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11.31am GMT
Evan McMullin is in the New York Times pondering if, in the wake of Trump’s electoral defeat and the way that senior Republican figures coddled up to his widespread voter fraud delusions, what he calls “principled NeverTrump Republicans” like himself should strike out on their own:
So what’s next for Republicans who reject their party’s attempts to incinerate the Constitution in the service of one man’s authoritarian power grabs? Where is our home now?
The answer is that we must further develop an intellectual and political home, for now, outside of any party. From there, we can continue working with other Americans to defeat Trump’s heirs, help offer unifying leadership to the country and, if the GOP continues on its current path, launch a party to challenge it directly.
11.27am GMT
On a somewhat lighter note, the national guard in Alaska has managed to carry out their Operation Santa Claus tradition despite a pandemic being on.
The tradition was born out of hard times in 1956, when residents in the village of St. Mary’s faced a tough choice: food or gifts for the children after flooding, then drought, devastated subsistence activities. They chose food.
Continue reading…Biden hails democracy and rebukes Trump after electoral college victoryWilliam Barr steps down after dismissing Trump’s claims of fraudUS Covid deaths pass 300,000 as first Americans receive vaccineSign up to receive First Thing – our daily briefing by email 11.31am GMTEvan McMullin is in the New York Times pondering if, in the wake of Trump’s electoral defeat and the way that senior Republican figures coddled up to his widespread voter fraud delusions, what he calls “principled NeverTrump Republicans” like himself should strike out on their own:So what’s next for Republicans who reject their party’s attempts to incinerate the Constitution in the service of one man’s authoritarian power grabs? Where is our home now?The answer is that we must further develop an intellectual and political home, for now, outside of any party. From there, we can continue working with other Americans to defeat Trump’s heirs, help offer unifying leadership to the country and, if the GOP continues on its current path, launch a party to challenge it directly. 11.27am GMTOn a somewhat lighter note, the national guard in Alaska has managed to carry out their Operation Santa Claus tradition despite a pandemic being on. The tradition was born out of hard times in 1956, when residents in the village of St. Mary’s faced a tough choice: food or gifts for the children after flooding, then drought, devastated subsistence activities. They chose food. Continue reading…