Sen. Hawley announces he will contest certification of electoral college vote  —  Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) announced Wednesday that he would object next week when Congress convenes to certify the electoral college vote, a move that all but ensures at least a short delay in cementing President-elect Joe Biden's victory.

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.

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 …

Trump calls on Georgia Gov. Kemp to resign  —  President Trump called for Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp's (R) resignation on Wednesday, hammering him for refusing to back up the president's claim that he carried Georgia in the November presidential election — despite his loss by 12,000 votes …

Girlfriend warned Nashville police Anthony Warner was building bomb a year ago, report shows  —  NASHVILLE — Sixteen months before Anthony Quinn Warner's RV exploded in downtown Nashville on Christmas morning, officers visited his home in Antioch after his girlfriend reported that he was making bombs …

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.

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 bomber mission over Persian Gulf aimed at cautioning Iran  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States flew strategic bombers over the Persian Gulf on Wednesday for the second time this month, a show of force meant to deter Iran from attacking American or allied targets in the Middle East.

Trump pardon of Blackwater Iraq contractors violates international law - UN  —  GENEVA (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's pardon of four American men convicted of killing Iraqi civilians while working as contractors in 2007 violated U.S. obligations under international law, U.N. human rights experts said on Wednesday.

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.

Trump's big policy win: Stronger showers, faster dishwashers.  It's something almost no one asked for.  —  One change he talked about frequently won't happen: A reversal of water limits on toilet flushes  —  President Trump was on a roll, standing before an adoring crowd in Carson City …

Covid-19 Vaccine Made by AstraZeneca, Oxford Is Authorized by U.K.  —  Green light for emergency use comes as Britain grapples with a surge in cases and a new variant  —  LONDON—The U.K. authorized a Covid-19 vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca PLC …

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.

The Cruise Ship Suicides  —  Confined mostly to tiny cabins as the pandemic unfolded, crew members struggled to cope.  —  At first, Jozsef Szaller's crewmates didn't think much of his absence.  Szaller, after all, usually skipped going to dinner on the Carnival Breeze …

CNN's Don Lemon, PBS' Yamiche Alcindor and NBC's Chuck Todd to Guest Author Politico's Playbook (Exclusive)  —  Politico is turning to high-profile journalists, including Recode co-founder Kara Swisher and Washington Free Beacon editor-in-chief Eliana Johnson, to helm Playbook until a new team starts later in January.

COVID-19 ‘super-spreader’ event feared in L.A. as Christian singer defies health order for concerts  —  A conservative evangelical Christian singer with a history of defying COVID-19 health mandates plans three days of New Year's gatherings in the Los Angeles area, including stops on skid row …

Washington Football Team ownership dispute escalates with allegations of financial malfeasance  —  Washington Football Team owner Daniel Snyder's three partners discovered “serious corporate irregularities” in reviewing the team's 2019 financial statements, including “long missing financials …

Appeals court sends lawsuit over Trump financial records back to lower court  — A federal appeals court Wednesday kicked a legal battle over President Donald Trump's financial statements back to a lower court.  — The judgment further delays House Democrats' efforts to obtain years …

Pelosi to seat Iowa Republican as Democratic challenger contests election results  —  Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Wednesday she will seat Rep.-elect Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa) this weekend as Democrat Rita Hart contests the results of their race.

2020 Man of the Year: MAGA Matt Yglesias  —  You know how it goes: You oppose defunding the cops, and a million rose emojis scream at you for hours.  You sign a letter tepidly endorsing free speech, and your colleagues denounce you to your bosses and Twitter.

Why the Nashville explosion is confounding terrorism experts  —  Christmas Day explosion in Nashville, Tennessee, is puzzling even for terrorism commentators and scholars.  It employed many familiar features of terrorist attacks in modern history, but the particular combination was unprecedented, raising interesting questions about the