Trump's last-ditch effort to steal the election is the biggest farce of all  —  “We will be INTERVENING in the Texas (plus many other states) case.  This is the big one.  Our Country needs a victory!” tweeted the soon-to-be-ex-president of the United States.  A filing at the Supreme Court soon followed.

Biden taps Susan Rice for top White House domestic policy job  —  President-elect Joe Biden has tapped Barack Obama's former national security adviser Susan Rice to run the White House Domestic Policy Council, according to people familiar with the decision.  —  Rice, who also served …

Republicans Are Going Down a Dangerous Road  —  Republicans' tolerance, if not active support, for President Donald Trump's ongoing bid to overturn the 2020 election has crystallized a stark question: Does the GOP still qualify as a small-d democratic party—or is it morphing into something very different?

N.H. House Speaker Dick Hinch died from COVID-19, medical examiner finds  —  New Hampshire House Speaker Dick Hinch died from COVID-19, a medical examiner ruled Thursday following his unexpected death.  —  Hinch, who was only sworn in as leader of the state's newly Republican-led Legislature a week ago, died Wednesday.

Dianne Feinstein's Missteps Raise a Painful Age Question Among Senate Democrats  —  In a hearing on November 17th, Dianne Feinstein, the senior Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, who, at eighty-seven, is the oldest member of the Senate, grilled a witness.

CDC's Redfield told staff to delete email, official tells House watchdog  —  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield instructed staff to delete an email from a Trump political appointee seeking control over the agency's scientific reports on the pandemic …

‘Get off our damn asses’: Stimulus debacle exposes broken Washington  —  Congressional leaders are barely talking.  Renegade centrists are trying to cut a deal that Republicans don't like.  And the president is predominantly focused on overturning an election that he lost.

Billionaire behind pardon effort pledged massive donation to Trump: Sources  —  Despite $6 million in donations to the president, no pardon was ever issued.  —  Justice Department investigates possible bribery for pardons  —  Speculation has swirled that President Trump may pardon …

F.D.A. Advisory Panel Gives Green Light to Pfizer Vaccine  —  The blessing of these experts means that the agency will OK the vaccine's use, paving the way for health care workers to begin getting shots next week.  —  Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine passed a critical milestone on Thursday …

Sen. David Perdue Sold His Home to a Finance Industry Official Whose Organization Was Lobbying the Senate  —  The same year FINRA was lobbying the Senate on a bill, one of its board governors paid Perdue $1.8 million for his D.C. townhouse.  Perdue sits on the Senate Banking Committee, which oversaw the bill.

The pandemic and shuttered schools have led to a crisis for childhood  —  WASHINGTON — As parents remain bitterly divided over the return of in-person classroom instruction, children faced a greater risk of abuse or neglect because their contact with the outside world has been significantly curtailed …

Relax, A Trump Comeback In 2024 Is Not Going To Happen  —  Donald Trump lost the presidency, but his opponents so far have not achieved the victory they want most: A fatal puncturing of the Trump movement, a repudiation so complete that it severs his astonishing grip on supporters and leaves …

What Really Saved the Republic From Trump?  —  It wasn't our constitutional system of checks and balances.  —  Mr. Wu is a law professor at Columbia University.  —  Americans are taught that the main function of the U.S. Constitution is the control of executive power: curtailing presidents who might seek to become tyrants.

Trump virus coordinator Birx seeks role in Biden government  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — When Dr. Deborah Birx was brought into President Donald Trump's orbit to help fight the coronavirus pandemic, she had a sterling reputation as a former U.S. Army physician, a globally recognized AIDS researcher and a rare Obama administration holdover.

Rep. Dan Crenshaw Linked to Smear Campaign of Female Vet Led by VA Secretary, Watchdog Says  —  An investigation from the government watchdog that oversees the Department of Veterans Affairs concluded Thursday that a Republican member of Congress was involved in an orchestrated campaign by V …

CBS White House reporter Weijia Jiang is writing a memoir  —  NEW YORK (AP) — CBS News White House correspondent Weijia Jiang is working on a memoir about her experiences as a Chinese American.  —  One Signal Publishers, a Simon & Schuster imprint, announced Thursday that Jiang's “Other” would come out in Spring 2022.

Shutdown a possibility as Rand holds up defense bill  —  Rand Paul is at it again.  And his moves could force another brief government shutdown.  —  The Kentucky Republican is objecting to swift passage of the annual defense policy bill, effectively forcing senators to remain in Washington …

Fiery crash of SpaceX's Starship rocket ignites dreams of future spaceflight  —  Elon Musk is reshaping a remote South Texas shoreline to build and test the largest space launch system the world has ever seen.  Spaceflight—and the once quiet beach—will never be the same.

Va. governor imposes curfew while toughening restrictions; Pr.  George's to eliminate indoor dining  —  The Washington Post is providing this important information about the coronavirus for free.  For more free coverage of the coronavirus pandemic, sign up for our Coronavirus Updates newsletter where all stories are free to read.

RE: Why Democrats Should Run on $1,200 Checks in Georgia  —  Republicans may be about to hand Democrats a winning issue on a silver platter — one that could help them reclaim a populist economic message and win back control of the Senate.  —  If another round of direct relief payments …