The Morning Briefing: Every Vote Counts in Large Amounts and Much, Much More

Listen as you read the Briefing this morning.

Good Friday morning.

Here is what’s on the president’s agenda today:

The president and first lady are traveling to France

You can count on the Dems!

Literally, you can count on them or with them. The Democrats in Florida, Georgia, and Arizona are continuing to “count” the “votes” in the 2018 election and, curiously, as they continue to “count,” the Democrats either take the lead or close the gap. I wonder how this is going to end? (Not really.) This is ridiculous. Has there ever been an election or a special county where a bunch of Republican votes are always “found” or “discovered” that switch the fate of an election?

“Suddenly” Kyrsten Sinema has taken the lead after more ballots were “counted” in the Arizona Senate race.

Most of the outstanding ballots are coming from Arizona’s largest county, Maricopa County, which is home to Phoenix and includes Sinema’s congressional district. Sinema held a slight edge of about 1 point over McSally in the county as of Thursday afternoon, but the new votes counted Thursday expanded the Democrat’s Maricopa edge to 2.5 points. That’s the outcome Democrats had hoped for, while Republicans were expecting McSally’s tally there to improve.

Of course. And over in Florida, there’s a whole other mess. Governor and current Senate winner Rick Scott has filed lawsuits in two counties.

Accusing Democrats of conducting a coordinated effort to “steal” elections in a campaign of possibly “rampant fraud,” Republican Senate candidate Rick Scott filed explosive lawsuits late Thursday against the top election officials in two heavily Democratic counties, as they continue to report new votes and three major races in the state appear headed for recounts.

In their lawsuit against Broward County, Scott and the National Republican Senatorial Committeee (NRSC) allege that officials there are hiding critical information about the number of votes cast and counted. And in a parallel suit against Palm Beach County, Scott and the NRSC charge that the election supervisor there illegally used her own judgment to determine voter intent when reviewing damaged or incorrectly filled-out absentee ballots, while refusing to allow impartial witnesses to monitor the process.

Republicans sue Arizona county recorders as US Senate election remains too close to call

Scott orders Broward voting probe as his Nelson lead shrinks

You don’t say! Florida teacher finds ‘provisional ballot box’ in storage area

Rubio warns of Dem lawyers ‘descending on Florida’ to ‘try and steal’ key statewide races

Andrew Gillum, Ron DeSantis Florida governor’s race appears headed to a recount

All the people who protested Sessions’ nomination to AG are now protesting his firing

Talk about whiplash! The streets were filled with people who were angry the president appointed an inbred, racist, Klan member like Sen. Jeff Sessions as Attorney General and now they are mad Trump has fired him!

Thousands of liberal protesters streamed through the streets of New York City into Union Square on Thursday night to protest President Trump’s firing of Attorney General Jeff Sessions yesterday, in a rapidly organized demonstration that even some participants acknowledged was as high on irony as it was on enthusiasm.

There was a heavy police presence as the protesters demanded that Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker step aside. Whitaker has written critically of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russian election meddling probe, which he now oversees.

Of concern, it is the Mueller investigation that is in danger, apparently, because the crippled, impotent AG has been fired and the implicated FISA-signing Rosenstein has been taken off Mueller babysitting duty. The acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker is getting all kinds of pressure to resign because he is not parroting the Democrat conspiracy theory about RUSSIA collusion. Stay tight, Mr. Whitaker.

Democratic state AGs call on Whitaker to recuse himself from Mueller probe

Flake, Coons push for vote on Mueller protection bill

The new Jeff Flake. Mitt Romney: Russia probe should continue despite Sessions firing

The latest on Tucker’s antifa visitors

A crowd of antifa well-wishers who visited the home of Tucker Carlson are now the subject of a criminal investigation.

The police report describes the protest as “anti-political” and a “suspected hate crime.” Police are investigating an offense of defacing public property, but the department told CBS News no arrests have been made.

A group called Smash Racism D.C. posted messages on social media encouraging the protest and revealing Carlson’s address. “Fascists are vulnerable. Confront them at their homes!” the group wrote in a Facebook post. In a tweet, Smash Racism D.C. said Carlson spreads “fear into our homes” every night and would be reminded “that you are not safe either.”

Has anyone checked in with a main agitator of this behavior, One Rep. Maxine Waters, soon-to-be chairwoman of the House Financial Services Committee, and asked her for some clarification? Waters was all about getting all up in the people’s faces.

Alyssa Milano Calls Out Mob That Descended On Tucker Carlson’s Home: ‘This Is Not Ok’

Tucker Carlson: ‘Our public conversation has been hijacked by extremists’

Historical picture of the day:

Manhattan skyscrapers and apartment buildings are dark shortly after 6 p.m. Nov.9,1965 during New York City’s massive blackout. In the foreground is the Hudson River with ships lighted by their own power systems. N.J. (AP Photo/Phil Lane)

Other morsels:

The Trump administration just moved to restrict its asylum system as migrant caravans head toward the US

Online Porn Viewing During The Midterm Elections Was A Rollercoaster. Here Are The Numbers

After Losing, Dem Politicians Now Say They Can Be Truthful

Awful. ‘Everything destroyed’ as wildfire scorches Paradise, California

U.S. regulators snip red tape for medical devices to curb opioid crisis

Pelosi: Gun control ‘will be a priority’ in next House

Opposition to Pelosi hardens

Some Congressmen live in their office if they can’t afford an apartment. Ocasio-Cortez Says She Doesn’t Have Congresswoman’s Salary Yet. She Asks: ‘How Do I Get An Apartment?’

$229 Billion California Teacher Retirement Program Cites ‘Human Rights’ Violations When Divesting From Private Prisons

Source: Eric Swalwell to run for president in 2020

Oh. Trump administration ups sanctions on Russia before Paris summit