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306: Georgia on our minds

306: Georgia on our minds

This piece was originally published in the November 13, 2020 edition of CAP Action’s daily newsletter, the Progress Report. Subscribe to the Progress Report here.

“DeVos out, real educators in.”

— Jamaal Bowman, a former middle school principal and soon-to-be member of Congress

The people have spoken.

Share this on Twitter and Facebook to get the facts out:

IN THE NEWS

  • NBC News and CNN officially called Georgia for Joe Biden this afternoon, marking the first time since 1992 that a Democratic presidential candidate has won the state. It also finalizes the Electoral College count as 306–232 and solidifies Biden’s popular vote advantage as 5.3 million. Georgia will be conducting a hand recount of ballots, but history has shown that recounts rarely result in a different outcome.
  • The U.S. surpassed 150,000 new coronavirus cases in a single day for the first time yesterday. And while we’ve already endured some extremely dark months of this pandemic already, this is quite literally worse than anything we’ve seen yet. Here’s a jarring visualization of the uptick in new cases:
  • More than 130 Secret Service officers have tested positive for the coronavirus or are quarantining due to potential exposure, according to the Washington Post. As a result, dozens of officers have been sidelined, amounting to more than 10% of the Secret Service’s “core detail.” The outbreak is likely related to a series of crowded and largely maskless rallies Trump held in the weeks leading up to the election as COVID-19 was still spreading nationwide, according to the Post’s reporting.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

  • Supreme Court justice Samuel Alito gave a disturbing speech last night at an annual convention hosted by the Federalist Society. Over the course of the speech, Alito issued harsh attacks on access to contraceptives, marriage equality, the critical restrictions that some governors implemented to contain the spread of COVID-19, and more. But while these kinds of attacks are common among right-wing talking heads, journalists who cover the Supreme Court were taken aback by the intensity of Alito’s political tirade. In his recap of the speech, Slate reporter Mark Joseph Stern said it was clear early on that “Alito would not be abiding by the usual ethics rules, which require judges to remain impartial and avoid any appearance of bias.”
  • And now, let’s end on a positive note. This week marks the start of Congressional new member orientation, which is sort of like summer camp for incoming members-elect. If you’re in need of a pick-me-up, do yourself a favor and follow along with some of the more Twitter-savvy new members as they learn the ropes on the Hill. First we have Jamaal Bowman, a former middle school principal from the Bronx. Joining him in the New York delegation is Mondaire Jones, the first openly gay Black man to be elected to Congress. And last but not least is Cori Bush, a St. Louis-based nurse and community organizer who is also making history as the first Black woman that Missouri has ever elected to Congress.

WHAT WE’RE READING

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