JUICE - Florida Politics' Juicy Read -11.24.20 - Virtual Thanksgiving - Biden Pushes War on Guns/2A - DeSantis Pushes For Lower RX Drugs - More...

 

 

Make America Great Again 2024

Whether you like it or not, and regardless of whether the 2020 general election results stand, President Donald Trump is not going away anytime soon.

And as far as 2024 is concerned, there is a very good chance he runs for reelection or puts up one of his kids (most likely Don Jr.).

Why not?

According to a new national poll on the results of the election, President Trump has the support of 71% of voting Republicans. That means that two-thirds of Republicans want him to run again in 2024.

If Trump concedes and shadows Biden (He will) over the next four years, he would effectively shut out every single potential Republican presidential candidate, including four of his supporters — Gov. Ron DeSantis, Senators Marco Rubio, and Rick Scott, and Rep. Matt Gaetz.

Yes, Rep. Gaetz is thinking about a run for the top spot.

 

2020

For all of you Trump diehards that want him to overturn the apparent fraudulent election, there is still hope. Trump needs to flip 3 states or hope that the Supreme Court (if it gets to that point) will call for a redo of several key state elections.

Meanwhile, he is letting the legal and transition process play out. READ MORE

Rick Scott @SenRickScott-Thank you to @USOCC for taking action to stop banks from discriminating against companies that are considered politically decisive Fair and equal access should always be observed.

Rep. Ted Deutch @RepTedDeutch-The @JoeBiden-@KamalaHarris team is a return to the kind of experience, professionalism, strong values, & sound judgment that should drive American foreign policy and national security.

On Day 1, these leaders will restore our standing around the world & strengthen our security.

Rep. Lois Frankel @RepLoisFrankel-The nominees @JoeBiden has selected to lead our #foreignpolicy are deeply experienced & historic.They represent a shift back to an America that is ready to lead the world, not retreat from it, & stand up for our values at home & abroad.

Rep. Carlos G Smith @CarlosGSmith-RED VS BLUE! Thanks @LaraGreenbergTV for showing a lighter side of politics-- @AnnaForFlorida and my unlikely bipartisan friendship with @scottplakon ..But he's WRONG all the time. He wouldn't even wear a mask for this interview!

Commissioner Nikki Fried @NikkiFriedFL-While we must plan for population growth and economic development, M-CORES will siphon millions from our state budget and threaten key natural lands.

As Florida deals with billions in projected losses from #COVID19, this would put a major strain on funding urgent priorities.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Biden Proposed Gun Control Plan Could Hit Guns Owners With $34 Billion In Taxes” by The Floridian’s Mona Salama – Possible President-Elect Joe Biden’s proposed gun control plan could cost gun owners a massive $34 billion in new taxes if implemented based on an old provision that would require individuals to register and mandate a tax fee in order for one to keep the guns and magazines they already possess. According to Biden’s aggressive gun control plan, the former Vice President proposes to enact legislation to “ban the manufacture and sale of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines” while pursuing legislation that would regulate the possession of existing assault weapons under the National Firearms Act. Currently, the National Firearms Act requires individuals possessing machine-guns, silencers, and short-barreled rifles to undergo a background check and register those weapons with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Under the 1934 NFA Act, it imposes a $200 federal tax stamp mandate for every high-capacity magazine American gun owners currently own. Citing former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords’ Law Center memorandum for its gun control policy proposes Congress requires all existing “assault weapons” to be regulated under the National Firearms Act.

