Bernie Sanders to delay defense veto override in bid for $2,000 checks  —  Sen. Bernie Sanders will filibuster an override of President Donald Trump's defense bill veto unless the Senate holds a vote on providing $2,000 direct payments to Americans.  —  “McConnell and the Senate want to expedite …

Donald Trump, Michelle Obama Most Admired in 2020  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. — Americans are most likely to name President Donald Trump and Michelle Obama as most admired man and woman in 2020.  Trump tied former President Barack Obama for the honor last year but edged out his predecessor this year.

Ex-Pence aide turned Trump critic ‘very concerned’ about Jan. 6 violence  —  A former aide to Vice President Pence who has since become a vocal critic of the Trump administration warned Monday that she feared violence could erupt in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, when Congress …

$2,000 vs. $600 stimulus payments isn't the real issue  —  There are plenty of reasons to be unhappy with the covid-19 stimulus compromise President Trump signed on Sunday.  —  Its shortcomings, however, are not the specific provisions that populists on both the left and right are complaining about.

Massachusetts GOP leader says he likely got covid-19 at a White House Hanukkah party: 'I'm paying the price'  —  Earlier this month, Tom Mountain, a Massachusetts Republican Party leader, posed for a maskless photo in front of a silver menorah as dozens of other guests without face coverings mingled nearby …

Judge blocks voter purge in 2 Georgia counties  —  A federal judge in Georgia on Monday ordered two counties to reverse a decision removing more than 4,000 voters from the rolls ahead of the Jan. 5 runoff elections that will decide control of the U.S. Senate.

Where Year Two of the Pandemic Will Take Us  —  Editor's Note: The Atlantic is making vital coverage of the coronavirus available to all readers.  Find the collection here.  —  The influenza pandemic that began in 1918 killed as many as 100 million people over two years.

Ron DeSantis Is TNR's 2020 Scoundrel of the Year … For so many of us, the person of the year is Nothing.  The thing that killed mom or laid out the elementary school teacher was Nothing.  Nobody saw it.  Either dad tracked nothing home from the grocery store or there was a fatal amount of Nothing smeared all over the produce.

The Resistance's Breakup With the Media Is at Hand  —  The day after the 2016 election, I got a phone call from an old friend.  Neither of us had slept much, and we spent most of the conversation exchanging shell-shocked comments of the Can you believe this? variety.  Before we hung up, his voice took on a trace of irony.

Politico to Acquire Energy Trade Publication E&E News  —  Purchase comes as Politico looks to expand its overall professional news business  —  Politico is adding some energy to its game.  —  The nearly 14-year-old political news outlet is acquiring E&E News, a high-price subscription …

Child labor in palm oil industry tied to Girl Scout cookies  —  They are two young girls from two very different worlds, linked by a global industry that exploits an army of children.  —  Olivia Chaffin, a Girl Scout in rural Tennessee, was a top cookie seller in her troop …

Alec Baldwin's wife hit with allegations that she has lied for years about her Spanish heritage  —  Let's be very clear that Europe has a lot of white people in there and my family is white.'  —  Hilaria Baldwin, the wife of actor Alec Baldwin, has been hit with a barrage of accusations claiming …

A Far-Right Terrorism Suspect With a Refugee Disguise: The Tale of Franco A.  —  A German officer is facing trial on terrorism charges.  At a volatile time for Western democracy, his story mirrors the story of Germany itself.  —  OFFENBACH, Germany — At the height of Europe's migrant crisis …

Trump administration strengthens order barring US investment in Chinese firms  —  The Treasury Department on Monday moved to clarify President Trump's executive action from last month restricting Americans from purchasing securities of Chinese companies alleged to have ties to China's military.

The Worst Predictions of 2020  —  On the last day of 2019, President Donald Trump joined in on New Year's Eve celebrations at Mar-a-Lago, ringing in 2020 with what was, in retrospect, a terrible prediction about the year ahead.  —  “We're going to have a great year, I predict,” the president told assembled guests.

On The Trail: The political losers of 2020  —  In an election in which more voters cast ballots than ever before in American history, just about everyone had reason to celebrate.  Democrats won the White House.  Republicans made surprising gains in the House and held Senate seats even they had expected to lose.

Report: Phoenix police officer said, 'If the mayor defunds the police, I'm going to shoot her'  —  Uriel J. Garcia Jen FifieldArizona Republic  —  On the afternoon of October 21, seven Phoenix police officers gathered for a briefing in a Cave Creek station when the meeting diverged …

Kelly Loeffler's Sacrilegious Campaign  —  “She's lied, not only on me, but on Jesus,” says the Rev. Raphael Warnock, as religious leaders decry the Republican's vile attacks on the Black pastor.  —  Kelly Loeffler's relentless assault on the religious faith of the Rev. Raphael Warnock …

PA Republican lawmakers: Analysis finds presidential election numbers don't add up  —  A group of Republican lawmakers say they've performed an extensive analysis of election day data and they've found “troubling” discrepancies.  According to State Rep. Frank Ryan (R-Lebanon), 17 lawmakers sponsored and participated in the analysis.

Small Number of Covid Patients Develop Severe Psychotic Symptoms  —  Most had no history of mental illness and became psychotic weeks after contracting the virus.  Cases are expected to remain rare but are being reported worldwide.  —  Almost immediately, Dr. Hisam Goueli could tell …

Is it any wonder liberal states are shrinking?  —  For an entire human lifetime, the state of Illinois has been a laggard in population growth.  It has lost eight congressional districts since the 1950s.  But new census estimates released last week show that this decade, something very special has happened.

Hong Kong teenager gets 4 months in prison for insulting Chinese flag  —  A Hong Kong teenager was ordered to spend four months in prison on Tuesday for insulting China's national flag and unlawful assembly as Beijing increasingly targets prominent activists from the financial hub.

How China won 2020  —  China will end this year as the only major country in the world to see its economy grow rather than shrink.  —  Why it matters: China is operating from a position of great strength, with an economy expected to grow by 8.4% in 2021.  If President-elect Joe Biden views China as a …

Biden to call out Trump administration for falling short on vaccine distribution  —  President-elect Biden, who has vowed to be clear-eyed and straight about the pandemic, plans a renewed warning in remarks on COVID-19 in Wilmington today, a transition official tells Axios.