One Seat, Competing Pressures as Newsom Considers Senate Pick

One Seat, Competing Pressures as Newsom Considers Senate Pick-newyorktimes: Since Gavin Newsom’s days as a young upstart running for mayor of San Francisco through more than two decades of public life, Alex Padilla has been a stalwart ally.  As president of the Los Angeles City Council, Mr. Padilla introduced Mr. Newsom to important local labor and Latino leaders. As a state senator, Mr. Padilla chaired Mr. Newsom’s short-lived first campaign for governor. And as California secretary of state, Mr. Padilla conferred a key early endorsement that helped Mr. Newsom win the governor’s seat in 2018.

How Biden plans to fix the coronavirus testing problem

How Biden plans to fix the coronavirus testing problem-politico:  President-elect Joe Biden’s advisers are planning a massive expansion of the United States’ coronavirus testing capacity to help bring the country’s spiraling outbreak under control.

White House signals acceptance of omnibus spending package

White House signals acceptance of omnibus spending package-rollcall:  The Trump administration appears ready to accept a $1.4 trillion, full-year omnibus appropriations bill rather than a simple short-term government funding extension, according to top Republicans.

A vaccine? Yes. An effective way to get it to people? No.

A vaccine? Yes. An effective way to get it to people? No-politico:  Trump says tens of millions of doses of coronavirus vaccines, which hold the promise of blunting a pandemic that has killed nearly a quarter-million Americans, will be delivered to every state as soon as December.  But interviews with more than two dozen experts who work in pharmacies, rural clinics and public health, as well as state and local officials, reveal serious concerns that states may not be ready to distribute a vaccine by then.

Trump blocks Biden’s incoming staff in unprecedented ways

Trump blocks Biden’s incoming staff in unprecedented ways-politico: Trump’s stonewalling of the incoming administration is leaving even some in his own party concerned.  For the first time in more than half a century, an outgoing administration is stonewalling an incoming one at every level — with no intention of relenting.

Short-term punt seen likely for spending bills, coronavirus aid

Short-term punt seen likely for spending bills, coronavirus aid-rollcall: Despite hopeful talk on both sides of the aisle, the odds are against congressional leaders reaching agreement on a COVID-19 relief package and omnibus appropriations bill to wrap up this year’s unfinished business in the lame-duck session.

Delayed transition could hamper coronavirus vaccine preparations

Delayed transition could hamper coronavirus vaccine preparations-politico:  The Trump administration's refusal to acknowledge Joe Biden's electoral victory could hinder the incoming team's preparations on pressing issues, including the distribution of a coronavirus vaccine, Biden's future chief of staff said Thursday.

Biden forms special Covid transition team

Biden forms special Covid transition team-politico:  President-elect Joe Biden has formed a special transition team dedicated to coordinating the coronavirus response across the government, according to documents obtained by POLITICO and people familiar with the decision.

House Democrats will have fewer members but still a majority next Congress

House Democrats will have fewer members but still a majority next Congress-rollcall:  Democrats will have a smaller majority in the House next year after a campaign in which they tried to expand the battlefield deeper into Republican territory only to see districts won two years ago snap back to their GOP leanings.

Health care industry braces for challenge to 2010 ACA law

Health care industry braces for challenge to 2010 ACA law-rollcall: The 2010 health care law will come before the Supreme Court for a third time Tuesday, with the potential to shake up a health care industry already dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and preparing to work with a new administration.

Biden win sets off rush for Harris’ Senate seat in California

Biden win sets off rush for Harris’ Senate seat in California-politico:  Launching Kamala Harris into the White House as vice president come January has officially kicked off one of Gov. Gavin Newsom's biggest political decisions: appointing California's next U.S. senator.

Pandemic on course to overwhelm U.S. health system before Biden takes office

Pandemic on course to overwhelm U.S. health system before Biden takes office-politico:  The United States’ surging coronavirus outbreak is on pace to hit nearly 1 million new cases a week by the end of the year — a scenario that could overwhelm health systems across much of the country and further complicate President-elect Joe Biden’s attempts to coordinate a response.

America's new power couple: Mitch and Joe

America's new power couple: Mitch and Joe-politico:  During Barack Obama’s presidency, Joe Biden’s propensity for cutting deals with Mitch McConnell became a running source of aggravation for liberals. Now it will be the key to getting anything done at all.

The 3 storylines driving the election Friday

The 3 storylines driving the election Friday-politico:  Trump will wake up Friday on the brink of defeat, still lagging in Arizona and Nevada and with Joe Biden steadily gaining on him in Pennsylvania and Georgia.

Biden edges toward victory while Trump launches fresh legal challenges

Biden edges toward victory while Trump launches fresh legal challenges-politico:  Trump’s path to reelection was nearly closed off on Wednesday after Joe Biden flipped the battlegrounds of Michigan, Wisconsin and Arizona, and inched closer in Georgia, as Trump unleashed a flurry of eleventh-hour challenges.

What you need to know about the undecided swing states

What you need to know about the undecided swing states-politico:  The three Rust Belt states that unexpectedly vaulted Trump into the White House in 2016 — Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin — now represent the difference between his reelection and a one-term presidency.

Battle for Congress hinges on top of ticket, pandemic dynamics

Battle for Congress hinges on top of ticket, pandemic dynamics-rollcall:  House Democrats seeking reelection Tuesday started the 2020 cycle on defense, with 30 members running in districts Trump won in 2016. Republicans believed the decision by a near-unanimous Democratic Caucus to impeach Trump would seal their fates. But that historic vote has been overshadowed by the coronavirus pandemic and resulting economic downturn.

The 8 states where the White House will be won

The 8 states where the White House will be won-politico:  The early vote, which has hit record levels in many places, looks promising for Joe Biden. He is running ahead of Hillary Clinton’s pace with several key demographic groups, outspending Trump in pivotal media markets and holds comfortable polling leads in several swing states.