1. 'They can't have universal mail-in voting'

It's hardly surprising. Despite voting by absentee ballot himself, President Trump has long made his unfounded suspicions about vote-by-mail clear. But today he went a step further, publicly confirming what observers already presumed—he opposes a boost in funding for the U.S. Postal Service as part of the Democrats' proposed coronavirus relief package because he wants to make it harder for states to expand mail-in voting. In a statement, The Declaration for American Democracy, a coalition of over 160 organizations, wrote that Trump "is intentionally sabotaging the U.S. Post Office and blocking election funding to suppress Americans' votes. This act is a disgrace and a stain on our democracy." Well said.

• — That's news to Nancy. "What [negotiators] are saying is different than what the president is saying," said House Speaker Pelosi, who has been negotiating the deal with Republicans. "If they came in the room and said the president is never doing this, that's something we'd take to the American people. And the American people want the Postal Service protected and preserved." —NPR
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• — First class all the way. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has accused the USPS of "a despicable derogation of democracy" for informing cash-strapped states that they may need to pay a first-class rate to deliver ballots rather than the typical marketing rate—nearly tripling the cost. The USPS countered that it is merely suggesting to local election officials how they could most efficiently carry out a vote-by-mail election, not mandating increased costs. —The New York Times
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• — Conflict of interest. Isn't there always one in this administration? Turns out, the man now overseeing the Postal Service, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, continues to hold a multimillion-dollar stake in his former company, XPO Logistics, a USPS contractor. The arrangement allows DeJoy to keep at least $30 million in XPO holdings. —CNN

2. Israel and the UAE strike a deal

Israel says it will "suspend" plans to annex the West Bank, as part of a new peace deal with the United Arab Emirates. The deal was announced this morning by President Trump, who told reporters that the peace agreement was the result of a "very special call" with the leaders of both countries, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and UAE Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed.

• — A joint statement from the U.S., UAE, and Israel calls the agreement to "full normalization of relations" a "historic diplomatic breakthrough." The UAE plans to exchange embassies and ambassadors with Israel, becoming the third Arab country to do so, after Egypt and Jordan.
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• — In front of reporters, Trump jokingly asked Treasury Sec. Steve Mnuchin whether it was easier to negotiate with these countries or with the Democrats amid stalled coronavirus stimulus negotiations. "Middle East is more reasonable," Trump said.
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• — Though Trump said he wanted to call it the "Donald J. Trump Accord," the agreement will be called the "Abraham Accord," for the Biblical father of the Christian, Muslim, and Jewish faiths. The president heaped praise on his son-in-law, White House adviser Jared Kushner, who was apparently instrumental in striking the deal. —CNN

MORE: Kanye West meets with Jared Kushner amid White House bid —The Hill

3. Cupp: Inmates running the GOP asylum

"The corruption and co-opting of the Republican Party by conspiracy theorists, anti-science promoters, White nationalists, and kooks is becoming more total with every passing day. ... Trump effectively turned the GOP into a padded-cell madhouse where up could be down, left could be right, and blue could be green...if he decided so. And now the fringiest adherents have swiped the keys from the few remaining guards that were hoping to keep the place in order." —CNN

MORE: Trump campaign spox rips GOP congressman over rejection of QAnon conspiracy —The Hill

4. Trump jabs at Wray

President Trump criticized FBI Director Christopher Wray today, blaming an unnamed administration official for putting him in charge of the bureau—even though Trump appointed Wray in 2017, after firing former Director James Comey. In an interview on Fox Business Network, he said, "So, Christopher Wray was put there. We have an election coming up. I wish he was more forthcoming. He certainly hasn't been. There are documents they want to get and that we have said we want to get. We're going to find out if he's going to give those documents." Trump didn't directly answer a question from host Maria Bartiromo about whether Wray was hiding information and should step down.

• — The FBI has been one of Trump's favorite punching bags since he took office. He has consistently blasted the agency, as well as Comey and former FBI officials Peter Strzok and Lisa Page, over the Russia Investigation conducted by former Special Counsel Robert Mueller.
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• — The origins of the Russia probe are currently under investigation by the Department of Justice. Trump urged Attorney General Bill Barr to act aggressively once that probe has concluded.
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• — "I hope they're not going to be politically correct and say, 'let's get the lower guys that forged the documents going into FISA. Let's just get a couple of the lower guys,'" Trump said. "Bill Barr can go down as the greatest attorney general in the history of our country, or he can go down as just an average guy. It depends on what's going to happen." —The Hill

MORE: Ron Johnson says committee Republicans blocking Comey, Brennan subpoenas —Politico

5. Litman: Corruption will likely win Flynn case

"The likely bottom line: Nearly three years after he pleaded guilty in a righteous prosecution, [former National Security Advisor Michael] Flynn—a man who compromised U.S. national security and then lied about it—will walk. As for the rest of us, we’ll be shown once again that the best remedy for partisan and corrupt conduct at the Department of Justice is at the ballot box. Or, as in [Attorney General Bill] Barr's ultra-cynical formulation: 'History is written by the winners.'" —Los Angeles Times

