McConnell says push for $2,000 stimulus checks has “no realistic path to quickly pass the Senate”  —  The Senate leader said the measure would be too costly, would not be targeted towards needy, and help families that are living comfortably.  —  Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) …

Ted Cruz's Georgia Runoff Fundraising Is Actually Going to His Campaign.  He's Not Alone  —  The runoff is a gold mine for politicians.  And now that they can run Facebook ads in Georgia, they're rushing for it.  —  Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) needs your help to keep the U.S. Senate in Republican hands.

Feds probing if Nashville bomber believed in lizard people conspiracy  —  Investigators are exploring several conspiracy theories as potential motives behind the Christmas Day bombing outside an AT&T building in Nashville, including evidence that the bomber believed in lizard people …

Dr. Drew reveals COVID-19 diagnosis months after apologizing for downplaying coronavirus  —  Celebrity doctor Drew Pinsky has tested positive for COVID-19.  Pinsky, known as “Dr. Drew,” is “under surveillance” according to a message shared on his Instagram account.

Trump Could Still Start a Last-Ditch War With Iran  —  Donald Trump is intent on creating as much chaos as possible on his way out of the White House.  Could that include saddling Joe Biden with another war in the Middle East?  —  We already know that Trump is thinking about attacking Iran.

Biden's Team Tells Senate Democrats To Send Him Judicial Nominees ASAP  —  The president-elect wants recommendations for all existing district court vacancies by Jan. 19, says his incoming White House counsel.  —  President-elect Joe Biden is signaling that he's ready to move quickly with nominating judges once he's sworn into office.

Hilaria Baldwin Talks About Her Heritage, Spain, Boston, Alec and Instagram  —  Accused of a “decade long grift where she impersonates a Spanish person,” the entrepreneur and spouse of Alec Baldwin talks about Spain, Boston, her children, Instagram and more.

Shots are slow to reach arms as Trump administration leaves final steps of mass vaccination to beleaguered states  —  Federal and state officials say the pace will soon accelerate, but the logistical challenges are also expected to intensify in the new year  —  In suburban Milwaukee …

Fact Check: Brad Raffensperger's Brother Is Not A Chinese Tech Executive Named Ron  —  Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger says Georgians should expect to wait in line on Election Day amidst record turnout.  —  Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger does …

Governor cancels inaugural, citing mask protests at his home  —  CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — New Hampshire's Republican governor said Wednesday that he is canceling his outdoor inauguration ceremony next month because of public safety concerns — namely, armed protesters who have been gathering outside …

America's Vaccine Rollout Is Already a Disaster  —  It's happening all over again.  For months, Americans who despaired about the country's coronavirus-suppression efforts looked desperately to the arrival of a vaccine for a kind of pandemic deliverance.  Now that it has arrived …

Van Drew says he will object to Electoral College results  —  U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-2nd, will raise objections to accepting the Electoral College's vote counts from states that did not follow their own laws in setting rules for the Nov. 3 election, he said Wednesday.

Biden to tap longtime officials for top Pentagon roles  —  President-elect Joe Biden plans to nominate two former senior officials to fill the Pentagon's No. 2 and No. 3 jobs, transition officials said, further signaling the new administration's intent to forge a more predictable foreign policy …

US pardons for Blackwater guards an “affront to justice” - UN experts  —  A group of UN experts* said the pardons granted to four convicted private security contractors for war crimes in Iraq violated US obligations under international law, and called on all States parties to the Geneva Conventions to condemn the pardons.

Scoop: Trump administration declassifies unconfirmed intel on Chinese bounties  —  The Trump administration is declassifying as-yet uncorroborated intelligence, recently briefed to President Trump, that indicates China offered to pay non-state actors in Afghanistan to attack American soldiers …

President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris Announce Additional Members of White House Staff  —  Transition Names 100 Accomplished, Diverse White House Staff Members by End of 2020  —  WASHINGTON - Today, President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris …

Even If It's ‘Bonkers,’ Poll Finds Many Believe QAnon And Other Conspiracy Theories  —  Toggle more options  —  A significant number of Americans believe misinformation about the origins of the coronavirus and the recent presidential election, as well as conspiracy theories like QAnon, according to a new NPR/Ipsos poll.

Man hospitalized for COVID-19 after Queens Republican club Christmas party  —  At least one person has been hospitalized for COVID-19 after attending an indoor Christmas dance party hosted by the Whitestone Republican Club earlier this month, the Eagle has learned.

Penn Station's New Moynihan Train Hall Set to Open Jan. 1  —  The Moynihan Train Hall, with glass skylights and 92-foot-high ceilings, will open Jan. 1 as an area for Amtrak and Long Island Rail Road riders.  —  For more than half a century, New Yorkers have trudged through the crammed platforms …

Louisiana Congressman-elect Luke Letlow dies with COVID  —  Louisiana Congressman-elect Luke Letlow has died at Ochsner LSU Health in Shreveport with COVID-19, a family friend confirmed Tuesday night.  —  Letlow, 41, was transferred from St. Francis Medical Center to the Ochsner LSU Health ICU …