TURKEY DAY VIA ZOOM >>> Democrats continue pushing for a virtual Thanksgiving

KEEPS FIGHTING >>> Trump Promises To Keep Legal Fight, Instructs GSA To Begin Biden Transition Process

GRAB YOU GUNS >>> Biden Proposed Gun Control Plan Could Hit Guns Owners With $34 Billion In Taxes

“DeSantis Moves to Lower Prescription Drug Prices” by The Floridian’s Daniel Molina – Today, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) announced the Agency for Health Care Administration has officially submitted the Section 804 Importation Proposal to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for Florida’s Canadian Prescription Drug Importation Program. In a statement, the Florida Governor informed that “for far too long, Floridians have been paying. Exorbitant prices for prescription drugs,” noting that “today, we take another step towards lowering those prices by submitting a proposal to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for a first of its kind Canadian Prescription Drug Importation Program.” Moreover, Governor DeSantis assured that his “administration will continue to work collaboratively in an effort to bring affordable prescription drugs to all Floridians.” It was in 2019 that Governor DeSantis and the Florida Legislature initiated this program, which aimed to lower prescription drug prices that are integral to maintaining the quality and health of Floridians. Echoing in DeSantis’ remarks, Shevaun Harris, the Acting Secretary of the AHCA, added that the “proposal submission is the result of bold leadership from Governor Ron DeSantis and his continued efforts to make prescription drug prices affordable for Floridians,” noting that she understands “that this crucial step Florida is taking towards effective change will be a catalyst for other states around the nation.”

“Florida Appeals Court Weighs Mask Mandate” by CBS Miami / NSF – As debates continue to flare across the state about mask mandates, an appeals court Monday took up a battle about the constitutionality of an Alachua County order that requires people to wear masks to try to prevent the spread of COVID-19. A three-judge panel of the 1st District Court of Appeal heard arguments in a challenge that raises a series of issues, including whether the order violates privacy and free-speech rights. Jeff Childers, an attorney for plaintiff Justin Green, said the county order should be blocked and pointed to the principles of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” “The (nation’s) founders would say that life without liberty is not worth living, and life without being able to pursue happiness isn’t worth living,” Childers said. “You cannot prioritize one of those over the others without throwing the entire system out of whack.” But Jack Ross, an attorney for the county, said a key issue in the case is whether “the federal and/or the state Constitution prohibits the citizens of Alachua County, through their elected representatives, from adopting reasonable regulations to restrict the spread of a deadly disease.”

“Florida town fines protesters for megaphone use” by Fox news’ Louis Casiano – More than a dozen people in one Florida town have been fined for using megaphones during racial justice protests in violation of a local noise ordinance. Officials in New Port Richey have issued 14 citations to at least five protesters totaling around $4,700, according to The AssociatedPress. “The point of protesting is so people can hear you and we can bring issues to people,” Christina Boneta told the Tampa Bay Times. “It’s supposed to be loud.” Boneta was fined $2,573 but said she was not warned before the citations were issued. New Port Richey enacted a noise ordinance in 2017 to crack down on noisy bars and clubs. Between July and November, the megaphone noise complaints were initiated by police officers, not residents, the newspaper found. Protesters, however, said the citations are meant to discourage demonstrations. Boneta was arrested on Aug. 28 after refusing to sign a fifth noise citation and questioned officers about why they never warned her. “We might be annoying, yelling and chanting, but we don’t block traffic or take the streets or litter,” Boneta said. “We just literally chant and try to get our message across.”

“Florida remains business-as-usual while virus surge creates new wave of restrictions nationwide” by WFLA’s Victoria Price – With Florida on track to reach a million coronavirus cases in the coming days, it will become the third state in the U.S. to hit the grim milestone. The Florida Department of Health reported 6,331 more cases Monday, with total fatalities topping 18,000. The statewide positivity rate, the measure of how many tests come back with positive results, was a hair shy of 7 percent as of Monday. According to the state’s Agency for Health Care Administration, 26 percent of Florida hospital beds are available. But some small counties, like Hardee, are already at capacity. A wave of new coronavirus restrictions is sweeping the nation as it grapples with growing infections. But Florida remains an exception, with Gov. Ron DeSantis committed to keeping the state open. A 3 percent positivity rate in New York City, half of Florida’s rate, prompted public schools to close last week. Bars, restaurants, and gyms also now face a newly-instated 10 p.m. curfew. Based on state guidelines, a 4 percent positivity rate could trigger a near-total lockdown akin to what many there faced in April. California leads the nation in infections and has also reinstated what leaders call a “limited lockdown” across much of the state that faces a 5.5 positivity rate. Los Angeles County, with a 6.1 positivity rate, will ban in-person dining starting this week.

