INSIDER
Dockworkers join other unions in trying to fend off automation, or minimize the impact
Read full article: Dockworkers join other unions in trying to fend off automation, or minimize the impactThe massive port workers’ strike is highlighting a fear held by many workers that they will be replaced by machines.
Report: Differences between gay and straight spouses disappear after legalization of gay marriage
Read full article: Report: Differences between gay and straight spouses disappear after legalization of gay marriageSame-sex spouses were typically younger and were more likely to be employed than those in opposite-sex marriages, although many of those differences disappeared after the legalization of gay marriage in 2015.
Biography of the late Rep. John Lewis that draws upon 100s of interviews will be published next fall
Read full article: Biography of the late Rep. John Lewis that draws upon 100s of interviews will be published next fallAn upcoming biography of the late U.S. Rep. John Lewis will draw upon hundreds of interviews, along with the civil rights activist’s FBI files and materials from a planned book that was never completed.
At March on Washington's 60th anniversary, leaders seek energy of original movement for civil rights
Read full article: At March on Washington's 60th anniversary, leaders seek energy of original movement for civil rightsSixty years ago, the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. issued his resounding call for racial harmony that set off decades of push and pull toward progress.
Stamp of civil rights icon John Lewis unveiled in ceremony at the US Capitol
Read full article: Stamp of civil rights icon John Lewis unveiled in ceremony at the US CapitolCongressional leaders have unveiled a new stamp that commemorates former Rep. John Lewis, a civil rights icon who died in 2020 after serving more than three decades in Congress.
Push to arm Ukraine putting strain on US weapons stockpile
Read full article: Push to arm Ukraine putting strain on US weapons stockpileWhen President Joe Biden visits a Lockheed Martin plant on Tuesday that manufactures an antitank weapons system, he’s certain to herald the U.S.-made arms as a gamechanger in Ukraine’s stiff resistance to the Russian invasion.
Schumer: 'We made progress' on voting bill, filibuster rules
Read full article: Schumer: 'We made progress' on voting bill, filibuster rulesSenate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says Democrats "made progress” toward changing the Senate’s filibuster rules to advance voting legislation, despite the dramatic collapse of the package that his party says is central to protecting democracy.
MLK III: History to remember Sinema unkindly over filibuster
Read full article: MLK III: History to remember Sinema unkindly over filibusterMartin Luther King III came to Arizona with harsh words for Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, whose refusal to change filibuster rules makes voting rights legislation unlikely to pass in the Senate.
Bezos makes gifts to Obama foundation and NYU medical center
Read full article: Bezos makes gifts to Obama foundation and NYU medical centerFormer President Barack Obama’s foundation announced that it has received a $100 million donation from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, which it says is the largest individual contribution it has received to date.
Project aims to ID voting rights marchers of 'Bloody Sunday'
Read full article: Project aims to ID voting rights marchers of 'Bloody Sunday'The world knows the names of John Lewis and a few more of the voting rights demonstrators who walked across Selma’s Edmund Pettus Bridge in 1965 only to be attacked by Alabama state troopers on “Bloody Sunday.”.
U.S. voting rights events reflect multiracial reform agenda
Read full article: U.S. voting rights events reflect multiracial reform agendaIn the nation’s capital on Saturday, multiracial coalitions of civil, human and labor rights leaders are convening rallies and marches to urge passage of federal voter protections that have been eroded since the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Texas A&M San Antonio political science expert sees federal voting rights passage as victory for now
Read full article: Texas A&M San Antonio political science expert sees federal voting rights passage as victory for nowThe John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act must still overcome the filibuster in the U.S. Senate and gain the support of 10 Republicans.
State Rep. Ron Reynolds and U.S. Rep. Al Green arrested while demonstrating for federal voting bill at U.S. Capitol
Read full article: State Rep. Ron Reynolds and U.S. Rep. Al Green arrested while demonstrating for federal voting bill at U.S. CapitolReynolds is among the Texas House Democrats who fled to Washington, D.C., last month to block a state voting restrictions bill.
Biden, Harris: Protect voting rights to honor John Lewis
Read full article: Biden, Harris: Protect voting rights to honor John LewisPresident Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are both marking the one-year anniversary of the death U.S. Rep. John Lewis by urging Congress to enact laws to protect voting rights.
Biden blasts 'un-American' voting limits; Texas Dems act
Read full article: Biden blasts 'un-American' voting limits; Texas Dems actPresident Joe Biden is declaring that preserving voting rights is “a test of our time” as he urges passage of federal legislation to combat efforts by Republican-led state legislatures to restrict access to ballots.
