memeorandum: Virus Updates: U.S. Officials Acknowledge Lag in Vaccine Rollout (Rebecca Robbins/New York Times)

9:55 PM ET, December 30, 2020

Top Items:

Hawley's plan to contest electoral college vote certification ensures drawn-out process — Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) announced Wednesday that he will object next week when Congress convenes to certify the electoral college vote before President-elect Joe Biden's victory is cemented …

CNN:

Trump to return to Washington early ahead of Republican plan to disrupt certification of Biden's win — (CNN)President Donald Trump is expected to return to Washington earlier than anticipated ahead of a planned disruption by Republicans when Congress meets next week to certify President-elect Joe Biden's win.

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and Political Wire

Matthew Choi / Politico:
Walmart apologizes to Hawley after calling him a sore loser

Discussion: Raw Story, HuffPost, Twitchy, Associated Press, The Guardian, Sara A. Carter, Business Insider and New York Post

CNN:
GOP senator to delay affirming Biden victory by forcing votes on Electoral College results

Kyle Cheney / Politico:
How Congress and coronavirus could quash Trump's Electoral College gambit

Discussion: Washington Post, Associated Press, Washington Examiner, National Review, Fox News, Florida Politics, HuffPost, The Guardian, The American Independent, National Memo, VICE and Raw Story

Politico:
Hawley vows to challenge Biden electors, forcing vote McConnell hoped to avoid

Discussion: New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The Hill, Breitbart, The New Arab, CNBC, ABC News, Colorado Newsline, Talking Points Memo, Mediaite and Washington Examiner

Michelle Brunetti Post / Press of Atlantic City:
Van Drew says he will object to Electoral College results

Discussion: The Hill, CNN, IJR, Forbes, UPI and USA Today

Eric Levitz / New York Magazine:

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.

Discussion: New York Times, COURIER and New York Post

Washington Post:

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.) …

Discussion: New York Magazine, USA Today, IJR, The Week, The Hill, Washington Times, Newsy, The Daily Caller, Common Dreams and CBS San Francisco, more at Mediagazer »

Burgess Everett / Politico:

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.

Jonathan V. Last / The Triad:
You Should Be Angry. — Before we get started: Shortly after I finished writing today's newsletter …

Discussion: Missouri Independent, The Gateway Pundit, CNN, The Hill, Big League Politics, The Americano, IJR, Fox News and BGR

Jason Sattler / USA Today:
I underestimated Biden in 2020 and have hope for 2021. Post-Trump detox is just the start.

Discussion: National Review, Chicago Sun-Times, Newsbusters and Wall Street Journal

Rachel Siegel / Washington Post:
Here's how $2,000 stimulus checks would work, and who would qualify

Discussion: Boston Herald, Orange County Register, New York Times, New York Post, Washington Times, The Hill, Raw Story and IJR

Ursula Perano / Axios:
McConnell: “No realistic path to quickly pass” stimulus check increase

Discussion: Fox News, Business Insider, Mock Paper Scissors, IJR, The Daily Caller, CNBC, The Western Journal and Newsy

Axios:

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 …

Discussion: The Hill, National Review, The Election Wizard, Raw Story and The Gateway Pundit

CNN: Trump was briefed that China sought to pay non-state actors to attack US forces in Afghanistan

Lara Seligman / Politico: Intel on China bounties called ‘less’ credible than Russia payments

Isaac Stanley-Becker / Washington Post:

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 …

Apoorva Mandavilli / New York Times: Discovery of Virus Variant in Colorado and California Alarms Scientists

Associated Press:
California has nation's 2nd confirmed case of virus variant

Discussion: New York Times, HotAir, Bloomberg, Florida Politics, Talking Points Memo, Associated Press and STAT

Taryn Ryder / Yahoo Entertainment:

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.

Discussion: POLITICUSUSA

Jennifer Bendery / HuffPost:

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.

Discussion: The Hill, CNN, Reason and Political Wire

NBC News:

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 …

Discussion: Snopes.com, Task & Purpose, The Other McCain, Law & Crime, UPI, The Week, USA Today and Washington Examiner

Mike Schneider / Associated Press:

Census Bureau to miss deadline, jeopardizing Trump plan — The Census Bureau plans to announce it will miss a year-end deadline for handing in numbers used for divvying up congressional seats, a census official said. That delay could undermine President Donald Trump's efforts to exclude people …

Discussion: Fox News, The Hill, Axios, The United States …, WTOP, Politico and New York Post

Hansi Lo Wang / NPR:
Census To Miss Year-End Deadline For Delivering Numbers For House Seats

Discussion: CNN

Carol D. Leonnig / Washington Post:

Secret Service to make changes to presidential detail to bring on agents who worked with Biden — The Secret Service is making some staff changes in the presidential detail that will guard President-elect Joe Biden, amid concerns from Biden allies that some current members were politically aligned …

Discussion: The Hill, UnHerd and Political Wire

David Wallace-Wells / New York Magazine:

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 …

Discussion: Washington Post

Dan Lamothe / Washington Post:

Bracing for a possible Iranian-linked attack, U.S. officials warn ‘the threat streams are very real’ — The U.S. military is bracing for a possible attack on American personnel and interests in Iraq, U.S. defense officials said, days before the first anniversary of an American drone strike that killed an Iranian general in Baghdad.

Discussion: New York Times, Task & Purpose, The Western Journal, TheBlaze, The National Interest, Washington Examiner, The New Arab and Radio Free Europe/Radio …

Tom Nichols / The Atlantic:
Trump Could Still Start a Last-Ditch War With Iran

Discussion: Raw Story and Fox News

Robert Burns / Associated Press:
US bomber mission over Persian Gulf aimed at cautioning Iran

Discussion: U.S. Central Command, The Daily Caller, New York Post and Political Wire

Summer Concepcion / Talking Points Memo:

GOP Gov Cancels Inaugural Ceremony Over Armed Protesters Outside His Home — New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R) on Wednesday announced that he is canceling his outdoor inauguration ceremony next month, citing “ongoing public safety concerns” over armed protesters who have gathered outside …

Discussion: UPI

Kathy Mccormack / Associated Press:
Governor cancels inaugural, citing mask protests at his home

Discussion: WMUR

Katherine Rosman / New York Times:

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.

Brian Klaas / Washington Post:

Trump's parting gift to dictators solidifies his authoritarian legacy — Throughout his turbulent presidency, President Trump has been erratic and unpredictable. But in one realm, he has been consistent: supporting bloodthirsty despots who abuse, torture and kill their own people.

Discussion: Raw Story, The Guardian and The New Arab

Missy Ryan / Washington Post:

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 …

Discussion: Defense One, New York Daily News, President-Elect Joe Biden, Politico, The Daily Caller, Fox News, Accuracy in Media, IJR and The Week

President-Elect Joe Biden:
NATIONAL SECURITY NOMINEES AND APPOINTEES

Discussion: The Daily Caller and UPI

David Brand / Queens News:

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.

Discussion: The Hill, Raw Story, Gothamist and Political Wire

Lachlan Markay / The Daily Beast:

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.

Discussion: Fox News, Raw Story, The Intellectualist and Mock Paper Scissors

Transition / President-Elect Joe Biden:

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 …

Discussion: The Hill

PBS NewsHour: Biden team announces new staff picks, highlighting effort to ‘build an administration that looks like America’

Alexis Ty / International Business Times:

National Bacon Day 2020: 12 Facts You Never Knew About The Delicious Pork Slab — KEY POINTS — National Bacon Day is celebrated on Dec. 30 each year — Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto was dubbed the father of the American pork industry — The phrase “bring home the bacon” …

Discussion: Power Line