McConnell calls Jan. 6 certification his “most consequential vote”  —  In an extraordinary conference call this morning with fellow Senate Republicans, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said his Jan. 6 vote certifying Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 election will be “the most consequential I have ever cast …

Congressman Raskin Announces Loss of Son Tommy Raskin  —  TAKOMA PARK, M.D. - With profound sorrow, Congressman Jamie Raskin (MD-08) and Sarah Bloom Raskin today announced the loss of their son Thomas (Tommy) Bloom Raskin, 25, who was a second-year student at Harvard Law School and a graduate of Amherst College.

Georgia Republicans Deliver Persistent Message: Fear the Democrats  —  Senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue are resting their re-election hopes on a strategy that calls more attention to what they're against than what they support.  —  NORCROSS, Ga. — The biggest applause lines …

Meet the Trump saboteur in charge of undermining Biden — and America  —  If, in the new year, pandemic vaccines aren't available as promised, Americans can't return to work because economic relief isn't delivered or an adversary successfully attacks the United States because national security agencies …

Post-Brexit Britain arrives  —  It took two general elections, three prime ministers, and just over 4 1/2 years, but as of today Britain finally has the Brexit it voted for in June 2016.  — It's not a pretty sight.  —  The big picture: Britain has left Europe's single market and customs union …

CTU board member facing criticism for vacationing in Caribbean while pushing remote learning  —  CHICAGO - A Chicago Teachers Union leader is facing criticism for vacationing in the Caribbean while at the same time claiming it's unsafe for teachers to return to the classroom.

Wisconsin hospital worker arrested for spoiled vaccine doses  —  MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Authorities arrested a suburban Milwaukee pharmacist Thursday suspected of deliberately ruining hundreds of doses of coronavirus vaccine by removing them from refrigeration for two nights.

Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi to Draw on Their History in Bid to Unite Fractious Democrats  —  The president-elect and House speaker share trust, faith and long experience legislating together  —  WASHINGTON—The relationship between President-elect Joe Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi spans more than three decades.

I've got a feeling '21 is gonna be a good year ...  DRIVING THE DAY … It's your POLITICO founding editor here, part of a roster invited to have some fun with this space in the transition to a new Playbook team that will be taking the helm with the inauguration of Joe Biden 19 days from now.

‘Covid, Covid, Covid’: In Trump's Final Chapter, a Failure to Rise to the Moment  —  As the U.S. confronted a new wave of infection and death through the summer and fall, the president's approach to the pandemic came down to a single question: What would it mean for him?

Romney: Urgent Action Needed on Vaccination Plan  —  Lack of comprehensive federal plan “inexcusable”  —  WASHINGTON- U.S. Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT), a member of the Senate HELP Committee, released the following statement today regarding the urgent need for a comprehensive vaccination plan …

D.C. attorney general prepares for protests over Electoral College  —  District of Columbia Attorney General Karl Racine is preparing for another round of protests in the nation's capital next week, when supporters of President Trump are expected to travel to Washington to protest Congress' certification …

How Trump Tried, but Largely Failed, to Derail America's Top Climate Report  —  The White House repeatedly attempted to thwart the country's premier climate science document, one meant to steer policy for years.  Scientists got in the way.  —  The National Climate Assessment …

Gen Z Republicans see new era for party after Trump  —  Now that the election dust has settled just weeks until President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration, the Republican Party is beginning to take stock of its future beyond President Donald Trump.  —  For many young Republicans …

After Trump's drubbing in the courts, liberals fear a legal hangover  —  The president and his allies have lost suit after suit seeking to overturn the election.  But the victories could ultimately prove costly for the left.  —  President Donald Trump departs on the South Lawn of the White House on Dec. 12, 2020 in Washington, DC.

Debunking the Frivolous and Dangerous Last-Gasp Effort to Overturn the Election  —  Such efforts are unserious, while the ramifications are anything but.  —  15 hr ago  —  It's New Year's Eve, and I really don't want to write about the election.  I truly don't.  But, well, I'll just let Michael Corleone express how I feel:

1968 Is No Longer the Worst Year I've Experienced, But a New Year Starts Tomorrow  —  I've got a feeling twenty-one Is going to be a good year Especially if you and me See it in together I had no reason To be over optimistic But somehow when you smiled I can brave bad weather

Joe Clark, Tough Principal at New Jersey High School, Dies at 82  —  Bullhorn in hand, he roamed the hallways as he imposed discipline, expelling “miscreants” and restoring order.  Morgan Freeman portrayed him in the film “Lean on Me.”  —  Joe Clark, the imperious disciplinarian principal …

The new center of Trump's political world: Palm Beach  —  PALM BEACH, Fla. — The center of gravity for the MAGA universe is moving zip codes with President Donald Trump.  —  In anticipation of Trump setting up permanent residence at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach after leaving …

Trump's fight to overthrow election now falls to the guy who invented the CueCat  —  Fittingly, the CueCat is widely regarded as one of the worst gadgets ever made  —  In a hopeless attempt to overthrow or cast suspicion on an American election, a ridiculous cast of characters …

Trump extends immigration bans despite opposition from U.S. business groups  —  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday extended a pair of immigration bans that block many “green card” applicants and temporary foreign workers from entering the country …