влада, вибори, народ
Black Leaders Cheer Georgia Success, Push for More Progress
What started as a day of celebration for Black organizers, voters and other Georgians who helped deliver two historic Senate runoff victories was overshadowed Wednesday when a violent, mostly white mob of President Donald Trump’s supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol.But Black leaders and organizers say the rioters’ insurrection won’t deter the momentum achieved after the hard-fought victories of Georgia Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock. Instead, it serves as a harsh reminder of the work that lies ahead for the nation to truly grapple with white supremacy and racism, which Trump’s presidency emboldened.”It’s a little bit bittersweet because on one hand it feels like vindication that if we invest in our communities and our organizations, then amazing things can happen,” said Cliff Albright, co-founder of Black Voters Matter, which estimates that it reached 2.8 million individuals in Georgia through text and phone banking campaigns, digital and social media advertising, door knocking and street outreach, and billboards.”But then you come around the next day and people are literally swarming the Capitol in the name of overturning an election and trying to take away the power of Black voters,” Albright said. “So while it’s a victory that’s worth celebrating … it’s still in this wider context of what our larger struggles are and we’ve got a long way to go.”Despite the challenges ahead, there’s hope that the Georgia victories could serve as a blueprint to transform the Southern political landscape, which has been a Republican stronghold for decades.”The beauty of what happened in Georgia is that by knocking on people’s doors, by sitting on people’s front porches, by putting money and energy into really hearing people and giving them a voice in their community, it has awakened a generation of folks who never would have thought that this was possible and that’s empowering and it’s contagious,” said Nadia Brown, a Purdue University political science professor. “And it doesn’t stop at the borders of Georgia. It’s going to spill over.”Britney Whaley, a political strategist for the Working Families Party, said keeping up this level of voter engagement among Black Georgians and Black voters in general requires a commitment to them beyond these nationally important elections.”Sure, Black people saved the day,” Whaley said. “My question then becomes: What next? What have you learned? How do you thank them? It is not in lip service. It’s in policy. It’s in changing material conditions for people who are in need.”The political vision of flipping Georgia blue rested largely with grassroots organizations that knocked on doors and traveled from city cores to more rural areas to directly interface with Black voters who have long felt ignored by both political parties.The Rev. Barrett Berry, who directed a bus tour organized by the Black Church PAC, a national group of prominent Black clergy, said the large Black turnout in the runoff was due to a growing understanding among organizers that winning required being “competitive in places outside of Fulton County,” which is home to Atlanta.Berry’s bus crisscrossed the state with several organizing partners, making stops in Albany, Valdosta and Savannah. He and other pastors distributed hot meals, groceries and toys for hundreds of families struggling to make Christmas cheer happen amid the pandemic. The gifts and food came with voter education, Berry said.The voters needed to know they had a voice and could make the change that they had been told they couldn’t make, he said.”It’s difficult to tell Black folks what they can’t do, because that’s when they go out and show you what they can do!”The New Georgia Project, which played an integral part in both the November and runoff election, said on Jan. 5 alone it knocked on more than 124,000 doors, sent more than 14,000 texts and made over 317,000 phone calls. In total, the organization said it knocked on more than 2 million doors throughout the full election cycle.And that strategy paid off.Black voters made up 32% of the electorate in Georgia’s runoffs, a slight uptick from their share in the November election, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 3,700 voters in the state.Black voters across gender, age and education levels supported the Democratic candidates overwhelmingly, with at least 9 in 10 voting for Ossoff and Warnock. Roughly three-quarters of white voters, at 60% of the electorate, supported the Republicans.”Georgia and other Southern states have been battleground states,” said Nse Ufot, CEO of the New Georgia Project. “So, we’re going to continue to register voters and we’re going to continue to work to build power and a people’s agenda.”The Georgia runoff success was built upon a strong legacy of Black-led organizing work, much of which can be traced back to earlier battles for voting and civil rights. But the unique power and resiliency of Black women organizers took center stage again during the runoffs, including former gubernatorial candidate and voting rights advocate Stacey Abrams and Black Voters Matter co-founder LaTosha Brown, who were at the center of Georgia’s extraordinary efforts.”I’m so optimistic about the future of Black women organizers and I’m looking forward to continuing to defy conventional wisdom about what a leader looks like and how they get it done,” Ufot said.A majority of Black voters in Georgia’s runoffs, 56%, say the coronavirus pandemic is the top issue facing the country today, according to AP VoteCast. Another 18% say they consider racism the most important issue, and 12% name the economy and jobs. Black voters and activists say attention will now turn toward pushing for President-elect Biden and Congress to actualize real, systemic change.Ebonie Riley, D.C. bureau chief of the National Action Network, said Warnock and Ossoff’s victories mean it was time for the country to “move past the 2020 election and come together to deal with challenges that we all face with COVID relief, expand health care access, and deliver racial justice and police accountability.”Meanwhile, in suburban Atlanta, Bev Jackson was talking to her son on the phone when the images flashed on the screen of people climbing the Capitol.As the chair of the Democratic Party’s Cobb County African American caucus, Jackson had worked hard for years to help flip Georgia blue and she’d been glued to the election returns showing the Democratic candidates for Senate overtaking the Republican incumbents.Jackson said she refused to let Wednesday’s darkness overshadow their success.”Georgia delivered the nation. It is incredible,” she said. “People are saddened by what has happened but it doesn’t take away our joy from the election. This is our time.”
