The Associated Press reports: Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Monday a new national lockdown for England until at least mid-February to combat a fast-spreading new variant of the coronavirus, even as Britain ramped up its vaccination program by becoming the first nation to start using the shot developed by Oxford University and drugmaker AstraZeneca. Johnson said people must stay …

Peter Montgomery reports at Right Wing Watch: Lin Wood, an attorney who has partnered with leaders of the “Stop the Steal” movement and has called on Trump to declare martial law and use the military to oversee a new election, charged on Twitter in the early hours of Monday morning, “I believe Chief Justice John Roberts & a multitude of …

The Hill reports: A federal judge on Monday rejected a legal effort from groups of Trump voters to block Congress from officially counting the Electoral College votes, dealing another defeat for the dubious last-ditch legal maneuvers aimed at overturning President-elect Joe Biden’s victory. In a seven-page decision, Judge James Boasberg denied the group’s request for a preliminary injunction against Congress …

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports: A Milwaukee-based law firm is distancing itself from one of the attorneys involved in President Donald Trump’s disturbing call trying to overturn the results of the Georgia election. Cleta Mitchell, a partner at Foley & Lardner, participated in the Saturday call in which Trump pressured the Georgia secretary of state to “find” 11,780 votes to …

The Wrap reports: Anti-mask protesters aggressively approached shoppers at a Ralph’s grocery store in Los Angeles’ Century City neighborhood and then moved to the nearby Westfield mall, leading to minor altercations and the police at times intervening. At the Ralph’s grocery store, one female protester falsely claimed a man hit her and began pursuing the man with a shopping cart …

Media Matters has the transcript: So the final outcome can be this: Believe it or not, there is a almost guaranteed way Donald Trump serves four more years. It’s this simple. Mike Pence listens to the objections, he listens to the claims and the complaints, and he says “based on the power and the authority granted to me as President …

The Daily Beast reports: President Donald Trump’s now-notorious call with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger was the 19th time the White House had tried to reach the state official since the election, NBC News reports. According to reporters Julia Jester and Geoff Bennett, Trump finally made contact on Saturday after 18 unsuccessful attempts—and then went on to urge Raffensperger …

Politico reports: Sen. David Perdue tore into Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger on Monday for recording a phone call with President Donald Trump over the weekend, calling it “disgusting” to do so. “I guess I was raised differently,” Perdue, a Republican, said on Fox News. “To have a statewide elected official, regardless of party, tape without disclosing a conversation …

Media Matters has the transcript: Any Republican who doesn’t stand up to this on January 6th — win, lose or draw. It’s the principal, it’s the issue. The American people need to understand you’re serious about defending the Constitution — you are shredding the Constitution along with all those Democrats and the Democrat Party who put the nation in this …

West Palm Beach’s NBC News affiliate reports: A state representative from West Palm Beach is asking for the Palm Beach County government to shut down Mar-a-Lago following a New Year’s Eve party at President Trump’s private club. Pictures and video surfaced of dozens of maskless party-goers attending the event while they celebrated the new year. State Rep. Omari Hardy, D-West …

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports: A personal friend of Trump’s, MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell has openly mulled a gubernatorial bid. Several members of Congress and the Legislature are testing the waters after spending the past year bashing Walz’s measures to curb the COVID-19 pandemic. And an ex-Minnesota Viking is considering a play for chief executive, too. Lindell told the Star Tribune …

NBC News reports: A pair of House Democrats are asking FBI Director Christopher Wray to open a criminal probe into President Donald Trump after a leaked phone call showed him pleading with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to overturn his state’s election. “As members of Congress and former prosecutors, we believe Donald Trump engaged in solicitation of, or conspiracy …

CNN reports: Georgia’s Republican lieutenant governor on Monday condemned President Donald Trump’s phone call with Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, saying the President’s effort to pressure the state’s top election official to falsify election results was “inappropriate.” “I am 100% certified to tell you that it was inappropriate. And it certainly did not help the situation,” Geoff Duncan told CNN’s …

Yahoo News reports: Republican Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas said in a statement on Sunday that he would not join some of his colleagues planning to challenge President-elect Joe Biden’s win by opposing the certification of the Electoral College vote on Wednesday. Cotton, a supporter of President Donald Trump, said attempts to overturn the Electoral College would exceed Congress’ power …

Raw Story reports: Fox News on Monday cut the video feed of an interview after a Trump supporter repeatedly flashed what appeared to be a white supremacist hand signal. As correspondent Griff Jenkins was speaking to a man about the rally, a man positioned directly in front of the camera, who was wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat, began …

The BBC reports: Scots are to be ordered to stay at home amid a fresh Covid-19 lockdown which will see schools remain closed to pupils until February. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said new curbs would be introduced at midnight in a bid to contain the new, faster-spreading strain of the virus. New laws will require people to stay at home …

Sky News reports: A number of British expats hoping to return to their homes in Spain say they have been stopped from boarding their flight at Heathrow Airport. Two airlines have reportedly claimed their proof of residency documents were no longer valid after the end of the Brexit transition period with the EU on 31 December. Spanish and British authorities …

Washington DC’s Fox News affiliate reports: D.C. police are posting notices prohibiting guns downtown ahead of the pro-Trump rally set for Wednesday. That protest coincides with the day Congress is meeting to certify the presidential election results. Pres. Trump promised a “wild” protest on Wednesday, Jan. 6, as lawmakers are set to confirm his loss in the 2020 election. It’s …

The Hill reports: “It’s shocking, but not surprising,” George Conway said during an appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” “The real question that pops up here and pops up, again and again, is how delusional is he? Is he that delusional or is this — or is he just desperate, and I think it’s a little bit of both.” “He is …

The Washington Post reports: The only Democrat on Georgia’s state election board on Sunday called on Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) to investigate possible civil and criminal violations committed by President Trump during a phone call over the weekend in which the president pressured Raffensperger to “find” enough votes to overturn his defeat. David J. Worley, an Atlanta …