Today’s edition of quick hits:
* Team Trump’s latest legal setback, Part I: “A Michigan state court judge Friday declined to block the certification of election results in Detroit, rejecting claims in a lawsuit filed by two poll challengers who said they saw several kinds of irregularities that allowed invalid ballots to be counted.”
* Team Trump’s latest legal setback, Part II: “Lawyers for the Trump campaign told a judge in Maricopa County, Arizona, on Friday that their lawsuit alleging that problems with the use of Sharpies caused some ballots to be wrongly rejected is moot. The lawyers suggested that number of ballots in question would not change the outcome in the state given Joe Biden’s lead.”
* It doesn’t have to be this bad: “The election may be over, but the White House and Capitol Hill are no closer to terms on a new Covid-19 relief plan. And even if a deal is reached, it’s far too late to help save as many as 100,000 small businesses that have been forced to close while waiting for more help…. Neighborhood shops around the country are in mortal danger every day Washington fails to act.”
* This was a bad idea: “The Trump campaign has ended a hotline it established last week for people to report voter fraud allegations after the line was filled with prank calls.”
* Republican leaders, oddly enough, have been even less gracious than Beijing: “China extended its first congratulations to President-elect Joe Biden on Friday, issuing a terse statement that contrasted with a fulsome and swift message from the country’s leader after President Donald Trump won four years ago.”
* This is a situation that will only get worse: “Rep.-elect Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., challenged the House mask rule during the first session of new member orientation.”
* Bears repeating: “When the White House coronavirus task force first recommended mask-wearing April 3, officials emphasized that this was not about you. It was about others. Your mom, dad, other family members. Friends. The older woman who always smiles at you at the grocery store, the immunocompromised dad coaching your kid’s basketball team. Now, a growing body of science suggests that by wearing a mask to prevent spreading the virus, you may be protecting yourself, too.”
* A case I’ve been following: “A federal judge on Thursday signaled columnist E. Jean Carroll’s defamation lawsuit against President Trump can move forward, scheduling a telephone conference in the case for Dec. 11.” * Education: “Like most federal agencies, the Education Department followed President Trump’s lead in seeking to undo the legacy of his predecessor, and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos diligently tore into President Barack Obama’s policies. President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. is planning to return the favor.” * TikTok: “There’s good news for TikTok fans: The videos of somersaulting cats and dancing squirrels that have kept them chuckling through the pandemic are safe for now. The Commerce Department said in a formal government notice issued Thursday that it would not enforce its previous order forcing TikTok to shut down, citing a judicial ruling in an ongoing lawsuit.” * Paxton’s troubles keep getting worse: “Former aides file whistleblower lawsuit alleging retaliation by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. The lawsuit paints the clearest picture yet about what motivated the whistleblowers to come forward against Paxton, the state’s top legal authority, and the retribution they say they experienced after they made that report.” Have a safe weekend.
Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past."
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