Voter Integrity
The legal challenges continue around the country continue as more and more instances of widespread voter fraud are discovered.
Both Florida senators want to keep elections to be controlled at the local and state levels, but support a set of national standards to be put in place to help curb the voter fraud that compromised the 2020 presidential election.
“I mean if you start involving the federal government in our elections,” said Senator Rubio. “That’s what the Democrats want, they want to create automatic voter registration and mandatory voting requirements like what they have in Europe and other countries and empower themselves of the electoral process.” READ MORE
NO MAS MASKS! NO MAS! >>>> Senator Rick Scott backs Gov. Ron DeSantis, says he does not support any mask mandates. READ MORE
Rep. Matt Gaetz @RepMattGaetz-The only thing I know that's more popular than getting out of the war on drugs is getting out of the war in Afghanistan.
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz @RepDWStweets- This week, Florida became the 3rd state to hit 1M reported #COVID cases. How does @GovRonDeSantis respond? More of the same. His indifference and denial cost lives every single day.
Ron DeSantis @GovRonDeSantis-One year ago, three great American sailors were killed in an act of terrorism at @NASPCOLA. In their honor, I’ve proclaimed December 6th as Naval Air Station Pensacola Remembrance Day in Florida. We must never forget their selfless sacrifice.
Nikki Fried @nikkifried-Maybe @GovRonDeSantis has a hard time talking one-on-one with powerful women?I know what that’s like, @MayorDaniella Call her back, Governor.
“Facts Show Florida Cities Burning Trash Having A Negative Impact On Health, Environment And Communities” by The Floridian’s Javier Manjarres – Reporting conducted by the Tishman Environment and Design Center reveals that Florida’s Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) incinerators are harming the health and welfare of Floridians. MSW incinerators are plants that take in municipal waste, garbage, and trash, and then burn it all in an incinerator. These facilities brand themselves as “waste-to-energy” facilities that use some of the energy released from burning trash to generate electricity. Florida has the most MSW incinerators in the country, at 11. According to the Tishman Center, waste incineration negatively impacts the lives of hundreds of thousands in Florida. MSW incinerators emit toxic air pollutants that are detrimental to human health. By burning waste, the MSW incinerators release heavy metals, dioxins, lead, mercury, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter into the atmosphere. These clouds of toxins blanket the communities that exist nearby and can be absorbed through inhalation or through the consumption of contaminated groundwater and food. The toxins released from the incinerators are linked to a variety of human diseases, including asthma, heart disease, miscarriage, stillbirth, kidney disease, high blood pressure, and lung exposure. A correlation has been discovered between long-term exposure to particulate matter and increased risk of death from the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly 500,000 people live within a three-mile radius of Florida’s 11 incinerators. 10 of the 11 incinerators are located around primarily minority, low-income communities who are already disproportionately impacted by environmental burdens and pollution. These communities are dubbed “environmental justice communities” as they face disproportionate burdens in combating public health concerns and pollution.
“Rubio To Ocasio-Cortez On Twitter: ‘Work More, Tweet less’” by The Floridian’s Mona Salama – Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) traded blows on Twitter with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) over Paycheck Protection Program loans, hitting back on her “Republicanism” criticism and her pompous claim that Black-owned businesses were denied access to such loans amid the coronavirus pandemic, advising the progressive lawmaker that she should “work more” and “tweet less.” In her tweet that started the back and forth, Ocasio-Cortez quote-tweeted NBC News journalist Olivia Solon, who pointed out in a screenshot that Project Veritas, a non-profit undercover journalism organization received $558,900 in PPP loans, writing “Black-owned small businesses were widely shut out from accessing PPP loans, yet right-wing disinfo org PV took half a million in public money while decrying direct federal assistance as ‘radical socialism.’ Republicanism in a nutshell.” Rubio hit back at the AOC remarks, saying that Republicans and Democrats worked together to help “save the jobs of 55 million Americans through PPP,” a subliminal jab referencing the fact that the progressive lawmaker was the lone Democrat to voted No on the $2.2 Trillion CARES Act relief bill back in late March that established the $349 billion in loans for small businesses. “Work more, tweet less & one day you too can make a difference,” Rubio added.
