1. who’s the boss?
    Biden Repeats One of Trump’s Assaults on Democratic Norms With Pentagon PickCivilians should control the military, yet the president-elect wants a retired general for secretary of Defense. Again.
    By Sarah Jones
  2. intelligencer chats
    What an Actual Socialist Makes of Republicans’ Anti-Socialism HysteriaSocialists, radical liberals, whatever … Trump and his party are wildly incoherent in their descriptions of Democrats.
    By Sarah Jones and Ed Kilgore
  3. contested election
    Why Trump Thinks ‘Stop the Steal’ Could Help Him Win in 2024Trump may be channeling his favorite predecessor, Andrew Jackson, who won after a campaign of vengeance for an alleged stolen election.
    By Ed Kilgore
  4. trump pardons
    Everyone Trump Might Pardon Before He Leaves OfficeFrom his three eldest children to Tiger King’s Joe Exotic, there are a number of people the president may try to pardon — including himself.
    By Charlotte Klein
  5. international affairs
    The More Complicated Crisis Biden Will Inherit With IranThe president-elect is determined to revive the landmark 2015 nuclear deal, but opponents of the agreement are doing their best to sabotage him.
    By Jonah Shepp
  7. encounter
    On the Front Lines of Moderna’s Vaccine ProgramThe past year has been a blur for scientist Mike Smith: “I want my kids to see their grandparents again. It feels like a crushing responsibility.”
    By James D. Walsh
  8. president trump
    Watch Trump Walk Out of Presidential Medal of Freedom CeremonyStuck in the denial stage of his electoral grief, Trump can’t even commit to things he likes anymore, like gold medals and ceremonial events.
    By Matt Stieb
  9. the wall
    Whistleblower: Companies Building Trump’s Wall Smuggled In Armed Mexican GuardsSubcontractors allegedly built illegal roads to bring in Mexican armed guards to protect job sites, and overcharged the government for services.
    By Matt Stieb
  10. covid-19
    White House Reportedly Passed on Buying 100 Million Vaccine DosesThe failure to purchase the recommended number of doses from Pfizer suggests there will be substantial delays in the vaccine rollout to come.
    By Matt Stieb
  11. covid-19 stimulus
    Hawley to Trump: Veto Any Stimulus Bill With No Second CheckCongress is considering a stimulus deal along with a stopgap spending bill, but negotiators remain stuck. Maybe Hawley and Trump can produce movement.
    By Ed Kilgore
  12. ghouls
    Trump Is Killing People on His Way Out of the White HouseThe president’s definition of “law and order” is a bloody one.
    By Sarah Jones
  13. contested election
    Tuesday’s ‘Safe Harbor’ Deadline Should End Trump’s Failed CoupNearly every state has certified its results and electors, which — after December 8 — should cut off further challenges.
    By Ed Kilgore
  14. the national interest
    The Republicans’ Only Plan is to Keep Pretending Trump Isn’t a Huge LiarMaybe this time it will finally work!
    By Jonathan Chait
  15. tomorrow
    We Had the Vaccine the Whole TimeThe silver bullet we’ve been waiting for took all of one weekend to design.
    By David Wallace-Wells
  16. biden cabinet
    Biden Will Nominate Xavier Becerra for HHS SecretaryAs California’s attorney general, Becerra helped lead the legal charge against Trump, but he lacks the health-policy experience of other contenders.
    By Chas Danner
  17. attorney general
    Bill Barr Is Reportedly Considering Resigning Before the End of Trump’s TermThe second AG has been the most effective administration figure to enable Trump’s authoritarian impulses, but he may not hang around until the end.
    By Matt Stieb
  18. presidential job approval
    Will Joe Biden Get a Public Opinion ‘Honeymoon?’He’ll probably be more popular at the start of his presidency than Trump was. How much that helps him achieve his agenda is another matter.
    By Ed Kilgore
  19. covid-19
    Biden Will Ask Americans to Wear Masks for 100 DaysMeanwhile, the CDC recommended “universal mask use” for the first time on Friday for whenever people are outside their homes.
    By Chas Danner
  20. black lives matter
    The Real Reason Obama Trashes ‘Defund the Police’Moderate Democrats still think the criminal-justice system can be reformed.
    By Zak Cheney-Rice
  21. drug wars
    House Votes to Decriminalize WeedIt was a symbolic vote mostly support by Democrats, but there’s no question the momentum is in favor of legal cannabis in Congress and in the states.
    By Ed Kilgore
  22. politics
    No, Congress Won’t Help Trump Overturn the ElectionAlabama congressman Mo Brooks’s last-ditch effort to protest the electoral vote count won’t amount to much.
    By Ed Kilgore
  23. coronavirus stimulus
    The GOP Is Fighting to Block Red-State BailoutsSix of the seven states that are suffering the biggest revenue losses from COVID voted for Trump. Republicans are trying to block fiscal aid anyway.
    By Eric Levitz
  24. vision 2020
    Trump Bashed New York City, But He Did Better There in 2020The president may hate his hometown and renounced his residency, but he won more votes across the Big Apple than he did four years ago.
    By Ed Kilgore
  25. trump family chronicles
    What Will the Trump Kids Do After Daddy Leaves the White House?A first installment of the Trump Family Chronicles, which will follow American’s First Family into exile and possible return.
    By Ed Kilgore
  26. pardons
    DOJ Investigating ‘Bribery-for-Pardon’ Scheme Involving White HouseGOP fundraiser Elliott Broidy and Jared Kushner’s lawyer were reportedly enlisted in a plot to trade clemency for an ally for a “substantial” sum.