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By Polityk | 01/08/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Police Officer’s Death Intensifies US Capitol Siege Questions
A police officer has died from injuries sustained as President Donald Trump’s supporters stormed the Capitol, a violent siege that is forcing hard questions about the defeated president’s remaining days in office and the ability of the Capitol Police to secure the area.The U.S. Capitol Police said in a statement that Officer Brian D. Sicknick was injured “while physically engaging with protesters” during the Wednesday riot. He is the fifth person to die because of the melee.The rampage that has shocked the world and left the country on edge forced the resignations of three top Capitol security officials over the failure to stop the breach. It led lawmakers to demand a review of operations and an FBI briefing over what they called a “terrorist attack.” And it is prompting a broader reckoning over Trump’s tenure in office and what comes next for a torn nation.Protesters were urged by Trump during a rally near the White House earlier Wednesday to head to Capitol Hill, where lawmakers were scheduled to confirm Biden’s presidential victory. The mob swiftly broke through police barriers, smashed windows and paraded through the halls, sending lawmakers into hiding.One protester, a white woman, was shot to death by Capitol Police, and there were dozens of arrests. Three other people died after “medical emergencies” related to the breach.Despite Trump’s repeated claims of voter fraud, election officials and his own former attorney general have said there were no problems on a scale that would change the outcome. All the states have certified their results as fair and accurate, by Republican and Democratic officials alike.Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., said news of the police officer’s death was “gut-wrenching.”“None of this should have happened,” Sasse said in a statement. “Lord, have mercy.”Sicknick had returned to his division office after the incident and collapsed, the statement said. He was taken to a local hospital where he died on Thursday.Two House Democrats on committees overseeing the Capitol police budgets said those responsible need to be held to answer for the “senseless” death.”We must ensure that the mob who attacked the People’s House and those who instigated them are held fully accountable,” said Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Ct., and Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio. in a statement.Earlier Thursday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said any remaining day with the president in power could be “a horror show for America.” Likewise, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said the attack on the Capitol was “an insurrection against the United States, incited by the president,” and Trump must not stay in office “one day” longer.Pelosi and Schumer called for invoking the 25th Amendment to the Constitution to force Trump from office before President-elect Joe Biden is inaugurated on Jan. 20. Schumer said he and Pelosi tried to call Vice President Mike Pence early Thursday to discuss that option but were unable to connect with him.At least one Republican lawmaker joined the effort. The procedure allows for the vice president and a majority of the Cabinet to declare the president unfit for office. The vice president then becomes acting president.Pelosi said if the president’s Cabinet does not swiftly act, the House may proceed to impeach Trump.Trump, who had repeatedly refused to concede the election, did so in a late Thursday video from the White House vowing a “seamless transition of power.”Two Republicans who led efforts to challenge the election results, Ted Cruz of Texas and Josh Hawley of Missouri, faced angry peers in the Senate. Cruz defended his objection to the election results as “the right thing to do” as he tried unsuccessfully to have Congress launch an investigation. In the House, Republican leaders Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California and Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana joined in the failed effort to overturn Biden’s win by objecting to the Electoral College results.With tensions high, the Capitol shuttered, and lawmakers not scheduled to return until the inauguration, an uneasy feeling of stalemate settled over a main seat of national power as Trump remained holed up at the White House.The social media giant Facebook banned the president from its platform and Instagram for the duration of Trump’s final days in office, if not indefinitely, citing his intent to stoke unrest. Twitter had silenced him the day before.Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg said, “the shocking events” make it clear Trump “intends to use his remaining time in office to undermine the peaceful and lawful transition of power.”U.S. Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund, under pressure from Schumer, Pelosi and other congressional leaders, was forced to resign. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell asked for and received the resignation of the Sergeant at Arms of the Senate, Michael Stenger, effective immediately. Paul Irving, the longtime Sergeant at Arms of the House, also resigned.Sund had defended his department’s response to the storming of the Capitol, saying officers had “acted valiantly when faced with thousands of individuals involved in violent riotous actions.”Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser called the police response “a failure.”Lawmakers from both parties pledged to investigate and questioned whether a lack of preparedness allowed a mob to occupy and vandalize the building. The Pentagon and Justice Department had been rebuffed when they offered assistance.Black lawmakers, in particular, noted the way the mostly white Trump supporters were treated.Newly elected Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., said if “we, as Black people did the same things that happened … the reaction would have been different, we would have been laid out on the ground.”The protesters ransacked the place, taking over the House area and Senate chamber and waving Trump, American and Confederate flags. Outside, they scaled the walls and balconies.
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By Polityk | 01/08/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Київський метрополітен попередив, що на деяких станціях можуть обмежувати вхід на час локдауну
Київський метрополітен попередив, що на деяких станціях можуть обмежувати вхід на час локдауну.
«З 8 до 25 січня метрополітен працюватиме у звичайному режимі. Деякі станції можуть обмежуватися на вхід для уникнення скупчень людей та дотримання карантинних заходів», – повідомили в метро.
8 січня в Україні почався тритижневий локдаун. «Післясвятковий карантин» діятиме до 24 січня включно.
Уряд обмежує роботу музеїв, кінотеатрів, театрів, заборонені масові культурні заходи, роботу шкіл та університетів, спортивні заходи (окрім занять професійних команд на вулиці і без глядачів), роботу фітнес-центрів, спортзалів та басейнів, салонів краси та перукарень (тільки за попереднім записом), закладів харчування.
your ad hereBy Gromada | 01/08/2021 | Повідомлення, Суспільство
У Москві поховали видатного українця – доктора Тараса Дудка
Тарас Дудко активно виступав проти незаконної анексії Криму, проти гонінь на українські культурні та громадські інституції в Росії
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By Gromada | 01/08/2021 | Повідомлення, Суспільство
Facing Threats of Removal, Trump Says He is ‘Outraged’ by Violence
In a video released Thursday night, President Donald Trump said he is outraged by the “violence, lawlessness and mayhem” that transpired when his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol this week. Trump is facing a growing call from Democrats and Republicans who say he must be removed from office. White House Correspondent Patsy Widakuswara reports.
Producer: Bakhtiyar Zamanov
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By Polityk | 01/08/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Beijing Warns US Will Pay ‘Heavy Price’ if UN Ambassador Goes to Taiwan
China on Thursday threatened that the United States would pay a “heavy price” if its United Nations Ambassador Kelly Craft kept plans announced by the State Department to travel to Taiwan next week.“The United States will pay a heavy price for its wrong action,” a statement from the Chinese mission to the UN said.“China strongly urges the United States to stop its crazy provocation, stop creating new difficulties for China-U.S. relations and the two countries’ cooperation in the United Nations, and stop going further on the wrong path.”China “firmly opposes” the visit and demands the US cancel its plans, the statement added, reiterating Beijing’s one-China policy that maintains Taiwan is a province of the nation.The American UN mission said Thursday evening that Craft would be in Taipei from January 13 to 15, meeting with Taiwanese officials and other members of the diplomatic community.“During her trip, the Ambassador will reinforce the U.S. government’s strong and ongoing support for Taiwan’s international space,” the American statement said.Craft is scheduled to speak at the Institute of Diplomacy and International Affairs on Jan. 14, “on Taiwan’s impressive contributions to the global community and the importance of Taiwan’s meaningful and expanded participation in international organizations,” according to the statement.Chinese state news agency Xinhua had also criticized the trip earlier in the day, saying a U.S. ambassador’s presence in Taiwan would violate Chinese sovereignty.Administration officials under President Donald Trump already visited Taiwan last year, despite opposition from Beijing, amid U.S.-Chinese tensions over trade, security and human rights.