“Pelosi Lashes Out At Reporter Asking If She Made A ‘Mistake’ Waiting On Coronavirus Relief Package” by The Floridian’s Mona Salama – House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) lashed out at a reporter Friday when he asked her if it was a “mistake” waiting so long agreeing on a smaller coronavirus relief package after insisting for months that she was uninterested in a watered-down deal. However, the California Democrat is backing off her “negotiations position” and endorsing the latest proposal with a price tag of $908 billion, because of “a new president and a vaccine” in which she called a “total game-changer.” “Joe Biden committed to ending and crushing the virus,” Pelosi said. “That is a total game-changer. A new president, and a vaccine.” She emphasized her acceptance of the proposal was due to President-elect Joe Biden having a plan to address the virus, but noted “it’s not everything we want” and Democrats will likely push for more aid when Biden takes office on Jan. 20. “It’s for a shorter period of time, but that’s OK now because we have a new president,” she said defending her position. Biden endorsed the bipartisan framework, calling it a “good start.” The House Speaker believes the plan once written “could be a basis for real bicameral negotiation.” “There is momentum,” Pelosi said regarding the negotiations. “I told members, I’m not bringing any more bills that are not bipartisan.”
“House Democrats continue silence over Tlaib’s anti-Israel retweet” by The Floridian’s Daniel Molina – The always controversial Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D) has received criticism from Republicans after tweeting the anti-Israel “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” quote, which many have taken as Tlaib supporting and promoting the destruction of the state of Israel. The “river to the sea” quote is a known pro-destruction of Israel saying that has existed since the 1960’s. However, now Democrats are being called out for not denouncing Rep. Tlaib’s comments, and many are pointing to recent remarks that Democrats have made denouncing anti-semitic comments as being hypocritical. In response to the American Jewish Committee’s effort to combat anti-Jewish hatred on the internet, Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D) commented that “the rise in anti-Semitic posts across the internet is undeniable,” adding that “anti-Semitism is a global crisis and that’s why I joined a multinational coalition to form the Inter-Parliamentary Task Force to Combat Online Antisemitism.” The sunshine state lawmaker concluded that “Global issues require global solutions.”
“53% of Floridians Worried of Catching COVID-19” by The Floridian’s Daniel Molina – A new survey conducted by MoneyWise Florida shows that the COVID-19 pandemic is still heavily impacting Americans. 40% of Floridians interviewed noted that they were still financially struggling as a result of the pandemic, and the survey comes at a time when lawmakers still find themselves gridlocked in terms of coming to an agreement on a COVID-19 relief bill. In the survey, 53% of Americans indicated that getting COVID-19 is the top worry that they face followed by 44% saying financial concerns and 40% noting that not seeing family members is a worry. In response to the survey, Florida’ Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis released a statement, commenting that “the COVID-19 pandemic has brought enormous financial challenges to millions of Florida families and businesses and we must work together to provide important guidance on ways Floridians can navigate this prolonged period of financial uncertainty.” Patronis asserted that “since the pandemic began, I have been advocating for Floridians by raising awareness and encouraging Legislators to take action to protect our small businesses to ensure Florida’s economy gets back on its feet.”
“Progressives push to remove Trump’s name from New York state park” by the Floridian’s Javier Manjarres – Progressive Democrats or Democratic Socialists really, really hate President Donald Trump. I mean, they really hate him. They hate him so much that they want New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) to rename the Donald J. Trump State Park after deceased Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The push to have the state park rename is simply (incredibly) because President Trump announced that he would be sitting a new justice after Justice Ginsburg had passed. “There is no one who hated Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg more than Donald Trump,” reads the fundraising email from a Progressive organization based out of Chicago. What’s next? Will Trump’s detractor’s petition state legislators to question his residency status in Palm Beach County? Meanwhile, Trump’s legal team is uncovering a massive amount of voter fraud in Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania. Can you imagine if the case is made in front of the Supreme Court to overturn the election, or at the very least, overturn elections in those aforementioned states? Democrat heads will explode and Black Lives Matter and ANTIFA will start rioting and vandalizing. You can bank on it.
