Politics

Bloomberg reports: Democrat Jared Golden, a U.S. Marine veteran, has defeated two-term Republican Representative Bruce Poliquin in Maine’s Second District, AP projects, as the state’s first use of ranked-choice balloting in a congressional race proved consequential. Poliquin, the incumbent, led after ballots were initially tabulated, though no candidate had an absolute majority. However, under ranked-choice voting, the lowest-choice candidates were …

The Washington Post reports: Donald Trump Jr.’s lavish trip to India to sell his family’s luxury condominium projects cost U.S. taxpayers nearly $100,000, documents obtained by The Washington Post show. The Department of Homeland Security, responding to a Freedom of Information request, released 47 pages of purchase orders, requisition forms and planning work sheets showing Trump Jr.’s February trip cost …

Politico reports: The Trump administration on Thursday imposed sanctions targeting 17 Saudi Arabian officials — but not the powerful crown prince — over the death of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi more than a month after the Saudi critic went missing. The Treasury Department designated the officials for sanctions over what it called “serious human rights abuse,” freezing any U.S. …

But this isn’t over yet. Bangor’s CBS News affiliate reports: Judge denies Poliquin’s order for a temporary restraining order asking for the ranked-choice voting tabulation to stop. The tabulation process will continue at noon Thursday. Wednesday, a federal judge in Bangor heard from legal teams from both sides of the ballot. A lawyer representing incumbent congressman Bruce Poliquin wants the …

ABC News reports: U.S. Chief Judge Mark Walker issued a preliminary injunction this morning in a lawsuit filed by U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson over ballots thrown out because of mismatched signatures — declaring a state law unconstitutional and offering a middle path to give voters a few days to correct their ballots. The ruling is a victory for Nelson as …

The Associated Press reports: Michael Avenatti, the lawyer for Stormy Daniels, has denied allegations of domestic violence after his arrest near his ritzy Los Angeles skyscraper apartment. “I have never struck a woman, I never will strike a woman,” Avenatti told reporters Wednesday after being booked and posting $50,000 bail. Avenatti said he has been an advocate for women’s rights …

The Guardian reports: Saudi Arabia’s top prosecutor is recommending the death penalty for five suspects charged with ordering and carrying out the killing of Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi, in a move that appears designed to protect the country’s powerful crown prince Mohammed bin Salman. A spokesman for Saudi Al-Mojeb told journalists in a rare press conference in Riyadh on Thursday …

NPR reports: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is blocking a bipartisan effort to protect special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of the Russia attack on the 2016 presidential election — prompting retiring Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., to pledge he will block progress on confirming judicial nominees. “Why are we so sanguine about this?” Flake said in a speech on the …

The Daily Beast reports: Facebook reportedly used a Republican opposition-research firm and its connections to a Jewish civil-rights group to link the anti-Facebook movement to prominent liberal donor George Soros and claim that some criticism against the tech giant was anti-Semitic, The New York Times reports. Facing negative press, Facebook reportedly expanded its use of Definers Public Affairs, a firm …

TMZ reports: Michael Avenatti, who became famous for representing Stormy Daniels in her battle with President Trump, has been arrested for felony domestic violence, law enforcement sources tell TMZ. Our law enforcement sources say Avenatti was arrested Wednesday after his estranged wife filed a felony DV report. We’re told her face was “swollen and bruised.” Our sources say the alleged …

MarketWatch reports: Special Counsel Robert Mueller is probing whether former Trump adviser Roger Stone tried to intimidate a witness who contradicted Stone’s account of his relationship with Wikileaks, the Wall Street Journal reported. Stone had previously said he was in contact with Wikileaks during the 2016 presidential campaign, but he has since claimed he was exaggerating. He has also said …

The Associated Press reports: Rep. Tom MacArthur (R-N.J.) lost his seat to Democratic challenger Andy Kim on Wednesday, resulting in a near-wipeout for the GOP in the state. With MacArthur’s loss, Democrats successfully flipped four Republican seats in New Jersey in the midterm elections this year, some of which had been held by the GOP for decades. Kim, a former …

The Christian Post reports: Michael Hiskey, Liberty University’s senior director of academic planning and operations who also serves as a business professor at the popular evangelical Christian University in Lynchburg, Virginia, remained in jail Wednesday on charges of attempted murder, abduction and kidnapping as well as assault and battery of his wife. Hiskey, 27, was booked into the Blue Ridge …

Roll Call reports: House Republicans on Wednesday elected Rep. Kevin McCarthy as their minority leader over Rep. Jim Jordan, a decision that improves the chances that one day the California Republican might be speaker. McCarthy has vowed to lead Republicans back into the majority over the next two years. If he succeeds, the chances that he’ll be elected speaker are …

“If you’re the Democrats, you have a simple principle: In a close election, you want every vote counted that you can manufacture. And anybody who doesn’t want phony votes counted is either racist or anti-popular will, and you literally don’t care what the law is. The people in Broward County are breaking the law. It’s not that the law is …

The Tampa Bay Times reports: Gov. Rick Scott will not participate in the Elections Canvassing Commission on Tuesday, relieving him from the chance that he could certify — or not — the results of his U.S. Senate race. Scott had been silent about his participation on the canvassing commission, a relatively obscure board that signs off on the results of …

From the far-right Daily Caller: Republican Florida Gov. Rick Scott is in Washington, D.C., Wednesday for the start of the Senate’s freshman orientation although no winner has been officially declared in his race against Democratic incumbent Sen. Bill Nelson. Scott stood beside Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for a photo op along with incoming Republican freshman senators including Tennessee’s Marsha …

Courthouse News reports: Despite a court order voiding efforts to delay Obama-era student borrower protections, the U.S. government continues to collect money from borrowers who are entitled to automatic debt relief, a consumer advocacy group claims in a new lawsuit. In September, a federal judge in Washington D.C. found the Education Department’s delays in implementing the rule unlawful. One month …

Apparently, counting every vote is against Jesus: Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) on Wednesday tweeted a Bible verse amid his criticism of the Florida recounts, writing, “You cannot count what is not there.” Rubio, who frequently posts Bible passages, posted the quote as he continues to accuse Democrats of attempting to “steal” elections in Florida as the races for governor and …

The Hill reports: George Conway, the husband of White House counselor Kellyanne Conway, has organized a group with the goal of urging fellow conservative lawyers to speak out against the Trump administration’s actions. “We believe in the rule of law, the power of truth, the independence of the criminal justice system, the imperative of individual rights and the necessity of …