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Oath Keepers Leader Charged With Sedition
“Stewart Rhodes, the leader and founder of the far-right Oath Keepers militia, was arrested on Thursday and charged with seditious conspiracy for organizing a wide-ranging plot to storm the Capitol last Jan. 6 and disrupt the certification of Joe Biden’s electoral victory,” the New York Times reports.
“The arrest of Mr. Rhodes was a major step forward in the sprawling investigation of the Capitol attack and the case marked the first time that prosecutors had filed charges of sedition.”
Republican Who Voted to Impeach Trump to Run Again
“Rep. David Valadao (R-CA), one of the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach former President Trump last year, announced on Wednesday that he would be running in California’s newly drawn 22nd congressional district,” The Hill reports.
Woman Arrested at Capitol with Loaded Shotgun
“U.S. Capitol Police arrested a Michigan woman on multiple gun charges after she drove to Washington and told officers she wanted to talk about the Jan. 6 Capitol riot,” CNBC reports.
Why Misinformation Is So Hard to Correct
From a new study in Nature:
“Misinformation has been identified as a major contributor to various contentious contemporary events ranging from elections and referenda to the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only can belief in misinformation lead to poor judgements and decision-making, it also exerts a lingering influence on people’s reasoning after it has been corrected — an effect known as the continued influence effect.”
Paul Manafort Was a Shitty Cellmate
William Mersey, who was Paul Manafort’s cellmate, writes in the Daily Beast:
“I can’t speak to Manafort’s claim in his interview about suffering in solitary, since he spent just one day there on arrival at MCC before he was forwarded to general population, with yours truly as his bunky. Manafort did not suffer at MCC. Inmates kissed his ass because he was famous, did not rat out his boss, and could hopefully give them lessons on money laundering.”
“For all that, Paulie was civilized and considerate company. Yes, he snored and farted — and got up in the middle of the night to read the bible. All cellies have their idiosyncrasies. But I suffered much worse during my stay, though the way we parted company left a bad taste in my mouth.”
New Map Cements South Carolina’s GOP Majority
“The South Carolina House on Wednesday adopted a controversial congressional map that could cement a 6-1 Republican majority in the U.S. House for years to come,” the Columbia State reports.
Greene Says Dr. Fauci Is Responsible for the Pandemic
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) baselessly blamed Dr. Anthony Fauci for being entirely “responsible” for the coronavirus pandemic.
Said Greene: “We have so many serious problems and we can point them all at one man. That is Dr. Fauci.”
She added: “Dr. Fauci is responsible for all of this. He created the gain-of-function. He gave it to China. They created the bioweapon, which is Covid-19, and it broke the world.”
RNC Signals a Pullout From Presidential Debates
“The Republican National Committee is preparing to change its rules to require presidential candidates seeking the party’s nomination to sign a pledge to not participate in any debates sponsored by the Commission on Presidential Debates,” the New York Times reports.
We didn’t have general election debates between 1964 and 1972, but they’ve existed in some form continuously since 1976.
Glenn Beck Gets Covid Again
Right-wing talk radio personality Glenn Beck said he has contracted Covid-19 for the second time after refusing the vaccine, The Independent reports.
Said Beck: “It’s starting to go into my lungs today and a little disturbing. I’m on all the medications and treatments and everything else, so… it’s all good.”
“Beck said the antibody treatment ‘doesn’t seem to be working’ in his case, but he added that he is taking Ivermectin, an anti parasite drug popular in right-wing, anti-vaccine circles that has no proven effect against Covid-19.”
Mississippi Lawmakers Move to End Income Tax
Mississippi lawmakers took the first steps towards eliminating the state income tax, the Jackson Clarion Ledger reports.
What the Voting Rights Bills Miss
Nate Cohn: “Neither of the voting rights bills, nor the emerging bipartisan effort to reform the Electoral Count Act, is sure to close off some of the most probable avenues for election subversion.”
“While the various legislative paths might protect access to voting or hold the promise of clarifying how Congress counts electoral votes, the proposals are largely silent on a crucial time frame — the period between the polls closing in November to January, when Congress gathers to count electoral votes. This is when election administrators go about the once routine business of counting and certifying election results.”
Sinema Doubles Down Against Changing Filibuster
Before President Biden arrives on Capitol Hill to meet with Senate Democrats and push voting rights, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) is mulling a Senate floor speech at noon to argue against changing the filibuster in order to pass the legislation, Politico reports.
As one Senate source said: “Sinema is having Joe Biden for lunch.”
Cyberattack Shuts Albuquerque Schools
A cyberattack against Albuquerque Public Schools prompted the city to cancel all classes districtwide on Thursday and possibly Friday, the Albuquerque Journal reports.
The attack was discovered Wednesday morning “when teachers tried to log onto our student information system and were unable to gain access to the site.”
Trump Loyalists Join Forces to Take Over Election Process
“Extreme Republicans loyal to Donald Trump and his ‘big lie’ that the 2020 election was rigged have formed a nationwide alliance aiming to take control of the presidential election process in key battleground states that could determine the outcome of the 2024 presidential race,” The Guardian reports.
“At least eight Republicans who are currently running to serve as chief election officials in crucial swing states have come together to form the coalition.”
Nevada Republican Runs Campaign Ads In Florida
Nevada gubernatorial candidate Michele Fiore (R) spent $6,270 to broadcast 62 television spots on Fox News in the West Palm Beach media market over the Thanksgiving weekend, the Las Vegas Review Journal reports.
When Fiore’s ads aired, former President Donald Trump and his family were at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach.
Stacey Abrams’ Voting Rights Group Has Nearly $20 Million
“The voting rights group Stacey Abrams founded after losing the 2018 gubernatorial election to Brian Kemp reported this week that it ended 2021 with $19.5 million in the bank as she prepares to seek a rematch with the governor,” the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports.
“The Fair Fight PAC could continue using its money to support Democratic Party efforts and promote voting issues. But it also could get more directly involved in supporting Abrams in her run for governor.”
“Under a law that Kemp signed last year, if Abrams, as expected, wins the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, Fair Fight’s PAC could legally funnel money to her bid to oust the incumbent.”
Florida Lawmakers Seek to Give DeSantis $1 Billion Fund
Florida lawmakers revived a proposal to create a $1 billion fund that Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) could use at his discretion during emergencies he declares, the Tampa Bay Times reports.