Amid growing frustration, White House pushes voting rights
Read full article: Amid growing frustration, White House pushes voting rightsThe 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.
As frustration mounts, a White House push on voting rights
Read full article: As frustration mounts, a White House push on voting rightsThe 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.
Voting rights ruling increases pressure on Democrats to act
Read full article: Voting rights ruling increases pressure on Democrats to actCongressional Democrats are facing renewed pressure to pass legislation that would protect voting rights after a Supreme Court ruling made it harder to challenge Republican efforts to limit ballot access.
Latest graphic novel about John Lewis coming in August
Read full article: Latest graphic novel about John Lewis coming in AugustFILE - 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 – 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 “Run: Book One” will be published Aug. 3, just over a year after Lewis died at age 80.
Georgia's new GOP election law draws criticism, lawsuits
Read full article: Georgia's new GOP election law draws criticism, lawsuits(AP Photo/Ben Gray)ATLANTA – Critics of Georgia's new Republican-backed election law issued fresh calls Monday to boycott some of the state’s 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. “Georgia’s 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,” 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.
Democrats assail Georgia law, make case for voting overhaul
Read full article: Democrats assail Georgia law, make case for voting overhaulHe told reporters the Georgia law is an “atrocity" 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.
Voting rights, hate crimes on Senate's 'big, bold' agenda
Read full article: Voting rights, hate crimes on Senate's 'big, bold' agendaDemocrats 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.
Voting rights, hate crimes on Senate's 'big, bold' agenda
Read full article: Voting rights, hate crimes on Senate's 'big, bold' agendaDemocrats 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.
Obama in upcoming podcast credits his mother for his path
Read full article: Obama in upcoming podcast credits his mother for his pathBruce 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 – 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 Women’s 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.
Bloody Sunday memorial honors late civil rights giants
Read full article: Bloody Sunday memorial honors late civil rights giantsThe Selma Bridge Crossing Jubilee marks the 56th anniversary of Bloody Sunday — the day on March 7, 1965, that civil rights marchers were brutally beaten by law enforcement officers on Selma’s 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.”Lowery, 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.
House passes sweeping voting rights bill over GOP opposition
Read full article: House passes sweeping voting rights bill over GOP oppositionHouse 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 – 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 Trump’s 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.
These movies, shows and documentaries should be required viewing for Black History Month
Read full article: These movies, shows and documentaries should be required viewing for Black History MonthAs we all know, February is Black History Month, so it’s a great time to brush up on Black history and educate yourself.
The Hammer makes one last trip to spot where he hit No. 715
Read full article: The Hammer makes one last trip to spot where he hit No. 715A 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 – The Hammer made one last trip to the spot where he hit No. “Hank Aaron never bragged about anything — except carrying Georgia for me in 1992." “Just his presence, before he hit a hit, changed this city,” 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.
New Georgia senators carry John Lewis' influence with them
Read full article: New Georgia senators carry John Lewis' influence with themSen. Raphael Warnock was Lewis’ 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. “My friend John Lewis planted the foundation of this Georgia over his career,” Democratic Rep. Bill Pascrell of New Jersey said in a tweet.
Ossoff seals Democrats' sweep; will be youngest US senator
Read full article: Ossoff seals Democrats' sweep; will be youngest US senatorAt 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.
GEORGIA TAKEAWAYS: Black turnout fuels Warnock victory
Read full article: GEORGIA TAKEAWAYS: Black turnout fuels Warnock victoryBut Black voters were a force in the early vote and on Election Day. Notably, it wasn’t 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 Tuesday’s vote count and take credit for that strategy ending in defeat. But Democratic turnout stayed strong, as well, with Fulton and DeKalb in the core of metro Atlanta on pace to nearly match or exceed their general election turnout.
Senate race thrusts 'Black America's church' into spotlight
Read full article: Senate race thrusts 'Black America's church' into spotlightIt 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. “The Republican attack is not just against Warnock, it’s against the Black church and the Black religious experience,” said the Rev. ”It’s bigger than any individual.”Loeffler 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. It’s not uncommon for politicians, most often Democrats, to campaign from Black church pulpits.
EXPLAINER: Stakes high for U.S. Senate runoffs in Georgia
Read full article: EXPLAINER: Stakes high for U.S. Senate runoffs in GeorgiaBoth 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.
EXPLAINER: Stakes high for U.S. Senate runoffs in Georgia
Read full article: EXPLAINER: Stakes high for U.S. Senate runoffs in GeorgiaBoth 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.
