• Editor’s note: “Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear has established the Team Western Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund to assist those impacted by the tornados (sic) and the severe weather system on December 11, 2021.”
• Click here to donate.

*** REGIONAL NEWS FROM THE WEEKEND ***

+ The Washington Post via McClatchy Newspapers: JBLM Special Forces solider among those to be awarded Medal of Honor by President Biden – Master Sgt. Earl Plumlee, a Special Forces soldier stationed at JBLM, fought off Taliban suicide bombers in Afghanistan in 2013.

+ NVN: Yelm Nonprofit Hopes to Put Homeless Individuals in Hotels During Coldest Winter Weeks

+ AP via McClatchy Newspapers: Shortage of snowplow drivers hampers states as storms arrive

+ The Olympian: How to keep that poinsettia or hellebore happy throughout the holidays – And tips for any gift plant wrapped in foil.

*** NATIONAL NEWS FROM THE WEEKEND ***

The Olympian: Path of Kentucky tornado: Deadly storm potentially broke this 96-year-old record – allegedly traveled 227 miles, which if confirmed true, would be a new record.

The Washington Post: Questions to ask your relatives before gathering indoors this holiday season – And two checklists of pandemic supplies to keep stocked at home and pack for trips

Daily Kos: Brian Williams signs off MSNBC with what no one else is willing to say

AP via McClatchy: Capitol rioters’ social media posts influencing sentencings – with judges having difficulty to show leniency because of defendants public posturing

NBC News: Chris Wallace leaving Fox News after 18 years for new CNN streaming service – “I want to try something new to go beyond politics, to all the things I’m interested in. I’m ready for a new adventure,” he told viewers. [Ed. note: He is the only person left over there with a sense of being reasonable and “bolts Tucker Carlson’s Fox News.”]

NBC News: [CA. Gov.] Newsom says he will use Texas abortion law tactics to restrict assault weapons

The Center for Media and Democracy: ALEC Is Pushing a Bill That Punishes Banks for Divesting From Fossil Fuels

*** VIRUS NEWS FROM THE WEEKEND ***

The New York Times The Morning report: On December 14, the U.S. will mark one year since it began its vaccination campaign. In that time, 200 million people have been fully vaccinated. The U.S. is on track to exceed 800,000 Covid deaths this week, a year after the vaccine rollout began. More than 120,000 coronavirus cases are emerging each day, with outbreaks worsening in the Great Lakes region and in the Northeast.

American Heart Assn’s. Circulation: Rise in Blood Pressure Observed Among US Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic – could have to do with what people have been eating during the pandemic—like an increase in sodium or alcohol—but things like not getting enough sleep, not following proper medication regimens, or stress can also contribute.

*** TRUMP NEWS FROM THE WEEKEND ***

MSNBC’s Zerlina: 24 hours before the January 6th insurrection, Donald Trump’s White House circulated a PowerPoint presentation laying out various options to try and keep Trump in office, even though he had lost the election

NBC News: Trump clouds Pence’s effort to lay groundwork for 2024 presidential bid

Business Insider: Ex-Trump adviser Navarro defies House subpoena in coronavirus probe, points to former president’s claim of executive privilege, cited a “direct order” from Trump to claim executive privilege.

MSNBC Opinion by Richard W. Painter: It’s time to derail one of Trump’s most profitable business strategies

Talking Points Memo: Circulator Of Powerpoint To Overturn Election Results Claims He Repeatedly Met With Meadows – Meadows saw the PowerPoint January 5th