Schumer: 'We made progress' on voting bill, filibuster rules
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says Democrats "made progressโ toward changing the Senateโs filibuster rules to advance voting legislation, despite the dramatic collapse of the package that his party says is central to protecting democracy.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/B5XDXBFQUVDG5K4YXDK35KH6TY.jpg)
Defense asks judge to clear Arbery signs, supporters from courthouse lawn
Attorneys for the three men accused in the shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery asked the judge presiding over the trial to limit the signs and Justice for rallies outside the courthouse, arguing that it will influence potential jurors.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65):fill(FFF)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/ELA7B6LQIRCQZCQ3GN3VBUOCNA.jpg)
Amid growing frustration, White House pushes voting rights
The Biden administration has unveiled new efforts to help protect voting rights as complaints grow louder from civil rights activists and other Democrats that the White House has not done enough to fight the push from several Republican-led state legislatures to restrict access to the ballot.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65):fill(FFF)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/TO756WVD3NCMPACLFGRESSRMA4.jpg)
As frustration mounts, a White House push on voting rights
The Biden administration has unveiled new efforts to help protect access to the ballot as complaints grow louder from civil rights activists and other Democrats that the White House has not done enough to fight attempts by Republican-led state legislatures to tighten voting laws.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/BTBTX7IAYNDOZOYC6X322ZB5OE.jpg)
Latest graphic novel about John Lewis coming in August
FILE - This Nov. 18, 2016 file photo shows Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., in the Civil Rights Room in the Nashville Public Library in Nashville, Tenn. The award-winning graphic novels about the congressmen and civil rights activist John Lewis will continue a year after his death. Abrams announced Tuesday that Run: Book One will be published Aug. 3, just over a year after Lewis died at age 80. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)NEW YORK โ The award-winning series of graphic novels about congressman and civil rights activist John Lewis will continue a year after his death. Abrams announced Tuesday that โRun: Book Oneโ will be published Aug. 3, just over a year after Lewis died at age 80.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/7MX3HUR4P5FR3IABPW7UUKMDH4.jpg)
Georgia's new GOP election law draws criticism, lawsuits
(AP Photo/Ben Gray)ATLANTA โ Critics of Georgia's new Republican-backed election law issued fresh calls Monday to boycott some of the stateโs largest businesses for not speaking out more forcefully against the law, a day after advocacy organizations filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging it. The new election law was signed Thursday by Republican Gov. It also bans people from handing out food or water to voters waiting in line and allows the Republican-controlled State Election Board to remove and replace county election officials. โGeorgiaโs Election Integrity Act that I signed into law expands early voting and secures our vote-by-mail system to protect the integrity of our elections,โ Kemp said in a recent tweet. But he said he does not support provisions that remove him as the chair of the State Election Board and replaces him with an appointee of the state legislature.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/I42OPPXE35E4ZECUVNJ6DTUE34.jpg)
Democrats assail Georgia law, make case for voting overhaul
He told reporters the Georgia law is an โatrocity" and the Justice Department is looking into it. Allies meanwhile plan to fight the Georgia law, and others, in court. He called as well for the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which would restore some aspects of a landmark law struck down by the Supreme Court in 2013. Donald Trump, the former president who promoted false claims of election fraud, congratulated the Georgia governor and state leaders on the new law. 1 is vast, and its Senate counterpart would confront the new Georgia law by expanding voting by mail and early voting, both popular during the pandemic.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/OPO7EINJLFAV7FMBI2UU3LRK6E.jpg)
Voting rights, hate crimes on Senate's 'big, bold' agenda
Democrats are vowing action on several of their top priorities in April, including strengthening hate crime laws to include Asian Americans and restoring voting rights protections to combat minority voter suppression. It would seek to restore elements of the Voting Rights Act that were struck down by the Supreme Court in 2013, a decision that Democrats say left minority voters vulnerable to disenfranchisement. Democrats see it as a forceful response to voting rights restrictions advancing in Republican-controlled statehouses across the country. Republicans are strongly opposed to the voting rights bill, arguing that it would tilt elections toward Democrats and take control of elections away from the states. While strengthening background checks is broadly popular among the American public, Senate Republicans have said they oppose the two House bills.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/WXZ3XMY265EGRGPKOOX33BIFDA.jpg)