MORE: Government lawyer suggests Attorney General Barr had secret reasons for dropping Michael Flynn criminal case —CNBC

6. To open or not to open

Yesterday, the U.S. recorded its highest number of deaths from COVID-19 in a single day—nearly 1,500—since mid-May, and the country has now seen its seven-day average of newly reported deaths remain above 1,000 for 17 consecutive days. Those grim facts are weighing on the minds of school administrators across the nation, who are grappling with the difficult question of when and how to reopen schools, or whether to reopen at all. At his daily press briefing, President Trump made his thoughts on the matter clear, urging schools to bring children into classrooms, businesses to open, and athletes to fill stadiums. —The Washington Post

• — No mask? No problem! A megachurch in suburban Los Angeles that closed its doors in late May, after an unsuccessful pandemic-related legal battle, has reopened, drawing thousands of mostly maskless worshippers. Indoor gatherings in the county are supposed to be limited to 100 people or 25% of a building's capacity, whichever is lower. Pastor John MacArthur says he is betting on divine protection. —CNN
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• — Florida man bans masks. And not just any man—it's the sheriff of Marion Co., Billy Woods. Woods has instructed employees of his office, as well as visitors, not to wear masks, barring some exceptions. "This is no longer a debate nor is it up for discussion," he said in an email to employees. Well then. —CBS News
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• — Atlas shrugged. Advocates for more fully reopening schools and other public places and activities have a new ally in the White House. Dr. Scott Atlas, a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, has been hired as a new coronavirus adviser. Atlas has spoken out against imposing lockdown measures, saying it impedes herd immunity and is costing the lives of people too afraid to seek emergency medical treatment for other issues. —Business Insider

MORE: US jobless claims fall below 1 million but remain high —Associated Press

7. NYT Ed Board: An inflection point in Lebanon?

"The question now is whether the explosion, by so cruelly exposing Lebanon's political and economic bankruptcy, can become a turning point in the country's fortunes. ... [N]o Lebanese government will succeed in righting the nation's profound wrongs unless new ways are devised to run that complex land. That's a long shot. But if there's nothing left for the bosses to steal, and nothing left for people to lose, it's now or never." —The New York Times

MORE: Lebanon's military gets sweeping powers after Beirut blast —PBS

8. Here she is...

The scene was an empty high school gymnasium in Wilmington, Del., which served as a humble backdrop for the first joint appearance of the historic Democratic presidential ticket. Former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris made their public debut yesterday as running mates, emphasizing the significance of the choice of the senator from California, who beat out 10 other finalists to become the first Black woman and the first woman of Indian ancestry on a major-party presidential ticket.

• — "She's smart. She's tough. She's experienced," Biden said, highlighting Harris’ background as the daughter of immigrants and intimating that she would serve as an inspiration for "little Black and Brown girls."
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• — Harris used her background as a prosecutor and her childhood experience of attending civil rights marches with her parents to lay out her case against President Trump, which she called "open and shut."
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• — "The president's mismanagement of the pandemic has plunged us into the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression," she said. "And we're experiencing a moral reckoning with racism and systemic injustice that has brought a new coalition of conscience to the streets of our country, demanding change. America is crying out for leadership." —The Wall Street Journal

9. Nagl & Yingling: '...All Enemies, Foreign and Domestic'

"[P]owerful crosscurrents—Trump's electoral defeat, his assault on the integrity of our elections, his impending criminal prosecution, and his creation of a private army—will collide on January 20. Rather than accept the peaceful transfer of power that has been the hallmark of American democracy since its inception, Trump may refuse to leave office. He would likely offer as a fig leaf of legitimacy the shopworn lies about election fraud. Trump's acolytes in right-wing media will certainly rush to repeat and amplify these lies, manufacturing sufficient evidence to provide a pretext of plausibility. America's greatest Constitutional crisis since the Civil War will come about by a president who simply refuses to leave office." —Defense One

Ed. Note: John Nagl is a retired Army officer and veteran of both Iraq wars. Paul Yingling, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, served three tours in Iraq, another in Bosnia, and a fifth in Operation Desert Storm.

MORE: Counterpoint: Schake & Golby: The military won't save us—and you shouldn't want them to —Defense One

10. An American Story: Fairy doors

In order to satisfy a creative itch, Ana Araujo and her 95-year-old father, Joe Aboussleman, began making "fairy doors," selling their own as well as kits to make them for $10. The profits go to Second Harvest of Silicon Valley, a food bank that has struggled to keep up with the need for food assistance.

• — Fairy doors supposedly represent a magical portal between our world and the land of fairies. They're often placed at the base of trees, and they're always decorated. There are mermaid-themed designs, patriotic fairies, country fairies, etc.
   
• — The pair have raised almost $1,500 for Second Harvest since launching the project in late May. It was Aboussleman who came up with that idea. A seasoned veteran who served aboard five different ships during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, he knows what hard times are all about.
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• — "In a time of need, you do what you can to help people out," Araujo says. "There's always something you can do for your neighbors." —The Mercury News (via Karunavirus)

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