Following his 2019 yearbook scandal, @GovernorVA Ralph Northam told me in an interview he would prioritize racial equity policy. As his term ends tomorrow, it's worth noting the breadth and depth of what he and state Democrats accomplished. Here's a long and yet incomplete list: - Removed Confederate statues, including Lee statue
- Increased minimum wage
- Signed sweeping voting rights reform, including 45 days early voting, Election Day as holiday, automatic registration and repealed voter ID law
- Ended death penalty

NEWS: President Biden intends to appoint Ron Stroman, Anton Hajjar and Amber McReynolds to the three seats that remain open on the #USPS Board of Governors and cement Democratic oversight of the agency, two sources familiar tell me. The appointments, which include two men of color and a woman, would greatly diversify the board.

The current board is made up of six white men -- all of whom previously had limited experience with the Postal Service.

Biden's COVID-19 Vaccination Plan:

Get more people vaccinated:

-Encourage states to allow more people to be vaccinated including individuals age 65+ as well as frontline workers

-Ensure equity throughout the vaccination process to reach hard-to-reach, marginalized communities Create more vaccination sites:

-Stand up new, federally-supported community vaccination centers

-Fully reimburse state deployment of the National Guard to support vaccinations

-Make vaccines available in pharmacies

-Launch new models to serve high-risk individuals

Excerpts from Biden's speech tonight:

"If anyone didn’t know it before, we know it now. What beats deep in the hearts of the American people is this: Democracy.

The right to be heard. To have your vote counted. To choose the leaders of this nation. To govern ourselves." Biden: "In America, politicians don’t take power — the people grant it to them.

The flame of democracy was lit in this nation a long time ago. And we now know that nothing — not even a pandemic —or an abuse of power — can extinguish that flame."

BIDEN CABINET NEWS: Joe Biden could announce his health team as soon as next week, which would include HHS Secretary, CDC Director and COVID czar -- for which Jeff Zients remains a favorite, a transition official tells @PeterAlexander. The leading choices for Biden's HHS Secretary are former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy and Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo.

Notably no longer named as a top contender: New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, sources tell @HeidiNBC and @PeterAlexander .

NEW: The heads of legacy civil rights groups say they haven't been consulted about key cabinet picks and are frustrated they haven't met with Biden since the election. - latest from @spettypi and me

nbcnews.com/politics/white… NAACP President Derrick Johnson: "We haven’t had a meeting with him ... we have not had direct conversations about key appointments. Civil right leaders in this country should be on par if not more than other constituency groups he has met with."

NEWS: Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg will lie in repose at the Supreme Court of the United States on Wednesday, September 23, and Thursday, September 24. - via @PeteWilliamsNBC A private ceremony will take place in the Great Hall on Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. Following the private ceremony inside, Justice Ginsburg will lie in repose under the Portico at the top of the front steps of the Building to allow for public viewing outdoors.

.@repjimcooper tells me his question during DeJoy's House testimony about reimbursing campaign donations was informed by a tip he got.

He also says “corporate CEOs pressuring employees to contribute to political campaigns” was the focus of his Harvard Law School thesis. #USPS Rep. Jim Cooper adds: "With these megadonors, the question is always: ‘What did they do to squeeze these people [to contribute]?’ That’s the crux of it. The donations have to be voluntary."

A worker at Postmaster General Louis DeJoy's former company tells us of sweatshop-like conditions. Lakeisha Nelson says harassment was rampant, some pregnant workers suffered miscarriages, and one worker even died of cardiac arrest.

Part of my #USPS report today with @SRuhle: Many of these incidents are documented in published reports:

NYT: XPO Logistics Will Close Warehouse Where Some Pregnant Workers Miscarried
nytimes.com/2019/02/14/bus…

NEWS: I got a tip that someone in town for Robert Trump's White House funeral punched a server tonight at D.C.'s Fig & Olive restaurant. I called and an employee there confirmed it: "Somebody blindsided one of my servers. Clocked him right in the nose." I'm told some in the group were still carrying funeral programs. The "unruly" group lashed out when the restaurant couldn't accommodate their large party. Employee: "It’s a pandemic, doing the best we can. Totally uncalled for." Employee says no "high-profile" Trump was involved.

Louis DeJoy told Sen. @GaryPeters today that he has not cut postal workers' overtime.