Georgia US Senate race: Ossoff again campaigning in overtime
Read full article: Georgia US Senate race: Ossoff again campaigning in overtimeDemocratic 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 – Though still chasing his first victory, Jon Ossoff is no stranger to the pressure of campaigning in overtime — 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.
Final goodbye: Recalling influential people who died in 2020
Read full article: Final goodbye: Recalling influential people who died in 2020The 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.
Hall wins runoff to briefly fill seat of late Rep John Lewis
Read full article: Hall wins runoff to briefly fill seat of late Rep John LewisATLANTA – 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.
Franklin, Hall vie for a few weeks in Congress from Georgia
Read full article: Franklin, Hall vie for a few weeks in Congress from GeorgiaFewer than 11,000 had cast early ballots in person or mailed them in as of Sunday according to state voting records. “It's making sure people know there's an election and making sure they vote,” Hall said. Voting on a temporary federal budget could be the most significant act that Hall or Franklin takes, although there are still fading hopes of additional COVID-19 relief legislation. Franklin and Hall share similar positions on issues, but Franklin, now a theology professor at Emory University, preaches a higher cause as well. Franklin has raised $282,000, including $65,000 he loaned his campaign, while Hall has raised $194,000.
Faith takes the forefront as Georgia Senate runoffs heat up
Read full article: Faith takes the forefront as Georgia Senate runoffs heat upAs Georgia becomes the nation’s 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 — founded by former Georgia GOP chairman Ralph Reed — has long positioned Georgia “as 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 Warnock’s Israel record would fall flat, citing his record of friendship with the Jewish community through his pulpit at Ebenezer.
Georgia audit to trigger hand tally of presidential vote
Read full article: Georgia audit to trigger hand tally of presidential voteGeorgia 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.
Twin Senate runoffs in Georgia could shape Biden presidency
Read full article: Twin Senate runoffs in Georgia could shape Biden presidencyRepublican 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.
House Latest: GOP’s Hinson ousts US Rep. Finkenauer in Iowa
Read full article: House Latest: GOP’s Hinson ousts US Rep. Finkenauer in IowaRepublican 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. ___10:25 p.m. TuesdayRepublican Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez has won a House seat in Florida, defeating freshman Democrat Debbie Mucarsel-Powell. 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.
Dems head toward House control, but lose incumbents to GOP
Read full article: Dems head toward House control, but lose incumbents to GOPThough 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 hadn’t been officially declared by The Associated Press. “House 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.
Voters could remove racist phrases from Alabama Constitution
Read full article: Voters could remove racist phrases from Alabama ConstitutionFILE - 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. – 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.
Big turnout as early in-person voting starts in Georgia
Read full article: Big turnout as early in-person voting starts in GeorgiaA line forms outside of the State Farm Arena for early voting on Monday, Oct. 12, 2020, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)ATLANTA – The chance to cast ballots on Georgia's first day of in-person early voting Monday had thousands of people waiting for hours to make their voices heard. Technicians resolved the problem and the lines soon cleared at the arena, which is Georgia's largest early voting site, with 300 voting machines. Early in-person voting runs through Oct. 30 in Georgia. While voters must vote at their assigned polling place on Election Day, they can vote at any voting site in their county during early voting.
Georgia voters choose short-term successor to John Lewis
Read full article: Georgia voters choose short-term successor to John LewisFILE-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)
Hall, Franklin head to runoff for rest of John Lewis’ term
Read full article: Hall, Franklin head to runoff for rest of John Lewis’ term(AP Photo/Rebecca Breyer, File)ATLANTA – Former Atlanta City Councilman Kwanza Hall and former Morehouse College President Robert Franklin advanced to a runoff in Tuesday’s special election to fill the short remainder of the late John Lewis’ term in Congress. Hall and Franklin led five other candidates in Georgia’s 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 didn’t advance after Tuesday’s vote: retiring state Rep. “Able” 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.
With ‘profound sorrow’: Ginsburg lies in state at US Capitol
Read full article: With ‘profound sorrow’: Ginsburg lies in state at US CapitolDemocratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, joined other invited guests. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said it was with “profound sorrow” that she welcomed Ginsburg and opened the private service. Spectators booed and chanted “vote him out” as the president stood silently near Ginsburg’s casket at the top of the court’s 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 Ginsburg’s casket, resting atop the catafalque used for Abraham Lincoln, the Bidens quietly joined.
Success of Ginsburg film inspires CNN look at John Lewis
Read full article: Success of Ginsburg film inspires CNN look at John LewisFILE - 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 “RBG” 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.
