“A House Democratic panel in charge of committee selections gave Rosa DeLauro the nod to become the next Appropriations chairwoman following a closed-door vote Tuesday,” Roll Call reports.
Biden Unlikely to Tap Lawmakers for Administration Posts
CNN: “Inside his transition team, there is a real recognition of how difficult it would be to choose a Senate Democrat for any role, given how closely divided the upper chamber will be next year.”
“And the narrowing Democratic majority in the House has made it far less likely that he would be able to easily turn to any House members for posts in the administration.”
Trump Pushed to Issue Preemptive Pardons
“Trump allies and other lawyers have begun a campaign to petition the West Wing in hopes of securing pardons for those who might receive a sympathetic reception from the president,” ABC News reports.
“One idea that has been floated among Trump allies is the possibility of preemptive pardons for members of the Trump family and close allies of the president.”
“It’s not clear how this kind of preemptive pardon would work, given that no member of the Trump family has been accused of a federal crime. However sources pushing for this action say the argument is an ‘insurance policy’ against concerns that the incoming Biden administration could undertake politically motivated investigations.”
Trump Allies Ask Justices to Throw Out Pennsylvania Votes
“President Trump’s allies said Tuesday they have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to block a decision by Pennsylvania’s highest court dismissing a challenge of the state’s mail-in voting system,” the Washington Post reports.
Barr Appoints Special Counsel to Examine Russia Probe
“Attorney General William Barr has given extra protection to the prosecutor he appointed to investigate the origins of the Trump-Russia probe, giving him the authority of a special counsel to complete his work without being easily fired,” the AP reports.
“Barr said that he had appointed U.S. Attorney John Durham as a special counsel in October under the same federal statute that governed special counsel Robert Mueller in the original Russia probe.”
Axios: “It’s an extra layer of protection for Durham to continue investigating possible misconduct by Obama-era intelligence officials past Joe Biden’s inauguration as president.”
Quote of the Day
“A first-rate team that’s going to get us through this ongoing economic crisis and help us build the economy back, not just build it back, but build it back better than before… Our message to everybody struggling right now is help is on the way.”
— President-elect Joe Biden, quoted by CBS News, while introducing his economic team.
Bag Man
A must-read, out next week: Bag Man: The Wild Crimes, Audacious Cover-up, and Spectacular Downfall of a Brazen Crook in the White House by Rachel Maddow and Michael Yarvitz.
“The knockdown, drag-out, untold story of the other scandal that rocked Nixon’s White House, and reset the rules for crooked presidents to come.”
Sale
Bag Man: The Wild Crimes, Audacious Cover-up, and Spectacular Downfall of a Brazen Crook in the White House
- Hardcover Book
- Maddow, Rachel (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 304 Pages - 12/08/2020 (Publication Date) - Crown (Publisher)
Barr Sees No Evidence of Widespread Voting Fraud
Attorney General William Barr told the Associated Press that the Justice Department hasn’t uncovered widespread voting fraud that could have changed 2020 election outcome.
Axios: “It’s a direct repudiation of President Trump’s baseless claims of a ‘rigged’ election from one of the most loyal members of his Cabinet.”
Biden Elevates Economic Advisers Chair to Cabinet
President-elect Joe Biden announced Tuesday that the chair of the Council of Economic Advisers would have a seat on his Cabinet, The Hill reports.
Biden described Cecilia Rouse, his pick for CEA chair, as “one of the most distinguished economists in the country.”
Senate Democrats Weigh New Leadership Rules
Politico: “With Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) stepping down as the top Democrat on the committee in the next Congress, Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) are both vying to succeed her. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is staying neutral on the matter so far.”
“But Durbin’s bid to be both whip and the top Democrat on Judiciary has spurred a broader debate within the caucus over how much power individual senators should accumulate.”
How to Avoid a Climate Disaster
Coming soon: How to Avoid a Climate Disaster: The Solutions We Have and the Breakthroughs We Need by Bill Gates.
“Bill Gates has spent a decade investigating the causes and effects of climate change. With the help of experts in the fields of physics, chemistry, biology, engineering, political science, and finance, he has focused on what must be done in order to stop the planet’s slide to certain environmental disaster.”
How to Avoid a Climate Disaster: The Solutions We Have and the Breakthroughs We Need
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Gates, Bill (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 260 Pages - 02/16/2021 (Publication Date) - Vintage (Publisher)
Mary Trump to Release New Book
Mary Trump will follow her bestselling exposé of her dysfunctional family life with a new book titled, The Reckoning, The Guardian reports.
According to the publisher, the book “will examine America’s national trauma, rooted in our history but dramatically exacerbated by the impact of current events and the Trump administration’s corrupt and immoral policies.”
The book will be published in July 2021.
Trump Sues to Reverse Biden Win In Wisconsin
President Trump’s campaign filed a lawsuit in Wisconsin seeking to invalidate President-elect Joe Biden’s win in the state, claiming that voter fraud “irrefutably altered the outcome,” CNBC reports.
Not Sure What to Expect From Trump In Georgia
“Some establishment Republicans are sounding alarms that President Trump’s conspiratorial denials of his own defeat could threaten the party’s ability to win a Senate majority and counter President-elect Joe Biden’s administration,” the AP reports.
“The concerns come ahead of Trump’s planned Saturday visit to Georgia to campaign alongside Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, who face strong Democratic challengers in Jan. 5 runoffs that will determine which party controls the Senate at the outset of Biden’s presidency.”
Melania Trump Likely to Write Memoir
Sources tell the New York Post that Melania Trump has been taking meetings about writing a book about her time as first lady.
Said one insider: “Melania is in meetings to write her White House memoir. And it would be her money — a chance for her to earn on her own.”
The source added: “I’m told her husband is encouraging her… She’s not done, or going as quietly as you might expect.”
Arwa Mahdawi: What can we expect from the first lady’s rumored memoir?
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Mark Walker Announces North Carolina Senate Bid
Rep. Mark Walker (R-NC) announce he’ll run for the Senate in a race that may end up becoming the most hotly contested and expensive Senate battle in the 2022 midterm elections, Fox News reports.
“Walker is the first candidate to launch a campaign in the race to succeed retiring three-term Republican Sen. Richard Burr. But it’s doubtful he’ll be the only Republican to declare his or her candidacy. The president’s daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, is mulling a bid for the Senate in the state where she was born and raised.”