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By Polityk | 01/08/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Biden Expected to Nominate Boston Mayor Walsh for Labor Secretary
President-elect Joe Biden is expected to nominate Boston Mayor Marty Walsh as labor secretary, U.S. news agencies report. Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo is reportedly being nominated for commerce secretary. Walsh, who has been Boston’s mayor for two terms after 17 years as a Massachusetts state representative, has a long history with labor unions. He previously led Boston Building and Construction Trades Council, an umbrella organization for unions. While the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) has shown its support for Walsh, other notable U.S. unions, including the United Auto Workers and the Utility Workers Union of America, indicated their support for another top contender for the job, Michigan U.S. Representative Andy Levin. Biden and Walsh have known each other for years. Biden spoke at Walsh’s second inauguration as Boston’s mayor, calling him a “man of extraordinary character in a moment when we need more character and incredible courage.” Walsh’s appointment must be confirmed by the Senate. FILE – Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo attends a news conference in Providence, R.I., June 22, 2020.Raimondo served as Rhode Island’s treasurer before her two terms as governor and was previously a venture capitalist. Biden has signaled he opposes Chinese tariffs — a significant difference from the Trump administration — in an indication of how the next commerce secretary’s job would differ from the current one’s. If confirmed, Raimondo will likely coordinate with Biden’s pick to lead the U.S. Treasury, Janet Yellen, who would be the first woman to serve in that role. Earlier Wednesday, Biden announced his picks for attorney general and three other top positions at the Department of Justice. Biden Names Garland as His Choice for Attorney General Republicans snubbed appellate judge when Obama nominated him for Supreme Court seat in 2016
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By Polityk | 01/08/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
У Німеччині колядники цього року збирають гроші для дітей України
Цю ініціативу підтримали президент країни Франк-Вальтер Штайнмаєр і канцлерка Анґела Меркель, повідомила медіакомпанія «Німецька хвиля»
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By Gromada | 01/08/2021 | Повідомлення, Суспільство
Officials Seek Answers to Why Security Failed at US Capitol Wednesday
Washington, D.C., officials have joined U.S. lawmakers in calling for an investigation of the police force that protects the Capitol, while offering praise for their actions, after Wednesday’s storming of the seat of the country’s legislative branch by a mob of pro-Trump protesters. Video shared on social media and by news organizations shows Capitol Police officers overwhelmed by the vastly larger crowds pushing past waist-high barricades and evading officers who failed to halt their progress. Other participants scaled walls and smashed windows to get inside. Other video posted to social media showed some Capitol Police officers opening barricades for Trump backers and even taking pictures with them inside the building. Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut took to Twitter to call for a full investigation of how security was breached so quickly. Murphy is the ranking Democrat on the Senate subcommittee that oversees the Capitol Police and is likely to chair the panel in the new Congress. Members of the Capitol Police look through a smashed window as pro-Trump protesters rally to contest the certification of the 2020 U.S. presidential election results by the U.S. Congress, at the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, Jan. 6, 2021.In a statement Thursday, Capitol Police Chief Steve Sund defended the force’s actions, saying they “responded valiantly” when faced by thousands who stormed the building. He said officers were attacked by elements of the mob wielding metal pipes, chemical irritants, and other weapons. He said several officers were hospitalized with serious injuries. Sund said they had a “robust plan established to address anticipated First Amendment activities.” But, he added, what occurred was “criminal riotous behavior.” At a news conference Thursday, Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser described the police effort as a failure. She said, “Obviously it was a failure, or you would not have police lines breached and people entering the building by breaking windows.” She said there needs to be an understanding of why these failures occurred. She called the siege on the capitol “textbook terrorism,” and questioned why the response by federal security officials was not “nearly as strong” as the response to Black Lives Matter protests for racial equality. Bowser said she is issuing an emergency order that will last through January 21, the day after the inauguration of Joe Biden as president. The order allows city officials to “implement orders as they see fit” to protect people and property in the District of Columbia, such as curfews or altering of business hours. At the same news conference, U.S. Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy said a two-meter unscalable fence will be erected around the Capitol and remain for at least 30 days. Washington Police say 68 people had been arrested in relation to the storming of the Capitol.
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By Polityk | 01/08/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
After Mob Storms Capitol, Congress Continues Certification of Biden’s Victory
Rattled members of Congress reconvened Wednesday night to resume counting electoral votes from the November election. Both Democrat and Republican lawmakers said they are determined to continue certifying President-elect Joe Biden’s electoral victory, hours after thousands of President Donald Trump’s supporters stormed the Capitol building. Patsy Widakuswara has the story.
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By Polityk | 01/07/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
US Capitol Has Seen Violence Over 220 Years, But Not Like This
In more than 220 years, the U.S. Capitol had seen nothing like it: a roiling mob, forcing its way past its majestic marble columns, disrupting the passage of power, desecrating the seat of the world’s greatest democracy.
But this was far from the first time the Capitol has been scarred by violence.1814
In 1814, just 14 years after the building opened, British forces in the War of 1812 tried to burn it down. The invaders looted the building first, and then set the southern and northern wings ablaze — incinerating the Library of Congress. A sudden rainstorm prevented its total destruction, but the building was left “a most magnificent ruin,” according to architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe.
Over the centuries since, events have made a mockery of the inscription on the rostrum of the House chamber — “Union, Justice, Tolerance, Liberty, Peace.” The building has been bombed several times. There have been shootings. One legislator almost killed another.1954
The most famous episode occurred in 1954, when four Puerto Rican nationalists unfurled the island’s flag and, shouting “Freedom for Puerto Rico,” unleashed a barrage of about 30 shots from the visitor’s gallery of the House. Five congressmen were injured, one of them seriously.
“I did not come to kill anyone, I came to die for Puerto Rico!” cried the leader, Lolita Lebron, when she and the others were arrested.
Before and since, the building has been a target. In 1915, a German man planted three sticks of dynamite in the Senate reception room; it went off shortly before midnight, when no one was around.
The bomber — who had previously murdered his pregnant wife by poisoning, and would go on to shoot financier J.P. Morgan Jr,. and bomb a steamship loaded with munitions bound for Britain — killed himself before he could be arrested.1971
More recently, the Weather Underground set off an explosive in 1971 to protest the U.S. bombing of Laos, and the May 19th Communist Movement bombed the Senate in 1983 in response to the invasion of Grenada. Neither caused any deaths or injuries, but both resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage and led to tougher security measures.1998
The most deadly attack on the Capitol occurred in 1998, when a mentally ill man fired at a checkpoint and killed two Capitol Police officers. One of the dying officers managed to wound the gunman, who was arrested and later institutionalized. A nearby statue of Vice President John C. Calhoun still bears a bullet mark from the incident.2013
In 2013, a dental hygienist with her 18-month-old daughter in tow tried to drive onto the White House grounds, and was chased to the Capitol, where she was shot to death by police.1835
There have been other, storied attacks. In 1835, a deranged house painter tried to shoot two pistols at President Andrew Jackson outside the building; the guns misfired, and Jackson caned his assailant into submission.1856
And famously, in 1856, Rep. Preston Brooks attacked abolitionist Senator Charles Sumner with his cane on the floor of the Senate after the senator gave a speech criticizing slavery.
Sumner was beaten so badly that three years passed before he had sufficiently recovered to return to Congress. The House failed to expel Brooks, but he resigned — and was immediately reelected.
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By Polityk | 01/07/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
World Leaders Offer Mixed Reactions After Mayhem at US Capitol
Mixed reactions of shock, sadness and sarcasm continue to be heard from around the world over Wednesday’s storming of the U.S. Capitol by supporters of President Donald Trump angry over his loss in November’s presidential election.
“What happened today in Washington, D.C., is not America,” French President Emmanuel Macron said in a video message on Twitter late Wednesday. “We believe in the strength of our democracies. We believe in the strength of American democracy.” We believe in democracy.#WeAreOnepic.twitter.com/dj3hs66KKn— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) January 7, 2021
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was “distressed” to see the “rioting and violence” in Washington in a statement issued on his Twitter account. “Orderly and peaceful transfer of power must continue. The democratic process cannot be allowed to be subverted through unlawful protests.”
Distressed to see news about rioting and violence in Washington DC. Orderly and peaceful transfer of power must continue. The democratic process cannot be allowed to be subverted through unlawful protests.— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 7, 2021Taiwan’s Foreign Affairs Ministry expressed regret over the violence in a statement issued Thursday. The ministry said it had sent out an emergency notice to Taiwanese citizens “to raise their level of alertness and pay attention to safety” in regards to the curfew imposed by local Washington officials.
Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman Zahid Hafeez Choudhri told reporters Thursday the government is closely following the developments in Washington. “We are hopeful that the situation will soon normalize and would not in any way impact the ongoing transition process,” Choudhri said.
Raoof Hasan, a special assistant to Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, told VOA the images of pro-Trump extremists forcing their way into the House of Representatives and Senate chambers as lawmakers were certifying President-elect Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory proves the United States “commands little moral legitimacy to be commenting on democratic principles obtaining in other countries. “If the United States saw what the United States is doing in the United States, the United States would invade the United States to liberate the United States from the tyranny of the United States,” Hasan said on Twitter.
Protesters clash with Capitol police during a rally to contest the certification of the 2020 U.S. presidential election results by the U.S. Congress, at the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, Jan. 6, 2021.Shariman Lockman, a senior foreign policy and security studies analyst with the Institute of Strategic and International Studies in Malaysia, told VOA the riot “doesn’t put America in the best light.” “It just compounds negative thoughts that people already have about America. You know, you can’t get COVID right and you can’t get your elections right. You [the U.S. government] keep telling us how to organize ourselves, but you can’t organize yourselves right.”
In South Korea, senior lawmaker Song Young-gil, a member of South Korea’s ruling Democratic Party, said in a Facebook post the incident “revealed the shameful side of the United States.” “This kind of behavior can be exploited by dictatorships who want to justify their behavior,” added Song, who did not elaborate. “I look forward to seeing the United States restore its system.”
“Disgraceful scenes in U.S. Congress. The United States stands for democracy around the world and it is now vital that there should be a peaceful and orderly transfer of power,” British Prime Minister Boris Johnson wrote on Twitter. Disgraceful scenes in U.S. Congress. The United States stands for democracy around the world and it is now vital that there should be a peaceful and orderly transfer of power.— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) January 6, 2021
European Union officials indicated their support for Biden on Wednesday, as pro-Trump extremists forced Capitol Hill into lockdown, interrupting the certification of Biden’s presidential victory.
“I believe in the strength of US institutions and democracy. Peaceful transition of power is at the core. @JoeBiden won the election,” Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, wrote on Twitter.
I believe in the strength of US institutions and democracy. Peaceful transition of power is at the core. @JoeBiden won the election. I look forward to working with him as the next President of the USA. https://t.co/2G1sUeRH4U— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) January 6, 2021″The outcome of this democratic election must be respected,” NATO Chief Jens Stoltenberg wrote on Twitter.
Shocking scenes in Washington, D.C. The outcome of this democratic election must be respected.— Jens Stoltenberg (@jensstoltenberg) January 6, 2021Turkey’s Foreign Ministry released a statement Wednesday urging its citizens in the United States to avoid crowded places and confrontations.
“We invite all parties in the USA to temperance and common sense. We believe that the USA will overcome this domestic political crisis in maturity,” it wrote in a statement.
Trump supporters clash with police and security forces as they storm the US Capitol in Washington, DC on January 6, 2021. – Donald Trump’s supporters stormed a session of Congress held today, January 6, to certify Joe Biden’s election win,…The Organization of American States also condemned the mobs.
The exercise of force and vandalism against the institutions constitutes a serious attack against democratic functioning,” the OAS General Secretariat on Incidents wrote in a statement Wednesday, urging a return to “much-needed rationality.” In a televised speech Thursday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said events at the U.S. Capitol Wednesday are evidence Western democracy is fragile and vulnerable to populism. He said, “A populist has arrived, and he has led his country to disaster over these past four years.” Rohani added he hoped “the next occupants of the White House” will “restore the country to a position worthy of the American nation, because the American nation is a great nation.”
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By Polityk | 01/07/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Російські медіа повідомляють про поранення бойовика «ЛНР» через вибух в окупованому Луганську
Один з ватажків незаконного збройного угруповання «ЛНР» Ян Лещенко поранений внаслідок вибуху в квартирі житлового будинку в Луганську, повідомляють російські медіа із посиланням на свої джерела та представника угруповання.
За однією з версій, причиною вибуху міг стати витік газу. Бойовик госпіталізований із пораненнями, але, як заявляє співрозмовник російського «Інтерфаксу», його життю нічого не загрожує.
Підконтрольний бойовикам інтернет-ресурс також повідомив про вибух у окупованому Луганську, але не оприлюднив деталей.
Читайте також: Футболіст, який грав у чемпіонаті бойовиків «ЛНР», перейшов до київського клубу
Ян Лещенко очолює так звану «народну міліцію» незаконного збройного угруповання «ЛНР», яке окупувало частину Луганської області.
Збройний конфлікт на Донбасі триває від 2014 року після російської окупації Криму. Україна і Захід звинувачують Росію у збройній підтримці бойовиків. Кремль відкидає ці звинувачення і заявляє, що на Донбасі можуть перебувати хіба що російські «добровольці».
За даними ООН, від квітня 2014-го до 31 липня 2020 року внаслідок збройного конфлікту на Донбасі загинули від 13 100 до 13 300 людей.
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By Gromada | 01/07/2021 | Повідомлення, Суспільство
Правозахисники повідомляють про повернення чотирьох українських моряків з ув’язнення в Лівії
Четверо українських моряків повернулися додому після п’яти років ув’язнення в Лівії, повідомляє благодійний фонд «Ассоль» 7 січня.
Йдеться про чотирьох членів екіпажу танкера Captain Khayyam – Євгена Мораря, Володимира Тостогана, Павла Чайки та Олега Войнеровського. Як зазначають у фонді, їхнє судно затримала берегова охорони Лівії в лютому 2016 року.
В березні того ж року увесь екіпаж, який складався з громадян України, Туреччини та Азербайджану, заарештували за підозрою в контрабанді нафтопродуктів. Ще одна українка зі складу екіпажу була звільнена «з гуманітарних міркувань» і повернулася в Україну.
Як повідомляє фонд, 19 грудня 2017 року лівійський суд засудив моряків до п’яти років ув’язнення.
Читайте також: Іран звинуватив Південну Корею в «захопленні заручників» після того, як захопив її танкер
«6 січня 2021 року літак з українськими моряками вилетів з Лівії, транзитом через Стамбул вони повертаються на Батьківщину. Спільні зусилля сприяли тому, що нарешті у них буде можливість обійняти своїх близьких», – цитує пресслужба фонду голову його наглядової ради Світлану Фабрикант.
Вона, втім, нагадала, що сотні українських моряків перебувають в ув’язненні за кордоном, в тому числі – моряки судна Tecne, що перебувають в нігерійської в’язниці з 2017 року, а також моряки, яких захопили в полон нігейріські пірати.
Прибуття українців із Лівії очікується орієнтовно 8 січня 2021 рейсом зі Стамбулу до аеропорту «Бориспіль».
У червні 2020 року фонд «Ассоль» повідомляв про повернення до України 14 українських моряків судна «Рута», які три роки провели в ув’язненні у Лівії.
