The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to take part in Donald Trump and the Republican Party of the United State’s coup attempt despite a final round of frivolous unicorn poop and pixie dust briefs from, including and I am not making this up, “New California State” and “New Nevada State.” (Alternately, “New Nevada Sate” because spelling is optional in the new civil war.
Night Owls, a themed open thread, appears at Daily Kos seven days a week.
40 DAYS UNTIL JOE BIDEN AND KAMALA HARRIS TAKE THE OATH OF OFFICE
Trita Parsi at Responsible Statecraft writes: House Dems unite to support the Iran nuclear deal:
Democratic congressional leaders are marshaling a message to President-elect Joe Biden “strongly endorsing” his promise to return to the Iran nuclear deal without preconditions, Gregory Meeks, (D-N.Y.
Despite the surge in COVID-19 cases across the United States, Donald Trump and his minions seem not to care how many more people are infected. In the latest of Trump infections, Trump’s sidekick and personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani tested positive for the novel coronavirus on Dec. 6. While allies of Giuliani maintain he tested negative days before meeting state officials in not one but three states last week, some states have reported infections within days after Giuliani’s visit.
After an amazingly rapid scientific breakthrough, America must overcome huge deployment hurdles to end the coronavirus pandemic.
The Pfizer vaccine proved 95 percent effective in a massive clinical trial.
Tony Pham, the acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under the soon-to-be-ending Trump administration, is reportedly set to resign from the agency by the end of the year. If he feels better thinking it’s somehow his decision, sure, whatever, adiós. What’s for sure is that Pham was a complete disgrace during his handful of months in the unconfirmed acting position.
Cases of the novel coronavirus are increasing at a rapid rate across the U.S. Despite this, some individuals are still refusing to wear masks. As a result, many of those who once denied the severity of the virus are now suffering the consequences of doing so after infection. While some have expressed regret and have warned others to not take the virus and safety measures lightly, others—like Donald Trump—are continuing to deny its severity despite multiple hospital visits.
A few people pointed out that none of the justices appointed by Trump supported his attempt to overturn the election.
“Trump’s presidency ends as it began: Without decency and without dignity,” Der Spiegel declared.
The highest court in the land rejected outgoing President Donald Trump’s attempt to keep himself in power and upset the electoral process.
Parenting advice on reckless MILs, religious disagreements, and toy shaming.
The expanded order would ensure continuous vaccine delivery through the end of June 2021, at a total cost of $3.2 billion, the Trump administration said.
McCarthy is the highest-ranking House Republican to signal approval of Trump’s anti-democratic election stunt.
Banish the gloom of 2020 with as many trees, treats, and twinkles as you can manage.
Every weekday evening, our editors guide you through the biggest stories of the day, help you discover new ideas, and surprise you with moments of delight. Subscribe to get this delivered to your inbox.KATIE MARTIN / THE ATLANTICWelcome to vaccine purgatory.“We’ve spent 2020 adjusting to a pandemic normal, and now a strange, new period is upon us,” my colleague Sarah Zhang, who covers vaccines, notes in her latest.Thus the waiting begins.
The pandemic ravaged America’s big cities first, and now its countryside. The public-health and economic repercussions have been felt everywhere. But they have been hardest on the smallest businesses, and the most vulnerable families.This is an update, following a report last month, on plans to repair the damage now being done.
They’re hoping to include a deal in a year-end package after previous efforts to shield patients from large bills fell apart.
This has been a year like no other, and moments of joy were difficult to come by. The few happy events that took place did so despite harrowing circumstances—or, in many cases, as a response to overwhelming adversity. Health-care workers took on enormous burdens, saved countless lives, and earned the gratitude and admiration of millions. Celebrations and public events were modified for safety, but many still took place. And new vaccines against COVID-19 are starting to roll out.
When he decided to write a memoir, the journalist Jose Antonio Vargas faced an overwhelming challenge: crafting a story that was particular to him while knowing that some might believe it represented a much broader narrative about immigration. In Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen, he makes clear that he speaks only for himself. But he also fills the book with reporting on the many challenges other undocumented people face.
Editor’s Note: The Atlantic is making vital coverage of the coronavirus available to all readers. Find the collection here. With the FDA’s emergency authorization of the first COVID-19 vaccine imminent, the biggest and most complex vaccination campaign in the nation’s history is gearing into action. Planes are ferrying vaccines around the country, hospitals are readying ultracold freezers, and the very first people outside of clinical trials will soon get shots in their arms.
Joe Biden’s nominee for defense secretary, retired four-star Army General Lloyd Austin, would make history as the first African American to lead the Pentagon if confirmed by the Senate. But Austin can only be confirmed if he secures a waiver from Congress due to laws designed to preserve the civilian control of the military, and several leading Democratic senators have indicated they would oppose granting a waiver.
We continue to examine the U.S.-brokered deal between Morocco and Israel to normalize relations. As part of the deal, the U.S. will become the first country in the world to recognize Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara, which Morocco has occupied since 1975 in defiance of the international community.
In a deal brokered by the Trump administration, Morocco and Israel have agreed to establish diplomatic relations. The United States has also agreed to recognize Morocco’s sovereignty over occupied Western Sahara, the first country in the world to do so. Morocco has occupied much of the resource-rich territory since 1975 in defiance of the United Nations and the international community.
Lifetime’s new “mini-movie” about the KFC founder isn’t making that part up.
Critics say the platform enables fraud and exploits holes in the social safety net.
Louis DeJoy is likely to last well into the Biden administration.
The majority leader wants to send Americans a big lump of coal.
A key panel raises objections to the president’s campaign-trail promise of $200 in discounts for seniors.
Most Americans’ best hope of getting a shot by spring or early summer may rest on vaccines that have not yet been proven to work.
