McConnell swats back at Trump amid Republican power struggle  —  It took four years and an election defeat.  But someone with real power inside the Republican Party is standing up to — and swatting back — President Trump: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Early voting ends with record 3M Georgia voters for US Senate runoffs  —  A record 3 million Georgia voters cast their ballots before early voting ended for the U.S. Senate runoffs, setting up a showdown that will be decided on election day Tuesday.  —  The high turnout so far reflects …

Senate Overrides Trump's Veto of Defense Bill, Dealing a Legislative Blow  —  Republicans joined Democrats to deliver President Trump the first veto override of his presidency in the last days of his term in an overwhelming, bipartisan vote.  —  WASHINGTON — The Senate on Friday voted overwhelmingly …

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.

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 …

Before Embracing America-First Agenda, David Perdue Was an Outsourcing Expert  —  Mr. Perdue, who faces one of two runoff elections in Georgia that will determine control of the Senate, built a business record that shifted manufacturing and jobs overseas.  —  The biographical video …

Federal Judge Scorches Gov. Kristi Noem Over COVID Response  —  ‘DANGEROUS PLACE’  —  A federal judge took a rhetorical blowtorch to South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, saying in a ruling this week that the state has done “little, if anything” to stop COVID-19 from ravaging the state.

Rep. Jamie Raskin announces the death of his 25-year-old son  —  Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) announced the death of his 25-year-old son in a statement Thursday evening, saying his family was “devastated” by the loss.  —  His son, Thomas Bloom Raskin, was a second-year student at Harvard Law School …

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 …

Virus Numbers Are Surging.  Why Is New York's Vaccine Rollout Sluggish?  —  With a new variant of the virus emerging elsewhere in the country, it's crucial to vaccinate New Yorkers quickly.  But so far, only about 88,000 have received the shots.  —  As the final hours ticked away in a harrowing year …

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 …

How a courageous Southern governor broke ranks with segregationists in 1961  —  Sixty years ago, as Southern governors criticized civil rights protests and fought integration, one broke ranks and gave a remarkable inauguration address: He called for equal opportunities for all his state's residents.

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.

Corbyn's legacy is here to stay  —  It's been just over a year since the British people finally squashed a hard-left push for power under the dismal but unyieldingly dangerous leadership of Jeremy Corbyn.  On 12 December 2019 we dodged a collective bullet.  But Corbynism lasted almost half a decade …

Once a model, California now struggles to tame COVID-19  —  LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ambulances waited hours for openings to offload coronavirus patients.  Overflow patients were moved to hospital hallways and gift shops, even a cafeteria.  Refrigerated trucks were on standby, ready to store the dead.

The Dark Reality of Betting Against QAnon  —  QAnon—the conspiracy theory that elite Democrats, government officials, and celebrities are part of a cannibalistic, child-sex-trafficking cult, and Donald Trump is the hero destined to stop them—has allegedly inspired kidnappings, car chases, and a murder.

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 …

The Good, Bad and Ugly in 2020 Louisiana politics  —  Columnist Bob Mann explains who performed well — and who failed us — this year.  —  No year in recent memory offered Louisiana's political leaders more opportunity to shine than 2020.  If the state's citizens ever needed those who manage …

After Trump's drubbing in the courts, liberals fear a legal hangover  —  As President Donald Trump's campaign and its allies piled up loss after embarrassing loss in court in recent weeks, the cheers from Democrats, liberal law professors and civil rights litigators built into a deafening, contemptuous roar.

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 …

The biggest example of media malfeasance in 2020 is...  The top example of media malfeasance in 2020 is not about how a story was covered but about how it wasn't.  And it's downright chilling.  —  In November - and only after Joe Biden was declared the winner of the 2020 presidential election …