Biden picks Vilsack for agriculture secretary and Rep. Fudge for HUD

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President-elect Joe Biden on Tuesday pledged to “change the course” of the coronavirus pandemic as he introduced key members of his health team at an event in Wilmington, Del. As he continues to build his administration, Biden has said he will announce his nominations for two other marquee jobs — including attorney general — by the end of the week. Meanwhile, according to people familiar with the transition plans, Biden is expected to name former agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack for the position again, and pick Rep. Marcia L. Fudge (D-Ohio) to head the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

President Trump, who continues to insist he won the election, appeared at a White House “vaccine summit” to tout his administration’s efforts to combat the pandemic. He also expressed hope that he would have a second term. Continue reading.

Supreme Court rejects Texas lawsuit challenging swing-state election results

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The Supreme Court on Friday rejected a lawsuit filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton that sought to invalidate 10 million votes in four battleground states — Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan and Wisconsin — that President Trump lost.

Why it matters: It’s the latest and most significant legal defeat for Trump and his allies in their floundering attempt to overturn the 2020 election results. Trump tweeted Wednesday, “We will be INTERVENING in the Texas (plus many other states) case. This is the big one. Our Country needs a victory!”

What they’re saying: “The State of Texas’s motion for leave to file a bill of complaint is denied for lack of standing under Article III of the Constitution. Texas has not demonstrated a judicially cognizable interest in the manner in which another State conducts its elections. All other pending motions are dismissed as moot,” the Supreme Court wrote. Continue reading.

House approves defense policy bill despite Trump veto threat

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The House easily approved the annual defense policy bill Tuesday, defying President Trump’s repeated veto threats.

The bill was approved in a 335-78 vote. That’s above the two-thirds vote needed to override a veto, but some Republicans could switch their vote if it comes to overriding the president.

Overall, 140 Republicans voted “yes” and 37 Democrats voted “no” on Tuesday, with Democratic Rep. Eliot Engel (N.Y.) voting present. Continue reading.

What you need to know about Minnesota’s COVID-19 vaccine plan

After months of trials, the first coronavirus vaccines are expected to be approved by the federal government in the coming days. Gov. Tim Walz on Tuesday laid out the initial steps in Minnesota’s vaccination plan, with the earliest doses likely to arrive as soon as next week. Here are answers to questions you may have about vaccines and the state’s strategy to vaccinate millions of Minnesotans. 

Which are the most promising coronavirus vaccine candidates right now?

While more than 50 vaccine candidates have progressed to clinical trials with humans, two front-runners have emerged. A vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech is first in line for review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration this month, and another produced by Moderna will be considered a week later. A third vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca could be ready for review in early 2021.

How will they work?

The Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines use messenger RNA to instruct cells to create a harmless piece of the virus that causes COVID-19. This piece of “spike protein” is a key feature of the virus (you’ve likely seen COVID-19 depicted as a spiky ball). The body recognizes this spike protein as foreign and triggers an immune response to fend off future infection. Continue reading.

DFL Party Statement on Stauber’s Support for Overturning the 2020 Presidential Election

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Today, DFL Party Chairman Ken Martin released the following statement in response to Congressman Pete Stauber adding his name to an amicus brief supporting a lawsuit attempting to overturn the 2020 presidential election:

“By signing onto a clear plot to undo the decision of American voters, Congressman Pete Stauber has confirmed once and for all that he’s nothing more than a far-right extremist willing to place his political party ahead of the United States Constitution.

“If the lawsuit Stauber backs is successful, it will help bring about the end of American democracy by invalidating millions of votes and placing an unelected man in the most powerful office in the world. 

“Stauber’s support for a thinly veiled coup attempt should disqualify him from holding public office again in the eyes of all Minnesotans. Since Stauber is willing to place his political party before his country, Minnesota voters from across the political spectrum should respond by placing their country before their party and voting out Pete Stauber.”

Ex-election security chief Christopher Krebs sues Trump campaign, lawyer for defamation

Christopher Krebs, the government’s former election security chief who was fired for describing the November vote as the most secure in history, sued the Trump campaign and one of the president’s lawyers for defamation Tuesday, claiming that the attorney falsely characterized his remarks as treasonous while suggesting that Krebs be “taken out at dawn and shot.”

In the legal action filed in a Maryland state court, Krebs characterized Joseph diGenova’s statements during a Nov. 30 Newsmax broadcast as “shockingly irresponsible and dangerous.”

The former Department of Homeland Security official asserted that diGenova’s commentary was especially troubling because it was “released into the current climate of political toxicity and instability, in which public officials across the country…are being targeted with acts and threats of violence simply for performing their public duties.” Continue reading.

Phillips Measure to Support Gold Star Families Included in Defense Bill, Headed to President’s Desk

Eight Phillips Defense Bill amendments pass through Congress

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. Senate passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for FY2021, including the bipartisan “Cheryl Lankford Memorial to Improve Assistance for Gold Star Spouses and Other Dependents” amendment by Rep. Dean Phillips (MN-03). The amendment will help keep bereaved military families from slipping through the cracks and ensure Gold Star dependent children can easily access the benefits they are owed.

“As a Gold Star Son, my gratitude to our servicemembers and their families is immeasurable,” said Phillips. “Gold Star Families have made unimaginable sacrifices, and we must do everything we can to deliver all benefits they are owed. Gold Star Families deserve our respect and support, and I am glad this amendment will soon be signed into law.”

Phillips voted for final passage of  NDAA in the House on December 8, 2020, which included eight of his amendments aimed at modernizing our national security, stabilizing international relationships, and preparing for the next global crisis, and supporting our veterans and their families: 

Continue reading “Phillips Measure to Support Gold Star Families Included in Defense Bill, Headed to President’s Desk”

Here are 5 wild moments from Trump’s speech on vaccines

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During the 2020 presidential election, Democratic nominee Joe Biden repeatedly slammed President Donald Trump’s response to the coronavirus pandemic — and Biden’s messaging worked. Trump has been voted out of office, President-elect Biden won 306 electoral votes, and the former vice president defeated the incumbent by more than 7 million in the popular vote. Close to 300,000 American deaths have been reported due to COVID-19, though the real number is likely much higher and growing rapidly every day. 

Regardless, Trump claimed, during a White House news conference on Tuesday, that his response to the pandemic was one of the greatest successes of his presidency.

Here are five of the wildest moments from that event: Continue reading.

Supreme Court rejects GOP bid to nullify Biden win in Pennsylvania

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The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected a bid by Pennsylvania Republicans to nullify President-elect Joe Biden‘s victory in the Keystone State, dealing another blow to the long-shot legal effort by President Trump and his allies to overturn the election in the courts. 

The Tuesday order, which was unsigned and included no noted dissents, came ahead of the midnight “safe harbor” deadline, which provides states a kind of immunity from congressional oversight into election results that are certified in time.

The justices’ move leaves intact Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf’s (D) late November certification of Biden’s victory in a state he won by more than 81,000 votes. Continue reading.