Elections

Vice President Mike Pence has called Vice President-elect Kamala Harris to offer his congratulations. That's, according to two peoples familiar with the conversation who were granted anonymity to share details of a private conversation. One of the people familiar with the Thursday afternoon conversation described it as a “good call,” with Pence congratulating his successor and offering assistance. The call comes less than a week before President-elect Joe Biden and Harris are set to take office, next Wednesday. It marks the first contact between elected officials from the outgoing and incoming administrations.

Airlines say they are stepping up security on flights to Washington before next week’s inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden. Delta, United, Alaska and American airlines said Thursday they will bar passengers flying to Washington from putting guns in checked bags. Other airlines announced more modest steps. American Airlines will stop serving alcohol on flights to and from the Washington area — a policy it imposed temporarily after the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol by supporters of President Donald Trump. Meanwhile, key lawmakers and the head of the nation’s largest union of flight attendants are asking that anyone arrested in connection with the riot be put on the government's no-fly list. 

President Donald Trump is trying to pressure Vice President Mike Pence to use powers he doesn't have to overturn the will of voters in a desperate and futile bid to undo President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the November election. Pence finds himself in the most precarious position of his tenure as he prepares to preside over Wednesday’s congressional tally of Electoral College votes. Beginning at 1 p.m., Pence’s role is to open the certificates of the electoral votes from each state and present them to the appointed “tellers” from the House and Senate in alphabetical order. And Pence has the task of announcing who's won the majority of votes for both president and vice president.

A Republican senator says he'll object when Congress meets next week to certify President-elect Joe Biden's victory in the election. Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri says he'll protest the Electoral College certification because “some states, including notably Pennsylvania” didn't follow their election laws. A Biden spokeswoman is dismissing Hawley’s move as “antics” that will have no bearing on Biden being sworn in on Jan. 20. Hawley isn't giving specifics or evidence in the statement he released announcing his intentions. Hawley's move is likely to force votes in the House and Senate that would delay the certification of Biden’s win, but not change the outcome.