memeorandum: Governor Northam Statement on the Passing of Senator A. Benton Chafin, Jr. (Virginia Governor/Virginia Governor Ralph …)

1:55 PM ET, January 2, 2021

Top Items:

Alayna Treene / Axios:

Multiple senators plan to oppose certifying election results — A growing number of Republican senators — led by Ted Cruz — are set to announce today they also will object to certifying state Electoral College votes on Wednesday, congressional sources familiar with their conversations tell Axios.

Discussion: Business Insider, Washington Examiner, The Sun, Forbes, Townhall, The Week, Mock Paper Scissors, Mother Jones, We Love Trump, Disrn, Florida Politics, The Western Journal and Tennessee Star

Axios:

Trump is torching his own party and its leaders on his way out of power — President Trump is torching his own party and its leaders on his way out of power — and tossing gas on the fire with a public call for mass protest next week and a vote to overturn his defeat.

Discussion: CNN, CBS News, No More Mister Nice Blog, Raw Story, The Hill, Washington Times, New York Post, Los Angeles Times and Forbes

Adam Shaw / Fox News:

GOP senators, led by Cruz, to object to Electoral College certification, demand emergency audit — The lawmakers call for an electoral commission to be established to audit results. — Democrats push back on electoral college night — A group of GOP senators led by Sen. Ted Cruz …

Discussion: The Hill, The Gateway Pundit, POLITICUSUSA, The Election Wizard and WKRN-TV

CNN:
Trump attacks No. 2 Senate Republican as the President turns on allies in his final days in office

Discussion: We Love Trump, Tennessee Star, Washington Times, NBC News, Mock Paper Scissors, TheBlaze, The Guardian, New York Magazine, Mediaite, The US Sun, Business Insider, CD Media, Bloomberg and Associated Press

New York Times:

As Understanding of Russian Hacking Grows, So Does Alarm — Those behind the widespread intrusion into government and corporate networks exploited seams in U.S. defenses and gave away nothing to American monitoring of their systems. — On Election Day, General Paul M. Nakasone …

Discussion: The Week, more at Techmeme »

Wall Street Journal: How Russia's ‘Info Warrior’ Hackers Let Kremlin Play Geopolitics on the Cheap

Virginia Governor / Virginia Governor Ralph Northam:

Governor Northam Statement on the Passing of Senator A. Benton Chafin, Jr. — RICHMOND—Governor Ralph Northam issued the following statement today on the passing of Senator A. Benton Chafin, Jr. — “With the passing of Senator Ben Chafin, Southwest Virginia has lost a strong advocate—and we have all lost a good man.

Discussion: Business Insider, USA Today, CNN, Talking Points Memo, Washington Examiner, DNyuz, New York Times, UPI and WTOP

Slater Teague / WRIC-TV:

Virginia state Sen. Ben Chafin dies from COVID-19 complications — LEBANON, Va. (WJHL) — Virginia state Sen. Ben Chafin (R-Lebanon) died Friday from COVID-19 complications, the senator's office confirmed Friday night. — Chafin had been hospitalized at VCU Medical Center for two weeks, according to a news release.

Discussion: Fox News, New York Post and Blue Virginia

Celine Castronuovo / The Hill:
Virginia state senator dies from COVID-19

Discussion: Richmond Times-Dispatch, WTVR-TV, The Daily Caller, Raw Story and Associated Press

Tal Axelrod / The Hill:

Iran plans 20% uranium enrichment in rebuke of nuclear deal — Iran on Saturday announced that it intends to enrich its uranium to up to 20 percent at its Fordow facility amid heightening tensions with the U.S. in the waning days of the Trump administration.

Discussion: Washington Examiner and Radio Free Europe/Radio …

Eric Schmitt / New York Times:
In Abrupt Reversal of Iran Strategy, Pentagon Orders Aircraft Carrier Home

Discussion: New York Post, Forbes and The Daily Caller

Agencies / The Guardian:
Iran to enrich uranium to up to 20% purity, UN nuclear watchdog says

Discussion: NPR, The Week, The New Arab and The Iran Project

Michael Laris / Washington Post:

Sneezed on, cussed at, ignored: Airline workers battle mask resistance with scant government backup — As the man returned from the lavatory with a mask dangling from one ear, a flight attendant asked him to put it on properly. — “Why? Is something going on that I should know about?” …

Cindy Carcamo / Los Angeles Times:
Evangelist singer draws a crowd of 2,500 to New Year's Eve gathering, ignoring risk of COVID-19 spread

Discussion: The Savage Nation, The Hill and KTLA

Hugo Martín / Los Angeles Times: Coughing, sneezing, vomiting: Visibly ill people aren't being kept off planes

Andrew C. McCarthy / National Review:

The Risky Wager of Betting on Trump — NRPLUS MEMBER ARTICLE W ere the anti-Trumpers right all along? — They point to the president's performance over the last two months, ranging from the bizarre to the shameful, and point out that this Trump is the only Trump there has ever been.

