‘We want them infected’: Trump appointee demanded ‘herd immunity’ strategy, emails reveal  —  A top Trump appointee repeatedly urged top health officials to adopt a “herd immunity” approach to Covid-19 and allow millions of Americans to be infected by the virus, according to internal emails obtained …

O'Malley Dillon's line that GOP are “f-ckers” worries some Biden aides  —  Some advisers close to President-elect Joe Biden are frustrated over a Glamour magazine interview in which incoming White House deputy chief of staff Jen O'Malley Dillon referred to Republicans on Capitol Hill as “f*ckers.”

Texas Wedding Photographers Have Seen Some $#!  +  —  They know what you did this summer.  —  NOTES  —  The wedding photographer had already spent an hour or two inside with the unmasked wedding party when one of the bridesmaids approached her.  The woman thanked her for still showing up …

'It's turned crazy': Inside the scramble for Trump pardons  —  Washington (CNN)President Donald Trump may not be willing to accept his term is ending, but as the clock ticks down on his time in office, hundreds of his allies — including some of his closest business associates …

People Thought Covid-19 Was Relatively Harmless for Younger Adults.  They Were Wrong.  —  New research shows that July may have been the deadliest month for young adults in modern American history.  —  Dr. Faust is a doctor at Brigham and Women's Hospital Department of Emergency Medicine.

Pompeo cancels final holiday party after he comes into contact with coronavirus  —  Secretary of State Mike Pompeo canceled his final major holiday party of the year Wednesday after his exposure to a person who tested positive for the coronavirus forced him into quarantine, according to two officials familiar with the situation.

QAnon Supporters Vow to Leave GOP After Mitch McConnell Accepts Election Result  —  Supporters of the QAnon conspiracy theory have unsurprisingly turned their backs on Mitch McConnell after he finally congratulated President-elect Joe Biden on his election victory.

Pete Buttigieg Isn't a Transit Visionary.  But Biden Might Not Need One.  —  Transportation in the U.S. is facing a deep crisis.  Congress is on the verge of doling out $45 billion in bailout funds across a half-dozen industries — and it still won't be enough to keep the country's trains and planes financially stable.

AOC: Nancy Pelosi Needs to Go, but There's Nobody to Replace Her Yet … Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez believes the Democratic Party needs new leadership, telling The Intercept in an interview that it's time for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to go.

A mysterious gap in COVID-19 deaths appeared in Florida before the presidential election  —  An astonishing pattern has emerged in Florida's COVID death tally — one that suggests the state manipulated a backlog of unrecorded fatalities, presenting more favorable death counts in the days leading up to the 2020 presidential election.

Trump's Twitter account was hacked, Dutch ministry confirms  —  Public prosecutor states Victor Gevers did access US president's site but as ethical hacker faces no charges  —  Dutch prosecutors have confirmed that Donald Trump's Twitter account was hacked in October despite denials …

The Texas organization connected to an alleged assault over imaginary voter fraud posts violent and conspiratorial rhetoric  —  An ex-cop was arrested for assault while bogusly trying to prove voter fraud.  The Liberty Center for God and Country bankrolled him and has a Facebook page full …

The Most American Religion  —  Image above: The Oquirrh Mountain Temple sits about 20 miles south of Temple Square in Salt Lake City, where the Church is based.  —  This article was published online on December 16, 2020.  —  To meet with the prophet during a plague, certain protocols must be followed.

Kenyan National Indicted for Conspiring to Hijack Aircraft on Behalf of the Al Qaeda-Affiliated Terrorist Organization Al Shabaab  —  Cholo Abdi Abdullah Obtained Pilot Training and Researched How to Hijack Aircraft in Order to Conduct a 9/11-Style Attack at the Direction of al Shabaab

Value of Loeffler's Mansion Dropped $6M Overnight—and Nobody Can Explain Why  —  The estate went from a $10.5 million appraisal to $4.1 million, resulting in a much lower tax bill for the senator and her husband.  —  When Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) and her husband, Jeffrey Sprecher …

Fifty Years of Tax Cuts for Rich Didn't Trickle Down, Study Says  — Paper looks at fiscal policies in 18 countries over 50 years  — Governments shouldn't worry about taxes on rich, author says  —  Tax cuts for rich people breed inequality without providing much of a boon to anyone else …

John O. Brennan on UFOs  —  I thought I would give this segment its own post, again here is the audio, video, and transcript of my Conversation with John O. Brennan, head of the CIA for four years under President Obama:  —  BRENNAN: I've seen some of those videos from Navy pilots …

North Carolina GOP lawmaker urges Trump to suspend civil liberties to keep power: ‘Invoke the Insurrection Act’  —  On Facebook, North Carolina state Sen. Bob Steinburg (R) paraphrased a conservative commentator to make a radical suggestion: President Trump should declare a national emergency …

Congressional leaders add stimulus checks to $900 billion relief package as they near deal  —  New direct payments will likely be included, but leaders are scrapping aid to states and cities as well as liability protections for companies as they try to finish negotiations.

We're Never Going Back to the 1950s  —  Twenty years ago, the sociologist Robert Putnam in Bowling Alone used the decline of bowling leagues since the middle of the 20th century to symbolize America's declining social engagement.  This year, he published a sequel of sorts, The Upswing …

Senator Jon Tester on Democrats and Rural Voters: ‘Our Message Is Really, Really Flawed’  —  Mr. Tester, a Montana farmer, said in an interview that Democrats had failed to connect with much of the country: “You cannot have Chuck Schumer talking rural issues to rural people.”

Rules eased for water from showerheads, a Trump pet peeve  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration has relaxed a regulation restricting water flow from showerheads, a pet peeve of President Donald Trump, who complained that he wanted more water to make his hair “perfect.”

Joe Biden Is Unhappy About the Day One Agenda  —  But those are the breaks when you're president; people will want you to exercise your power for the general good.  —  President-elect Biden speaks after the Electoral College vote, December 14, 2020, at the Queen Theater in Wilmington, Delaware.

MLB Is Finally Recognizing the Negro Leagues as the Major Leagues They Always Were  —  Negro League statistics from 1920 to 1948 will now be officially classified as “major league,” marking a long-overdue acknowledgment of the accomplishments of players who didn't have the opportunity to play in the American or National Leagues

Saudi prosecutor seeks maximum jail sentence for women's rights activist  —  Loujain al-Hathloul, one of kingdom's most prominent human rights campaigners, may face 20 years behind bars  —  The state prosecutor's office in Saudi Arabia is seeking the maximum possible jail sentence …

Trump Spy Chief Stirs Dispute Over China Election-Meddling Views  — Disagreement is over the extent of interference by China  — Ratcliffe may withhold certification of a report to Congress  —  President Donald Trump's spy chief is considering holding up a report to Congress …

UM Fires History Professor Who Criticizes ‘Powerful, Racist Donors’ and ‘Carceral State’  —  During a period of what University of Mississippi faculty are calling a time of increasing paranoia, the university is set to terminate a celebrated professor of history.