New York Magazine reports: If Donald Trump chooses former CIA director and retired General David Petraeus as the winner of his secretary of State reality show, he’ll want to throw in a pardon, too. In 2015, Petraeus pled guilty to a misdemeanor charge of mishandling classified information, which he shared with his mistress. That alone would reportedly require a pardon …

The Grand Haven Tribune reports: It took less than an hour Wednesday for a jury to convict political activist Brandon Michael Hall on 10 counts of election law fraud, following a day-and-a-half trial in Ottawa County Circuit Court. The 27-year-old Grand Haven resident, author of the West Michigan Politics blog and self-admitted political junkie, said the verdict wasn’t a surprise. …

The Associated Press reports: Roy Cooper’s unofficial lead over North Carolina Republican Gov. Pat McCrory has surpassed a key threshold that would block McCrory’s request for a statewide recount if its holds. The Democratic attorney general was ahead of McCrory by more than 10,250 votes as of Wednesday afternoon. His advantage has doubled since election night and grew Wednesday as …

Brian Tashman reports at Right Wing Watch: Today on “The 700 Club,” a viewer asked Pat Robertson for advice on behalf of a friend who recently bought a house that she believes is haunted, reporting unusual events such as a shaking bed, mysteriously opened cabinet doors and “an unintelligible electronic voice.” “Sell!” Robertson advised. “Sell and get out!” Robertson suggested …

Right wing sites are already calling it “Grahamnesty.” Via Politico:  Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) is readying legislation that would extend legal protections for previously undocumented immigrants who came here as children — benefits granted under a 2012 directive from President Barack Obama that are at risk with the incoming Trump administration. On the campaign trail, Donald Trump vowed to revoke …

ABC News Australia reports: For $US20, a group of high school students has created 3.7 grams of an active ingredient used in the medicine Daraprim, which would sell in the United States for between $US35,000 and $US110,000. Pyrimethamine, the active ingredient in Daraprim, treats a parasitic infection in people with weak immune systems such as pregnant women and HIV patients. …

In a transparent attempt to bully their remaining advertisers and in keeping with their vow that they would “go to war” against any brands that drop them, this afternoon Breitbart launched a boycott of Kellogg’s. From their notice: The decision by Kellogg’s, which makes Pringles, Eggo waffles, as well as Special K and Frosted Flakes cereals, among others, will make …

Boston Magazine reports: Scott Brown suggested Wednesday that Massachusetts voters could have driven north to the swing state of New Hampshire to commit voter fraud in this month’s presidential election, a claim the former Massachusetts senator made without providing any proof. Joining Herald Radio for his monthly on-air spongebath, the Trump surrogate expounded on the president-elect’s allegation of “serious voter …

ABC News reports: Sarah Palin is under consideration for secretary of veterans affairs, a close Palin aide and a top Donald Trump transition official tell ABC News. The Palin aide tells ABC News that in “recent days,” Palin told Trump transition officials: “I feel as though the megaphone I have been provided can be used in a productive and positive …

As many of you have surely noted, this here website thingy has been going down intermittently all afternoon. The problem appears to be “network connectivity issues” with the hosting company’s server farm on the West Coast, where JMG lives in a dark electronic cave. My apologies, but at least this time it’s not a DDoS attack aimed just at us.

Apparently the NYPD finally released the video today because they can’t find the guy. CBS News reports: The search continues for a suspect who police said was seen on surveillance video stealing a bucket of gold flakes off an armored truck in Midtown Manhattan. It happened around 4:30 p.m. back on Sept. 29 as the armored truck was parked on …

The Hill reports: President-elect Donald Trump has narrowed the field of contenders for secretary of State to four candidates, his transition team said today. Spokesman Jason Miller confirmed that former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R) are still under consideration. Miller would not reveal the names of the other two contenders, but …

The Associated Press reports: House Democrats have re-elected Nancy Pelosi as their leader. The California lawmaker, who has led the party since 2002, turned back a challenge from Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan on Wednesday. Her win came despite disenchantment among some in the Democratic caucus over the party’s disappointing performance in the elections earlier this month. Democrats will remain in …

Via press release from hate group leader Tony Perkins: How do you know if a conservative message is effective? When the Left tries to shut it down! That’s the position our friends at 2nd Vote find themselves in after they launched a #AnywhereButTARGET campaign to build on the national boycott of a company that’s opened its bathroom and changing room …

Via Politico: President-elect Donald Trump is considering Goldman Sachs President Gary Cohn for a senior administration job, possibly as director of the Office of Management and Budget, several sources close to the situation said on Wednesday. People familiar with the matter say Cohn’s meeting with Trump on Tuesday included talks about a potential job in the new administration, possibly to …

A glimmer of good news, for now. The Voice Of America reports: A compromise version of a massive U.S. defense policy bill omits controversial provisions such as a clause Democrats said allowed discrimination against homosexuals and a requirement that women register for the draft. The $618.7 billion National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, will likely come up for a vote …

NPR reports: President-elect Donald Trump and 2012 GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney continued their awkward reconciliation on Tuesday, dining together as Trump weighs whether to pick one of his onetime fiercest critics to lead the State Department. As Romney lobbies for the job, he made his starkest remarks yet unequivocally praising the incoming president as someone who “can lead us …

From the Hollywood Reporter: Breitbart News, the media outlet whose executive chairman, Steve Bannon, was Donald Trump’s campaign CEO and is now the president-elect’s chief counselor, is declaring war on liberal activists who are encouraging brands to withhold their advertising from the popular website. Insurance company Allstate and food company Kellogg’s, maker of Fruit Loops and Cocoa Krispies, are the …

NBC News reports: Romania’s constitutional court said Tuesday it would consult with a European court regarding the case of a same-sex couple who want their marriage abroad to be legally recognized in Romania. Court president Valer Dorneanu said he was seeking information from the European Court of Justice to see how other EU countries where same-sex marriages are not legal …

Via Raw Story: Former congressman Barney Frank Monday shocked his fellow MSNBC panel members, quipping that the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia “was actually the leading advocate of fag burning, not flag burning.” Discussing Donald Trump’s penchant for late-night tweetstorms, Frank warned Chris Matthews against “underestimating this man’s shrewd tactical sense.” “Scalia wrote the opinion, he was very strongly …