Racial injustice themes on display in empty NFL stadiums
Read full article: Racial injustice themes on display in empty NFL stadiumsAfter about 15 seconds, they rose, trotted off the field, and the game proceeded as normal. So we’ll just stay inside until it’s time to play the game,” 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.
At D.C. march, families decry 'two systems of justice'
Read full article: At D.C. march, families decry 'two systems of justice'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. In June, the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives passed the George Floyd Justice In Policing Act, which would ban police use of stranglehold maneuvers and end qualified immunity for officers, among other reforms.
Black lawmakers reflect on civil rights then, and now
Read full article: Black lawmakers reflect on civil rights then, and nowMartin 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.
In Obama, Dems see a bridge between Biden and young voters
Read full article: In Obama, Dems see a bridge between Biden and young votersWASHINGTON 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.
WHAT TO WATCH: Democrats adapt roll call, keynote to virus
Read full article: WHAT TO WATCH: Democrats adapt roll call, keynote to virusIn 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.
Biden ally Clyburn brings civil rights legacy to DNC
Read full article: Biden ally Clyburn brings civil rights legacy to DNCFILE - 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)
Trump motivates Democrats to rally behind Biden, Harris
Read full article: Trump motivates Democrats to rally behind Biden, HarrisAs 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.
Biden ally Clyburn brings civil rights legacy to DNC
Read full article: Biden ally Clyburn brings civil rights legacy to DNCMartin 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.
Democrats tested in first party convention of pandemic era
Read full article: Democrats tested in first party convention of pandemic eraThe 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.
Georgia House member loses post over John Lewis criticism
Read full article: Georgia House member loses post over John Lewis criticismATLANTA 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.
PG&E tells regulators upcoming outages will go more smoothly
Read full article: PG&E tells regulators upcoming outages will go more smoothlyIf 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.
San Antonio non-profit provides businesses with diversity, race report cards
Read full article: San Antonio non-profit provides businesses with diversity, race report cardsSAN ANTONIO Kimiya Factory has been on the front lines of the San Antonio protests since the killing of George Floyd. It offers the city, businesses and organizations a seat at the race relations conversation table. RELATED: Activist who helped organize peaceful San Antonio protest for George Floyd so happy city represented black livesFactory said the nonprofit is offering a report card to organizations to see where they stand on racial inequity, inclusion and diversity in the workplace. I think San Antonio is definitely headed in that direction.Long before Floyds killing, Factory was focused on making systemic changes and activism. Congressman John Lewis has only inspired her to continue to work for underserved communities in San Antonio.
Joe Biden launches new national ad aimed at Black Americans
Read full article: Joe Biden launches new national ad aimed at Black AmericansDETROIT 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.
Fox News Channel viewers tune out for John Lewis' funeral
Read full article: Fox News Channel viewers tune out for John Lewis' funeralDuring 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.
Legacy of Congressman John Lewis lives on, say local activists, NAACP chair
Read full article: Legacy of Congressman John Lewis lives on, say local activists, NAACP chairThe legacy of Congressman John Lewis, the last of the civil rights icons, will live on across the country, including right here in San Antonio as local groups work to fight for voting rights. Were beginning to see the need to fight those battles again and thats most regrettable, said Dr. Gregory Hudspeth, the chair of the local NAACP chapter. The same type of battles that Hudspeth said he remembers his father took on in the 1950's and 1960's. We were able to honor his memory, honor his legacy by doing what he called, creating good trouble, Clark said. They are everybody who has decided that this is bigger than themselves and that they want to help.RELATED: Civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis lies in state at Capitol
7 seek to follow Lewis in House, but long-term prospects dim
Read full article: 7 seek to follow Lewis in House, but long-term prospects dimSeven 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.
Lewis in posthumous essay: 'Your turn to let freedom ring'
Read full article: 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)
Lewis in posthumous essay: 'Your turn to let freedom ring'
Read full article: 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. In an essay he wrote shortly before he died and that was published in The New York Times on Thursday, Lewis implores younger generations to keep fighting, telling them, “Now it is your turn to let freedom ring.”Lewis died July 17 at age 80. “Though I may not be here with you, I urge you to answer the highest calling of your heart and stand up for what you truly believe,” Lewis wrote. “He said we are all complicit when we tolerate injustice,” Lewis wrote. He said each of us has a moral obligation to stand up, speak up and speak out.”
John Lewis funeral set for Atlanta church that MLK once led
Read full article: John Lewis funeral set for Atlanta church that MLK once ledA 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.