Trump slams McConnell for blocking vote on $2,000 stimulus checks  —  Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Tuesday blocked Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's (D-N.Y.) request to hold a vote on a House standalone measure that would boost the size of stimulus checks from $600 to $2,000 per person.

Senate tide begins to shift toward $2,000 checks after Trump's push  —  A couple of days ago, it looked impossible that $2,000 COVID relief checks — up from the $600 checks for individuals in the package President Trump signed Sunday — could pass the Senate.

U.S. confirms first case of the new Covid strain discovered in UK  — Colorado health officials identified the first Covid-19 case caused by a contagious UK variant.  — The new strain could be as much as 70% more transmissible.  — The individual is a male in his 20s who is currently in isolation in Elbert County, Colorado.

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.

Federal judge in Iowa ridicules Trump's pardons  —  IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A federal judge in Iowa who has warned against political corruption is ridiculing President Trump's pardons, including those issued to convicted Republican campaign operatives and former members of Congress.