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Scoop: Blackstone CEO Stephen Schwarzman says Trump lost — It's over. That's what Blackstone chairman, CEO and co-founder Steve Schwarzman — one of President Trump's most loyal allies — and other top Republicans are signaling to the defeated president, 16 days after Joe Biden clinched the win.
Discussion:
Washington Post, The Hill, Business Insider, Forbes, CNN, Raw Story, Mediaite, The Week, Twitchy, Digby's Hullabaloo, Donald J. Trump for President and RedState, more at Mediagazer »
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Byron York's Daily Memo: What next for Trump legal team? — Welcome to Byron York's Daily Memo newsletter. — Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up here to receive the newsletter. — WHAT NEXT FOR TRUMP LEGAL TEAM? The Trump campaign's top lawyers — Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell …
Discussion:
Bloomberg, the way of improvement …, IJR and Power Line

Election 2020's Endgame — Today on the menu: States are certifying their votes, and Trump's legal team is in turmoil. — The 2020 Election Starts to Wind Down — Michigan and Pennsylvania are set to certify their election results today, and Nevada is scheduled to do the same tomorrow.
Discussion:
Mediaite, Washington Post and LGBTQ Nation

Trump legal team shuns Sidney Powell as insiders and national security officials see no evidence supporting her voting machine claims
Kyle Cheney / Politico:
Trump campaign cuts Sidney Powell from president's legal team
Trump campaign cuts Sidney Powell from president's legal team
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National Review, Outside the Beltway, WayneDupree.com, Washington Examiner, Newsmax, Business Insider, TheBlaze, Townhall, Reason and Power Line

Biden Chooses Antony Blinken, Defender of Global Alliances, as Secretary of State — The president-elect is also expected to name Jake Sullivan, another close aide of his, as national security adviser, and Linda Thomas-Greenfield, a 35-year Foreign Service veteran, as his ambassador to the U.N.
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Biden to nominate Antony Blinken as secretary of state, Linda Thomas-Greenfield as U.N. ambassador — Jake Sullivan, another top Biden adviser, is also expected to be named as national security adviser — President-elect Joe Biden is planning to announce that he has selected Antony Blinken …
Discussion:
USA Today, CBS News, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Politico, HotAir and The Week

Democrats expect Biden to name Linda Thomas-Greenfield UN ambassador — Democrats close to President-elect Biden expect him to name Linda Thomas-Greenfield as ambassador to the United Nations, looking to a Black woman and respected diplomat to restore morale.
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, Politico, CNN, New York Post, The Hill, Los Angeles Times and Fox News

Refusing to certify legitimate votes is a felony — The people have spoken. They delivered Joe Biden a decisive electoral victory, including a 150,000-vote margin in Michigan. Yet Republican Party officials have asked the Michigan Board of State Canvassers to delay certification on Monday.
Discussion:
Voter Protection Program and UPI
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With nearly all votes counted, the 2020 presidential election wasn't that close — WASHINGTON — What's gotten lost in all of the focus on President Trump's lawsuits, his baseless accusations of voter fraud and his administration's unwillingness so far to begin the transition is a simple fact.
Discussion:
Washington Post

Trump's Legal Farce Is Having Tragic Results — There is nothing funny about the Republican Party's multipronged attack on voting rights. — Mr. Hasen is the author of “Election Meltdown: Dirty Tricks, Distrust and the Threat to American Democracy.” — Even as the campaign lawsuits brought …
Discussion:
CNN, Persuasion, JONATHAN TURLEY, NPR, New Republic, TheGrio, Wall Street Journal and Politico
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Trump attorney Lin Wood tells Republican supporters NOT to back GOP candidates in the Georgia runoff election because they've ‘failed’ to help the President's fight to overturn the election — Trump Attorney Lin Wood has suggested voters should not back Republican candidates David Perdue (R-GA) and Senator Kelly Loeffler (R-GA)
Discussion:
Conservative News Today

Trump set on veto of defense bill over renaming bases honoring Confederates — WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is threatening to veto legislation to fund the military as one of his final acts in office unless a widely supported, bipartisan provision to rename military bases honoring …
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, The Daily Caller, Crooks and Liars, Raw Story, Washington Post and Florida Politics

3rd major COVID-19 vaccine shown to be effective and cheaper — LONDON (AP) — Pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca said Monday that late-stage trials showed its coronavirus vaccine was up to 90% effective, giving public health officials hope they may soon have access to a vaccine that is cheaper …
Discussion:
The Daily Beast, Washington Examiner, CNN, CBS News, HotAir, ox.ac.uk, Slate and NBC 6 South Florida
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Jenny Strasburg / Wall Street Journal:
AstraZeneca-Oxford Covid-19 Vaccine Up to 90% Effective in Late-Stage Trials
AstraZeneca-Oxford Covid-19 Vaccine Up to 90% Effective in Late-Stage Trials
Discussion:
Fortune, MIT Technology Review, Forbes, The Guardian and Japan Times

Why Won't Emily Murphy Just Do Her Job? — I don't know for certain that Emily Murphy gets up in the morning, looks in the mirror and says to herself, “You are a good person.” But I am willing to bet that she does. Most people in her position—most people who are undermining the rules of their group …

Republicans dash to defend perilous 2022 Senate map — Sen. Chuck Grassley will be 89 when the 2022 midterm campaign rolls around. Republicans are counting on him to run for an eighth term. — “I hope Chuck Grassley comes back. He's very healthy and I hope he comes back really strong.
Discussion:
Raw Story

Netanyahu Held Secret Meeting with Saudi Crown Prince, Israeli Media Reports — The reported visit on Sunday night would be the first known meeting between high-level Israeli and Saudi leaders. — BEIRUT, Lebanon — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel flew to Saudi Arabia …
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, IJR, Axios, Bloomberg, Al Jazeera and Just The News
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Trumpism Is More About Culture Than Economics — And it's not a reason for the GOP to embrace protectionism and populism. — 2 hr ago — The question of whether Trumpism will survive a Trump presidency was answered affirmatively after the November 3 election by a number of commentators and politicians …

Republicans: Calculating, not Cowards — The sense that the GOP only puts up with Trump out of fear masks the much scarier reality of who they are and what they are capable of doing. — 1 hr ago — First, let's get a few things straight: — Joe Biden is going to be the next President.
Discussion:
Washington Post, The American Independent, Business Insider, CNBC, One America News Network, Raw Story and New Jersey Globe

Get Me Meacham! Biden Brings Back the Media's Good Old Days — The next president promises to do for old-line newspaper columnists what Donald Trump did for cable. What a time to be George Will! — One afternoon in the spring of 2009, Jon Meacham sat in front of the freighted wooden bookshelf …
Discussion:
the way of improvement …, Althouse and WTOP, more at Mediagazer »

Trump Supporter Accused of Breathing on Protesters Charged With Assault — A man accused of breathing on anti-Trump protesters outside the president's golf club in Sterling, Virginia, was charged with misdemeanor assault. — Kathy Beynette told News4 that she and another woman …
Discussion:
Business Insider

Biden Can Echo Trump's Favorite Phrase: 'You're Fired' — The president-elect has the power to get rid of Trump loyalists in a number of agencies on day one. — A good number of appointees throughout the government serve at the pleasure of the president, and Biden should use that power.
Discussion:
The Daily Beast and Bloomberg