Michigan state legislature closes offices due to 'credible threats of violence'

President Donald Trump and a long line of his Republican supporters are hoping the Supreme Court will agree to take up a long-shot Texas lawsuit seeking to invalidate the results of the 2020 election in four key swing states.

Republican attorneys general from 17 states filed in support of Texas, as did a group of conservative lawyers and personalities.

Trump himself also sought to join the suit. He is scheduled to meet with 12 state attorneys general on Thursday, 10 of whom filed in support of the suit.

Since his Nov. 3 defeat, the president and his allies have mounted over 50 lawsuits in state and federal courts that have met with resounding and, at times, scathing defeats. On social media, Trump suggested the Supreme Court would finally give him the hearing he has been seeking.

"The case that everyone has been waiting for is the State's case with Texas and numerous others joining. It is very strong, ALL CRITERIA MET," Trump tweeted Wednesday.

Meanwhile, President-elect Joe Biden's pick for secretary of defense, Lloyd Austin, is raising questions about civilian control of the military.

In order for Austin to serve as defense secretary he will require a waiver from both houses of Congress -- the waiver is needed because Austin retired from the Army four years ago, which is less than the seven-year gap any nominee to be a secretary of defense must have from the end of their military service.

If approved, Austin would only be the third to receive the waiver to take the position, but the second in four years.

Some Democratic lawmakers have expressed concerns that they will be asked to once again consider a waiver just four years after they voted to do so for retired Marine Gen. James Mattis. Being asked to give Austin the waiver places the 17 Democratic senators and 150 Democratic House Representatives who voted against the Mattis waiver in an awkward position.

-ABC News' Devin Dwyer, Olivia Rubin, Matt Mosk and Luis Martinez

President-elect Joe Biden will travel to Georgia on Tuesday Dec. 15 to campaign for Democratic candidates Jon Ossoff and Rev. Raphael Warnock in their Senate runoff races, the Biden transition has announced.

Biden's visit will come during the first week of early voting in the Jan. 5  Senate runoff elections that could determine whether Democrats or Republicans control the U.S. Senate.

-ABC News' Briana Stewart and John Verhovek

Pro-Trump attorney Sidney Powell has just lost her third straight case in her conspiracy-fueled bid to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, this time in Arizona.

As in the earlier cases, the judge did not look kindly on the unfounded claims that filled Powell's lawsuit. Judge Diane Humetewa, an Obama appointee, wrote in her dismissal Wednesday night that Powell's allegations might "find favor in the public sphere of gossip and innuendo," but they "cannot be substitute for earnest pleadings and procedure in federal court."

"They most certainly cannot be the basis for upending Arizona's 2020 General Election," Humetewa wrote. 

Powell saw swift defeat in two cases Monday, with federal judges in Michigan and Georgia dismissing or denying her efforts there within hours of each other. Both of those rulings have since been appealed. Only Powell's Wisconsin case remains. A ruling is expected soon. 

-ABC News' Olivia Rubin and Matthew Mosk

Less than 24 hours after the news broke that Biden would nominate Rep. Marcia Fudge, D-Ohio, to serve as his secretary of Housing and Urban Development, a high-profile figure within the progressive left appears poised to launch a bid for her House seat.

On Wednesday, candidacy paperwork bearing the name of former Ohio state Sen. Nina Turner was filed with the FEC for Fudge's 11th Congressional District seat. Sources close to Turner told ABC News to expect an announcement from Turner herself "soon."

While far from a national name, Turner is immensely popular within the Sen. Bernie Sanders-led progressive left after serving as a campaign surrogate and adviser during Sanders' 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns. In between, she served as president of Our Revolution, the political action organization founded in the wake of Sanders' first campaign.

A Turner run would be noteworthy for the amount of money she could potentially raise. Given their close relationship, it's likely Turner would be granted access to Sanders' massive email list, of which many subscribers are already familiar with Turner via her charismatic stump work on the senator's behalf.

Already a resident of the 11th Congressional District, Turner served on the Cleveland City Council prior to being appointed to the state Senate in 2008. She was the Democratic nominee for Ohio secretary of state in 2014, but was defeated by nearly 25 points. Such a defeat would be unlikely in the heavily blue 11th district where the Democratic primary is tantamount to election.

-ABC News' Adam Kelsey