Voting rights, hate crimes on Senate's 'big, bold' agenda
Democrats are vowing action on several of their top priorities in April, including strengthening hate crime laws to include Asian Americans and restoring voting rights protections to combat minority voter suppression. It would seek to restore elements of the Voting Rights Act that were struck down by the Supreme Court in 2013, a decision that Democrats say left minority voters vulnerable to disenfranchisement. Democrats see it as a forceful response to voting rights restrictions advancing in Republican-controlled statehouses across the country. Republicans are strongly opposed to the voting rights bill, arguing that it would tilt elections toward Democrats and take control of elections away from the states. While strengthening background checks is broadly popular among the American public, Senate Republicans have said they oppose the two House bills.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/4YHDV6XZMVCW5HWESNHPJTT3HY.jpg)
Obama in upcoming podcast credits his mother for his path
Bruce Springsteen, left, appears with former President Barack Obama during their podcast of conversations recorded at Springsteen's home studio in New Jersey. The eight-episode series covers their upbringings, racism, fatherhood and even recall a White House singalong around a piano. (Rob DeMartin/Spotify via AP)NEW YORK โ Former President Barack Obama reveals in an upcoming podcast with rocker Bruce Springsteen that he chose a career of public service in part due to his mother, an acknowledgement that lands in the middle of Womenโs History Month. Obama's mother, Ann Dunham, was an anthropologist who worked to help improve the lives of the poor in Indonesia. But it has blossomed into deeper conversations since he left office, Obama said in the first episode.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/HAUFDPGJ6JGSLF7AJ5HBEZEE4E.jpg)
Bloody Sunday memorial honors late civil rights giants
The Selma Bridge Crossing Jubilee marks the 56th anniversary of Bloody Sunday โ the day on March 7, 1965, that civil rights marchers were brutally beaten by law enforcement officers on Selmaโs Edmund Pettus Bridge. Vivian, and attorney Bruce Boynton were the late civil rights leaders honored on Sunday. Footage of the beatings helped galvanize support for passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Let the people vote.โLowery, a charismatic and fiery preacher, is often considered the dean of the civil rights veterans and led the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Organizers acknowledged the fallen civil rights leaders and planned to lay wreaths at the bridge in their honor.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/XLJ755RMTBG2FA2SK45KTDCCYU.jpg)
House passes sweeping voting rights bill over GOP opposition
House Democrats are expected to pass a sweeping elections and ethics bill, offering it up as a powerful counterweight to voting rights restrictions advancing in Republican-controlled statehouses. Scott Applewhite)WASHINGTON โ House Democrats passed sweeping voting and ethics legislation over unanimous Republican opposition, advancing to the Senate what would be the largest overhaul of the U.S. election law in at least a generation. The bill is a powerful counterweight to voting rights restrictions advancing in Republican-controlled statehouses across the country in the wake of Donald Trumpโs repeated false claims of a stolen 2020 election. It would limit states' ability to purge registered voters from their rolls and restore former felons' voting rights. AdSome Democrats have discussed options like lowering the threshold to break a filibuster, or creating a workaround that would allow priority legislation, including a separate John Lewis Voting Rights bill, to be exempt.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/d1vhqlrjc8h82r.cloudfront.net/02-23-2021/t_87c0f86ce44a455283521a18afb36934_name_image.jpg)
Work continues to keep memory of John Lewis alive
ATLANTA โ Congressman John Lewis fought for equality and civil rights most of his life up until his very last breath. As the late congressman rests, the work continues to keep his memory alive. Though non-violent, he was still battered and bruised along with so many others at the Edmund Pettus Bridge during the civil rights movement of the 60s. Though Lewis passed before he could see the installation, Cook says the civil rights leader saw the design last year. AdOrganizers had hoped to dedicate the statue on congressman John Lewisโ birthday, Feb. 21.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/d1vhqlrjc8h82r.cloudfront.net/02-19-2021/t_fff89e569be045ccae1cb4f7643b01db_name_image.jpg)
A. Philip Randolph is more than a road. He paved the way for modern civil rights
A. Philip Randolph Boulevard runs between the baseball grounds and the arena downtown. But the street is named after an icon and one of the most influential men in the American civil rights movement. Philip Randolph, this prince of a man, the dean of Black leadership, spoke up and he said in his baritone voice โMr. If we donโt have a Civil Rights Act of 1964, if nobody stands up to the discrimination that was taking place at that point, Iโm not an urban planner today,โ Davis said. โYou could largely say there is no march on Washington in 1963 if you donโt have APR and the things he did to pave the way for that 1950s, 1960s civil rights movement.โ
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/WQG5VYX6YRHDNNR4FBMZPON37I.jpg)
