Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) celebrated Republicans’ congressional victories on Monday, declined to congratulate Joe Biden or recognize him as the president-elect, and instead defended President Trump’s legal fight against ballot counts showing him behind in key states. “Obviously no states have yet certified their election results. We have at least one or two states that are already on track for a recount and I believe the president may have legal challenges underway in at least five states,” McConnell said.

Pfizer’s announcement that its coronavirus vaccine could be ready for distribution within the next two months was partially “bad news” because it comes before President Trump leaves office, New York governor Andrew Cuomo said on Monday morning. “The good news is the Pfizer tests look good and we’ll have a vaccine shortly. The bad news is that it’s about two months before Joe Biden takes over and that means this administration is going to be implementing a vaccine plan,” Cuomo told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos on Good Morning America. “The Trump Administration is rolling out the vaccination plan and I believe it’s flawed.

President Donald Trump’s legal team repeated its vow Sunday to bring a wave of new lawsuits contesting Joe Biden’s win of the presidency, starting with a suit to be filed Monday alleging that Philadelphia and Pittsburgh were awash in vote fraud. Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s personal lawyer, elaborated on the pending suits in an interview on Fox News. He contended the suits could reverse the outcome, at least in Pennsylvania. “We have enough to change Pennsylvania,” he said. “The Pennsylvania election was a disaster.” Giuliani said there were voting issues in as many as 10 states. “This was a national plan by Democrats,” he told interviewer Maria Bartiromo on her Sunday Morning Futures show.

Senator Lindsey Graham backed him President trump on Fox News this Sunday morning with Maria Bartiromo. Graham appeared on Fox – which has called the election for Joe Biden – to say, “This is a contested election, the media doesn’t decide who becomes president. If they did you’d never have a Republican president forever, so we’re discounting them.” “If Republicans don’t challenge and change the U.S. election system, there’ll never be another Republican president elected again.” He concluded the interview by declaring, “Trump has not lost. Do not concede, Mr. President, fight hard.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

President Trump again claimed victory in the presidential race on Thursday. At the same time, he accused his critics and the media of stealing the election from him. Hundreds of thousands of legally cast votes have yet to be counted in several states, and there is not yet a winner in the race between Trump and Joe Biden. Mr. Trump spoke Thursday evening from the White House, the first time that he has addressed the public since his remarks in the early hours of Wednesday morning after election night. His campaign has brought or threatened lawsuits in several closely contested states in an attempt to stop the the counting of votes it is disputing. “If you count the legal votes I easily win,” Trump said, providing no evidence for his claim.

Biden: “In America, the vote is sacred, it’s how people express their will and it is the will of the voters, not anything else that chooses the President of the United States.” “Each ballot must be counted,” he says, adding that it “requires patience.” “We continue to feel very good about where things stands, we have no doubt when the count is finished Sen Harris and I will be declared the winners,” he says. He urges supporters to “stay calm.” “The process is working, the count is being completed.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Over 20 people were arrested Wednesday night at a protest in Midtown. The large group of protesters marched through Midtown on Wednesday evening, demanding to protect the results of the election. They marched down Fifth Avenue and gathered in Washington Square Park, calling for all votes to be counted. The protest was peaceful, but police later reported incidents of people starting fires and throwing garbage and eggs. In a tweet, the NYPD said, “We appreciate and value the importance of freedom of speech. Our top priority is and always will be safety. We have arrested more than 20 individuals who attempted to hijack a peaceful protest by lighting fires, throwing garbage and eggs in Manhattan.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Due to the major rainstorm that struck Israel on Tuesday night and carried on through most of Wednesday, rescue teams were busy in numerous coastal cities aiding people who got stuck due to floods that washed out various neighborhoods. United Hatzalah reported that numerous streets in the coastal city of Ashdod flooded on Wednesday morning causing a series of emergencies throughout the city. According to a statement made by the organization, volunteers responded to emergency calls in various neighborhoods that included people being trapped in elevators, people who were trapped in their cars, and a few light injuries due to people slipping and falling on the streets.

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden acknowledged the historic nature of the election and how more than “150 million people cast their votes” this year during a speech in Wilmington, Delaware. “More Americans voted this election than ever before in American history. Over 150 million people cast their votes. I think that is just extraordinary. And if we had any doubts, we shouldn’t have any longer about a government of, by and for the people. It is very much alive, very much alive in America,” Biden said. Biden added: “Now after a long night of counting, it’s clear that we are winning enough states to reach 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency. I’m not here to declare that we have won.

An Israeli chassan who got married on Monday night, like all chassanim, very much wanted his friends from yeshiva to take part in his simcha. However, as his friends are currently in a “capsule program” at Yeshivas Knesses Yitzchak Hadera in Modiin Illit, their presence at his simcha wasn’t possible since the bochurim are forbidden from leaving the yeshiva and are certainly not allowed to participate in group events. But that little fact didn’t stop this determined chassan. He decided that if his friends couldn’t travel to his simcha, his simcha would travel to them! His wedding was held below the dorm of the yeshivah, where his friends could feel the joy of his simcha and he could experience the joy of his friends’ presence.