Discussion: Salon, Raw Story, The Sun and Washington Post

The Daily Beast:

Trump Plans to Fight the Election Even After ‘Stop the Steal’ Rally Ends — The president has told advisers he isn't deterred by the setbacks in the courts and won't be deterred by Congress certifying Joe Biden's win. — Many of Donald Trump's most dogmatic supporters see a mass protest in Washington …

Discussion: Raw Story, Breitbart, The Guardian, CANNONFIRE, emptywheel, The Sun, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Reason, Off the Kuff, The Last Refuge, WTOP and Washington Post

Ben Tobin / Courier-Journal:

Mitch McConnell's Louisville home vandalized following his blockage of $2,000 stimulus checks — LOUISVILLE, Ky. — United States Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's Louisville home has been vandalized following his blocking of $2,000 stimulus checks to most Americans.

Discussion: Fox News, Raw Story, The Sun and The US Sun

Kayla Galloway / ABC7:
Nancy Pelosi's home vandalized with graffiti, fake blood on New Year's Day

Discussion: CBS San Francisco, Breitbart and Daily Mail

Politico:
Trump's attacks on Senate Republicans complicate his Georgia message

Discussion: Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Mock Paper Scissors, New York Post, RedState and Fox News

Raphael Warnock / Wall Street Journal:
What's at Stake in Georgia

Discussion: Newsy

Marissa Lang / Washington Post:

D.C. is becoming a protest battleground. In a polarized nation, experts say that's unlikely to change. — For years, West Coast cities have borne the brunt of violent confrontations between far-right extremists and counterprotesters who come to meet them.

Discussion: The Hill

Axios:
D.C. becomes hotbed for violent protests

Discussion: Raw Story and Forbes

Devlin Barrett / Washington Post:

Judge dismisses Gohmert lawsuit seeking to stymie Biden electoral college count — A federal judge in Texas has dismissed a long-shot lawsuit by Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Tex.) that sought to overturn the presidential election, saying neither the congressman nor his allies have legal standing to pursue the case.

Discussion: Vox, CNN, New York Times, The Week, Slate, Business Insider, The Intellectualist, Lawyers, Guns & Money and Townhall

Washington Examiner:
Judge tosses Gohmert election lawsuit against Pence

Discussion: CNN, HuffPost, Forbes, Wall Street Journal, Talking Points Memo, Newsmax, The Gateway Pundit, CBS News, HotAir, Reuters, TheBlaze, Politico, The Election Wizard, WHNT-TV, Off the Kuff and Liberty Unyielding

Matt Naham / Law & Crime:
Judge Throws Out Lawsuit That Rep. Louie Gohmert and Fake Pro-Trump Electors Brought Against Vice President Mike Pence

Discussion: NPR, Mediaite, USA Today, Raw Story, Boston Herald, Business Insider and The Western Journal

Niall Stanage / The Hill:

Five GOP contenders — other than Trump — for 2024 — President Trump casts a long shadow over the Republican Party even as his attempts to cling to power look doomed to failure. — Trump could run again in 2024. If he does, it is hard to see anyone beating him for the Republican nomination.

Discussion: Raw Story

Kalhan Rosenblatt / NBC News:

Ohio police gave Andre Hill no aid for several minutes, bodycam footage shows … Andre Hill, the unarmed 47-year-old Black man fatally shot by police in Columbus, Ohio, just three days before Christmas received no aid for several minutes after being mortally wounded, new police body camera footage shows.

Derek Robertson / Politico:

The Eight Pieces of Pop Culture That Defined the Trump Era — Certain cultural figures loom so large that they eventually serve as shorthand for the spirit of their times. There's Michael Jackson, the personification of the smiley-face maximalism of Reagan's 1980s; Lucille Ball …

Isabel Kershner / New York Times:

How Israel Became a World Leader in Vaccinating Against Covid-19 — Badly hit by the coronavirus, Israel has distributed the first of two vaccine doses to more than 10 percent of its population. Prime Minister Netanyahu is leading the charge, bolstering his own battered image along the way.

Discussion: The Times of Israel

The Times of Israel:
Israel zooms past 1 million vaccinations in sprint to vanquish pandemic

Discussion: Al Jazeera and Mother Jones

Martyn McLaughlin / Scotsman:

Donald Trump's Turnberry resort posts losses of £2.3 million — Donald Trump's flagship overseas property at Turnberry has posted annual losses of £2.3 million, marking the sixth year in a row it has failed to turn a profit under his ownership. — The property, the jewel …

Discussion: The Intellectualist

Eric Tucker / Associated Press:

After pardon, Blackwater guard defiant: ‘I acted correctly’ — WASHINGTON (AP) — Evan Liberty was reading in the top bunk of his cell one evening late last month when a prison supervisor delivered news he had hoped for. — “He says, ‘Are you ready for this?’” Liberty recalled.

Discussion: The Hill, Business Insider and New York Post