DeSantis orders flags lowered to honor Rush Limbaugh
Florida will lower flags to half-staff after funeral plans are set for conservative media icon Rush Limbaugh, a Palm Beach resident who died Wednesday after a battle with cancer, Gov. โWhen thereโs things of this magnitude, once the date of internment for Rush is announced, weโre going to be lowering the flags to half-staff,โ DeSantis said during a campaign-style press event at the Hilton Palm Beach Airport in West Palm Beach. Not everyone thinks giving Limbaugh the same honor as police officers and longtime elected officials is a good idea. โ@GovRonDeSantis is lowering Floridaโs flags to half-staff for Rush Limbaugh. DeSantis sent out a tweet offering condolences a day after Lewis died.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/EYU6PBLKDBDDRPM7YKV6JFETAA.jpg)
The Hammer makes one last trip to spot where he hit No. 715
A photograph of Henry "Hank" Aaron, longtime Atlanta Braves player and Hall of Famer, sits outside his casket during his funeral on Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021 at Friendship Baptist Church in Atlanta. (Kevin D. Liles/Atlanta Braves via AP, Pool)ATLANTA โ The Hammer made one last trip to the spot where he hit No. โHank Aaron never bragged about anything โ except carrying Georgia for me in 1992." โJust his presence, before he hit a hit, changed this city,โ the 88-year-old Young said. A longtime Braves fan, Carter noted he was at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium the night Aaron hit his iconic home run.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/J7X2KX2HLBA6VOXJFYCBWGCE5I.jpg)
New Georgia senators carry John Lewisโ influence with them
Sen. Raphael Warnock was Lewisโ pastor and stood at his bedside before Lewis died. It seeks to restore portions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2013. Democrats and voting rights groups argue that the ruling has led to a cascade of changes in many states that have disenfranchised voters, including polling place closures. They are the first Democrats to win a U.S. Senate election in Georgia since 2000. โMy friend John Lewis planted the foundation of this Georgia over his career,โ Democratic Rep. Bill Pascrell of New Jersey said in a tweet.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/7JQVU6O2MVGZRBX6GZRGL33S5U.jpg)
Ossoff seals Democrats' sweep; will be youngest US senator
At 33, the millennial Democrat will assume his own leadership mantle after being one of two candidates to help the party sweep Georgia's crucial U.S. Senate runoff elections, a victory that sealed Democrats' control of the chamber. Ossoff defeated Republican David Perdue in the runoff that was held Tuesday after neither he nor Perdue received 50% of the vote in November. This is Ossoff's first election to public office, and he will be the youngest member of the Senate. For his Senate campaign, he took a sharper approach. In a victory speech early Wednesday, Ossoff said he would follow the example set by Lewis.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/d1vhqlrjc8h82r.cloudfront.net/01-07-2021/t_e157fa0bfe4f4f1098c2c467d9f369e0_name_image.jpg)
Warnock becomes Georgiaโs first Black senator
Raphael Warnock won one of Georgiaโs two U.S. Senate runoff races, becoming the first Black senator in his stateโs history. He was the first in his family to graduate from college, graduating from Morehouse College, an all-men historically Black college. โIt shows the viability of the Black church. You know, so many tried to vilify the Black church in that campaign, and the fact that he has now come out on top shows that the Black church still has a power both sociologically and spiritually, politically and theologically. During the election, there was a lot of controversy around the fiery language that Warnock uses in the pulpit.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/XXAGIYMXDNBW5GLPDAXYM75AFU.jpg)
GEORGIA TAKEAWAYS: Black turnout fuels Warnock victory
But Black voters were a force in the early vote and on Election Day. Notably, it wasnโt just in metro Atlanta, but also in rural and small-town counties across South Georgia, where Black turnout has historically lagged. That means it was an alliance spanning from the most affluent Black residents of Atlanta, including recent transplants to Georgia, to those Black Georgia natives who hail from the most economically depressed pockets of the state. But Black voters can point to Tuesdayโs vote count and take credit for that strategy ending in defeat. According to AP VoteCast, Republican voters are siding with Trump: About 6 in 10 approve of Kempโs handling of the election aftermath.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/DYCGQF4TZBC3FDMU6TDUN5PPQE.jpg)
Senate race thrusts 'Black America's church' into spotlight
It took a high-stakes Senate race and a Trump-era cultural debate to thrust Ebenezer Baptist Church into the center of the current political debate. โThe Republican attack is not just against Warnock, itโs against the Black church and the Black religious experience,โ said the Rev. โItโs bigger than any individual.โLoeffler has responded, saying in a tweet last month that she isn't attacking the Black church. Since before the abolition of slavery, the Black church has played a role in brokering congregants' relationship to political power. Itโs not uncommon for politicians, most often Democrats, to campaign from Black church pulpits.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/2XYYMLMFY5AVHMX4JTRGXTSVA4.jpg)