“After leaving GOP, David Jolly weighs his political future in Florida as an independent” by Tampa Bay Times’ Steve Contorno – There’s no cell phone service in the central Pennsylvania mountains where David Jolly is waiting out the pandemic with his young family. He spends most days walking the woods or adding another beam to the the two-story pole barn he’s determined to build by hand. “Good thinking time,” Jolly called it. Lately, Jolly has a lot to think about. The former Florida congressman is itching to run for public office in 2022 — possibly for U.S. Senate, though governor isn’t out of the question, either. The state needs leaders willing to compromise, he said, who put people over partisanship. But Jolly is a free agent. Two years ago, he divorced from the Republican Party in a public split over its fealty to President Donald Trump and he has no interest in going back. Though he spent much of the last two years as political analyst for MSNBC, where the anti-Trump musings of a disenchanted ex-Republican were in high demand on the more liberal cable network, his right-of-center politics aren’t a fit with many in today’s Democratic Party. In America’s two-party system, Jolly would seem to be out of options. Unless he thinks voters are ready to throw out that system, and he — a 48-year-old former Republican from Pinellas County — can be the candidate to lead them there.
“Trump plays a new role: Campaigner in chief” by Politico’s Meridith McGraw – President Donald Trump on Saturday night tried on a new role: campaigning for someone not named Donald Trump. It didn’t look any different. Trump has rarely left the White House or appeared in public in the aftermath of the election. But he landed in Georgia ostensibly to promote Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler in two runoff races that will determine which party controls the Senate during President-elect Joe Biden’s first two years. It was Trump’s first political event where the intended focus wasn’t his own election — or re-election. And he spent a surprising amount of time forcefully urging Georgians to vote in “the most important congressional runoff, probably in American history.” But in the end, the performance didn’t change — Trump mostly promoted himself. He falsely claimed the election was rigged and he won the election, even though states that have certified the election have more than the 270 Electoral College votes needed for Biden to win. He complained about investigations against him. And he stepped up pressure on Republican Gov. Brian Kemp to overturn the results of the election, following their call this morning. “They cheated and they rigged our presidential election, and they're gonna try to rig this election too,” Trump said to a large crowd of supporters in Georgia, some of whom traveled from states as far away as California and Ohio to hear the president speak.
“Florida Awarded $28 Million in Funding for Disaster Relief Employment for Eligible Floridians in Response to COVID-19” by Space Coast Daily – Governor Ron DeSantis announced that Florida has been awarded an additional $28 million in federal funding through the U.S. Department of Labor Disaster Recovery Dislocated Worker Grant in response to COVID-19. This federal Disaster Recovery Dislocated Worker Grant is administered by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity and will provide disaster-relief employment in the form of temporary jobs, employment and training services, and supportive services to eligible Floridians. “As our state and local communities continue to recover from the pandemic, I am proud to announce $28 million in additional funding for disaster-relief employment,” said Governor DeSantis. “I look forward to putting these dollars to use right away to give Floridians in need an opportunity to work.” “I want to thank Governor Ron DeSantis for his leadership and for his steps to reopen the state, so more Floridians can find gainful employment,” said Dane Eagle, Executive Director of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. “We look forward to helping Floridians get back to work and receive the training and support they need as we rebuild our economy.” Earlier this year, the Department was awarded $12 million for the Disaster Recovery Dislocated Worker Grant in response to COVID-19. Disaster relief employment includes humanitarian assistance and cleanup activities.
“Debatable tactics: Florida’s ACLU and League of Women Voters won election battles but lost soldiers | Commentary” by Orlando Sentinel’s Scott Maxwell – Two of Florida’s best-known citizen advocacy groups — the League of Women Voters of Florida and ACLU of Florida — scored big wins in last month’s elections. The League helped defeat the amendment that would’ve ended Florida’s closed-primary system and allowed every voter to vote on every candidate every time. (Amendment 3 was a fan favorite, receiving more than 5.8 million votes — more than either Donald Trump or Joe Biden received. But the 57% support it received was just shy of the 60% required for amendments to take effect.) And the ACLU scored a victory with the election of Monique Worrell after the civil-rights group came barreling into Orange and Osceola counties’ state attorney race, flooding mailboxes with mailers touting Worrell’s candidacy. So both groups got their way. But at what cost? Their tactics have prompted criticism from long-time supporters. The League, for instance, had previously supported Amendment 3, only to reverse itself just two months before the election when the political parties were getting nervous it would pass. Two League members resigned their leadership posts after the flip. And the ACLU’s heavy-handed campaigning for Worrell raised the hackles of long-time supporters who believed the tactics violated the group’s long-standing practice (and maybe IRS rules for tax-exempt groups) of not endorsing specific candidates. So these groups won their battles but lost some loyal soldiers. And I think tarnished their reputations in the process.