But this internal #USPS talking points document I obtained show how his policy changes have the same effect: prohibiting "extra"or "late" trips and mandating that carriers "return on time." The #USPS document was internally circulated in July with the heading: "Pivoting for our Future"

THREAD: Postal Service policy changes are taking a toll on military veterans, whose mail-order medications are delayed. Here's a snapshot of what I've heard:

Florida: Vietnam combat vet ordered COPD prescription 10 days ago and was told it'll "probably" arrive around September 9 Indiana: An Air Force veteran and former U.S. Secret Service agent had to drive two hours round-trip to pick up life-saving heart medication. He's been waiting nearly three weeks for a CPAP mask and tube, which usually takes 3-5 days by mail.

NEWS: Ghislane Maxwell, the long-time friend of accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, has been arrested by the FBI and charged by federal prosecutors in New York in connection with an ongoing investigation into Epstein’s sexual abuse, @jonathan4ny and @Tom_Winter report. Multiple young women have accused Maxwell, 58, of complicity in Epstein's alleged sex trafficking ring. They say she either recruited them directly or provided logistical support, like scheduling visits to Epstein's home. Maxwell has denied any wrong-doing.

Asked if Trump will support Democrats' police reform bill, a White House official tells NBC News: "I don’t anticipate he'll support it."

That’s not surprising.

The Trump administration has repeatedly criticized and curtailed efforts to investigate and reform police departments. Former AG Jeff Sessions abandoned the Obama admin's policing reforms and "pattern-or-practice" investigations.

Current AG Bill Barr warned in December that if communities don't give police support and respect, "they might find themselves without the police protection they need."

Aides to former President Obama tell @JoshNBCNews that in his virtual town hall tonight, Obama will draw an implicit contrast between Trump’s handling of the policing crisis and the policies Obama advocated as president to increase trust between police and communities of color. Obama will directly reference the death of George Floyd before pivoting to “specific reforms that ensure better, safer policing and foster a sense of trust between communities and law enforcement while keeping cities safe,” an Obama aide tells @JoshNBCNews and @kwelkernbc.

NEWS: Fired Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin has been charged with third degree murder and manslaughter.

The investigation into the other three officers involved in the killing of George Floyd is ongoing, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman says. Freeman says he anticipates charges against the other officers involved in Floyd's killing.

THREAD: Some of Kayleigh McEnany's public statements about Trump:

Feb. 26, 2020 | Fox Business (re: coronavirus outbreak): "This president has this under control, and America will see that. Just like with every single international incident, he knows what he's doing." McEnany | Feb. 25, 2020 | Fox Business: "We will not see diseases like the coronavirus come here. We will not see terrorism come here. And isn’t that refreshing when contrasting it with the awful presidency of President Obama."

THREAD -- A timeline of Trump's coronavirus statements:

Jan. 22: "It's going to be just fine. We have it totally under control."

Jan. 24: "It will all work out well."

Jan. 30: "We think we have it very well under control." Feb. 7: "… as the weather starts to warm & the virus hopefully becomes weaker, and then gone."

Feb. 10: "I think the virus is going to be -- it's going to be fine."

Feb. 14: "... we’re in very good shape."

NEWS via LTC Vindman’s atty: “Today, Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman was escorted out of the White House where he has dutifully served his country and his President. He does so having spoken publicly once, and only pursuant to a subpoena from the United States Congress.” Statement continues: “There is no question in the mind of any American why this man’s job is over, why this country now has one less soldier serving it at the White House. [He] was asked to leave for telling the truth. His honor, his commitment to right, frightened the powerful.”

Here's what key Republican senators told our team this evening about a Senate impeachment trial and potential testimony from John Bolton.

TILLIS: "What I don't want to do is all of a sudden open it up to where we effectively have the impeachment inquiry on the Senate side." MURKOWSKI when asked if she agrees with McConnell's preferred trial structure: "Yep. I think it’s how we get started with this."

MURKOWSKI on Bolton testimony: "I don't think there's any decision on Bolton because we don’t have articles."

NEWS: A person with knowledge of the situation confirms to NBC that Gordon Sondland spoke by phone with Pres. Trump on Sept. 9 before responding to acting Ambassador to Ukraine Bill Taylor’s text about it being “crazy” to link Ukraine assistance to help with a political campaign. NBC: U.S. officials and others with knowledge of their relationship also say that Sondland is part of a small cadre of ambassadors who enjoy direct and frequent access to Trump. They say the two speak frequently by phone and have spoken extensively about Ukraine in the past.