EXPLAINER: Stakes high for U.S. Senate runoffs in Georgia
Both of Georgia's Senate seats weren't supposed to be up for grabs in 2020. As for the challengers, Ossoff and Warnock are seeking to become the first Democrats to win a U.S. Senate election in Georgia since 2000. If he defeats Perdue, Ossoff would be the Senate's youngest member at age 33. The November elections resulted in Republicans holding 50 Senate seats and Democrats controlling 48. Trump has scheduled a Monday rally with Perdue and Loeffler in conservative northwest Georgia.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/PL4HJM4DSRCM7N5WIZGDZ7DLCM.jpg)
EXPLAINER: Stakes high for U.S. Senate runoffs in Georgia
Both of Georgia's Senate seats weren't supposed to be up for grabs in 2020. As for the challengers, Ossoff and Warnock are seeking to become the first Democrats to win a U.S. Senate election in Georgia since 2000. If he defeats Perdue, Ossoff would be the Senate's youngest member at age 33. The November elections resulted in Republicans holding 50 Senate seats and Democrats controlling 48. Trump has scheduled a Monday rally with Perdue and Loeffler in conservative northwest Georgia.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/MAIATIBLSZCGZEPTUD4QZAJNBQ.jpg)
Georgia in 2020: Pandemic, politics, racial justice and the Golden Ray
The coronavirus pandemic and its imprint on politics, education, work and society in all corners of Georgia made headlines throughout most of 2020. Two high-profile killings drew sharp attention to racial justice issues in a year that also saw the passing of civil rights icon John Lewis. A look at the top 10 stories in Georgia in 2020:The coronavirus pandemic invades all aspects of life in Georgia. Former Vice President Joe Biden becomes the first Democratic presidential nominee to win Georgia since 1992, defeating President Donald Trump. A judge in July overturns the convictions of a man who was found guilty of killing two people in their south Georgia church in 1985, and orders a new trial.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/DJVCBOXF4NDGPMNQRKH4I6EMUY.jpg)
Georgia US Senate race: Ossoff again campaigning in overtime
Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate from Georgia Jon Ossoff speaks after voting early in Atlanta on Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2020. For the second time in three years, Jon Ossoff is campaigning in overtime. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)ATLANTA โ Though still chasing his first victory, Jon Ossoff is no stranger to the pressure of campaigning in overtime โ this time for one of two crucial U.S. Senate seats that will determine control of the chamber. Ossoff ran a formidable campaign even while being mocked by Republicans as a lightweight unqualified to occupy the seat once held by Republican Newt Gingrich. Biden received nearly 100,000 more votes in Georgia than Ossoff.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/6FCJHKUUW5CHNA5ZMTD5UARRRY.jpg)
Final goodbye: Recalling influential people who died in 2020
The world also said goodbye to U.S. Rep. John Lewis, a lion of the civil rights movement who died in July. Other former political figures who died this year include Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak, New York Mayor David Dinkins, Arizona Gov. Here is a roll call of some influential figures who died in 2020 (cause of death cited for younger people, if available):___JANUARY___David Stern, 77. The guitarist who supplied the scratching, seething sound that fueled the highly influential British punk band Gang of Four. He fused African rhythms with funk to become one of the most influential musicians in world dance music.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/NYJD2E4F45ERVNX57ZQXEK2IRU.jpg)
Hall wins runoff to briefly fill seat of late Rep John Lewis
ATLANTA โ Former Atlanta City Council member Kwanza Hall won a special runoff election Tuesday for a brief term in Congress and will succeed the late civil rights legend John Lewis. The 49-year-old Hall defeated fellow Democrat Robert Franklin, 66, in the Atlanta area district and will only hold the seat for a few weeks through Jan. 3. Hall and Franklin were the top vote getters in a September special election after Lewis, a civil rights titan, died in July following 34 years in Congress. Neither candidate won a majority, though, forcing a runoff that leaves the winner with only about a month to serve in Congress. Hall and Franklin both contended that they could get something accomplished during a short stay in Congress.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/AJ3MYLFCIRFWJON6NXHHCVU4BY.jpg)
Faith takes the forefront as Georgia Senate runoffs heat up
As Georgia becomes the nationโs political hotspot this winter before twin runoff elections Jan. 5 that will determine control of the Senate, faith-based organizing is heating up. Billy Honor, director of faith organizing at the group, said the conservative Christian Faith & Freedom Coalition โ founded by former Georgia GOP chairman Ralph Reed โ has long positioned Georgia โas the home of evangelical fundamentalist types when it comes to the political space." Faith & Freedom made Georgia one of its top three spending targets in a $50 million get-out-the-vote program during the general election and plans increased organizing for the runoffs. Another faith-focused conservative group, the legislative affiliate of the Family Research Council, is holding trainings and pastor briefings before the runoffs. Jewish Democrats in Georgia predicted that the GOP attack on Warnockโs Israel record would fall flat, citing his record of friendship with the Jewish community through his pulpit at Ebenezer.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/U2GYIQCQ6RGA7EXMJXUTZVF7RU.jpg)
