Senate tide begins to shift toward $2,000 checks after Trump's push  —  A couple of days ago, it looked impossible that $2,000 COVID relief checks — up from the $600 checks for individuals in the package President Trump signed Sunday — could pass the Senate.

Massachusetts GOP leader says he likely got covid-19 at a White House Hanukkah party: 'I'm paying the price'  —  Earlier this month, Tom Mountain, a Massachusetts Republican Party leader, posed for a maskless photo in front of a silver menorah as dozens of other guests without face coverings mingled nearby …

Will Pence Do the Right Thing?  —  On Jan. 6, the vice president will preside as Congress counts the Electoral College's votes.  Let's hope that he doesn't do the unthinkable — and unconstitutional.  —  Mr. Katyal, a law professor at Georgetown, is a former acting solicitor general of the United States.

Donald Trump, Michelle Obama Most Admired in 2020  —  WASHINGTON, D.C. — Americans are most likely to name President Donald Trump and Michelle Obama as most admired man and woman in 2020.  Trump tied former President Barack Obama for the honor last year but edged out his predecessor this year.

Judge blocks voter purge in 2 Georgia counties  —  A federal judge in Georgia on Monday ordered two counties to reverse a decision removing more than 4,000 voters from the rolls ahead of the Jan. 5 runoff elections that will decide control of the U.S. Senate.

Is it any wonder liberal states are shrinking?  —  For an entire human lifetime, the state of Illinois has been a laggard in population growth.  It has lost eight congressional districts since the 1950s.  But new census estimates released last week show that this decade, something very special has happened.

Report: Phoenix police officer said, 'If the mayor defunds the police, I'm going to shoot her'  —  Uriel J. Garcia Jen FifieldArizona Republic  —  On the afternoon of October 21, seven Phoenix police officers gathered for a briefing in a Cave Creek station when the meeting diverged …

Pandemic Year Two  —  Editor's Note: The Atlantic is making vital coverage of the coronavirus available to all readers.  Find the collection here.  —  The influenza pandemic that began in 1918 killed as many as 100 million people over two years.  It was one of the deadliest disasters in history …

Alec Baldwin's wife hit with allegations that she has lied for years about her Spanish heritage  —  Let's be very clear that Europe has a lot of white people in there and my family is white.'  —  Hilaria Baldwin, the wife of actor Alec Baldwin, has been hit with a barrage of accusations claiming …

How China won 2020  —  China will end this year as the only major country in the world to see its economy grow rather than shrink.  —  Why it matters: China is operating from a position of great strength, with an economy expected to grow by 8.4% in 2021.  If President-elect Joe Biden views China as a …

A Far-Right Terrorism Suspect With a Refugee Disguise: The Tale of Franco A.  —  A German officer is facing trial on terrorism charges.  At a volatile time for Western democracy, his story mirrors the story of Germany itself.  —  OFFENBACH, Germany — At the height of Europe's migrant crisis …

Child labor in palm oil industry tied to Girl Scout cookies  —  They are two young girls from two very different worlds, linked by a global industry that exploits an army of children.  —  Olivia Chaffin, a Girl Scout in rural Tennessee, was a top cookie seller in her troop …

Biden warns of Trump officials' ‘roadblocks’ to transition  —  WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — President-elect Joe Biden is warning of massive damage done to the national security apparatus by the Trump administration and “roadblocks” in communication between agency officials and his transition team that could undermine Americans' security.

Laptop repair store owner who discovered Hunter Biden's emails sues Twitter for defamation  —  Join the ranks of independent, free thinkers by supporting us today for as little as $1. … The computer repair shop owner who was paid to repair Hunter Biden's laptop and was the source …

The Worst Predictions of 2020  —  This year was impossible to predict.  But that doesn't mean people didn't try.  —  On the last day of 2019, President Donald Trump joined in on New Year's Eve celebrations at Mar-a-Lago, ringing in 2020 with what was, in retrospect, a terrible prediction about the year ahead.

Biden to call out Trump administration for falling short on vaccine distribution  —  President-elect Biden, who has vowed to be clear-eyed and straight about the pandemic, plans a renewed warning in remarks on COVID-19 in Wilmington today, a transition official tells Axios.

Is Texas' Dan Patrick prepared to part with his $1 million reward? … After Donald Trump lost his re-election bid, Republicans settled on a predictable strategy: tell the public there was widespread “voter fraud.”  All they'd need is some proof.  —  And while that may have seemed …

The CARES superdole was a huge success  —  Progressives should learn to be happy when good things happen!  —  2 hr ago  —  With the relief bill squared away, the time is right to consider a question the Roosevelt Institute's Mike Konczal asked the day after Christmas …

2020 Was the Year Reaganism Died  —  The government promised to help — and it did.  —  Maybe it was the visuals that did it.  It's hard to know what aspects of reality make it into Donald Trump's ever-shrinking bubble — and I'm happy to say that after Jan. 20 we won't have to care …

The Newest Trump-Boosted Viral MAGA Star Has Ties to The Epoch Times  —  The president has pushed out a video from Seth Holehouse.  Not mentioned is Holehouse's ties to group that thinks Trump will bring on judgment day.  —  Little-known jewelry auctioneer Seth Holehouse burst into MAGA stardom last week …

Ivanka Trump said weighing run for US Senate or Florida governor  —  After president's daughter and husband Jared Kushner buy $31 million mansion in Miami, speculation swirls about her political ambitions  — 2,698 shares  —  The recent purchase of a Florida mansion by Ivanka Trump …

$2,000 vs. $600 stimulus payments isn't the real issue  —  There are plenty of reasons to be unhappy with the covid-19 stimulus compromise President Trump signed on Sunday.  —  Its shortcomings, however, are not the specific provisions that populists on both the left and right are complaining about.

PA Republican lawmakers: Analysis finds presidential election numbers don't add up  —  A group of Republican lawmakers say they've performed an extensive analysis of election day data and they've found “troubling” discrepancies.  According to State Rep. Frank Ryan (R-Lebanon), 17 lawmakers sponsored and participated in the analysis.