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By Gromada | 01/07/2021 | Повідомлення, Суспільство
US Lawmakers Demand Investigation of Capitol Security
U.S. lawmakers are calling for an investigation of the police force that protects the Capitol, while also offering praise for their actions, after Wednesday’s storming of the seat of the country’s legislative branch by a mob of pro-Trump supporters.The push for answers was led by two Democrats who in the new Congress will lead the subcommittees that have budget oversight for the U.S. Capitol Police. “There will be many videos, some [will] raise concern, some will show heroism. We need a full investigation on how the Capitol’s security was breached this quickly,” said Senator Chris Murphy.Congressman Tim Ryan pointed to a lack of preparation ahead of Wednesday’s planned rallies where supporters of President Donald Trump gathered to back his continued baseless rejection of his election loss.“I think it’s pretty clear that there’s going to be a number of people who are going to be without employment very, very soon because this is an embarrassment both on behalf of the mob, and the president, and the insurrection, and the attempted coup, but also the lack of professional planning and dealing with what we knew was going to occur,” he said.Congresswoman Ilhan Omar added: “We spend billions of dollars on national security and today failed to protect our Nation’s Capital from a lawless mob. Unacceptable!”Wednesday’s series of events began with Trump speaking at a noon rally on the Ellipse, just south of the White House, urging the crowd to continue fighting the election results as members of Congress were preparing to certify the count two kilometers away.“We’re going to walk down Pennsylvania Avenue … and we’re going to the Capitol … we’re going to try and give our Republicans … the kind of pride and boldness that they need to take back our country,” he said. By 1:30 p.m., U.S. Capitol Police were telling people in a House of Representatives office building and an adjacent Library of Congress building to evacuate. Just after 2 p.m., alerts went out about “an external security threat located on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol Building,” followed soon by another alert signaling a “security threat inside the building.” Lawmakers and staff were told to find cover, lock doors and stay away from windows. Robert Contee, chief of the city’s Metropolitan Police Department, said Capitol Police had at that point already called his department seeking help. In some of the many videos of the mob’s actions shared on social media and by news organizations, Capitol Police officers can be seen being overwhelmed by the vastly larger crowds who stormed through waist-high barricades and evaded officers who were trying to halt their progress. Other rioters scaled walls as members of the crowd smashed windows to get inside. Members of the House and Senate, along with Vice President Mike Pence, who was presiding over the certification session, were evacuated. The mob spent hours inside the building, including the office of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, leaving behind smashed doors and furniture before exiting with little resistance as officers pushed to secure the site. By 6 p.m. when Capitol Police, helped by local officers as well as the National Guard and federal law enforcement agencies, regained control, police had shot dead one woman and three other people were dead from medical emergencies, according to Contee. Metropolitan Police said they arrested 52 people, and 14 of the department’s officers were injured. Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser issued a curfew order that went into effect a short time later, set to last all night. Around 9 p.m., lawmakers were back inside the Capitol to resume their session. “I just walked through the Capitol on my way back to the House floor,” Republican Congressman Kelly Armstrong said late Wednesday. “The Capitol Police are still there. Exhausted, bloodied, bandaged, some are on stretchers. They did their job today and they did it well. They are still here. Protecting the United States Capitol so that the House and Senate can convene and fulfill our constitutional duty.” Republican Senator Mitt Romney tweeted his thanks to the Capitol Police, FBI, Secret Service and National Guard, commending their “professionalism and bravery.” “Grateful to you for keeping us safe every day, & especially today,” he posted. Congressman Earl Blumenauer, a Democrat from Oregon, thanked those he called the Capitol’s “unsung heroes.” “Maintenance workers, cafeteria employees, and support staff didn’t deserve to be terrorized today. I appreciate you all,” he said. As the clocked turned from Wednesday into Thursday, the FBI issued a call for the public to provide any photos, videos or information about the rioters. At 1:13 a.m. came a final U.S. Capitol Police alert: “The USCP has cleared the internal security threat incident. Return to normal operations.” With the west front of the Capitol set to host President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration on January 20, Bowser said she extended an emergency order for 15 days “to ensure peace and security.” The U.S. Secret Service leads security efforts for the inauguration, but typically gets help from numerous agencies such as the Capitol Police, Metropolitan police, Federal Aviation Administration and National Guard. The U.S. Capitol Police website lists the agency’s annual budget at approximately $460 million with a staff of more than 2,300 officers and civilian employees.
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By Polityk | 01/07/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
South Koreans Confused, Disgusted at Election Violence in US
South Korea, whose political development and systems of government have long been influenced in part by the United States, is reacting with bewilderment to this week’s deadly post-election violence in Washington, D.C.People angry at President Donald Trump’s defeat in the recent U.S. election forcibly entered the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, scuffling with police, vandalizing congressional offices, and prompting scenes of chaos, including armed standoffs, which resulted in lawmakers being temporarily evacuated.Capitol Police shot one woman to death after she attempted to break through a barrier inside the building, while three others died from unspecified “medical emergencies,” according to police. Police also say they discovered two pipe bombs outside the Democratic National Committee and Republican National Committee.Many in South Korea, formerly ruled by military strongmen but now consistently ranked as one of Asia’s strongest democracies, expressed confusion and disgust about the rocky transfer of power in Washington.“I really don’t understand how this could be happening,” Yang Seung-hyun, a 41-year-old freelance businessman in Seoul’s Sinchon neighborhood, told VOA. “I don’t know how exactly it relates to South Korean politics, but I know it sure doesn’t look good.”South Korea’s government has not commented on the violent intrusion of the Capitol building. But senior lawmaker Song Young-gil, a member of South Korea’s ruling Democratic Party, said in a Facebook post the incident “revealed the shameful side of the United States.”“This kind of behavior can be exploited by dictatorships who want to justify their behavior,” added Song, who did not elaborate. “I look forward to seeing the United States restore its system.”Heated political battlesSouth Korea is no stranger to feisty domestic political battles.Most notably, mass protests in 2016-17 led to the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye, who was later convicted in a corruption scandal that could eventually see her jailed for over 20 years.South Korea’s three other living ex-presidents have also been convicted of criminal offenses.At South Korea’s National Assembly, occasional scuffles break out between lawmakers. There have also been instances of South Korean protesters attempting to breach the legislature.But in South Korea, those attempts are not usually successful, points out Lee Sang-sin, who focuses on political science and public opinion at the Korean Institute for National Unification (KINU).“Korean riot police are much more formidable than D.C. ones. And Korean mobs are not armed with guns,” Lee said, thanks in part to South Korea’s strict gun ownership laws.Kim Ha-neul, a 29-year-old nurse who lives in Seoul, said she was surprised to see such intense unrest in the United States. “And I don’t understand why police in the U.S. didn’t care about this (storming of the Capitol),” she added.Rocky transfer of powerIt’s not clear how many rioters, if any, possessed firearms when they barged into the Capitol. The rioters were furious about what they claim is election fraud that delivered key swing states to Trump’s opponent, former Vice President Joe Biden.Trump’s own Justice Department has denied allegations of serious voter fraud in the Nov. 3 election. Scores of legal challenges by Trump and his allies have failed.Instead, Trump attempted to convince Republican members of Congress, as well as Vice President Mike Pence, to delay or overturn the results of the election using a largely ceremonial parliamentary procedure meant to count the electoral votes.Hours before the vote-counting meeting convened Wednesday, Trump addressed a crowd of supporters on the National Mall, urging them to relocate to the nearby Capitol. A short time later, the chaos ensued, prompting Trump to send follow-up messages encouraging his supporters to be peaceful and then go home.Once the Capitol was secured, lawmakers reconvened and eventually certified the election results, meaning Biden will be inaugurated on Jan. 20.The White House later released a statement insisting Trump would commit to an “orderly transition.”New era?Many in Seoul hope the incoming Biden administration will mark the end of a testy era in U.S.-South Korea relations.As president, Trump regularly complained that Seoul did not pay enough for the approximately 28,000 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea.Trump often talked about the issue in blunt terms, accusing South Korea of “freeloading,” or taking advantage of U.S. protection. At one point in 2019, Trump suggested South Korea was “rich as hell and probably doesn’t like us too much.”Though the military cost-sharing issue was a constant source of friction, officials from both countries insist the overall relationship remains solid.Biden has promised to bolster the alliance, which has been in place since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War — virtually the entirety of South Korea’s existence.US still a model?Since then, the United States has played a crucial but complicated role in the political development of South Korea.The U.S. for decades supported and armed South Korea’s brutal military rulers, even while supporting civil society and other programs meant to foster democracy and the rule of law.As a result, some aspects of Korean political institutions and civil society now mirror those in the United States.Among the shared features are the presidential system, the separation of powers among three branches of government, and the basic rights outlined in the constitution, said Ben Engel, a doctoral student who researches U.S. policy and influence in South Korea.“The U.S. was definitely a model they looked at, as were other places,” Engel said. “But Koreans have also tried hard to overcome the weaknesses in the U.S. system.”South Korea has now been a democracy since 1987. And although many here still see the U.S. as a model, it’s becoming tricker, said Lee of KINU.”America’s image among Koreans is closely linked with how we view ourselves,” Lee said. “If America can be no longer our role model then we must find our own path.”