“Report: Publix sued over Florida employee's COVID-19 death” by WEAR TV’s Gary Detman – Publix is being sued by the family of an employee who died from COVID-19. According to a report by WPLG, the family of 70-year-old Gerardo Gutierrez filed a lawsuit against the supermarket chain.

The family claims Publix "prohibited employees" from wearing masks and gloves, even though Gutierrez wanted to wear one. Gutierrez, according to the lawsuit, worked in the deli at the Publix on West Avenue in Miami Beach alongside "Jane Doe," an unidentified co-worker who began showing symptoms of COVID-19 in late March after the pandemic hit Florida. The lawsuit claims Publix didn't send her home, keep her in quarantine, or protect those around her despite her symptoms. "Jane Doe" ultimately tested positive for COVID-19. On April 2, the lawsuit claims Publix sent Gutierrez home from work and told him to self-isolate. Five days later, Gutierrez tested positive for COVID-19. On April 10, Gutierrez went to the hospital. Family members met via Zoom to say their goodbyes after a priest read him his last rites on April 28, just before he died, WPLG reported. His family now wants damages in excess of $30,000.

“Bloomberg backs former Miami mayor Diaz to lead Florida Democrats” by Politico’s Gary Fineout and Marc Caputo – Former Miami Mayor Manny Diaz, who earned a reputation as a turnaround artist in his home city, is campaigning for an even tougher job: leading the foundering Florida Democratic Party. Diaz, who began making calls Friday to gauge support, has the backing of billionaire Michael Bloomberg, who is ready to open his wallet for the party again if Diaz is chair, even after dropping $100 million into a failed state effort to defeat President Donald Trump. Local billionaire Jorge Pérez, who has good relations with former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, also has pledged his support. “The idea for me is to rebuild the party by one precinct, one county at a time, bottom up and from the grassroots,” Diaz said in an interview. “I’m going to roll up my sleeves, put my head down and work my butt off.” Diaz promised to raise the money needed to hire top talent, upgrade the party’s data operation, and turn it into a constant presence to register, engage and turn out voters in communities across the state. It‘s a job others are running from. Democrats in Florida have been out of power in the state for more than two decades. They’ve lost four straight top-of-the-ticket races, culminating with Trump steamrolling Democrat Joe Biden on Nov. 3. Two incumbent Democrats were ousted from Congress that day, and down-ticket candidates took a beating.

“Feeding South Florida pleads for financial help in delivering food before CARES Act expires” by WSVN – Feeding South Florida is asking for help to feed a need in the community, and that request comes right before the holidays. The organization’s goal is to give, but now, they are hoping to keep that goal alive, as a grim deadline for the CARES Act approaches. “We’ve rented additional tractors, additional trailers, additional trucks,” Feeding South Florida CEO Paco Velez said. “We’ve hired on additional staff to make sure that we’re able to bring in the food and get it out.” Feeding South Florida has always been on a mission to help families in need, and the mission, especially this year, has never been more dire. “The number of families and individuals that are struggling is incredibly high,” Velez said. “The amount of food that’s coming in because of this CARES Act is drastically going down, and at the end of December, it’s going to go away completely.” Since the start of the pandemic, food and delivery have been on high demand. Under the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program, which was introduced by the federal government to help meet these demands, Feeding South Florida started delivering and distributing more than 160 tractor-trailer loads of foods in phases since June.

Currently, they’re entering Phase 4 of distributions and are down to only 14 trailer loads per week. However, that money is about to run out.