“Goldman Sachs eying Florida move for key division, report says” by New York Posts’ Kate Sheehy – Goldman Sachs is eying a move to Florida for one of its key divisions — in what could be yet another major blow to New York City’s position at the helm of the financial industry, a new report says. The financial titan is considering relocating its $8 billion-revenue-generating asset-management arm to Palm Beach County or Fort Lauderdale, checking out potential real estate, chatting up local officials and weighing the Sunshine State’s tax advantages, sources told Bloomberg. The potential development comes on the heels of several other investment companies moving from the Big Apple to down South — and battering New York’s bottom line with the loss of white-collar jobs. There is now the most office space empty in Manhattan since right after 9/11, Bloomberg said. As The Post reported in October, billionaire Paul Singer has decided to move the headquarters of his hedge fund Elliott Management from Manhattan to Florida, according to sources, while Carl Icahn also made the switch for his offices. Florida offers tax advantages — not to mention warmer weather appreciated by at least some Manhattan-weary workers. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that more work can be done remotely than ever before, too, so there is less of a need for costly offices, sources told Bloomberg. Still, no decision has been made by the Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., which is considering Dallas, Texas, too, for its assets-management division, site said.
“Florida adds 8,436 coronavirus cases and 96 deaths” by Tampa Bay Times’ Anastasia Dawson – The Florida Department of Health reported 8,436 coronavirus cases and 96 deaths Sunday, bringing the overall number of known infections in the state to 1,058,074. That means roughly 1 in every 19 Floridians has tested positive for the virus, according to state data. The number of deaths attributed to the virus since March 1, when Florida’s first known coronavirus cases were reported, is 19,423 — the third-highest death toll in the nation. The number of coronavirus deaths has continued to rise this week. By Sunday, the state was averaging 98.1 per day. Only two other states have reported caseloads exceeding 1 million people. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Texas was reporting 1.24 million coronavirus infections Sunday afternoon, and California led the nation with 1.3 million infections. On Sunday night, new stay-at-home orders will take effect in Southern California as the nation dove into its third surge of infections this year. Under California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s new restrictions, communities will be asked to stay home once the intensive care unit availability in their region falls below 15 percent. In Florida, Hillsborough County’s ICU availability was about 16 percent Sunday, teetering on the brink of Newsom’s threshold. Pinellas has just 12.2 percent ICU availability and Manatee has 13.7 percent, according to state data. In the past year, the coronavirus has infected more than 14.6 million Americans, and in recent days the number of patients currently hospitalized with the virus has topped 101,000 for the first time.