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By Polityk | 01/07/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Журналістську стипендію імені Вацлава Гавела отримав Артур Корнієнко
Журналістську стипендію імені Вацлава Гавела від Радіо Вільна Європа/Радіо Свобода на 2020-2021 академічний рік з України отримав Артур Корнієнко.
Корнієнко більше п’яти років працює в журналістиці – пише про політику, бізнес, соціум та культуру. Останнім часом працював в англомовному виданні The Kyiv Post. Раніше стипендіат працював журналістом Громадського телебачення, де випускав щотижневу програму новин про Східну Європу для міжнародної аудиторії, та кореспондентом UATV English, міжнародного мовника України.
Корнієнко закінчив магістерську програму Школи журналістики Українського католицького університету.
«Це чудова можливість навчитися новим форматам та як працюють професіонали одного з найпотужніших світових медіа. Особливо під час викликів пандемії COVID-19 та соціальної поляризації, коли неупередженість та повнота інформації важливі, як ніколи», – каже Корнієнко.
Читайте також: «Журналісти в Україні продовжують лишатись у небезпеці» – редакторка «УП» про нові докази у справі вбивства Павла Шеремета
Стипендія імені Вацлава Гавела дає можливість журналістам працювати під керівництвом фахівців РВЄ/РС у штаб-квартирі в Празі, а також у місцевих бюро. Мета стипендії – підтримка перспективних журналістів із країн, де є проблеми з вільними й незалежними засобами інформації, у продовженні професійної діяльності на підтримку плюралізму.
Раніше з України конкурс вигравали Наталія Седлецька (нині редакторка та ведуча програми телевізійних розслідувань «Схеми. Корупція в деталях»), Ольга Мальчевська (екскореспондентка 1+1, тепер журналістка BBC), Сафіє Абляєва (журналістка телеканалу ATR), київська журналістка та письменниця Ярослава Куцай, журналіст та одеський активіст Гліб Жаворонков, кримський журналіст Давид Аксельрод.
Стипендія імені Вацлава Гавела – це спільна ініціатива РВЄ/РС і Міністерства закордонних справ Чехії за підтримки Фонду Дагмар та Вацлава Гавела VIZE97.
Взяти участь у програмі можуть журналісти з України, Росії, Білорусі, Вірменії, Азербайджану, Грузії та Молдови.
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By VilneSlovo | 01/07/2021 | Повідомлення, Свобода слова
Raphael Warnock Becomes the First Black Senator in Georgia’s History
Democrat Raphael Warnock is the projected winner of one of Georgia’s two Senate runoffs Wednesday, becoming the first African American to be elected to the U.S. Senate in the state’s history. Warnock, who defeated Republican incumbent Kelly Loeffler, is a pastor of the Atlanta church where American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. preached. VOA Correspondent Mariama Diallo has this profile of Warnock.
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By Polityk | 01/07/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Capitol Siege: Americans See Images They Can’t Believe
It was a scene Americans never expected to see in their own country, as a riotous mob pushed into the U.S. Capitol building. Michelle Quinn reports.
Producer: Matt Dibble
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By Polityk | 01/07/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Facebook, YouTube Pull Trump Video; Twitter Locks Trump Account
Facebook and Alphabet’s YouTube took down a video from President Donald Trump on Wednesday that continued to make the baseless claim the election was fraudulent as he told supporters who had stormed the U.S. Capitol to go home.Twitter restricted users from retweeting the video “due to a risk of violence,” as hundreds of protesters sought to force Congress to undo the president’s election loss to Democratic President-elect Joe Biden. Twitter restricted a later tweet from Trump that again falsely alleged he had won the election.Later Wednesday night, Twitter locked the president’s account for 12 hours over “repeated and severe violations” of the social media platform’s civic integrity rules and threatened permanent suspension.Facebook Vice President of Integrity Guy Rosen tweeted that it believed the video “contributes to rather than diminishes the risk of ongoing violence,” saying the action was part of “appropriate emergency measures.”Google-owned YouTube said the video violated its policy against content that alleges “widespread fraud or errors changed the outcome of the 2020 U.S. Election.” YouTube spokesman Farshad Shadloo added the company does allow copies that include additional context.Social media companies have been under pressure to police misinformation on their platforms around the election. Trump and his allies have continuously spread unsubstantiated claims of election fraud that have proliferated online.In a statement on Wednesday, the Anti-Defamation League called for social media companies to suspend Trump’s accounts, saying the events at the Capitol resulted from “fear and disinformation that has been spewed directly from the Oval Office.”Former Facebook security chief Alex Stamos tweeted: “Twitter and Facebook have to cut him off. There are no legitimate equities left and labeling won’t do it.”A White House spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.According to researchers and public postings, violent rhetoric and advice on weaponry ramped up significantly in the past three weeks on many social media platforms as multiple groups planned rallies for Wednesday, including Trump supporters, white nationalists and enthusiasts of the wide-ranging conspiracy theory QAnon.