Georgia audit to trigger hand tally of presidential vote
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger speaks during a news conference on Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2020, in Atlanta. Georgia election officials have announced an audit of presidential election results that will trigger a full hand recount. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said at a news conference that the presidential race makes the most sense. Georgians cast nearly 5 million votes in the presidential race and counties have until Friday to certify their results. In addition to the audit of the presidential race, Raffensperger announced that he's consolidating runoff elections.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/d1vhqlrjc8h82r.cloudfront.net/11-06-2020/t_f45df87043ba4e4e8b1bff4b580a8209_name_image.jpg)
As Biden pulls ahead of Trump in Georgia, state says there will likely be a recount
ATLANTA โ Democrat Joe Biden took a narrow lead over President Donald Trump in the battleground state of Georgia early Friday morning. State officials couldnโt immediately provide the number of uncured absentee ballots. Provisional lists are kept at the county level, and there are thousands outstanding statewide that county officials will decide on whether to count by Friday. Donald Trump Jr. spoke Thursday evening at an event in Atlanta, along with several Georgia elected officials and decried the process. Meanwhile, outside the State Farm Arena where the final Georgia votes are being counted, we have a growing crowd.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/GNKQ3NUH5RGQXNATKTP7X4QSNQ.jpg)
Twin Senate runoffs in Georgia could shape potential Biden presidency
Republican candidate for Senate Sen. David Perdue speaks during a campaign stop at Peachtree Dekalb Airport Monday, Nov. 2, 2020, in Atlanta. But if the Democratic challenger wins, the ambitions of a Biden presidency could well come down to Georgia. But if the Democratic challenger wins, the ambitions of a Biden presidency could well come down to Georgia. That was cemented Friday evening when Democrat Jon Ossoff and Georgia Sen. David Perdue narrowly advanced to a second round after three days of vote counting. Otherwise, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, could wield the power to block Biden.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/IG643PZ5JZGFZOQC3IZY34ZKUU.jpg)
House Latest: Republican Lauren Boebert wins Colorado House
She soundly defeated Tipton, a co-chair of President Donald Trumpโs Colorado reelection campaign, in the Republican primary in June. Republican state Sen. Stephanie Bice earned a reputation as a political moderate in her two terms in the Oklahoma Senate. ___11:20 p.m. TuesdayRepublican Maria Elvira Salazar has defeated Democrat Donna Shalala for a House seat in Florida. Republican Ronny Jackson has won a House seat in West Texas, where he moved after leaving the White House in 2018. The solidly Republican district is currently held by Mac Thornberry, one of six GOP congressmen in Texas retiring this year.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/GBVZ6QC3ZJDBTH7QYOTXPVETEM.jpg)
Dems head toward House control, but lose incumbents to GOP
Though they seemed likely to retain House control, their performance was an unexpected disappointment for the party, which hoped for modest gains of perhaps 15 seats. Democrats control the House 232-197, with five open seats and one independent. By retaining House control, Democrats would mark only the second time in a quarter century that they've led the chamber for two consecutive two-year Congresses. She declared that Democrats had won the House majority, which seemed highly likely but hadnโt been officially declared by The Associated Press. โHouse Republicans have outperformed all expectations," said Dan Conston, who heads the Congressional Leadership Fund, a committee aligned with House GOP leaders that provides millions to Republican candidates.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/PWGEOCBU5JEMDN7F6R4MIPOF3A.jpg)
Voters could remove racist phrases from Alabama Constitution
FILE - In this July 26, 2020, file photo, mourners gathered at the Alabama Capitol following the death of Rep. John Lewis. Alabama voters will decide whether to remove racist, segregation-era language from the state's 1901 Constitution in the upcoming election. (AP Photo/Julie Bennett, File)BIRMINGHAM, Ala. โ Alabama voters once again have the chance to remove the racist language of Jim Crow from the state's constitution, which was approved in 1901 to enshrine white supremacy as state law. Voters in neighboring Mississippi will decide on a replacement for the Confederate-themed state flag, and Rhode Island voters will decide whether to remove a reference to plantations from the state's official name. Two decades ago, Alabama voters voted to repeal an unenforceable section of the constitution that made it illegal for Black and white people to marry.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65):fill(FFF)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/CTGETWZXEJEP3PH6VTWLXBXV5E.jpg)
