Today's installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* Despite expressing doubts about her commitment to the Republican Party, Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) said she is "absolutely, unequivocally not" considering joining the new Senate Democratic majority.
* In the wake of last week's attack on the U.S. Capitol, the Wall Street Journal reported, "JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Citigroup Inc. said they are pausing all PAC donations to Republicans and Democrats in the coming months. Other companies, including the Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance group and Marriott International Inc., said they would pause donations to Republican lawmakers who objected to President-elect Joe Biden's Electoral College win after supporters of President Trump stormed the Capitol on Wednesday."
* CNN's Fareed Zakaria asked former Secretary of State Colin Powell whether he believes "fellow Republicans" played a role in encouraging right-wing "wildness." Powell replied, "[T]hey did, and that's why I can no longer call myself a Republican."
* It took a few days, but former Sen. David Perdue (R) did, in fact, concede to Sen.-elect Jon Ossoff (D) in Georgia late last week.
* On a related note, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) wrote an op-ed on Friday describing Ossoff and Sen.-elect Raphael Warnock (D) as "communists."
* Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), who backed off of right-wing efforts to challenge Joe Biden's victory, also tried to distance himself Friday from his own campaign fundraising based on bogus claims of Democrats "stealing" the election.
* How close was the mayoral election in Friendswood, Texas? With two tied candidates, the race was resolved late last week by pulling a ping-pong ball from a top hat.