“Secret Service members asked about protecting soon-to-be-former president Trump full time in Florida: Sources” by ABC News’ John Santucci, Josh Margolin, Katherine Faulders, and Aaron Katersky – As states begin to certify election results that seal a victory for President-elect Joe Biden, even though Donald Trump hasn't conceded there is one clear sign his post-presidency life is taking shape: Secret Service agents in the president's detail are being asked whether they're interested in transferring to Palm Beach, Florida, sources have told ABC News. The Secret Service's Miami field office also has begun looking at physical reinforcements to Mar-a-Largo, the president's club to which he refers as "the winter White House," the sources added. These moves are considered unofficial as Trump has yet to concede to Biden. Trump, a longtime New Yorker born in the borough of Queens, changed his residency to Florida last year and voted there in late October. When reached by ABC News, a secret service spokesperson said: "For operational security reasons, the Secret Service does not discuss specifically or in general terms the means, methods or resources we utilize to carry out our protective mission." A Trump Organization spokesperson declined to comment. Renovations to living quarters expected to be occupied by Trump and first lady Melania Trump are underway, ahead of when they'll be living there full time after the Jan. 20 inauguration, sources familiar with the planning told ABC News.

“Duke Energy Florida's Solar Plan Splits Environmental Groups” by Bay News 9’s Mitch Perry – A proposal by Duke Energy Florida to add ten 75 MW solar power plants over the next five years has received support from big organizations, local governments and some residents hoping to make the transition to a clean energy future, but one environmental group is objecting, saying non-participating customers would pay a disproportionate share of the costs. Duke officials advocated for the proposal last week in front of the Florida Public Service Commission. Under the program, customers would be able to voluntarily pay more on their electric bills to help finance the solar projects and would receive credits that would result in them getting a payback in about seven years. If approved, Duke plans to place two solar power plants in service in 2022, with four additional plants going into service in 2023 and 2024, respectively. “Duke Energy believes that the Clean Energy Connection is designed to be cost effective with both participating and non-participating customers,” spokesperson Ana Gibbs told Spectrum News. “It is going to enable Duke Energy customers to support the expansion of solar, and it helps businesses and government customers to meet their sustainability goals while basically lowering bills over time.”

“Florida Medicaid enrollment is up 16% since March” by News Service of florida’s Christine Sexton – Despite efforts to return to normalcy amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Florida continues to see increasing Medicaid enrollment, with an estimate now that as many as 4.6 million people will rely on the health-care program in the upcoming fiscal year, according to the state’s Medicaid office. A revised projection of enrollment for the 2021-2022 state fiscal year, which will start July 1, includes about 220,000 more people than economists previously projected.

“We are seeing increases still. Pretty big increases,” Tom Wallace, the state Agency for Health Care Administration’s assistant deputy secretary for Medicaid finance analytics, told members of a panel known as the Social Services Estimating Conference on Nov. 19. While enrollment in Medicaid programs is increasing nationwide because of the pandemic, Wallace said Florida is experiencing some of the biggest increases. Florida, which did not expand Medicaid eligibility under the federal Affordable Care Act, has seen a 16% increase in enrollment since March. The surge in enrollment adds to the sour financial situation that will greet lawmakers when they begin the 2021 legislative session in March, especially as federal funding that has helped keep the state budget intact will lapse soon unless Congress agrees to a new coronavirus relief package.