Georgia voters choose short-term successor to John Lewis
FILE-In this Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2016 file photo, Robert Franklin, a Laney Professor of Moral Leadership at Emory University's Candler School of Theology, speaks during his "Faith and Politics" course at Emory University in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Rebecca Breyer, File)
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/CTGETWZXEJEP3PH6VTWLXBXV5E.jpg)
Hall, Franklin head to runoff for rest of John Lewisโ term
(AP Photo/Rebecca Breyer, File)ATLANTA โ Former Atlanta City Councilman Kwanza Hall and former Morehouse College President Robert Franklin advanced to a runoff in Tuesdayโs special election to fill the short remainder of the late John Lewisโ term in Congress. Hall and Franklin led five other candidates in Georgiaโs 5th Congressional District, but no one won a majority. Voters will be called back to the polls for the Dec. 1 runoff, deciding whether Hall or Franklin will get only a month in Congress representing the Atlanta-centered district. Three Democrats didnโt advance after Tuesdayโs vote: retiring state Rep. โAbleโ Mable Thomas, former state Rep. Keisha Waites and Barrington Martin II, a teacher who lost the Democratic primary to Lewis earlier this year. Thomas served 22 years in the state House over three separate terms and ran unsuccessfully for the congressional seat twice against Lewis.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/UHYWW3LRUZBIPNTDSF745UECRQ.jpg)
Ginsburg makes history at Capitol amid replacement turmoil
Ginsburg died at the age of 87 on Sept. 18 and is the first women to lie in state at the Capitol. Mourners gathered to honor Ginsburg under coronavirus distancing restrictions with the nation in political turmoil. Spectators booed and chanted โvote him outโ as the president stood silently near Ginsburgโs casket at the top of the courtโs front steps. She was the second woman to serve on the Supreme Court and the first Jewish person to lie in state at the Capitol. As visitors paid tribute at Ginsburgโs casket, resting atop the catafalque used for Abraham Lincoln, the Bidens quietly joined.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/5YMYOM6OXRA2TJKSU7ZDBEQYGA.jpg)
Success of Ginsburg film inspires CNN look at John Lewis
FILE - U.S. Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., describes the events of Bloody Sunday during a visit to the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala., Sunday, March 7, 2010. The film "John Lewis: Good Trouble" will debut on CNN on Sunday night. The unexpected commercial success of the โRBGโ film in theaters two years ago had CNN looking for another contemporary leader whose life could be seen in historical terms. Porter finished the film late last fall, just before learning that Lewis had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. It offers a deeper dive into Lewis' life for people who became intrigued about his story around the time he died.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/277BR4CSKJFJJAUOJ4X7GA4IAM.jpg)
Racial injustice themes on display in empty NFL stadiums
After about 15 seconds, they rose, trotted off the field, and the game proceeded as normal. So weโll just stay inside until itโs time to play the game,โ Miami players said in the video. Goodell posted a video in June conceding that the league had been late in acknowledging the problem. Since then, the league has taken visible steps like allowing racial justice messages in end zones and on helmets and T-shirts. Some team owners have pledged money toward social justice causes or offered their stadiums as polling places for the November election.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/BDE7JVKMHVAG5FK6ZVDAY35IZI.jpg)
Thousands gather at March on Washington commemorations
As peaceful protests turned to arson and theft, naysayers of the Black Lives Matter movement issued calls for law and order.The Rev. Theres a white system and a black system -- the black system aint doing so well.No justice, no peace! he proclaimed. Some participants headed toward Black Lives Matter Plaza, right outside of the White House, which was renamed from Pennsylvania Avenue during protests in June. Chants of Black lives matter and No justice, no peace echoed through downtown Salt Lake City Friday morning, as about 200 people marched from the state Capitol to Washington Square Park for Utahs March on Washington. Kat Stafford and Ashraf Khalil reported from Washington, and journalists from across the AP contributed to this report.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/P24YPQPFXBG6RFS46NJFBCFSSA.jpg)
At D.C. march, families decry 'two systems of justice'
Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have A Dream" speech. Sixty-five years later (after Tills murder), we still struggle for justice demilitarizing the police, dismantling mass incarceration, and declaring as determinately as we can that Black lives matter, King said. As peaceful protests turned to arson and theft, naysayers of the Black Lives Matter movement issued calls for law and order.The Rev. Theres a white system and a black system -- the black system aint doing so well.No justice, no peace! he proclaimed. Some participants headed toward Black Lives Matter Plaza, right outside of the White House, which was renamed from Pennsylvania Avenue during protests in June.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/V6CZQ36HRNCTNEYBFPJ6QQ6EOY.jpg)