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By Polityk | 01/07/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
US Lawmakers Recount Chaos on Capitol Hill
U.S. lawmakers recounted Wednesday frantic scenes of evacuations and being ordered to grab gas masks as pro-Trump extremists stormed the Capitol.The mob forced the Senate into a recess while it was in the process of certifying President-elect Joe Biden’s election victory.“I was one of a dozen Representatives in the gallery above the House floor. We pulled out gas masks and had to get down on the ground,” Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, a Washington state Democrat, wrote on Twitter.“Capitol police barricaded the doors and had guns drawn,” she recounted. “We were eventually told that we had to quickly exit.”I am safe and sheltering in place.I was one of a dozen Representatives in the gallery above the House floor. We pulled out gas masks and had to get down on the ground. Capitol police barricaded the doors and had guns drawn. We were eventually told that we had to quickly exit.— Rep. Pramila Jayapal (@RepJayapal) January 6, 2021“We have been instructed to lie down on the floor and put on our gas masks,” tweeted Dan Kildee, a Michigan Democrat. “Chamber security and Capitol Police have their guns drawn as protesters bang on the front door of the chamber.”I am in the House Chambers. We have been instructed to lie down on the floor and put on our gas masks. Chamber security and Capitol Police have their guns drawn as protesters bang on the front door of the chamber. This is not a protest. This is an attack on America.— Rep. Dan Kildee (@RepDanKildee) January 6, 2021Tear gas was deployed in the Rotunda to deter Trump supporters who breached the Capitol security lines.Speaking to VOA’s Russian Service, Republican Congressman Greg Murphy of North Carolina said that many of his colleagues were concerned for their safety.“A lot of folks were concerned. A lot of folks were worried,” he said. “But we were evacuated in a safe and orderly manner.”As a full lockdown was in effect across Capitol Hill on Wednesday afternoon, many lawmakers took to social media to assure their constituents and followers that they were safe.I’m in the Capitol. I’m safe, and my team and I are sheltering in place.The President of the United States has incited a riot that has now stormed the Capitol. There are rioters roaming the halls of the Capitol. I saw them with my own eyes.Our country deserves better.— Congresswoman Cori Bush (@RepCori) January 6, 2021I am safe, but heartbroken about what we are enduring at our nation’s Capitol. Running for our lives as Members of Congress in the United States is really devastating and totally shocking. https://t.co/7pAeikE9TQ— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) January 6, 2021Security officials lifted the lockdown on Capitol Hill on Wednesday evening, with dozens of Trump supporters still outside the Capitol despite a 6 p.m. curfew in Washington.Police were overheard telling lingering Trump supporters and onlookers that they should leave the area voluntarily or risk arrest for violating the curfew.One woman who was shot during the riot inside the Capitol has died, according to media reports. Her identity has not been made public.
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By Polityk | 01/07/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Warnock Scores Historic Win in Georgia Senate Race, Ossoff-Perdue Runoff Still Too Close to Call
Democrat Raphael Warnock won one of two close Senate runoff races in the U.S. state of Georgia, putting Senate control within the party’s reach and making Warnock the first Black Democrat to win a Senate seat in a former Confederate state.
Warnock, the pastor of an Atlanta, Georgia, church once led by civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., defeated Republican incumbent Kelly Loeffler in a race that was called by Edison Research and the Associated Press early Wednesday after the candidates exchanged leads overnight.
In the other Georgia Senate race, Democrat Jon Ossoff maintained a tighter lead over Republican Senator David Perdue, whose six-year term expired on Sunday. Ossoff, a former congressional aide and television documentary producer, claimed victory early Wednesday but the race was too close to declare a winner.
An Ossoff victory would give Democrats full control of Congress, raising the possibility that President-elect Joe Biden and Democratic lawmakers can more easily enact their legislative agenda.
Warnock and Ossoff needed heavy turnout from African American voters, as did Biden two months ago, when his popularity with Black voters and other groups allowed him to capture Georgia’s 16 electoral votes by almost 12,000 out of 5 million votes cast.
Warnock’s win also crystalizes a years-long political shift in Georgia, where growing numbers of minorities and college-educated residents have helped turn the state from a longtime Republican stronghold into a swing state.
“Georgia is in such an incredible place when you think of the arc of our history,” Warnock said Wednesday on ABC’s Good Morning America. “This is the reversal of the old Southern strategy that sought to divide people.”
President-elect Biden was quick to commend Warnock and Ossoff on Wednesday, although Ossoff had not been declared the winner.FILE – Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate from Georgia Jon Ossoff speaks after voting early in Atlanta, Dec. 22, 2020.“I congratulate the people of Georgia, who turned out in record numbers once again, just as they did in November, to elect two new senators, demand action, and call on our elected leaders to end the gridlock and move us forward as a nation,” Biden said in a statement.
Going into Tuesday’s voting, Republicans controlled the 100-seat Senate with a 50-48 advantage, needing to win one of the Georgia contests to keep their majority and act as a bulwark against Biden’s legislative proposals after he is inaugurated January 20.
With Warnock’s victory, an Ossoff win would give Democrats a 50-50 split with Republicans and a chance for Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, who will be able to preside over Senate proceedings when she chooses, to cast tie-breaking votes in Democrats’ favor.
Democrats already narrowly control the House of Representatives. With Democratic control of both houses of Congress, Biden would likely offer more sweeping proposals to bolster health care in the United States, tighten environmental controls that were eased during the four-year tenure of Trump and try to make it easier for immigrants to gain U.S. citizenship.
Conversely, Republican control of the Senate would make Biden’s political life more difficult and likely force protracted negotiations between his administration and Republican lawmakers on contentious issues.
The controlling party in the chamber also sets the legislative calendar, determining which issues are voted on while also holding a majority on each of the Senate’s issue-specific committees where potential laws are first considered.
The Perdue-Ossoff and Loeffler-Warnock contests were made necessary because none of the four candidates won a majority in the first round of voting in November. Voters are seen lined up for the U.S. Senate run-off election, at a polling location in Marietta, Georgia, Jan. 5, 2021.Voter turnout was robust on Tuesday, with long lines of voters snaking into polling places, and came after nearly 3.1 million people cast ballots before the official Election Day. Five million votes were cast in Georgia in the November balloting that included Biden’s race against Trump.
Trump has repeatedly claimed without evidence that he was defrauded out of winning the state, pleading in an extraordinary phone call last weekend with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to find him 11,780 more votes – enough to upend the Biden win by a single vote. But Raffensperger, a Republican, rebuffed Trump, saying he was “just plain wrong” in contending he was cheated out of a victory in the state.
U.S. President Donald Trump holds a rally to contest the certification of the 2020 U.S. presidential election results by the U.S. Congress in Washington, Jan. 6, 2021.Trump continued to make false claims Wednesday, tweeting that Georgia elections officials “just happened to find 50,000 ballots late last night. The USA is embarrassed by fools. Our Election Process is worse than that of third world countries.”
Georgia election official Gabe Sterling dismissed Trump’s claims, declaring Wednesday there is “no evidence of any irregularities” in Tuesday’s election. “The biggest thing we’ve seen is from the president’s fertile mind of finding fraud where none exists.”
Election Day exit polls conducted by Edison Research indicated about seven in 10 Georgia voters were confident that the votes in Tuesday’s runoff elections would be counted accurately. Democrats were far more confident than Republicans.