“Florida municipalities seek more local control over pandemic policy” by WEAR TV’s Jake Stofan – Florida is on track to become the third state in the country to hit one million cases of COVID-19, likely within the next week. Across Florida, mayors and others are growing frustrated by their lack of enforcement power of pandemic policies. When the pandemic began, Governor Ron DeSantis shied away from enacting certain across the board pandemic policies like a face mask mandate, instead favoring local control. “Each region in Florida is very distinct and some of these things may need to be approached a little bit differently,” DeSantis said in March. But as State Representative Carlos Guillermo Smith explains, that local control was largely stripped away in the Governor’s most recent pandemic executive order. “Now local leaders feel handcuffed because Governor DeSantis signed an executive order saying that they were not allowed to enforce their own mask mandate,” said Smith. As cases rise across the country, 31 states have enacted tighter COVID restrictions in recent weeks. Florida has not. Now Mayors in Miami, Miami-Dade, St Petersburg and county commissioners in Palm Beach are asking for the Governor to return some of the local control the were given at the start of the pandemic. The Florida League of Cities also weighed in telling us in a statement: “We believe the Governor should allow cities to take the actions they believe are necessary to protect their citizens. When our state and local governments work together, we are better equipped to manage this public health crises.”

“Florida Lawmakers Not Likely to Increase Jobless Benefits” by Orlando Sentinel’s Gray Rohrer – When federal aid for jobless benefits runs out Dec. 31, hundreds of thousands of unemployed Floridians will again rely on paltry state-paid benefits that currently max out at $275 a week and 12 weeks, among the lowest in the country. But Florida’s new legislative leaders aren’t inclined to hike the weekly amount when they convene in March. When asked if the weekly benefit cap should be raised, House Speaker Chris Sprowls said he’s more focused on getting people back to work and fixing Florida’s local workforce development boards, which he thinks aren’t effective enough in connecting the unemployed with opportunities. “What we have focused on is nobody wants to be on unemployment. I’ve never met a person who’s said I want to be on unemployment. They want to have a job,” said Sprowls, R- Palm Harbor. “That should be the focal point of the Legislature - making sure how do we break down barriers or create a pathway that if you want to work and you want to get a job it shouldn’t be so hard to find where that job is.” Both Sprowls and Senate President Wilton Simpson say they’ll investigate how the CONNECT system, the state’s jobless benefits system, failed in March when it became inundated with claims as much of society shut down because of the coronavirus pandemic. Hundreds of thousands of Floridians went several months without receive benefits.

“Florida’s juvenile arrests drop to 45-year low” by Orlando Sentinel’s Monivette Cordeiro – Juvenile arrests in Florida dropped to a 45-year low in the last fiscal year as part of a downward trend accelerated by school closings and shutdowns amid the coronavirus pandemic, officials announced Monday. Still, Orange County ranked high statewide in the total number of juvenile arrests, beating out more populous counties like Miami-Dade and Broward. The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice said 45,366 juveniles were arrested in fiscal year 2019-20 — a 17% decline from the 2018-2019 fiscal year when 54,885 youths were arrested. Since fiscal year 2015-16, youth arrests have decreased by 35%. DJJ did not respond to an interview request. “This historic low in juvenile arrests reflects our commitment to public safety in Florida and in keeping our young people from going down the wrong path,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a statement. “We will continue to work with our dedicated law enforcement and community partners to keep Florida safe and provide all Florida youth with the opportunity to achieve their full potential and have a better, brighter future.” The double-digit percentage drop resulted in an “abnormally low” number of juvenile arrests, DJJ said. Before fears over the spread of COVID-19 shut down schools statewide, juvenile arrests had dipped 8% from July 2019 to March compared to the prior fiscal year, which is close to the historic downward trend.

 

“More GOP senators back transition as GSA recognizes Biden's win” by CNN’s Paul LeBlanc – A growing group of Republican senators on Monday signaled support for allowing President-elect Joe Biden to start the transition as the General Services Administration informed Biden that the Trump administration is ready to begin the formal process. The GOP transition support -- from Sens. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana -- paired with the GSA letter, amount to a considerable turning point against President Donald Trump's bid to overturn his loss after Michigan officials moved to certify the state's electoral votes for Biden. "The presidential election is rapidly coming to a formal end," Alexander, who is retiring, said in a statement posted on Twitter. "Recounts are being completed. Courts are resolving disputes. Most states will certify their votes by December 8. Since it seems apparent that Joe Biden will be the president-elect, my hope is that President Trump will take pride in his considerable accomplishments, put the country first and have a prompt and orderly transition to help the new administration succeed." "When you are in public life, people remember the last thing you do," he said. Capito said in her own statement that the time had come for Biden to begin "receiving all appropriate briefings" for a transfer of power.

