WHAT'S BREWING
MICHIGAN VOTERS TRY TO BACKTRACK AFTER TRUMP CALL Two Republican canvassers in Michigan’s largest county are reportedly attempting to rescind their votes certifying that Joe Biden won there after Trump personally called them. Monica Palmer and William Hartmann, who represent half of the four-member Wayne County canvassing board, initially refused to certify the election results on Tuesday ― an unprecedented move ― despite no evidence of widespread voter fraud. They quickly backtracked, voting later that day to certify the results. [HuffPost]
THIS MAY BE WHY GIULIANI'S FACE WAS OOZING ON LIVE TV Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani appeared to be having a literal meltdown during a live news conference in which he peddled lies and far-fetched election conspiracy theories, with streaks of black sweat pouring down his face. Cheap hair dye could have been the culprit, stylists said, but there were other possible reasons for the bizarre cosmetic malfunction. [HuffPost]
BIDEN APPROACHES 80 MILLION VOTES Biden’s winning tally is approaching a record 80 million votes as Democratic bastions continue to count ballots and the 2020 election cracks turnout records. Biden has already set a record for the highest number of votes for a winning presidential candidate With more than 155 million votes counted and California and New York still counting, turnout stands at 65% of all eligible voters. On Thursday, Georgia finished its presidential hand tally, confirming Biden's lead. [AP]
DEM SENATORS SPLIT ON WIPING STUDENT DEBT Democratic senators are split on whether Biden should move unilaterally to wipe out student debt, a possible reflection of both how far progressives are from persuading the incoming administration to fully embrace their agenda and how uncertain the party is about what Biden will be able to accomplish. Democrats also are at war over why GOP candidates were so successful in defeating Democrats with their own "defund the police" slogan. [HuffPost]
SPECULATION OVER NEXT EDUCATION SECRETARY Democrats are ready to say goodbye to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, but divides within the party about who should replace her fall along familiar lines. On one side, labor leaders like Randi Weingarten and Lily Eskelsen García are garnering attention. On the other, leaders and stakeholders who have historically clashed with labor are pushing district superintendents with experience overseeing major systems containing both traditional public schools and nonunionized charter schools. [HuffPost]
MUSLIM FAMILIES TORN APART HOLD HOPE FOR BIDEN Mohammed Salem Ali, a 64-year-old Muslim refugee from Somalia, has missed out on years with his family. He wasn’t there for the birth of his three grandchildren, and, because of Trump’s travel ban, he was kept from joining his family in the United States. If he isn’t approved for a visa soon, he could miss his 22-year-old daughter’s college graduation in the spring. The Salem family hopes that will change under Biden. [HuffPost] | 