I blame the media  —  I am horrified and I am terrified and I am angry.  —  And I blame the media.  —  Yes, I am aware that some large number of people who voted for Trump did so fully aware that he will rule as a racist, a chaos agent, and a strongman.  That's what they want.  Noted.

Playbook: Dems agonize over Sotomayor  —  With help from Eli Okun, Garrett Ross and Bethany Irvine  —  DRIVING THE DAY  —  THE LATEST RACE CALLS — Republican DAVE McCORMICK defeats Democratic Sen. BOB CASEY in Pennsylvania. ...  Reps. DON DAVIS (D-N.C.), YOUNG KIM (R-Calif.), JULIA BROWNLEY …

Behind the Curtain: Deep Democratic depression … Come January, they'll have scant power in the federal government, and shriveling clout in the courts and states.  — The traditional media structure sympathetic to their views, and hostile to Trump's, was shattered.

Ted Cruz's daughter caught wincing and telling her mom 'don't clap' as senator praises Trump on stage  —  Caroline Cruz, 16, was left scowling at her mother on stage as the Texas senator prayed for a Trump win  —  Your support helps us to tell the story  —  From reproductive rights …

Wave of Racist Texts After Election Prompts F.B.I.'s Scrutiny  —  Offensive messages were reported across the South and from New York to California.  —  A wave of racist text messages summoning Black people to report for slavery showed up on phones across the United States …

Dems going after trans people this week should be ashamed of themselves  —  In the wake of Donald Trump's election to a second term as president, some Democrats have begun lobbing anti-transgender attacks — and other “let's panic” responses.  Such instant responses are shameful and must …

Neera Tanden's X posts violated ban on political fundraising, government watchdog alleges  —  Office of Special Counsel says Tanden shouldn't have solicited funds for political campaigns.  —  A government ethics watchdog agency has formally accused White House domestic policy chief Neera Tanden …

Dump Twitter  —  The oligarchs won.  When the markets closed November 6—the day Donald Trump was declared winner of the presidential election—the combined wealth of the world's 10 richest people, nine of whom live in the United States, had surged by a combined $63.5 billion.

The wreckage Merrick Garland leaves behind  —  His failures left American democracy ripe for the picking. … ✍️  —  It has often been said that Donald Trump was running for president to keep himself out of prison.  Mission accomplished.  —  But the fact that Trump wasn't …

Trump AG Prospect Warns Letitia James: ‘We Will Put Your Fat Ass In Prison’  —  Trump-aligned lawyer Mike Davis threatened New York's attorney general with racist and sexist posturing in perhaps a sign of things to come.  —  LOADING  —  Republican lawyer Mike Davis, an adviser for Donald …

Harris, Biden camps blame each other for loss … - In response to Trump's decisive victory, aides in both camps are blaming the other for being more responsible, according to interviews with more than a dozen people in the White House and Harris' campaign.

Israeli soccer fans targeted in wave of violence in Amsterdam  —  Maccabi Tel Aviv FC was in Amsterdam to play Ajax  —  Maccabi Tel Aviv FC supporters were reportedly the target of violence in Amsterdam Thursday before and during the soccer team's match against Ajax.

Books like 'The Handmaid's Tale' and ‘1984’ are flying off the shelves after the presidential election  —  Margaret Atwood's “The Handmaid's Tale,” a novel set in a totalitarian society, has shot to the top of Amazon's bestselling books list following Donald Trump's reelection.

Trump's expected military reset: Culture war counteroffensive  —  President-elect Trump is expected to transform the U.S. military from the Pentagon, with promises to slash spending, thin the top ranks and roll back efforts to make the military more inclusive to transgender and women soldiers.

GOP senator: Trump shouldn't pardon Hunter Biden  —  Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) says President-elect Trump should not pardon Hunter Biden, President Biden's son, of felony charges related to his purchase of a revolver in 2018 nor the tax charges he pleaded guilty to in September.

Why Dean Phillips thinks Harris lost  —  The Washington Post's essential guide to power and influence in D.C.  —  Sign upfor Early Brief newsletter  —  Good morning, Early Birds.  We all made it to Friday.  Have a great weekend.  Send tips to earlytips@washpost.com.  Thanks for waking up with us.

Morning Digest: Democrats would have to run the table to win a House majority  —  We look at the 10 races still in doubt  —  Leading Off  —  House  —  About two dozen House races remain uncalled by the Associated Press, but while Democrats have a narrow path to a majority …