Lolz: Former US secretary of state John Kerry will act as "climate tsar" when US President-elect Joe Biden takes office. Mr Kerry was one of several people named for top positions by the Biden transition team on Monday. Other key picks include Avril Haines as the first woman to lead intelligence, and long-time aide Antony Blinken as secretary of state - the most important foreign policy position Biden’s inner circle get key cabinet posts as John Kerry named climate tsar
The Trump campaign has been demanding signature-matching after ballots have already been separated from the envelopes. Georgia recount signature-matching impossible despite demands from Trump, Republicans, says secretary of state excerpt: "Because of rules designed to protect voter privacy, ballots in Georgia are separated from their outer envelopes – where the signature is – after they are initially verified. This makes it impossible to reconnect the ballots to their envelopes, and therefore impossible to re-do signature matching after ballots are counted."
GOP security officials urge Trump to concede. Former GOP national security officials urge Trump to concede
Trump and the GOP should have raised contentions when the rules were being formulated in GA in early 2020 and in PA in 2019 (which the GOP passed nearly unanimously). Georgia recount signature-matching impossible despite demands from Trump, Republicans, says secretary of state excerpt: "Specifically, an emergency rule that was adopted earlier this year, and on Monday extended to apply to the Jan. 5 runoff elections, mandates that every absentee ballot goes through signature verification but that after the signature is verified the ballot itself is separated from the outer envelope with the signature. "Absentee ballots shall be processed in batches of not more than 100. At least three persons who are registrars, deputy registrars, poll workers or absentee ballot clerks must be present at all times during the processing of a batch of absentee ballots," the rule states. "All outer envelopes in a batch shall be counted and recorded on a reconciliation form prior to opening the outer envelopes of a batch. Upon opening the outer envelopes of a batch, the contents shall be removed in a manner that ensures that the contents of the envelope cannot be matched back to the outer envelope." The signature verification that happens when ballots are received follows a previous signature verification when voters request an absentee ballot. In both cases, they are verified against signatures on file with the state like those for driver's licenses or previous voter registrations."
The Michigan state canvassing board will likely certify the election results on Monday. Michigan's state board set to meet Monday to vote on certification - CNNPolitics excerpt: "While one of the two Republicans on the four-member canvassing board is expected to vote against certifying the state's election results, the second Republican signaled at the start of Monday's meeting he would likely vote in favor, allowing the election results to be certified."
Michigan votes 3-0 to certify election results. Biden Transition Live Updates: Trump’s Refusal to Concede Has Split Republicans Into Two Camps excerpt: "After reviewing the state Bureau of Elections’ report, which showed Mr. Biden winning the state by 154,000 votes over Mr. Trump, the board, comprising two Democrats and two Republicans, voted 3 to 0 with one abstention to certify the results."
The same clan of Trump attorneys from years past. Sidney Powell was supposedly great until yesterday. Various other attorneys that had been working in Trump's interest exited the case, rendering him back to his old clan. Trump tweet Nov. 14: "I look forward to Mayor Giuliani spearheading the legal effort to defend OUR RIGHT to FREE and FAIR ELECTIONS! Rudy Giuliani, Joseph diGenova, Victoria Toensing, Sidney Powell, and Jenna Ellis, a truly great team, added to our other wonderful lawyers and representatives! 10:11 PM · Nov 14, 2020"
Misspelled words and poor grammar in Trump's new lawsuit. An earlier suit had mixed up the states MN and MI. Trump appeals big loss in Pennsylvania vote case that seeks to block Biden win excerpt: "The Trump campaign’s appeal of its devastating loss in federal court in Pennsylvania misspells the word “president” and butchers grammar. The appeal filed Monday also did not ask an appeals court to reverse its defeat or temporarily block Pennsylvania counties’ certification of votes, which are due later in the day."
With any luck, Giuliani won't forget the name of the judge this time. Trump appeals big loss in Pennsylvania vote case that seeks to block Biden win excerpt: "In the appeal of Brann’s decision filed Monday, the campaign refers to Trump as “Presidential Donald J. Trump,” instead of as “President Donald J. Trump” as one normally would in a legal case. That apparent slip is contained in the line alleging that Democratic officials in Pennsylvania “engaged in an intentional scheme to count defective mail ballots which they knew would favor Joseph Biden over Presidential Donald J. Trump.” Elsewhere in the filing, the campaign’s lawyers underscore the significance of their claim while undermining the rules of grammar: “This action is of nationwide importance because of the consequences of flawed election processes on the election for the President of the United States in the Commonwealth could turn the election in favor of either candidate.”"
The GOP is filing a lawsuit against a law that it overwhelmingly passed in a GOP-controlled legislature. Trump appeals big loss in Pennsylvania vote case that seeks to block Biden win excerpt: "Kelly, filed a complaint in Commonwealth Court seeking to stop certain kinds of mail-in ballots from being included in the state’s final tally. The plaintiffs seek to block the certification of the election in the state, claiming that mail-in ballots cast under an allegedly “unconstitutional” law signed last year by Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat, cannot be counted. The law, Act 77, expanded access for Pennsylvania voters to cast mail-in ballots without an excuse. After the lawsuit was filed, observers quickly pointed out that Act 77 passed a GOP-controlled Pennsylvania state legislature in 2019 with overwhelming support. “It’s kind of a hail Mary when there’s no time left on the clock,” Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. Jon Fetterman told the KDKA, the Pittsburgh radio station.""
The elite strike force team. Trump fears Giuliani, other lawyers in Biden vote challenge are 'fools that are making him look bad' excerpt: "Trump is worried that his campaign’s legal team, which is being led by his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, is composed of “fools that are making him look bad,” NBC News reported Monday. That group, which has unironically called itself an “elite strike force team,” to date has failed to win any legal victories that would invalidate votes for Biden, the former Democratic vice president, even as they tout wildly broad claims of fraud for which they have offered no convincing evidence."