“PA Supreme Court rejects Trump challenge to absentee ballots in Allegheny County” by Fox News’ Thomas Barrabi – The Pennsylvania Supreme Court rejected the Trump campaign lawsuits Monday that called for the dismissal of more than 8,000 absentee ballots in Allegheny County. In five lawsuits, President Trump’s attorneys asked the courts to throw out ballots that were missing information, such as a handwritten name or address or the date on which the ballots were signed. In its ruling, the state’s Supreme Court determined the ballots should be considered valid. “Here we conclude that while failures to include a handwritten name, address or date in the voter declaration on the back of the outer envelope, while constituting technical violations of the Election Code, do not warrant the wholesale disenfranchisement of thousands of Pennsylvania voters,” the ruling said. In addition, the state Supreme Court reversed a lower court ruling that had invalidated 2,349 ballots in Allegheny County over missing information. The ruling was a setback for Trump as the state’s counties move forward with efforts to certify the Pennsylvania vote. In addition, the state Supreme Court reversed a lower court ruling that had invalidated 2,349 ballots in Allegheny County over missing information. The ruling was a setback for Trump as the state’s counties move forward with efforts to certify the Pennsylvania vote. President Trump has yet to concede defeat to President-elect Joe Biden, who surpassed the 270 electoral vote threshold required to assume the White House earlier this month with projected victories in Pennsylvania and Nevada. Trump’s attorneys have argued that Republican poll watchers were denied adequate access to oversee the ballot counting practice and allege that mail-in ballots were rife with fraud.

“Biden Picks Janet Yellen for Treasury Secretary” by WSJ’s Nick Timiraos, Kate Davidson and Ken Thomas – President-elect Joe Biden plans to nominate former Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen, an economist at the forefront of policy-making for three decades, to become the next Treasury secretary, according to people familiar with the decision. If confirmed by the Senate, Ms. Yellen would become the first woman to hold the job. Mr. Biden’s selection positions the 74-year-old labor economist to lead his administration’s efforts to further the recovery from the destruction caused by the coronavirus pandemic and shutdowns. Ms. Yellen, who was the first woman to lead the Fed, would become the first person to have headed the Treasury, the central bank and the White House Council of Economic Advisers. Ms. Yellen declined to comment on Monday. Separately, Mr. Biden’s transition team said he would nominate Alejandro Mayorkas to lead the Department of Homeland Security and Avril Haines as director of national intelligence. Both are former Obama administration aides. John Kerry, who was secretary of state under President Barack Obama, will serve as special presidential envoy for climate change. Mr. Biden’s economic team is set to confront a challenging outlook, with millions of people still out of work and job growth slowing after a sharp bounceback when businesses reopened in May, June and July. Economists at JPMorgan Chase & Co. said last week they expect the U.S. economy to contract slightly in the first quarter of 2021 due to rising virus infections.

“GSA chief informs President-elect Biden that formal transition process can begin” by Fox News’ Thomas Barrabi – The GSA and Murphy have faced intense bipartisan criticism in recent weeks over the decision to hold off on recognizing Biden as president-elect. The Biden transition team had threatened legal action, accusing the GSA of threatening national security and hampering preparations to combat the coronavirus pandemic by failing to provide support for the incoming administration. Murphy said her decision was based on “recent developments involving legal challenges and certifications of election results.” Earlier Monday, Michigan voted to certify its election results and the Pennsylvania Supreme Court threw out a Trump campaign challenge that sought to invalidate thousands of absentee ballots in Allegheny County. In a series of tweets, President Trump thanked Murphy for her handling of the ascertainment process since Election Day. The president pledged to continue his legal challenge of election results. “I want to thank Emily Murphy at GSA for her steadfast dedication and loyalty to our Country,” Trump wrote on Twitter. “She has been harassed, threatened, and abused – and I do not want to see this happen to her, her family, or employees of GSA. Our case STRONGLY continues, we will keep up the good fight, and I believe we will prevail!” “Nevertheless, in the best interest of our Country, I am recommending that Emily and her team do what needs to be done with regard to initial protocols, and have told my team to do the same,” Trump added.

