There's talk within Bidenworld of the president-elect ditching the typical flourish of arriving in Washington on an Air Force plane, pulling in instead on the same Amtrak train he rode to and from Delaware for 30 years as a senator.
Why it matters: A train trip would be very on-brand for "Amtrak Joe." It also would mirror Barack Obama, who rode into Washington on a vintage railcar in January 2009.
President Trump is considering a made-for-TV grand finale: a White House departure on Marine One and final Air Force One flight to Florida for a political rally opposite Joe Biden's inauguration, sources familiar with the discussions tell Axios.
Why it matters: The former network star is privately discussing using his waning powers as commander in chief to order up the exit he wants after dissing Biden by refusing to concede the election, welcome him to the White House or commit to attending his inauguration.
Joe Biden disagrees with most of President Trump's foreign policy initiatives, but several of his advisers tell Axios that there is one he plans to keep: the Abraham Accords.
Why it matters: Continuing to push the Abraham Accords — the biblical branding the administration has given to the individual normalization agreements between Israel and Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates — could help Biden build positive relationships with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other leaders in the Persian Gulf.
President Trump, during his first rally since he lost the 2020 election, falsely stated again on Saturday night that he won in Wisconsin and Georgia (Joe Biden won both), and said he'll push for "a complete overhaul of our election security systems."
Why it matters: To the frustration of some top Republicans, Trump spent more time on his own grievances than on the ostensible purpose of the rally in Valdosta, Georgia — getting Republicans to vote for Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler in Jan. 5 runoffs that'll determine whether Mitch McConnell stays majority leader.
Ad rates in Savannah, Georgia, have soared nearly 20 times ahead of the Jan. 5 runoffs, AP reports, and Atlanta's WSB — the state's most influential television station — is charging candidates $18,000 for an ad that cost $8,000 in July.
Why it matters: The outcome of the two races will determine control of the Senate, so millions of dollars in political spending is pouring into Georgia. The cost of the twin contests could approach $500 million.
Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan (R) said on CNN's "State of the Union" Sunday that Gov. Brian Kemp (R) will not call a special session of the state legislature to hand Georgia's electoral college votes to President Trump — something the president has called for despite Biden's victory in the state.
The backdrop: Trump has continued to falsely claim he won the election. He has pressured Kemp on Twitter and in a phone call to call the General Assembly back in to give Georgia's electors to him instead of Biden, who won the state by more than 12,000 votes.
United Kingdom and European Union negotiators were resuming talks Sunday on a post-Brexit trade deal, which remain deadlocked following "significant divergences."
Why it matters: The U.K. and EU hope to make a deal before the transition period ends on Dec. 31, but differences remain on "three critical issues," officials said Saturday.
"Saturday Night Live" returned after a monthlong break with a parody in the cold open of this week's Michigan State Legislature hearing on the Trump campaign's unfounded claims of election fraud.
Details: Kate McKinnon's Rudy Giuliani vowed to introduce "highly intelligent, barely intoxicated individuals" as witnesses. Enter Cecily Strong as Melissa Carone, a Dominion Voting Systems contractor and Trump supporter, who was likened to an "SNL" character after she claimedduring testimony that "dead people voted."
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp pushed back on Saturday after President Trump pressed him to help overturn the state's election results.
Driving the news: Trump asked the Republican governor over the phone Saturday to call a special legislative session aimed at overturning the presidential election results in Georgia, per the Washington Post. Kemp refused.
The Trump administration on Friday ended five cultural-exchange programs with China that the U.S. says were used as "soft power propaganda tools" by the Chinese government.
A dim, gloomy scene seems increasingly set for Joe Biden's debut as president.
The state of play: He'll address — virtually — a virus-weary nation, with record-high daily coronavirus deaths, a flu season near its peak, restaurants and small businesses shuttered by wintertime sickness and spread.
Mobile phone apps are evolving in ways that can stop rather than simply document deadly police encounters with people of color — including notifying family and lawyers about potential violations in real time.
Why it matters: As states and cities face pressure to reform excessive force policies, apps that monitor police are becoming more interactive, gathering evidence against rogue officers as well as posting social media videos to shame the agencies.
Kellyanne Conway, a former counselor to President Trump, said “it looks like Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will prevail” in an interview with The 19th that aired on Friday.
Why it matters: Trump and his inner circle have so far refused to publicly acknowledge President-elect Biden won the election. Instead, they've attempted to paint the election process as fraudulent, despite states' certification of Biden's win and a lack of evidence supporting their claims.
The Trump administration is extending federal student loan relief, which includes a pause on payments and interest accrual, through Jan. 31, the Department of Education announced Friday.
Why it matters: Payments have been paused since March due to the coronavirus pandemic, but the relief was set to expire on Dec. 31 . The relief measures, which also include the suspension of collections of defaulted federal student loans, have helped mitigate some of the pandemic's negative consequences for millions of borrowers.