“In Florida, Many Changes Turn Jacksonville Into Political Battleground” by WSJ’s Arian Campo-Flores and Aaron Zitner – For decades, this city near the Florida-Georgia line has been known for its Navy bases, Southern temperament and conservative politics. But voters here backed Democrat Joe Biden for president, signaling its change into a swing region that both parties are focusing on for future elections. Over the years, Jacksonville, which mostly shares its borders with Duval County’s, lost many affluent, conservative white families who headed to the suburbs in neighboring counties. Those who remained, together with an influx of young, more diverse professionals, bred changes, from growing arts and culinary scenes to large Black Lives Matter demonstrations earlier this year. “Jacksonville’s sensibilities have changed,” said Susie Wiles, President Trump’s chief Florida campaign strategist, who lives in the area. “It was a sleepy Southern city. Now we’re far more progressive as a community.” Tiffany Edwards, a 34-year-old Black Democrat, moved with her son from Richmond, Va., to Jacksonville last year, drawn by job opportunities and a low cost of living. She now works as a supervisor at Brightway Insurance, an insurance retailer based in the city. “I am pretty liberal,” said Ms. Edwards, who voted for Mr. Biden. But showing that her party loyalties aren’t fixed, she added: “Just because I voted Democratic doesn’t mean I’m not willing to change in the future.” Duval is one of several large, economically vibrant counties that flipped Democratic this year after long backing the GOP. They added to the divide between Democratic-leaning metro areas with high numbers of college-educated professionals and rural America. Duval, which Mr. Biden won by 4 percentage points despite losing the state, hadn’t backed a Democrat in a presidential contest since 1976
“Chinese Arms Industry Ranks Second Behind U.S., Report Says” by WSJ’s Brett Forrest – China has boasted the world’s second-largest arms-manufacturing industry for the past five years, ranking behind the U.S. in sales but outstripping Russia and the top European nations, according to a report released Sunday by a Swedish think tank. In its annual study of arms sales, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) for the first time released figures for individual Chinese defense firms. The study found that sales of arms and military services by the global sector’s 25 largest companies for which data are available totaled $361 billion last year, an 8.5% increase over 2018. SIPRI is an independent arms-trade analyst. Among those companies, four are Chinese and 12 are American. Those Chinese companies had combined sales of $56.7 billion in 2019, compared with $221.2 billion from the U.S. companies. Two of the top 25 firms are Russian, with combined sales of $13.9 billion. SIPRI figures showed that revenues for Chinese defense manufacturers have failed to keep pace with the global growth, with the top four Chinese firms growing by 4.8% last year. However, SIPRI’s data on Chinese firms excludes inaccessible sales figures from major companies in missile manufacturing and shipbuilding. “Those with access to additional data likely see even greater [People’s Republic of China] arms-sales activity,” said Andrew Erickson, a professor at the China Maritime Studies Institute at the U.S. Naval War College. “After all, China already enjoys the world’s second-largest defense spending by any measure and is pursuing rapid military development and expansion of influence.”
“Supreme Court Agrees to Consider Medicaid Work Requirements” by WSJ’s Jess Bravin – The Supreme Court said Friday it would consider the legality of a Trump administration program allowing states to impose work requirements on Medicaid recipients. Lower courts have blocked the program, which stripped health insurance from recipients who didn’t file paperwork demonstrating they were working or otherwise complying with or exempt from the requirements. Those courts found that the requirements interfered with Medicaid’s statutory purpose of expanding health-care coverage for lower-income Americans. In its Supreme Court appeal, the Trump administration argues that the secretary of Health and Human Services has broad discretion to authorize experimental projects to test policies that could further Medicaid’s purpose. The administration argues that promoting recipients’ economic self-sufficiency could improve “health outcomes”—for example, by “‘incentiviz[ing] beneficiaries to engage in their own health care”—and therefore is in line with the goals Congress established for Medicaid. The case the high court agreed to hear centers on Arkansas, which in March 2018 was granted a waiver allowing it to impose work requirements on Medicaid recipients through Dec. 31, 2021. The waiver, which authorized a program called Arkansas Works, was in effect for 10 months before being blocked by a federal court. “More than 18,000 people (about 25% of those subject to the work requirement) lost coverage as a result of the project in just five months,” a federal appeals court noted. Lawyers for several recipients who challenged the work requirement cited the current Covid-19 pandemic in their Supreme Court brief. “During a pandemic in which 50 million Americans have filed for unemployment and nearly 12 million have lost employer-sponsored health insurance, the Secretary of Health and Human Services asks this Court to revive demonstration projects that would allow States to kick people off Medicaid for failing to seek and obtain jobs that are not there,” they wrote.