“Two more House members announce they have Covid-19” by CNN’s Paul LeBlanc – Two more House members announced Sunday evening that they have tested positive for Covid-19 as cases continue to surge nationwide. Rep. Bryan Steil, a Republican from Wisconsin, and Rep. Joe Courtney, a Democrat from Connecticut, announced separately that they had contracted the virus and are isolating as a result. "After working in Washington, DC all of last week, I began experiencing mild symptoms this weekend and contacted my health care provider while at home in Janesville," Steil wrote in a statement posted to his Twitter account. "I took a COVID-19 test today and the results came back positive. Following CDC guidelines, I am immediately quarantining and will continue serving the people of Southeast Wisconsin from my home in Janesville." Courtney, meanwhile, said in a statement that he learned last week he was inadvertently exposed to someone who later tested positive for Covid-19. After "following the strict isolation guidelines laid out by the CDC," his first test came back negative, but a second test came back positive Sunday evening. "I've got a lot of confidence in my treating doctor and in my team—our work for eastern Connecticut will continue as always, and I'll keep performing my duties in a safe, remote fashion while isolated at my home," Courtney said.

“AstraZeneca-Oxford Covid-19 Vaccine Up to 90% Effective in Late-Stage Trials” by WSJ’s Jenny Straburg and Joseph Walker – AstraZeneca PLC and the University of Oxford added their vaccine candidate to a growing list of shots showing promising effectiveness against Covid-19—setting in motion disparate regulatory and distribution tracks that executives and researchers hope will result in the start of widespread vaccinations by the end of the year. AstraZeneca and Oxford said their vaccine was as much as 90% effective in preventing the infection without serious side effects in large clinical trials, though they said the vaccine’s efficacy varied widely based on dosage. At the lower end, the vaccine’s 62% efficacy trailed the trial results issued by rival drugmakers so far. The limited results at the top end of the range, however, came close to matching those of two other Western-developed vaccine candidates, one from Moderna Inc. and one from Pfizer Inc. and Germany’s BioNTech SE. BNTX 2.33% Each of those showed efficacy of more than 90% in early results disclosed recently. These preliminary findings, all from so-called Phase 3 human trials, represent the first look at the effectiveness of experimental Covid-19 vaccines and open the way for the companies to seek regulatory authorization and gear up their distribution plans. That process, which includes a safety review, is now under way for all three of the West’s front-runner vaccine candidates, though at different speeds in different parts of the world.

“Feinstein to Step Aside as Top Democrat on Judiciary Committee” by WSJ’s Kristina Peterson – Sen. Dianne Feinstein said she would step down as the top Democrat on the Judiciar/y Committee, after drawing criticism from the party’s progressive wing over her handling of the Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Justice Amy Coney Barrett. “After serving as the lead Democrat on the Judiciary Committee for four years, I will not seek the chairmanship or ranking member position in the next Congress,” the California lawmaker said. It wasn’t immediately known Monday who would succeed Mrs. Feinstein as the Judiciary Committee’s top Democrat. The chamber’s partisan breakdown after the Nov. 3 election stands at 50 Republicans and 48 Democrats. If Democrats win both Georgia runoffs on Jan. 5, they would control the majority because Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, in her role as president of the Senate, could break ties. Mrs. Feinstein, 87 years old, said she would remain a member of the Judiciary Committee, as well as other panels, but would seek to focus her attention on the wildfire and droughts that have wreaked catastrophic damage on her home state. “I will continue to do my utmost to bring about positive change in the coming years,” she said. Mrs. Feinstein had drawn increasing scrutiny from liberal groups, who hoped to see a more progressive lawmaker lead the committee if Democrats take back the Senate. They also balked at her conciliatory conduct during Justice Barrett’s confirmation hearing.