Black lawmakers reflect on civil rights then, and now
Martin Luther King Jr.s I Have a Dream Speech, yet torn apart by the Black Lives Matter protests against the police shooting of another Black man, this time in Wisconsin. Friday's commemoration of the 1963 March on Washington comes as a new civil rights era is unfolding in real time in Kenosha, Wisconsin, after Sunday's shooting of Jacob Blake. REP. MAXINE WATERS, D-CALIF.Maxine Waters said she started focusing on police violence in 1979 after Los Angeles police shot a Black homemaker, Eula Love, during a confrontation over an unpaid gas bill. Now the highest-ranking Black American in Congress, Clyburn was speaking Friday at a satellite rally in Columbia, South Carolina. So theres a lot of work for Black Lives Matter to do," Clyburn told AP, and I hope to live long enough to help them get it done.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/QOYF4BCTZRGCRAH6FSO7ZUOSNU.jpg)
In Obama, Dems see a bridge between Biden and young voters
WASHINGTON Since leaving the White House nearly four years ago, former President Barack Obama has repeatedly called for a new generation of political leaders to step up. Obamas political support and personal affection for Biden is genuine, forged during their eight years together in the White House. He is an incomparable witness for Biden, David Axelrod, a longtime Obama political adviser, said of the former president. During the 2016 race, Obama privately discouraged Biden from running against Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination. Certainly Barack Obama and Michelle Obama are among them.Indeed, the former president has enviable popularity, both among Democrats and all Americans.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/2JEWOGOWBZHVNFKOBT2ZFLF4Y4.jpg)
WHAT TO WATCH: Democrats adapt roll call, keynote to virus
In this image from video, people from across the U.S. sing the National Anthem during the first night of the Democratic National Convention on Monday, Aug. 17, 2020. (Democratic National Convention via AP)LAS VEGAS The pageantry often associated with presidential conventions will be remade again as Democrats gather virtually for a second day. The roll call vote of state delegations, which typically unfolds over several hours of fanfare, will instead be abbreviated Tuesday. BUT FIRST, BILLA speech from Bill Clinton is among the traditions that Democrats are including in Tuesday nights programming. The roll call will go alphabetically through the 57 states, territories and the Democrats Abroad delegation, meaning Alabama will lead off.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65):fill(FFF)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/5UIOQAO7HNALZNNXQDINSRT4Q4.jpg)
Biden ally Clyburn brings civil rights legacy to DNC
FILE - In this Feb. 29, 2020, file photo Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C. listens to Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden speak at a primary night election rally in Columbia, S.C. Clyburn is now the highest-ranking Black lawmaker in Congress, the House Democratic Whip, and one of the few leaders of civil rights movement still in elected office today. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/C7I4746ZNJGE7CZH5RO5OTGCDU.jpg)
Trump motivates Democrats to rally behind Biden, Harris
As Democrats gather virtually this week to nominate Joe Biden for the presidency, party leaders and activists across the political spectrum agree on one unifying force: their desire to defeat President Donald Trump. Taylor nodded at Bidens pick of Kamala Harris as his running mate, the first Black woman on a major party's ticket. Despite Biden's five decades at the core of the Democratic Party, he's not a natural fit for every faction in 2020. Perez called Biden an ideal figure to tie disparate factions together with Trump as the opponent. Democrats won the House majority in 2018 largely on the strength of more moderate nominees running in suburban and exurban swing districts.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/5UIOQAO7HNALZNNXQDINSRT4Q4.jpg)
Biden ally Clyburn brings civil rights legacy to DNC
Martin Luther King Jr. as frustrations mounted over civil rights protests in what was becoming a tumultuous, dangerous year. This country moves like a pendulum on the clock, Clyburn told The Associated Press in an interview. Clyburn is pressing many of the same issues he has for decades particularly focusing on Black voting rights ahead of the election. Some Democrats downplay the influence, arguing South Carolina's robust Black electorate was already inclined to vote for Biden. One of Clyburn's longtime colleagues in the civil rights movement and Congress was Lewis, who died in July.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/GXJFCNYOGRAN7KKN765ERMZMZM.jpg)
Democrats tested in first party convention of pandemic era
The Democratic National Convention, which formally begins Monday, is not a convention in the traditional sense. Along the way, Biden's party will make history by unveiling the nation's first Black vice presidential nominee, Kamala Harris. Im glad that John and other moderate-type Republicans understand that it is wrong to be supporting Trump, Sanders told The Associated Press. Al Sharpton, a civil rights activist, predicted next week's convention would lack excitement. He said it likely doesn't matter, however, especially as Trump and his party prepare for their convention the following week. As excited as I am about Kamala Harris, the best weapon Democrats have is Donald Trump, Sharpton said.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/LDENI3KYURGRLFSHAXKMRZR6VM.jpg)
