PBC News & Comment: Sometimes, It’s Nice to Be Wrong

Your humble host reluctantly predicted that Roy Moore would win Alabama Senate race, is relieved that voters narrowly rejected him….--no flaming liberal, Doug Jones will probably be like Florida’s Sen. Bill Nelson, a cautious conserva-Dem
--Trump tries to deflect blame for Moore’s loss, uses kindergarten math to argue that write-in protest votes made the difference
--Republicans have completed their backroom deals on tax cuts for corporations and wealthy, but they’re secret
--Senate Dem leader Schumer talks to McConnell’s deaf ear, says delay tax vote until Jones is sworn in
--Minnesota’s governor names Lt. Gov. Tina Smith to replace Al Franken until special election next November
--America’s blandest newspaper, USA Today, slams Trump in unusual editorial
--in new, in-depth interview, law professor Sanford Levinson complains that the US Constitution makes it hard to replace the president
--FBI investigator Peter Strzok and FBI lawyer Lisa Page are under fire for exchanging personal text messages critical of Trump
--Deputy AG Rosenstein faces angry Republicans who use the text messages to claim bias in FBI and Mueller investigation
--in first defeat for judicial nominees, White House will withdraw 2 unqualified picks
--in trial of first group of January 20 DC protesters, judge throws out rioting charges
--in reaction to Trump’s Jerusalem designation, wave of anti-Semitic protest sweeps Europe
--Palestinian leader Abbas rejects US as mediator with Israel
--new poll shows Israelis are deeply divided, like Americans
--Rexxon Tillerson, rumored to be a lame duck, eases terms for talks with North Korea
--as year of extreme weather events comes to an end, peer-reviewed report says global warming made hurricane Harvey more violent
--at latest climate change summit in Paris, Trump is the absent devil
--France names 13 American winners of climate science grants
--federal appeals court in San Francisco refuses to dismiss climate change lawsuit from young plaintiffs