“Here's where things stand as key states begin to certify election results” by CNN’s Kelly Mena, Annie Grayer, Ellie Kaufman, Casey Tolan and Katelyn Polantz – President Donald Trump is quickly running out of options in his last-ditch effort to cling to power as key states move to certify their election results, officially confirming Joe Biden as the President-elect. States certify their results after reviewing disputed ballots, conducting post-election audits and double-checking numbers for accuracy. Federal, state and local election officials from both political parties have said there was no widespread fraud or irregularities in the 2020 election. Michigan -- where Biden leads by more than 154,000 votes -- certified its results on Monday, awarding its 16 electoral votes to Biden despite a full-court press by Trump and his allies for a delay. Aaron Van Langevelde, one of the two Republicans on the four-member canvassing board, joined with Democrats to vote for certification, ignoring arguments from the Republican National Committee and state GOP to delay, while the other Republican member abstained. Georgia, which already certified the election on Friday and did a manual recount with state Republicans signing off on it, is doing another machine scan of the ballots at the Trump campaign's request. Gabriel Sterling, Georgia's Voting System Implementation Manager, said Monday that the recount would probably start sometime Tuesday, and "will probably wrap up sometime next week." Hours before requesting that recount, the Trump campaign was dealt a major blow in Pennsylvania -- another state where Biden leads -- when a federal judge dismissed their case in a sharply worded decision that prompted a GOP senator to come forward and say that enough was enough with Trump's legal challenges. In another loss, Pennsylvania's Supreme Court on Monday rejected the Trump campaign's effort to block the counting of certain absentee ballots clearing the way for those ballots to be counted in multiple counties, including Philadelphia.

“Rashida Tlaib accused of anti-Semitism for reaction to Biden's Jewish Sec of State nominee” by Fox News’ Joseph A. Wulfsohn – Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., has reignited accusations of anti-Semitism in response to President-elect Biden's nominee to become Secretary of State.  The Biden transition team announced on Monday that Antony Blinken, the former deputy secretary of state during the Obama administration and a foreign policy adviser for Biden, was selected to head the State Department. Speculation of Blinken's nomination was fueling over the weekend, which sparked a reaction from the Michigan Democrat after former Bernie Sanders campaign manager Faiz Shakir called Biden's selection a "solid choice." "So long as he doesn't suppress my First Amendment right to speak out against [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu's racist and inhumane policies. The Palestinian people deserve equality and justice," Tlaib wrote on Sunday night. Critics were puzzled by Tlaib's tweet, many of them suggesting that the reason she invoked Israeli policy was that Blinken is Jewish. "Biden names a Jew to his cabinet What’s Rashida’s response?! 'Welp, as long as that Judische pick doesn’t stop me from focusing my hatred on one country, Israel, then he’s a good Jew!' It’s not your 1A right you’re trying to protect but your vile Jew-hatred! That’s ALL yours!" Americans Against Antisemitism founder Dov Hikind reacted.

Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump- Poll: 79 Percent of Trump Voters Believe ‘Election Was Stolen‘ https://breitbart.com/2020-election/2020/11/23/poll-79-of-trump-voters-believe-election-was-stolen-through-illegal-voting-and-fraud/… via @BreitbartNews

They are 100% correct, but we are fighting hard. Our big lawsuit, which spells out in great detail all of the ballot fraud and more, will soon be filled. RIGGED ELECTION!

Joe Biden - Zzzzzz