for a Covid-19 vaccine in the coming weeks, have rejected invitations from President Trump …

‘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 …

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 …

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.

Hawley urges Trump to veto Covid bill absent stimulus checks  —  Sen. Josh Hawley is not happy that the leading coronavirus proposals lack another round of direct payments to Americans — and he's taking his case straight to President Donald Trump.  —  The Missouri Republican lobbied Trump …

No, Kelly Loeffler didn't wear a wire during a debate.  —  On Sunday, Senator Kelly Loeffler, a Republican in one of the runoff elections in Georgia next month, fielded questions and sparred with her Democratic opponent, the Rev. Raphael Warnock, in a televised debate.

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 …

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” …

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,” …

Former Alabama senator dies of Covid at age 78, and in his last words warns, ‘We messed up’ … A former Alabama state senator died of Covid-19 last week at age 78, officials said.  —  Former Sen. Larry Dixon, a Republican who also served as the executive director of the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners …

Georgia Again Certifies Biden's Win  —  Recertification marks third time Georgia officials counted ballots cast in presidential election  —  Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger recertified Georgia's presidential-election results Monday after a second recount, his office said …

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.

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 …

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 …

Former Israeli space security chief says aliens exist, humanity not ready  —  This “Galactic Federation” has supposedly been in contact with Israel and the US for years, but are keeping themselves a secret to prevent hysteria until humanity is ready.  —  Has the State of Israel made contact with aliens?

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” …

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.