Just shocked. Shocked There’s no persuading a conspiracy theorist — or those who benefit from the conspiracy theorists — but The New York Times went ahead and called election officials in every state. And as Nick Corasaniti, Reid Epstein and Jim Rutenberg report, Election Officials Nationwide Find No Evidence of Fraud. “Well I’m just shocked. Shocked,” tweets Jessica Huseman. In fact, they write, “top election officials across the country said in interviews and statements that the process had been a remarkable success despite record turnout and the complications of a dangerous pandemic.” “What is journalism? This,” says Damien Cave.  Well, “no fraud” isn’t exactly accurate. Shawn Boburg and Jacob Bogage of The Washington Post report that a postal worker has admitted to fabricating Pennsylvania ballot tampering claims. “Fraud on fraud?” tweets Nate Raymond. Those claims had been cited by top Republicans, including Lindsey Graham, as potential evidence of widespread voting irregularities.
Nomaan Merchant of AP News has put together a piece explaining why the election’s validity is intact despite Trump’s claims. AP also has an explainer, by Alexandra Olson and David Koenig, on why news organizations call races in US elections. “Since when does the media project winners in U.S. elections? 1848,” tweets Taylor DesOrmeau. The evidence-free effort  Next, Jake Shore links to a “Pretty comprehensive look at why GOP attempts to sue over claims of mass voter fraud are likely to fall short”: From Amy Gardner, Tom Hamburger, Jon Swaine and Josh Dawsey of The Washington Post, As states press forward with vote counts, Trump advisers privately express pessimism about heading off Biden’s win. The short version: “They’ve got claims, but don’t have the goods,” tweets Sig Christenson.
Steve Inskeep highlights, “In this very detailed story, an adviser says the outgoing president ‘wants to sow discontent... so he can say he didn’t lose.’ Another says (hopes?) the evidence-free effort ends in days. But Giuliani urges Trump on, and there are chances to drag it out.” Michael Balter offers this “Alternative headline: Trump’s advisers know there is no evidence of voter fraud but push on anyway to gaslight the American people.” According to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll, though, nearly 80% of Americans say Biden won the White House, ignoring Trump’s refusal to concede, as Chris Kahn of Reuters reports. But maybe shy Trump voters are skewing those results. Regardless, as Brad Heath points out, “The poll is not exactly a ringing endorsement of American democracy right now: Only about 70% of Americans trust their local election officials to ‘do their job honestly.’ Only 59% of Republicans do.” None of this is a joke Undeterred and fighting the election results, Trump employs a new weapon: the government. As Peter Baker and Lara Jakes report in that New York Times piece, he’s got the Secretary of State making jokes? threats? about a second Trump administration, he’s firing people, he’s working on a budget “as if Mr. Trump will be around to present it” and more. In other words, “Trump’s autocratic attempt isn’t over yet,” tweets Jelmer Mommers. “Boy it’s just wild to read it all laid out like this,” says Alex Fitzpatrick, while Aidan McLaughlin points to another passage and says, “Grim.” Paige Williams agrees: “This may be the saddest line of all: ‘Throughout his presidency, Mr. Trump has tried to condition much of the American public not to believe anyone other than him, with evident success.’” Jeff Stein, Erica Werner and Josh Dawsey of The Washington Post have the story on the White House telling federal agencies to proceed with plans for Trump’s February budget. They note that the directive is a new example of Trump aides acting as if he won the election and won’t leave office on Jan. 20. As Christopher Ingraham points out, “None of this is a joke,” and it is definitely not funny. “They’re pretending nothing happened,” one of the officials said. “We’re all supposed to pretend this is normal, and do all this work, while we know we’re just going to have to throw it away.” “Not normal. Not normal,” tweets Bianna Golodryga. Behind the purge “Sounds like a nightmare,” says Jeffrey Goldberg, only in this case, it’s in reference to David Ignatius’ column in The Washington Post about a furious behind-the-scenes battle to counter Trump’s threat to national security. “Trump will depart the White House Jan. 20, barring an unlikely legal miracle,” he writes. “The question is how much damage he will do to national security before he leaves.” Tweets John Harwood, “here David @IgnatiusPost unravels why a defeated Trump is firing Pentagon officials and replacing them with lackeys.” Apparently, he wants to declassify intel about the Russia probe, but senior defense and intelligence officials have strongly pushed back against doing so, saying it would compromise sensitive collection methods and anger key allies. Matt Kelly thinks, “This article should be on the front page, not the op-ed page.” More profiles in courage Josh Kraushaar alerts us to a “Hostage situation in Georgia: ‘We’re told the president and his top allies pressured the two Republican senators to take this step, lest he tweet a negative word about them and risk divorcing them from his base ahead of the consequential runoff.’” That’s from new reporting by Jim Galloway, Patricia Murphy, Greg Bluestein and Tia Mitchell of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The ‘orchestrated’ push to discredit Georgia’s election sparks more GOP infighting. ‘What this country needs’ Speaking of Georgia, how about this for a stark contrast to the above story. Conor Sen tweets, “Cool -- WaPo wrote about the reporter who was doing late night tweet updates the night Clayton County kept us all in suspense.”  He links to Reis Thebault’s story in The Washington Post about Robin Kemp, who lost her news job in Clayton County, Ga., but kept reporting the news — and it paid off on election week. “‘She is the real thing. She is what this country needs. Real journalism is what we need. Real facts.’ Amen,” says Ray Locker.
