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

Law enforcement recommended the Michigan legislature close its offices.

President Donald Trump is slated to hand over control of the White House to President-elect Joe Biden in 39 days.


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Overview: Trump, GOP loyalists hope SCOTUS takes up election challenge while Biden Cabinet pick raises questions

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


Biden to campaign in Georgia next Tuesday

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 loses 3rd straight case

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


Former Ohio state senator poised to run for Fudge's House seat

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


'Small portion of GOP' are 'appeasing' and 'patronizing' Trump because they're 'scared of his Twitter power': Cedric Richmond

Incoming White House Senior Adviser Louisiana Rep. Cedric Richmond, appeared on CBS' "Face the Nation" on Sunday, but revealed very little about the incoming Biden transition plans for vaccine distribution or dealing with the newly announced investigation of Hunter Biden’s taxes. However, Richmond stressed in his interview that Republicans were very aware that Biden would be president on Jan. 20.

When asked about congressional Republicans largely refusing to recognize President-elect Biden’s victory, Richmond pushed back, saying it was a small portion of the party afraid of Trump.

"They recognize Joe Biden's victory. All of America recognizes Joe Biden's victory. This is just a small portion of the Republican conference that are appeasing and patronizing the President on his way out because they are scared of his Twitter power and other things. And so when it's time to govern, if we can't cooperate -- if Republicans won't meet us halfway, we will go to the American people, and we will continue to push our agenda. But this country is in far too much turmoil. And this pandemic, the economic aspects and health aspects really caused for America to get on one page -- solve this crisis and start to move forward. So -- we're not going to let them slow us down,” he said.

"I talk to Republican members of Congress all the time, and they say one thing privately, they say another thing publicly. But the one thing I will tell you is they realize he lost this election," Richmond added.

- Molly Nagle