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Tuesday, December 15

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BIDEN SECURES ELECTORAL VOTE Shortly after he secured enough Electoral College votes to become the next president of the United States, Joe Biden delivered a speech calling on Americans to move past Donald Trump’s failed crusade to overturn the election results. “If anyone didn’t know it before, they know now,” Biden said from Wilmington, Delaware. “What beats deep in the hearts of the American people is this: democracy, the right to be heard, to have your vote counted, to choose the leaders of this nation, to govern ourselves.” [HuffPost]

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BARR RESIGNS Trump said Attorney General William Barr had resigned, after the nation’s top law enforcement official refused to back up Trump's false claims of widespread fraud in the Nov. 3 election and reportedly worked to avoid public disclosure of investigations into Biden’s son. Trump said in a tweet that he had “a very nice meeting” with Barr at the White House. [HuffPost]

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COVID-19 VACCINATIONS BEGIN; DEATHS TOP 300,000 The U.S. hit another grim milestone with over 300,000 people now dead from COVID-19. The disease continues to spread at alarming rates across the country, reaching a record last week of over 3,000 dead from the virus in a single day. Health workers and residents of long-term care facilities received the first doses of a new vaccine. [HuffPost]

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SENATORS FAIL TO REACH DEAL ON LAWSUIT BAN After weeks of negotiations, a bipartisan working group couldn’t compromise on blocking lawsuits from people who say they were negligently exposed to COVID-19. The lawmakers, led by Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Mitt Romney (R-Utah), reached an agreement on extensions of unemployment insurance, small business aid and vaccine funding, but Manchin was the only Democrat who supported a new version of a clampdown on lawsuits. [HuffPost]

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GHISLAINE MAXWELL SEEKS BAIL WITH $28.5 MILLION Lawyers for the former girlfriend of Jeffrey Epstein are urging a judge to free her to await trial under a $28.5 million bail package that would include armed guards to ensure she remains safe and doesn’t flee a New York City residence. The bail arguments on behalf of Ghislaine Maxwell include a $22.5 million personal recognizance bond secured by three homes worth $8 million and $500,000 in cash. [AP]

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UBER FINED FOR WITHHOLDING ASSAULT DATA California fined Uber $59 million for failing to provide regulators with details about sexual assault and harassment claims linked to its ride-hailing platform. A judge on the California Public Utilities Commission said the massive tech company had failed to respond adequately to questions about sexual misconduct after Uber last year released a detailed report revealing the number of incidents of sexual assault reported by riders and drivers in 2017 and 2018. [HuffPost]

WHAT'S BREWING

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BIPARTISAN LAWMAKERS UNVEIL ANOTHER COVID RELIEF PLAN A bipartisan group of senators finally unveiled their two-part compromise proposal for a coronavirus relief package. The first proposal includes largely uncontroversial items, like money for vaccine distribution, $300 billion for a GOP-favored business loans program, and an extension of federal unemployment assistance. The second includes $160 billion for state and local governments, but couples that with a liability shield for businesses and organizations that reopen during the pandemic. [HuffPost]

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TRUMP ELECTION LAWYER: 'STOCK UP ON 2ND AMENDMENT SUPPLIES' The fringe right-wing lawyer who filed a court challenge to Trump’s election loss in Georgia has called on supporters to stock up on “Second Amendment supplies” — presumably firearms and ammunition — to prepare for what he apparently envisions as an apocalyptic future. “Our leader is Donald Trump, not Biden,” attorney Lin Wood tweeted. [HuffPost]

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GOP GOV: 'THIS IS EMBARRASSING' Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said fellow Republicans who continue to deny the reality of Trump’s election loss are an embarrassment to their party. Hogan admonished party members, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), for their ongoing refusal to accept the results. [HuffPost]

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TOKYO OLYMPICS RELAY OPENS IN 100 DAYS The torch relay for the postponed Tokyo Games will start in just over three months, on March 25, from the northeastern prefecture of Fukushima. This was also to have been the starting point for the relay before the Olympics were postponed nine months ago. The relay will travel across Japan and involve 10,000 runners and tens of thousands of officials. This does not include local residents who will want to see the torch go by. [AP]

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LEGAL THREATS FOR NOT TURNING IN ONLINE HOMEWORK Hayden, 12, had been having panic attacks about school even before a letter arrived at his home last month, threatening legal action for his alleged absences from distance learning. He hadn’t been missing online school. However, his school district only counts kids present in some classes if they both show up and submit their homework for the day, and some of his hadn't reached his teachers due to tech glitches. His mom got a letter threatening fines and court sanctions. [HuffPost]

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