The Week reports: There are still Senate Republicans who refuse to publicly acknowledged that President-elect Joe Biden defeated President Trump in the Nov. 3 election, but that number shrank Monday after the Electoral College cast its votes, formalizing Biden’s 306-232 win. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) had still not publicly acknowledged Biden’s victory, but his top deputy, Sen. John …

The Washington Post reports: Anthony S. Fauci, the nation’s top infectious-disease official, publicly recommended Tuesday that Biden be be vaccinated against the coronavirus “as soon as we possibly can.” Fauci, who is advising the current administration and plans to serve as Biden’s chief medical adviser on the pandemic, said it is important for both Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala D. …

ABC News reports: With the trucks rolling and the first government-authorized coronavirus vaccine making its way to all 50 states, a strong majority of Americans are inclined to get the vaccine but are divided over exactly when, a new ABC News/Ipsos poll released Monday finds. More than eight in 10 Americans say they would receive the vaccine, with 40% saying …

CBS News reports: President-elect Joe Biden accused President Trump of an “unprecedented assault on democracy” in a speech Monday night hours after the Electoral College formalized his victory. Mr. Trump has refused to concede the election and has tried repeatedly to use the courts to challenge the results without success. Mr. Biden, speaking in Wilmington, Delaware, ran through some of …

The Hill reports: A Hail-Mary bid by House Republicans to flip the election results in favor of President Trump is sowing deep divisions in the GOP ranks. Those forces may be set to collide on Jan. 6, when Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) is vowing to launch an improbable effort to force votes in both chambers designed to block President-elect Joe …

Politico reports: President Donald Trump couldn’t make it any clearer: He needs his supporters to fork over cash for the all-important Georgia Senate runoff elections. “We MUST defend Georgia from the Dems!” he wrote in one recent text message. “I need YOU to secure a WIN in Georgia,” he said in another. “Help us WIN both Senate races in Georgia …

The New York Daily News reports: New York City restaurant owners are getting whacked a second time. A storm on track to blanket the city with up to 12 inches of snow will force the shut down of outdoor dining at restaurants, many of which are reeling from indoor dining closures that went into effect Monday. Restaurants that offer outdoor …

CNN reports: Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Joe Biden on his victory in the US presidential election Tuesday, six weeks after the vote and a day after the Electoral College officially affirmed Biden’s win. While many world leaders congratulated President-elect Biden within days of the election, the Kremlin said at the time that it deemed it “correct” to wait for …

Playbill reports: The Prom stars Ariana DeBose and Jo Ellen Pellman have teamed up to launch the Unruly Hearts Initiative, an effort to direct the film’s audience to various organizations that support LGBTQ+ youth, in addition to providing resources to those in need. Among the groups highlighted are the Point Foundation and Covenant House. The movie musical, which debuted on …

The Independent reports: Two newspapers are suing Florida for allegedly suppressing information about the coronavirus pandemic in the Sunshine State. The Orlando Sentinel and its sister publication, the South Florida Sentinel, accuse the Ron DeSantis-led administration of violating freedom of information laws. Both titles claim officials have been burying weekly reports by the White House Coronavirus Task Force, which make …

CBS News reports: President-elect Joe Biden will deliver remarks Monday evening after members of the Electoral College gather nationwide to cast their ballots for president, formalizing Mr. Biden’s victory over President Trump and foreclosing another path for the president in his attempts overturn the results of the presidential election. Mr. Biden’s transition team said the speech, to be delivered from …

Bloomberg reports: New York is headed toward a second full shutdown if Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations continue at their current pace, Governor Andrew Cuomo said. “If we do not change the trajectory, we could very well be headed to shut down” all non-essential businesses, Cuomo said Monday at a virus briefing. The state reported 5,712 hospitalizations, an increase of more …

The Hill reports: White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Monday that personnel in the White House situation room and certain members of Congress would receive early access to the coronavirus vaccine, after President Trump halted plans to deliver some of the first doses to high-ranking staffers. “What the president decided is, look, front-line workers need to come first. Our …

The Associated Press reports: President Donald Trump on Monday tweeted that Attorney General William Barr is resigning. Barr’s resignation will be in effect “just before Christmas,” according to the president’s tweet. Trump tweeted that Deputy Attorney General Jeff Rosen will serve as Acting Attorney General. Richard Donoghue will take over duties of the Deputy Attorney General. Trump also tweeted what …

California Capital Radio reports: California’s representatives to the electoral college are meeting at 2 p.m. this afternoon in Sacramento to cast ballots for President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. The state’s electors are expected to push Biden past the 270-vote threshold and deliver him the presidency. The electors are chosen by California Democrats and bound by law to …

CNN reports: In an exclusive interview, Rep. Paul Mitchell, Republican of Michigan, told CNN that his disgust and disappointment with President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the results of the election have led him to request that the Clerk of the House change his party affiliation to “independent,” and to notify GOP leaders in a letter that he is withdrawing …

Mediaite reports: Newsmax TV anchor John Bachman finally declared that President-elect Joe Biden is, in fact, the president-elect, marking a massive step for the ardently pro-Trump network on their path to facing the reality that President Donald Trump lost his 2020 re-election bid. “The electoral college votes are being cast today, here is video from four states, New York, New …

The Hill reports: The United States on Monday passed 300,000 total deaths from the novel coronavirus, according to a New York Times tally, a shocking number that is certain to quickly grow larger before a vaccine is widely available. The country is now averaging about 2,500 coronavirus deaths every day, a record total. On some days, more than 3,000 people …

CNBC reports: Smartmatic in a press release said its letters to Fox News, Newsmax and One America News Network make clear that the company “is reserving all its legal rights and remedies, including its right to pursue defamation and disparagement claims.” The legal notice to Fox, shared with CNBC, accuses the news outlet of engaging “in a concerted disinformation campaign …

Reuters reports: A team of sophisticated hackers believed to be working for the Russian government won access to internal communications at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, according to people familiar with the matter. The breach was part of the campaign reported Sunday that penetrated the U.S. departments of Treasury and Commerce. DHS is a massive bureaucracy responsible for border …