“Lawmakers Look to Short-Term Funding Measure as Spending Talks Continue” by WSJ’s Kristina Peterson – Lawmakers expect to pass a one-week spending bill soon that would keep the government funded through Dec. 18 and buy more time for complex, year-end negotiations on a long-term funding measure and coronavirus relief. Congressional leaders had hoped to pass a full-year spending bill this week, before the government’s current funding runs out at 12:01 a.m. Saturday. But lawmakers are still ironing out disputes over both the sprawling spending bill and a coronavirus relief package that they hope to attach to it. On Sunday, a House Democratic leadership aide said that lawmakers would likely vote this week on a one-week continuing resolution, or short-term spending bill. Leaders want to combine a coronavirus aid package with the full-year spending bill, both of which require some more time. Senior lawmakers on the appropriations committee had been signaling last week that the full-year spending bill needed more work and likely wouldn’t be ready by the Dec. 11 deadline. Republicans and Democrats have been hashing out differences over funding for construction of the wall along the border with Mexico, detention beds for immigrants and environmental provisions, among other matters. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) said last week that they hoped to attach coronavirus relief to the full-year spending package, a compendium of the 12 bills needed to fund the government known as an omnibus.
“Trump plans to outshine Biden on Inauguration Day with opposing rally: report” by Fox News’ Yael Halon – Talk about going out with a bang. A new report from Axios claims that President Trump is considering a dramatic White House departure that includes a final Air Force One flight to Florida where he will host an opposing rally during Joe Biden's inauguration. "The Trump talk could create a split-screen moment: the outgoing president addressing a roaring crowd in an airport hangar while the incoming leader is sworn in before a socially distanced audience outside the Capitol," Alayna Treene of Axios wrote. People familiar with the discussions told NBC News that Trump plans to skip the swearing-in ceremony of his successor and that he has floated the idea of a Florida rally to announce a 2024 bid to reclaim the White House. Trump said last month that he would leave office if the Electoral College votes for President-elect Joe Biden, but also alleged “massive fraud” in the vote count and promised to continue with his legal battle. Asked if he would consider running again on the Republican ticket in 2024, Trump said at the time, “I don’t want to talk to 2024 yet.” The Trump campaign did not respond to Fox News' request for comment.
“Firm co-owned by Ilhan Omar’s husband received $500G in COVID-19 bailout on top of millions from her campaign” by Fox News’ Bradford Betz – A D.C.-based consulting firm co-owned by Democratic Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar’s husband received millions from her campaign and was also eligible for more than $500,000 in coronavirus bailout money. Public records show that E Street Group, co-owned by Omar’s husband, Tim Mynett, received nearly $135,000 in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and $500,000 in Economic Injury Disaster loans. A D.C.-based consulting firm co-owned by Democratic Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar’s husband received millions from her campaign and was also eligible for more than $500,000 in coronavirus bailout money. Public records show that E Street Group, co-owned by Omar’s husband, Tim Mynett, received nearly $135,000 in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and $500,000 in Economic Injury Disaster loans. The bailout loans are intended to provide relief to small businesses that have been economically hard-hit by coronavirus lockdowns. E Street Group’s LinkedIn profiile states that it has between 11 and 50 employees. The bailout loans are intended to provide relief to small businesses that have been economically hard-hit by coronavirus lockdowns. E Street Group’s LinkedIn profiile states that it has between 11 and 50 employees. Omar pledged in mid-November that she was cutting ties with her husband’s firm and the payments were made before that. Before their marriage in March, Mynett’s firm was already doing work for Omar’s campaign.
“Trump warns Georgia voters, 'If you don't vote, the socialists and the communists win'” by Fox News’ Yael Halon – President Trump urged his supporters to vote for Republican Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue to prevent the "socialists" and "communists" from gaining control of the U.S. Senate. "There's never been a case where a state has had this prominence on Senate races. Never together, and this is something that's very important and you have to get out and you have to vote," Trump said at a rally in Valdosta, Ga., on Saturday. "If you don't vote, the socialists and the communists win." Trump described to the crowd how he saw the stakes in the twin Senate runoffs. "Very simply, you will decide whether your children will grow up in a socialist country or free country. Socialism is just the beginning for these people. They want to go into a communistic form of government," he said. Trump said that Perdue's opponent, Jon Ossoff, and Loeffler's opponent, the Rev. Raphael Warnock, are the "two most extreme, far-left, liberal candidates in history." Trump implored Georgians to vote, while still sowing distrust in the state's handling of elections. "You must go vote, vote early. They cheated, they rigged our presidential election, but we will still win it. They're going to try and rig this election too."
