Republicans

The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports: A day after it was revealed that GOP state Sen. Dave Senjem [photo] tested positive for COVID-19 after attending a Nov. 5 party caucus, news broke that Republican senators and staffers were informed in a Tuesday memo that “a number of [GOP Senate] members and staff have been diagnosed with COVID-19.” DFLers were not informed …

The Grand Forks Herald reports: North Dakota has put in place a statewide mask mandate, occupancy limits on public-facing businesses and the suspension of most high school winter sports as the state’s worst-in-the-nation COVID-19 outbreak continues to spiral out of control. The mask order, announced in a news release late Friday night, Nov. 13, means residents of the state must …

The Texas Tribune reports: At 9 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 2, David Maxwell and Mark Penley, then two top aides to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, reported separately to the agency’s offices, where, they claim, they were subjected to hours of “irregularities, harassment and retaliation.” Then, they say, when pressured to resign, they refused. Eight hours later, they were fired. …

The Arizona Republic reports: Sen. Martha McSally, whose race against Democratic challenger Mark Kelly was decided more than a week ago, has conceded, days after it became clear that it was mathematically impossible for her to catch up. Her concession marked the end of a fierce, year-and-a-half-long race to fill the remainder of the term won by the late Sen. …

The Daily Beast reports: Kansas billionaire Charles Koch now says that he regrets his partisan spending—admitting in his new book that it only made things worse, according to The Wall Street Journal. The 85-year-old tycoon’s book, Believe in People: Bottom-Up Solutions for a Top-Down World, says that he is shifting his focus from intense Republican partisanship to finding unifying answers …

Charleston’s WVNews reports: Gov. Jim Justice issued several executive orders tightening up on COVID-19 rules. “Beginning at midnight tonight, I will issue a mandatory requirement to wear a face covering indoors in all public buildings at all times. This is not just when social distancing cannot be maintained, this is mandatory wearing your face covering in all buildings, at all …

The Mississippi Free Press reports: With COVID-19 cases ramping up, Mississippi’s capital city has run out of ICU beds. “Zero ICU beds in Jackson. Very few elsewhere. Please protect yourself and your family,” Mississippi State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs said in a grim tweet this morning. There is still no statewide mask mandate; Gov. Tate Reeves allowed it to …

The Independent reports: Covid-19 survivors should throw away their masks and “celebrate”, according to a pro-Trump Republican senator in the US, despite rising case numbers and there being no proof that a prior infection can keep you safe from the virus. “We have 11 million people in our country who have already had Covid. We should tell them to celebrate. …

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports: Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger is self-quarantining after his wife tested positive for COVID-19, Channel 2 Action News reported. Raffensperger, 65, will get tested himself this afternoon. His exposure comes as the state is beginning a manual recount of more than 5 million presidential ballots. Counties were able to begin the process Thursday afternoon, and must …

Alaska Public Radio reports: U.S. Rep. Don Young, 87, has tested positive for COVID-19, he announced in a tweet Thursday. Young, a Republican, was first elected in 1973 and is now the Dean of the House, meaning he’s the longest-serving member of Congress. He’s also the chamber’s oldest member. He photographed at one of his fundraisers not wearing a mask …

Roll Call reports: The top Republican in the House on Thursday stood firm in not accepting President-elect Joe Biden’s victory, speculated that recounts could turn the tide of President Donald Trump’s loss and welcomed new lawmakers into his conference who have given credence to the QAnon conspiracy theory. At his weekly press conference, Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California cast …

The Washington Post reports: House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) on Thursday defended two incoming Republican congresswomen who have voiced support for QAnon, falsely asserting that Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert have denounced the baseless conspiracy theory. In a news conference, McCarthy was asked whether he was concerned about the congresswomen-elect creating controversy for House Republicans after embracing elements …

ABC News reports: Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, who was just reelected in South Carolina, says he’s donating $1 million of his campaign money to help two GOP senators win runoff races in neighboring Georgia. Graham told Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends” on Thursday that Republicans need to counter a “tsunami of liberal money” flowing into Georgia ahead of the …

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports: After a vague statement Monday, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine made his thoughts on the presidential election clear: former Vice President Joe Biden won. “We need to consider the former vice president as the president-elect,” DeWine told CNN Thursday morning. “Joe Biden is the president-elect.” Contrast that with DeWine’s statement Monday: “I congratulate Vice-President Biden,” he said. …

Patch Illinois reports: Lake Forest billionaires Liz and Dick Uihlein have contracted the coronavirus, they told employees at their Wisconsin-based shipping and packaging company Wednesday. The prolific conservative political contributors have been outspoken opponents of COVID-19 restrictions, with Mrs. Uihlein arguing in the spring that the media is “overblowing” the threat from the coronavirus. “After these long months, I thought …

The Washington Post reports: There is widespread alarm among congressional Republicans at how President Trump this week abruptly replaced Pentagon leaders with political allies, and sent signals he might do the same in the intelligence community, but for now lawmakers are refraining from overtly criticizing the moves for fear doing so could harm the party’s chances of holding on to …

The Phoenix New Times reports: Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, a Republican, dismissed claims of mass voter fraud in Arizona and said during a recent nationally televised interview that Democratic President-elect Joe Biden will likely win the state. “The reality is, right now, there’s less than 50,000 votes to count and the President would have to get about 65 percent …

Axios reports: After the 2020 election, Republicans need to rebrand their party as the champions of working-class voters and steer away from its traditional embrace of big business, Sen. Marco Rubio said in an interview with Axios. Why it matters: Rubio told me he is leaving the door open for a 2024 presidential run — so his comments are some …

From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution editorial board: Even in an election year where standards of fair play seem to plummet with each passing day, Monday’s attack by Georgia’s U.S. senators marked a new low. Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue called on Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to resign, alleging that he had “failed the people of Georgia” and “failed …

The Miami Herald reports: When Gov. Ron DeSantis needed to hire a data analyst, his staff picked a little-known Ohio sports blogger and Uber driver whose only relevant experience is spreading harmful conspiracy theories about COVID-19 on the Internet. In his own words, Kyle Lamb of Columbus, Ohio, has few qualifications for the job at the state’s Office of Policy …