“San Diego County’s healthcare system reached a stark milestone over the weekend as dwindling hospital morgue capacity forced the county medical examiner to begin storing the deceased,” the Los Angeles Times reports.
Fauci Says U.S. Failing to Meet Vaccine Goals
Dr. Anthony Fauci told CNN that the Trump administration’s Operation Warp Speed will not reach its goal of having 20 million Americans receive the coronavirus vaccine by the end of December.
Axios: “Only 2.1 million people have received the first dose of the vaccine, with nearly 11.5 million doses distributed as of Monday, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.”
U.S. Ambassador’s Home In Israel Sold for $67 Million
“The United States sold the ambassador’s residence in Israel for more than $67 million in July, according to an official Israeli record of the sale that shines new light on a transaction that has been shrouded in secrecy,” the AP reports.
“The State Department confirmed the sale in September but refused to identify the buyer or disclose the sale price of the sprawling beachfront compound in the upscale Tel Aviv suburb of Herzliya.”
McConnell Doesn’t Appear Worried About Georgia
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Loeffler Says She Supports $2,000 Checks
Donald Trump and Michelle Obama Are Most Admired
Gallup: “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. Trump’s first-place finish ends a 12-year run as most admired man for Obama, tied with Dwight Eisenhower for the most ever.”
Wall Street Journal Slams Trump
A Wall Street Journal editorial accused President Trump of sabotaging Republicans’ chances of winning the Georgia Senate runoffs with his push for $2,000 stimulus checks, calling it an “in-kind contribution to Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Joe Biden.”
Axios: “It’s another sharp criticism from a newspaper owned by Rupert Murdoch — co-chair of Fox Corp. and executive chair of News Corp — that comes one day after the New York Post said Trump is ‘cheering for an undemocratic coup’ with his efforts to overturn the election he lost.”
Quote of the Day
“What you have, I think, is a Democratic party driven by a cultural belief system that they’re now trying to drive through the school system so they can brainwash the entire next generation if they can get away with it.”
— Newt Gingrich, in an interview with The Guardian.
Biden’s New COVID Warning
“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,” Axios reports.
“Echoing a CDC forecast from last week, Biden is expected to say that, tragically, the infection rates and the number of deaths are expected to increase in the coming weeks.”
Judge Blocks Voter Purge In Two 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,” Politico reports.
“The judge, Leslie Abrams Gardner — the sister of former gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, a prominent ally of President-elect Joe Biden who has led voter registration efforts across the state — concluded that the counties appeared to have improperly relied on unverified change-of-address data to invalidate registrations in the two counties.”
A Day of Golf Helped Change Trump’s Mind
Washington Post: “With other key Republicans waylaid, it fell to Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) to talk the president down. So Graham raced to Trump’s Florida golf club and worked the problem: What possible solution could assuage Trump without forcing Congress to reopen negotiations? ‘We’d hit a shot, take a phone call. Hit a shot, take a phone call. Hit a shot, talk about what’s a good deal,’ Graham said in an interview Monday. ‘It was a very intense Christmas Day.’”
“Graham was far from alone. Republicans across Washington had blanched at Trump’s shocking threat to kill the coronavirus relief package — especially with the Georgia runoffs and the Senate majority hanging in the balance.”
Trump’s Veto Threat of Relief Bill Did Little
New York Times: “As an exercise in raw presidential power, it was a flop. As a political tactic, it backfired. And as a coda to his final weeks in office, President Trump’s threat to veto a $900 billion Covid relief and government funding bill merely underscored his tumultuous tenure in the Oval Office.”
Sanders to Delay Defense Bill Veto Override
“Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) will filibuster an override of President Trump’s defense bill veto unless the Senate holds a vote on providing $2,000 direct payments to Americans,” Politico reports.
“McConnell and the Senate want to expedite the override vote and I understand that. But I’m not going to allow that to happen unless there is a vote, no matter how long that takes, on the $2,000 direct payment.”
House Votes to Override Trump’s Veto of Defense Bill
“The House of Representatives on Monday voted to override President Trump’s veto of the sweeping defense bill known as the National Defense Authorization Act, delivering a bipartisan rebuke to the President,” CNN reports.
“The bill initially passed both the House and Senate with veto-proof majorities, but amid Trump’s continued opposition, it had been unclear if the override attempt would be successful or if the veto would be sustained.”
‘Trumptalk’ May Outlast Trump
“President Trump’s brash communication style — combined with a societal shift towards streaming, where there are no regulatory restrictions on speech — has forced the entire media industry to present information in a more candid and less polished way,” Axios reports.
“It’s no longer uncommon to hear cable anchors use foul language or for TV or radio personalities to make indecent remarks on air. Now that the standard has been set, it’s hard to see how networks and news outlets could go back to their postured presentations of the past.”
Biden Accuses Trump of Obstructing Transition
“President-elect Joe Biden on Monday accused President Trump and his political appointees of obstructing the transition of power to his incoming administration, particularly on national security issues, an escalation in tone after reports of isolated difficulties in the transition process last week,” the Washington Post reports.
Said Biden: “Right now, we just aren’t getting all the information that we need from the outgoing administration in key national security areas. It’s nothing short, in my view, of irresponsibility.”
He added: “My team needs a clear picture of our force posture around the world and our operations to deter our enemies. We need full visibility into the budget planning underway at the Defense Department and other agencies in order to avoid any window of confusion or catch-up that our adversaries may try to exploit.”
Trump Hasn’t Called Nashville Mayor
Nashville Mayor John Cooper (D) said that he has not spoken directly to President Trump since the intentional detonation of an RV in the city’s downtown on Christmas, The Hill reports.
Democrats Will Ignore Trump’s Edits to Relief Bill
President Trump said he will send Congress a list of items in the coronavirus relief and spending bills that he would like rescinded, Bloomberg reports.
Democrats immediately responded that they will ignore his request.
