News

The Associated Press reports: Florida’s recount is over and Republican Gov. Rick Scott leads incumbent U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson in the state’s contentious Senate race by more than 10,000 votes. Official results posted by the state on Sunday showed Scott ahead of Nelson following legally required hand and machine recounts. State officials will certify the final totals Tuesday. The results …

“Life is about to get pretty rough for the president. For one, governing is hard work and it’s about to get harder without Republicans controlling all the levers. His three-hour workday is about to go bye-bye. There’s also the deluge of investigations, subpoenas and hearings coming his way. With Democrats retaking the House the next two years will be the …

Politico reports: The audition to become President Donald Trump’s most visible defender in Congress — and lead the fight against any impeachment proceedings — is in full swing. One of Trump’s fiercest allies, Rep. Jim Jordan, on Friday began flirting openly with a bid to serve as the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, the panel where a flood …

NBC News Los Angeles reports: Democrat Gil Cisneros captured a Republican-held U.S. House seat in Southern California late on Saturday, capping a Democratic rout in which the party picked up six congressional seats in the state. In what had been the last undecided House contest in California, Cisneros beat Republican Young Kim for the state’s 39th District seat. The Cisneros …

CNN reports: Andrew Gillum, the Democratic gubernatorial candidate in Florida, conceded to his Republican opponent, former Rep. Ron DeSantis, on Saturday, ending a protracted fight that saw the Tallahassee mayor take back his Election Day concession during a statewide recount. The concession ended Gillum’s first bid for statewide office in Florida, but the run — despite his loss — vaulted …

Baltimore’s NBC affiliate reports: The man who shouted “Heil Hitler, Heil Trump” at a Baltimore theater performance of “Fiddler on the Roof” is apologizing. “I just want everybody to know I am sincerely sorry,” Tony Derlunas said. ” I am so ashamed. My heart goes out to all those that I ruined their night, to everybody that was affected by …

Mississippi’s Starkville Daily News reports: A Starkville priest is at the center of a criminal investigation involving a string of fraudulent charity efforts that federal agents believe was covered up by church leaders in Jackson. According to a 37-page affidavit filed Friday by Department of Homeland Security Special Agent William G. Childers in U.S. District Court in Jackson, an ongoing …

The Jewish Forward reports: Silverman said, “I think it’s safe to say that in this picture, there’s a percentage of these guys that are straight-up anti-Semitic. I’d say a percentage of them are just ignorant to the weight of what that particular salute means, and a percentage of them are just, like, trying to survive high school. And all of …

USA Today reports: The CIA has concluded in an assessment that Saudi Arabia’s crown prince ordered the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, according to the Associated Press and Washington Post. The assessment comes weeks after the Saudi government admitted Khashoggi, a fierce critic of the royal family, was killed in its Turkish consulate at the hands of interrogators. …

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports: Democrat Stacey Abrams ended her run for Georgia governor on Friday as the state prepared to certify the election, but she said she would not concede the contest to Republican Brian Kemp. Saying the law “allows no further viable remedy” for her bid for governor against Kemp, Abrams announced a new voting rights group that will …

The Washington Post reports: Democrats want to change a rule banning House members from wearing hats on the chamber floor to accommodate the first Muslim women to ever be elected to Congress — one of whom wears a headscarf. House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, Democrat Rep. Jim McGovern, and congresswoman-elect Ilhan Omar of Minnesota are the co-authors of the proposal, …

The Salt Lake Tribune reports: A judge has dismissed U.S. Rep. Mia Love’s legal challenge to the ballot-counting process in vote-rich Salt Lake County, where the congresswoman’s Democratic rival holds a slight advantage. The Republican incumbent — who’s trailing Democrat Ben McAdams in the 4th Congressional District race — earlier this week filed her lawsuit calling for the Salt Lake …

Roll Call reports: Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi met with her potential competition for the speaker’s gavel on Friday, Ohio Rep. Marcia Fudge, who left the meeting still contemplating a bid. “No,” Fudge told reporters when asked if Pelosi asked her not to run. “What she asked me was basically how we could get to a point where I could be …

The Hill reports: House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (Calif.) and other top Republicans are calling on President Trump to name Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-Texas) as the next attorney general. “Look, it’s the president’s choice but one thing I know is John Ratcliffe probably has the best abilities to do the job and most knowledge to do the job,” McCarthy told …

The Associated Press reports: First day sales for Michelle Obama’s “Becoming” topped 725,000 copies, making it one of the year’s biggest debuts. Crown Publishing told The Associated Press on Friday that the figures include sales and pre-orders for the former first lady’s memoir include hardcover, audio and e-books editions for the United States and Canada. Crown also announced that it …

Reuters reports: The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday said it would hear oral arguments in February concerning a challenge by 18 states to President Donald Trump’s administration’s contentious decision to ask people taking part in the 2020 national census whether they are citizens. The legal question concerns the scope of evidence that a New York-based federal judge can consider at …

Bloomberg reports: Lawyers for alleged Russian spy Maria Butina have entered into negotiations with federal prosecutors, according to a document filed in federal court Friday. The two sides requested to postpone the next hearing in the case because they are currently “in negotiations regarding a potential resolution of this matter,” indicating that they are working towards a plea agreement. Butina …

The Hill reports: White House counselor Kellyanne Conway on Friday said “all options are open” in response to a question about President Trump potentially shutting down the government over funding for the border wall. “Fox & Friends” host Steve Doocy said that “it doesn’t look he’s going to get funding for the wall” in the upcoming spending bill and asked …

Politico reports: Senate Republicans are urging President Donald Trump to quickly nominate a permanent attorney general, hoping a new top law enforcement officer will blunt bipartisan concern over the future of special counsel Robert Mueller and boost the GOP ahead of tough government funding talks. “If we had some confidence that there is somebody nominated that would be confirmed in …

Deadline Hollywood reports: ABC has put in development a single-camera comedy starring, created and executive produced by Trae Crowder, known for his stage persona the Liberal Redneck, and his writing and comedy touring partners Corey Forrester and Drew Morgan. The project hails from Ruben Fleischer’s The District and ABC Studios where Fleischer is under a deal. Written by Andrew Reich …