Washington Post: “From the day of his first positive test until his hospitalization last year, the former president came in contact with more than 500 people in proximity to him or at crowded events.”
Vulnerable Democrats Want Less Trump Talk
“Vulnerable House Democrats are convinced they need to talk less about the man who helped them get elected: President Trump,” Axios reports.
“Democrats are privately concerned nationalizing the 2022 mid-terms with emotionally-charged issues — from Critical Race Theory to Donald Trump’s role in the Jan. 6 insurrection — will hamstring their ability to sell the local benefits of President Biden’s Build Back Better agenda.”
“The push by centrist lawmakers, especially from the suburbs, to keep the conversation away from Trump is frequently derailed by the party’s loudest voices — and their insistence to talk about him at every turn.”
Virginia to Remove Pedestal of Robert E. Lee Statue
“Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) announced on Sunday plans to remove the remaining pedestal that previously propped up Richmond’s Robert E. Lee statue and turn the land over to the city,” Axios reports.
“This marks a final step in the complete removal of the public memorial to the confederate general, following the statue’s removal in September.”
Pro-Trump Counties Have Far Higher Covid Death Rates
“Since May 2021, people living in counties that voted heavily for Donald Trump during the last presidential election have been nearly three times as likely to die from COVID-19 as those who live in areas that went for now-President Biden,” NPR reports.
Also interesting: “In October, the reddest tenth of the country saw death rates that were six times higher than the bluest tenth.”
“The trend was robust, even when controlling for age, which is the primary demographic risk of COVID-19 mortality.”
Perdue to Challenge Kemp In GOP Primary
“Former U.S. Sen. David Perdue plans to challenge Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp in the Republican primary next year, according to multiple people with knowledge of his decision, setting up a divisive contest between two of the state’s leading GOP figures ahead of a likely general election matchup with Stacey Abrams,” the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports.
“Perdue’s decision is expected to be delivered Monday and comes days after Abrams, an icon to many Democrats, announced she would run for governor for a second time. Perdue has told allies he was motivated to join the race because he fears Kemp can’t defeat the Democrat again.”
Daily Beast: Perdue to spark new GOP civil war by challenging Kemp.
Omicron Variant Is In 17 States
The Omicron variant of the coronavirus has now been found in 17 U.S. states, the New York Times reports.
Bob Dole Is Dead
“Bob Dole, the plain-spoken son of the prairie who overcame Dust Bowl deprivation in Kansas and grievous battle wounds in Italy to become the Senate majority leader and the last of the World War II generation to win his party’s nomination for president, died on Sunday. He was 98,” the New York Times reports.
Stacey Abrams Sees Outreach Key In Governor’s Race
Associated Press: “The Georgia voters who might change their minds are mostly college-educated suburbanites. But Democrats argue most Georgia voters are fixed in their partisan preferences, and the key is getting your side to vote. Abrams and her supporters argue that outreach and a focus on issues will be more important than national headwinds.”
Said Abrams: “What I saw in 2020 and 2021 is that when people are reached out to, when we talk to them and we meet them where they are, they will vote and they will turn out.”
Bonus Quote of the Day
“I have had a conversation with the speaker, and I’m very confident that she will take decisive action next week. As you know, when I first got to Congress, I was worried that I wasn’t going to be allowed to be sworn in because there was a ban on the hijab. She promised me that she would take care of it. She fulfilled that promise. She’s made another promise to me that she will take care of this. And I believe her.”
— Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), quoted by Politico, saying she’s confident Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) will be punished for her Islamophobic comments.
Threat to Roe v. Wade May Not Boost Democrats
Politico: “Interviews with more than a dozen Democratic strategists, pollsters and officials reveal skepticism that the court’s decision will dramatically alter the midterm landscape unless — and perhaps not even then — Roe is completely overturned. Privately, several Democratic strategists have suggested the usefulness of any decision on abortion next year will be limited, and some may advise their clients not to focus on abortion rights at all.”
Quote of the Day
“When it comes to things like abortion, I think it’s clear it’s time to turn it back to the states.”
— Sen. Mike Braun (R-IN), on NBC News.
Biden Seats Diverse Set of Federal Judges
New York Times: “Mr. Biden’s nominees are extraordinarily diverse in both legal background and ethnicity. The White House and liberal interest groups have been promoting public defenders and civil rights lawyers in addition to the more traditional choices of prosecutors and corporate lawyers. According to the White House, 47 of the 64 nominees are women and 41 of them identify as people of color, allowing the administration to record many firsts across the judiciary.”
Staff Exodus Raises Questions About Kamala Harris
Washington Post: “Critics scattered over two decades point to an inconsistent and at times degrading principal who burns through seasoned staff members who have succeeded in other demanding, high-profile positions. People used to putting aside missteps, sacrificing sleep and enduring the occasional tirade from an irate boss say doing so under Harris can be particularly difficult, as she has struggled to make progress on her vice-presidential portfolio or measure up to the potential that has many pegging her as the future of the Democratic Party.”
“Staffers who worked for Harris before she was vice president said one consistent problem was that Harris would refuse to wade into briefing materials prepared by staff members, then berate employees when she appeared unprepared.”
Biden and Putin to Speak on Video Call
“Presidents Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin will speak in a video call Tuesday, the White House and Kremlin said, as tensions between the United States and Russia escalate over a Russian troop buildup on the Ukrainian border that’s seen as a sign of a potential invasion,” the AP reports.
Biden will press U.S. concerns about Russian military activities on the border and “reaffirm the United States’ support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Saturday, confirming the planned call after first word came from Moscow.
Chinese Tariffs Fuel Boom in U.S. Trade with Taiwan
“U.S. trade with Taiwan is booming, as the self-governing island cashes in on surging demand for its computer chips and lures factories back from China, where many exports to the U.S. including electronics are subject to 25% tariffs,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
Vaccine Demand Grows In the U.S.
“Many vaccination clinics and local officials are reporting long lines and delays in booking vaccination appointments recently, the product of expanded eligibility on booster shots and fears of the Omicron variant,” the New York Times reports.
“The stresses on the U.S. vaccination program are also worsened by the broader labor shortage that is affecting many sectors, including health care.”
Trump’s Double-Negative Finally Concedes Election
Former President Donald Trump blasted out a statement that appeared to unintentionally refute his claim that the 2020 election was stolen from him: “Anybody that doesn’t think there wasn’t massive Election Fraud in the 2020 Presidential Election is either very stupid, or very corrupt!”
Two Years of Covid-19
Two years ago Wednesday, the first case of a mysterious new respiratory disease was discovered in Wuhan, China, Axios reports.
