You Should Be Angry.  —  Before we get started: Shortly after I finished writing today's newsletter, Josh Hawley announced that he is going to buck Mitch McConnell and join House Republicans to force a roll-call vote on whether or not to accept the Electoral College votes.

McConnell and GOP reject House's $2,000 stimulus checks  —  Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans finished off any imminent chance of approving $2,000 stimulus checks on Wednesday, ending a push from President Donald Trump and Democratic leaders to approve bigger direct payments as the congressional term comes to an end.

The GOP Just Let Democrats Have Their Stimulus and Campaign On It Too  —  Next week, voters in Georgia will determine which party controls the U.S. Senate in 2021 — and thus, quite plausibly, the future of macroeconomic, climate, and health-care policy in the United States.

Discovery of Virus Variant in Colorado and California Alarms Scientists  —  A more contagious version of the coronavirus may alter the course of the pandemic in the United States, researchers said.  —  A contagious variant of the coronavirus spreading through Britain has left that nation grappling …

Trump was briefed that China sought to pay non-state actors to attack US forces in Afghanistan  —  (CNN)President Donald Trump received information earlier this month that China sought to pay non-state actors to attack American forces in Afghanistan, a senior administration official said.