Alex Wayne is “Pretty sure there would be more public confidence in the election if there had been more local reporters like this hero covering it.” And Melissa Lyttle reminds us, “Not all heroes wear capes. Some carry notebooks and cameras and cover their communities.” Our dire predicament And now, on to another grim milestone: At The Atlantic, Alexis Madrigal and Erin Kissane cover the worst day of the pandemic since May, with COVID-19 hospitalizations now at an all-time high. “It's time to focus on the pandemic response,” Madrigal urges. Eric Topol says, “This perceptive @TheAtlantic piece from today nails our dire predicament with useful data and graphics.” In both North and South Dakota, more than 1 in 2,000 state residents are hospitalized with COVID-19 right now. Only New York and New Jersey have seen higher rates of hospitalizations per capita, they report. Yes, a vaccine seems to be on the way, but as Esther Dyson says, “Not so fast everyone! Logistics matters.” Large urban hospitals are rushing to buy costly ultra-cold freezers to store the first approved vaccine, but Olivia Goldhill of Stat News explains that rural hospitals can’t afford freezers to store a Covid-19 vaccine, creating a huge access divide. The immigrant couple behind the vaccine For something a little more upbeat, get to know The Husband-and-Wife Team Behind the Leading Vaccine to Solve Covid-19. At The New York Times, David Gelles profiles Dr. Ugur Sahin and Dr. Ozlem Tureci, the couple who founded the German company BioNTech, which has teamed up with Pfizer on the vaccine. As Tariq Panja says, “What a super story of the immigrant couple behind the most promising coronavirus vaccine to date.” Glenn Fleishman thinks, “These folks will get some kind of movie about them if their vaccine succeeds. They seem like two of the most interesting people in the world.” What a headline  Ben Collins could only be referring to this one, from Sam Byford’s story at The Verge: TikTok says the Trump administration has forgotten about trying to ban it, would like to know what’s up. “Ah yes, the pressing national security threat,” tweets Nilay Patel. As Hamza Shaban says, “New president who dis?”
“When they were *about* to ban you but then they... ghost you?” tweets Cristina Lopez G. Peak 2020. Wednesday round-up - On Veterans Day, Biden visits Korean War Memorial in Philadelphia, while Trump pays tribute at Arlington National Cemetery, The Washington Post reports.
- AP News reports that Lucille Bridges, mother of activist Ruby Bridges, has died at 86. Lucille walked with her then-6-year-old daughter past crowds screaming racist slurs as Ruby became the first Black student at her all-white New Orleans elementary school.
- John Powers has the Boston Globe’s obituary for Celtics legend Tom Heinsohn, champion as player and coach, who died at 86.
- Nicholas Nehamas, Ben Conarck and Kirby Wilson of the Miami Herald have the details on Florida Gov. DeSantis’ latest hire for data team: Uber-driving, COVID-conspiracy sports blogger. “Plucked from the obscurity of the blogosphere, [Kyle] Lamb, 40, broadcasts his lack of scientific training in his theories about the pandemic,” they write.
- Meg James of the Los Angeles Times reports that the L.A. Times and Tribune have agreed to settle a pay-disparity lawsuit for $3 million. A San Bernardino judge gave preliminary approval to the settlement that would cover Latino, Black and female reporters and editors in the newsroom from Feb. 2015 to last month.
- In case you missed it, here’s Timothy Gray’s birthday tribute in Variety to Norman Lloyd, who just turned 106: ‘He Is the History of Our Industry.’ As Tom Kacich points out, “Of course he made it to 106, he survived working at St. Eligius.”
- And we just came across this newsflash, courtesy of Melinda Fakuade at Vox: Alcohol and carbs got America through election night. “The apps told us what you ate on election night and wowwwww (same though),” she tweets. Adds Emily Stewart, “i feel seen.”
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