Georgia House member loses post over John Lewis criticism
ATLANTA Georgia's House speaker on Friday took away a committee leadership post from a fellow Republican who said in a radio interview that the late U.S. Rep John Lewis' "only claim to fame was that he got conked on the head." A number of state lawmakers, including some Republicans, are supporting the proposal, saying they want to honor Lewis leading role in the civil rights movement. John Lewis, his only claim to fame was he got conked on the head at the Pettus Bridge. The comments made by Representative Benton are offensive and disgusting, House Speaker David Ralston said in a statement. They can't fix anything else, so they take out their frustrations on those statues, Benton said.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/KYI5THBYRBEX7D4BM3PNWRXQ4E.jpg)
PG&E tells regulators upcoming outages will go more smoothly
If mishandled, the outages could also endanger the lives of people being supported by medical devices after contracting COVID-19. Critics now worry PG&E will lean on deliberate blackouts to reduce the chances its equipment starts more wildfires that saddle it with staggering losses. Batjer emphasized that PG&E can only use the outages as a last resort." Despite all its recent work on its grid, PG&E expects to be making further improvements for years to come in a process known as hardening." But that is only a fraction of the 7,100 miles (11,400 kilometres) of distribution circuits that the utility believes needs to be hardened.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/WERFT4QTVVDEDDYRUE7MH6I7AE.jpg)
Joe Biden launches new national ad aimed at Black Americans
DETROIT Joe Biden's Democratic presidential campaign has launched a new national ad focused on Black Americans, urging them to stand up to President Donald Trump the way their ancestors stood up to "violent racists of a generation ago." The one-minute ad, which was shared exclusively with The Associated Press before its digital and television release on Thursday, is meant to drum up support among Black Americans, a key constituency for Biden, ahead of November's general election. The ad, titled Better America, also takes a direct swipe at Trump, without mentioning the Republican president by name. The ad is part of the Biden campaign's planned $280 million digital and television ad buy that was announced Wednesday and will run through the fall. A campaign spokesman said in a statement that the ad is the start of a series of content aimed at Black voters.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/FM4WCHPZLVCL3AQ74KSBCAJ7ZQ.jpg)
Fox News Channel viewers tune out for John Lewis' funeral
During the hour before the funeral's start, Fox averaged 1.67 million viewers, the Nielsen company said. In the same hour, MSNBC had 1.28 million viewers and CNN had 1.25 million. During the 2 p.m. hour, Fox had 595,000 viewers, Nielsen said. NBC had 2.8 million viewers, ABC had 2.3 million, Fox had 1.6 million, Univision had 1.5 million, ION Television had 1.2 million and Telemundo had 910,000. Fox News Channel led the cable networks, averaging 3.07 million viewers in prime time.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/FZ2KB5VVQJF6FEHGOOH2K2TQFQ.jpg)
7 seek to follow Lewis in House, but long-term prospects dim
Seven candidates qualified Friday for the Sept. 29 election, but declining to run is replacement Democratic nominee Nikema Williams, a state senator and chair of the state Democratic Party. They both said they're holding their fire for the Nov. 3 general election, which will decide a full two-year term. The 5th Congressional District includes most of the city of Atlanta, as well as some suburban areas of Fulton, DeKalb and Clayton counties. The district is overwhelmingly Democratic and Lewis rarely faced any serious challenge in his 17 terms. "I will fight tirelessly to earn the support of voters in the 5th Congressional District and would be honored to serve as their voice in Congress in January.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65):fill(FFF)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/CFEQRSY5JNALRJWDOI4BJ467MQ.jpg)
Lewis in posthumous essay: 'Your turn to let freedom ring'
Mourners stand outside Ebenezer Baptist Church during the funeral for Rep. John Lewis at , Thursday, July 30, 2020, in Atlanta. Lewis, who carried the struggle against racial discrimination from Southern battlegrounds of the 1960s to the halls of Congress, died Friday, July 17, 2020. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/IKYKDL6LFBBGFCDSTOKULE2P4Q.jpg)
John Lewis' funeral set for Atlanta church that MLK once led
A military honor guard moved the casket of Rep. John Lewis into Ebenezer Baptist Church for his funeral, Thursday, July 30, 2020, in Atlanta. He read the Gospel, and he actually believed it love your enemies," added Warnock, who will officiate the funeral. Shortly before he died, Lewis wrote an essay for The New York Times and asked that it be published on the day of his funeral. In the piece published Thursday, Lewis recalled the teachings of King:He said we are all complicit when we tolerate injustice," Lewis wrote. He was wounded for Americas transgressions, crushed for our iniquities and by his bruises we are healed," Warnock added.