“Biden's desire to stop the border wall could be costly and arduous” by CNN’s Geneva Sands and Priscilla Alvarez – President-elect Joe Biden pledged to end construction of his predecessor's signature border wall, but halting the ongoing, multibillion-dollar project will be an arduous, complex and potentially costly process. His administration will be saddled with lawsuits over wall funding, face questions about maintenance of the barriers built over the last four years and have to contend with private land that had been siphoned for future construction. Around 415 miles of wall construction have been completed, roughly 353 of which is replacing old, dilapidated walls or barriers, as of November 27, according to US Customs and Border Protection. The administration is quickly pressing forward with its stated goal to build 450 miles by the end of this year, with contractors working around the clock. Biden's promise to halt construction has already prompted discussions among Customs and Border Protection officials about what would occur in that event, particularly if funding is cut, according to a Homeland Security official. The border wall will stand to be one of President Donald Trump's lasting legacies. The President took unprecedented measures to construct additional barriers on the southwest border, declaring a national emergency to take money from the Defense Department to pay for the wall, defying Congress. His administration also waived numerous environmental and contracting laws to speed up construction, as well as filed dozens of lawsuits in rapid succession to seize private land on the border.
“Rudy Giuliani tests positive for coronavirus, Trump says” by CNN’s Jeremy Diamond, Sam Fossum and Veronica Stracqualursi – Rudy Giuliani, the personal attorney to President Donald Trump, has tested positive for Covid-19, Trump announced Sunday. "Get better soon Rudy, we will carry on!!!" Trump wrote on Twitter. Giuliani was admitted to Georgetown University Hospital on Sunday, a source familiar confirmed to CNN. A few hours after Trump shared the news, Giuliani, himself, appeared to confirm his positive diagnosis by posting on Twitter that he's "getting great care and feeling good." There have been no additional details provided about his condition, and it is unclear when Giuliani received a positive test for Covid-19. He and his spokeswoman have not responded to CNN's requests for comment. The former mayor of New York has been crisscrossing the country to battleground states, leading the President's long-shot legal battle to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. Giuliani has repeatedly disregarded public health guidelines, appearing maskless in state capitols, hotel ballrooms and at indoor news conferences in recent weeks. At many of the events, most of the other people in the indoor settings were also not wearing masks. At some of those events, Giuliani was spotted shaking hands, hugging and taking pictures with people while not wearing a mask. He was most recently at the Georgia Capitol in Atlanta on Thursday to attend a Georgia state Senate hearing on the November election. During a break in the hearing, Giuliani removed the mask he was wearing to greet and take pictures with supporters.
“Biden transition to receive defense intelligence briefings on Monday” by CNN’s Ryan Browne – Members of the Biden transition team are scheduled to receive briefings from the Pentagon's intelligence agencies beginning on Monday, according to defense officials. "They are meeting with DoD intelligence agencies Monday and Tuesday of this week," according to a senior defense official. The briefings are to take place days after, according to a former senior intelligence official familiar with intelligence transition discussions, that the Pentagon had blocked the Biden transition team's access to the Department of Defense's intelligence agencies such as the NSA and Defense Intelligence Agency. The Department of Defense strongly denied claims that it had hindered the briefings, with a spokesman calling the claims "demonstrably false and patently insulting." Multiple Pentagon officials blamed the meetings being delayed on the Biden transition organization, saying the members of its intelligence transition team reached out directly to the Pentagon's intelligence agencies, which they said was a violation of the transition arrangement agreed to with the Biden camp. "We can't help them if they can't read an org chart," a defense official told CNN. "That was more of an internal issue for the Biden team than a DoD issue," another defense official said. Biden transition team spokesman Ned Price declined to comment about the briefings. Pentagon officials also said that this week's briefings between defense intelligence officials and the Biden transition team were scheduled prior to reports of the Pentagon denying access being published by multiple news outlets.
Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump-SO TRUE. NO WAY WE LOST THIS ELECTION!
Joe Biden - I promise you this: I will spare no effort — or commitment — to end this pandemic.