    By Matt Stieb
  27. department of justice
    DOJ Bans Trump Aide Seeking ‘Insider Information’ on Voter Fraud: ReportHis liaison at Justice was booted from the building for pressuring officials to give up details about investigations into purported election fraud.
    By Matt Stieb
  28. vision 2020
    Biden’s Vote Lead Over Trump Now More than 7 MillionHe’s blown-away his old boss Barack Obama’s performance, which was the best for a Democratic presidential candidate since LBJ.
    By Ed Kilgore
  29. coronavirus stimulus
    Senate Support Grows for Bipartisan Stimulus BillOne day after Pelosi and Schumer endorsed the framework, several more Republicans expressed grudging support for a deal like it.
    By Eric Levitz
  30. late capitalism
    America Has Central Planners. We Just Call Them ‘Venture Capitalists.’Venture capitalists guide significant portions of industrial development by using their vast wealth to subsidize their favorite money-losing firms.
    By Eric Levitz
  31. troublemaker
    Will Trump’s Antics Suppress Republican Turnout in the Georgia Senate Runoffs?By falsely claiming the GOP-run election was stolen, he could damage his party in two very close Senate races it can’t afford to lose.
    By Ed Kilgore
  32. politics
    The Extensive New Scale of David Perdue’s Shady Stock Trading RevealedThe Republican from Georgia is far and away the most prolific trader in the Senate — often with shares of companies he oversees in office.
    By Matt Stieb
  33. 2020 elections
    Iowa Democratic Candidate Trailing by 6 Votes Will Appeal to the HouseIn a race that was essentially tied, Rita Hart wants the kind of lengthy investigation Congress can offer, but Republicans are crying foul.
    By Ed Kilgore
  34. covid-19 stimulus
    Democrats Revive Stimulus NegotiationsPelosi and Schumer are accepting a modest compromise bill as the basis for talks. If McConnell plays ball, it can happen fast.
    By Ed Kilgore
  35. vision 2020
    In 2020, the Electoral Landscape Continued to ShiftWho would have guessed Alaska would be more competitive than Virginia?
    By Ed Kilgore
  36. georgia senate runoffs
    Doug Collins’s Sacrilegious Attack on Raphael WarnockGeorgia Republicans are engaged in holy war against Christian minister Warnock and his hallowed Atlanta church.
    By Ed Kilgore
  37. california
    California Democrats Keep Making Unforced Dining ErrorsGov. Gavin Newsom and SF mayor London Breed were at the same restaurant on back-to-back nights, potentially undermining their own COVID guidelines.
    By Matt Stieb
  38. georgia
    GA Official Warns of Trump’s Election Fraud Claims: ‘Someone’s Gonna Get Killed’The administrator overseeing the recount in Georgia urged Trump to stop promoting election conspiracies before his messaging results in tragedy.
    By Matt Stieb
  39. the national interest
    Why Barr Appointing Durham As Special Counsel Could Backfire on TrumpSo we all agree investigating a former administration is good, right?
    By Jonathan Chait
  40. contested election
    Even Bill Barr Is Contradicting Trump on Election FraudThis is another blow to Trump’s flagging efforts to contest his defeat.
    By Ed Kilgore
  41. 2020 elections
    Republicans Claw Back 4 California Congressional SeatsIt wasn’t a good election for California Republicans otherwise, but they did regain ground in the U.S. House.
    By Ed Kilgore
  42. vision 2020
    Why Did Trump’s Plan to Contest an Election Defeat Fail?For months, many feared that Trump was plotting to mount an election challenge. His efforts were either insufficiently serious or merely incompetent.
    By Ed Kilgore
  43. coronavirus stimulus
    Democrats Should (Probably) Take the New Bipartisan Stimulus DealAmerica’s vulnerable can’t wait two more months for relief. And $908 billion in stimulus today doesn’t rule out more tomorrow.
    By Eric Levitz
  44. that happened
    The Time Trump Thought ‘Western Liberalism’ Meant CaliforniaA comic misunderstanding revealed a lot about the outgoing president’s unique blend of ignorance and menace.
    By Jonathan Chait
  45. nightmare before christmas
    The White House Is Already Throwing Maskless Holiday PartiesA spokesperson says “masks will be required,” but guests were reportedly not following along on the first day of festivities.
    By Bridget Read
  46. politics
    Trump Funds Political Future by Claiming He Won in 2020The president has raised more than $150 million for a supposed “Election Defense Fund” that doesn’t really exist.
    By Benjamin Hart
  47. the national interest
    ‘White Women Voted for Trump’ Is the Worst Election TropeIf you voted against Trump, Trump’s not your fault.
    By Jonathan Chait
  48. the national interest
    Josh Hawley’s Populist Shtick Is Undermined by One Glaring Weakness“Let me explain this to you.”
    By Jonathan Chait
  49. 2020 elections
    Democrats Didn’t Have As Bad an Election As You Might ThinkThe conventional wisdom is that Biden won but his party “lost” the battle for the House and the Senate. That’s not really true.
    By Ed Kilgore
  50. senate republicans
    How Biden Could (Maybe) Fix His Senate Problem With One Weird TrickPennsylvania’s Republican senator plans to retire in 2022. Biden should consider offering him a taste of executive power on his way out the door.
    By Eric Levitz
  51. georgia senate runoffs
    Trump Divides Georgia Republicans Ahead of Crucial Senate RunoffsThe GOP needs unity to win on January 5, but Trump’s still furious at Governor Brian Kemp for refusing to help him steal the 2020 election.
    By Ed Kilgore
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