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TODAY'S HEADLINES:

Scientists are monitoring a new, highly infectious strain of the coronavirus, spreading throughout the United Kingdom -- here’s what we know so far.

Meanwhile, a far-right armed mob descended on the Oregon Capitol building, to protest a special session of the state legislature, airing a confusing mess of grievances, and forcing their way into the building.

And lastly, a watchdog group finds that the New York City Police Department grossly mishandled Black Lives Matter protests this summer, violating protesters' first amendment rights, and exposing systemic flaws in the department’s organization.

THESE ARE THE STORIES YOU NEED TO KNOW:

The new coronavirus strain we mentioned yesterday continues to spread throughout Europe, setting off the now-familiar chain reaction of flight closures and falling stock prices.

As we mentioned yesterday, scientists don’t think that this strain is going to resist the vaccines already going out across the world. But there is some evidence that some of the new mutations have made this version of the virus more infectious, but not necessarily more deadly.

In response, various European countries started closing their borders to British travelers. The United States followed suit in some cases on Monday, as state governors like New York’s Andrew Cuomo asked airlines to require a negative COVID test before allowing passengers to fly into the city.

The big question at the moment is how far the new strain has spread. There’s a similar version of the virus in South Africa, and many of these mutations could happen concurrently. The granular level research on virus strains is a bit slower moving than other data so it may take a bit for us to know exactly where it is.

Dr. Anthony Fauci said that U.S. officials should quote “follow it carefully, but don’t overreact to it.” endquote. That seems like sound advice for now.

Far Right Crashes Oregon Capitol

If there’s one thing you can count on through all this, it’s that the armed far right is always going to make a bad situation even worse.

On Monday, groups of assorted right-wing refuse gathered outside the Oregon Statehouse, staging a chaotic, violent protest against everything from the 2020 election to the state’s coronavirus restrictions. The latter grievance appears to be the main impetus behind the demonstration, where protesters clashed repeatedly with riot police and at one point forced their way into the building.

Oregon’s state legislature was having a closed-door session to push forward specific relief bills and new restrictions, like a statewide mask mandate and relief for landlords as well as tenants. They were also discussing whether or not to allow bars and restaurants to serve cocktails to go. In other words, pretty much the basic functions of a state government these days.

But the protesters outside wanted none of that, and repeatedly tried to force their way past riot police, who declared an unlawful assembly and struck back with crowd control munitions and devices. It’s one of the first times that police took a fraction of the firepower they’ve been using on leftists and Black Lives Matter Protesters, and used it on the far right.

Report Finds NYPD Guilty

A city investigation into the New York City Police Department’s conduct during widespread protests this summer found that the nation’s largest police department committed gross abuses of power, violently infringing on protesters first amendment rights on multiple occasions.

The report, released on Friday, concluded that the NYPD’s aggressive tactics often violated the first amendment, and said that police officials were unprepared and untrained for handling the large crowds that sprang up. When overwhelmed, the report says they often resorted to violence.

Margaret Garnett, the commissioner for the Department of Investigation, said at a news conference on Friday quote: “The response really was a failure on many levels,” endquote.

NYC Mayor Bill De Blasio, who spent most of the summer ignoring direct evidence that his cops were out of control, finally expressed some contrition after the report was released, saying quote:

“I look back with remorse. I wish I had done better. I want everyone to understand that. And I’m sorry I didn’t do better.”

Endquote.

Obviously that’s too little, way too late, but at least he’ll be out of a job next year. And if you take a wider view, the NYPD’s response was similar to that of many other departments around the country. Also on Friday, the Appeal reported on previously unreleased bodycam footage that

showed Boston cops engaged in an ugly mob mentality as they joked about brutalizing protesters and targeting nonviolent demonstrators for arrest. These reports are just the tip of the iceberg as we continue to unpack a summer of lawlessness perpetrated by those who are supposed to protect and serve.

AND NOW FOR SOME QUICKER QUICKIES:

A new, shocking report by the Intercept shows that CIA-trained and enabled militias are still wreaking havoc on Afghani civilians even as the U.S.’s official troop presence wanes in the country. This is the future of the forever war. And it looks just as ugly as the start.

In one final, oddball decree, Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday that prohibits new federal buildings from being built in any architectural style other than Neoclassical, Georgian, Federal, Greek Revival, Beaux-Arts, or Art Deco. That’s right everyone: no more of that commie brutalism or anything that doesn’t smack of strong western values while Trump is in charge. This will almost certainly be overturned, but it’s equal parts funny and repressive while it lasts.

Rebekah Jones, the Florida Data Scientist who was first fired, and then had her house raided for the crime of trying to accurately track and report the state’s coronavirus cases, is suing the state’s law enforcement agency, saying it violated her rights when agents raided her house at gunpoint earlier this month.

And in one final injustice to the woefully inadequate relief bill process: the wider government funding package that the relief bill is part of also includes a final $1.375 billion for Trump’s border wall and border security. Even at the very end of his time in office, he’s still trying to build his stupid wall -- or at least toss some more slush money at various contractors and friendly agencies.

That’s it for the Majority Report’s AM Quickie. Sam, Emma and the gang will be LIVE today at noon eastern on The Majority Report.

DEC 22, 2020 - AM QUICKIE

HOSTS - Sam Seder & Lucie Steiner

WRITER - Jack Crosbie

PRODUCER - Dorsey Shaw

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER - Brendan Finn