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By Polityk | 01/07/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
US Capitol on Lockdown as Trump Protesters Breach Congress
U.S. Capitol Police ordered a lockdown Wednesday across the Capitol Complex, citing an external security threat, as thousands of Trump supporters stormed the building to protest Congress’ certification of Joe Biden’s presidential victory.The Senate entered into recess as it was proceeding to certify the electoral college votes for Biden, and Vice President Mike Pence reportedly was ushered out of the building by the Secret Service via underground tunnels.Video footage circulating on social media and American media showed Trump supporters breaching police lines outside of Congress and wandering through the Capitol building. TV news reports said tear gas was deployed as some protesters tried to break down the doors of the House chamber.Trump supporters try to break through a police barrier, Jan. 6, 2021, at the Capitol in Washington.In a letter released shortly after these remarks, Pence declined to vote against the electoral college.“It is my considered judgment that my oath to support and defend the Constitution constrains me from claiming unilateral authority to determine which electoral votes should be counted and which should not,” he wrote.Trump’s supporters, including some groups that clashed with police, started gathering in Washington Tuesday night. Authorities said they arrested at least six people on charges that included weapons and ammunition possession, assaulting a police officer and possessing a stun gun.Washington’s streets were shut down, and Mayor Muriel Bowser called in the National Guard, fearing a repeat of sometimes-violent confrontations between protest groups the city experienced last year. Downtown shops have been boarded up, and National Guard members assisted District of Columbia and National Park police in controlling crowds Wednesday. Bowser and politicians in neighboring Maryland and Virginia urged residents to stay home Wednesday and avoid counterprotests.
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By Polityk | 01/06/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Won’t Attend Biden’s Inauguration
Former President Jimmy Carter and former first lady Rosalynn Carter will not attend President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration. It marks the first time the couple, 96 and 93, will have missed the ceremonies since Carter was sworn in as the 39th president in 1977.
A spokeswoman at The Carter Center in Atlanta said the Carters have sent Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris their “best wishes” and “look forward to a successful administration.”
Biden was a young Delaware senator and Carter ally during the Georgian’s term in the White House.
The Carters have spent the coronavirus pandemic mostly at their home in Plains, Georgia, where both were raised and where they returned after leaving the White House in 1981.Bushes will attend
Separately, former President George W. Bush and his wife Laura will attend the inauguration in person. Their spokesman, Freddy Ford, said, “President and Mrs. Bush look forward to returning to the Capitol for the swearing in of President Biden and Vice President Harris.”
The announcement from Bush, a Republican, came a day before Congress was scheduled to convene for a joint session to confirm the Electoral College vote won by Biden. President Donald Trump’s Republican allies in the House and Senate plan to object to the election results, a longshot effort that is all but certain to fail.
The Bushes also attended Trump’s 2017 inauguration. Ford added that “witnessing the peaceful transfer of power is a hallmark of our democracy that never gets old.”
Carter, a Democrat, became the longest-lived American president in March 2019, surpassing former President George H.W. Bush, who died the previous November. Carter survived a melanoma diagnosis that spread to his brain in 2015. He has since had several falls and hip replacement surgery. He no longer teaches Sunday School at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, as he had for decades, but still participates in church activities via video amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Carter was the first former president to confirm his plans to attend Trump’s inauguration in 2017. The Carters were seated on the aisle, next to former President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, and former President George W. Bush and Laura Bush. The elder Bush was the lone former president at the time who did not attend Trump’s inauguration. The Carters did travel to Washington for the elder Bush’s funeral.
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By Polityk | 01/06/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Democrats Win Key US Senate Race With Second Georgia Runoff Too Close to Call
Control of the U.S. Senate hung in the balance Wednesday with the result of one of two runoff elections in the southern state of Georgia still too close to call.Democrats moved closer to regaining control of the chamber with the Rev. Raphael Warnock’s projected defeat of Sen. Kelly Loeffler in one of Tuesday’s elections.U.S. media organizations called the race with Warnock leading Loeffler by more than 40,000 votes and nearly all ballots counted.“We were told that we couldn’t win this election, but tonight we proved that with hope, hard work and the people by our side, anything is possible,” Warnock said in a message to his supporters late Tuesday.In the second election, Democrat Jon Ossoff, a television documentary producer, led by more than 12,000 votes over Republican David Perdue, who was seeking a second six-year term in office.Sorry, but your browser cannot support embedded video of this type, you can
download this video to view it offline.Download File360p | 12 MB480p | 17 MB540p | 23 MB720p | 49 MB1080p | 92 MBOriginal | 258 MB Embed” />Copy Download AudioGeorgia Voters Determine Prospects for Biden PresidencyGoing into Tuesday’s voting, Republicans controlled the 100-seat Senate with a 50-48 advantage, needing to win one of the Georgia contests to keep their majority and act as a bulwark against Democratic President-elect Joe Biden’s legislative proposals after he is inaugurated January 20.With Warnock’s victory, an Ossoff win would give Democrats a 50-50 split with Republicans and a chance for Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, who will be able to preside over Senate proceedings when she chooses, to cast tie-breaking votes in the Democrats’ favor.Democrats already narrowly control the House of Representatives. With Democratic control of both houses of Congress, Biden would likely offer more sweeping proposals to bolster health care in the United States, tighten environmental controls that were eased during the four-year tenure of President Donald Trump and try to make it easier for immigrants to gain U.S. citizenship.Conversely, Republican control of the Senate would make Biden’s political life more difficult and likely force protracted negotiations between his administration and Republican lawmakers on contentious issues.The controlling party in the chamber also sets the legislative calendar, determining which issues are voted on while also holding a majority on each of the Senate’s issue-specific committees where potential laws are first considered.The Perdue-Ossoff and Loeffler-Warnock contests were made necessary because none of the four candidates won a majority in the first round of voting in November.Understanding US Senate Runoff Elections in GeorgiaEight things you need to know about the elections that will decide who controls the US SenateVoter turnout
Voter turnout was robust on Tuesday, with long lines of voters snaking into polling places, and came after nearly 3.1 million people cast ballots before the official Election Day. Five million votes were cast in Georgia in the November balloting that included Biden’s race against Trump.The overall vote count in U.S. runoff elections usually lags general elections, but about 100,000 people who did not vote in November in Georgia cast ballots in the Senate runoffs even before the official Election Day.In the November vote, Biden became the first Democratic presidential candidate to win in Georgia since 1992.Trump has repeatedly claimed without evidence that he was defrauded out of winning the state, pleading in an extraordinary phone call last weekend with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to find him 11,780 more votes – enough to upend the Biden win by a single vote. But Raffensperger, a Republican, rebuffed Trump, saying he was “just plain wrong” in contending he was cheated out of a victory in the state.Loeffler said she would support Trump’s challenge to Biden’s victory in Georgia when a joint session of Congress meets Wednesday to certify Biden’s 306-232 victory in the Electoral College, which determines the outcome of U.S. presidential elections rather than the national popular vote.Election Day exit polls conducted by Edison Research indicated about seven in 10 Georgia voters were confident that the votes in Tuesday’s runoff elections would be counted accurately. Democrats were far more confident than Republicans.Biden, Trump rallies
Both Biden and Trump held rallies Monday in Georgia in a final attempt to persuade voters.“The power is literally in your hands,” Biden said. “Unlike any time in my career, one state, one state, can chart the course, not just for the next four years, but for the next generation.”He said Georgians had voted in record numbers in the presidential election in November. “Now, we need you to vote again in record numbers,” he said.Trump campaigned Monday in a heavily Republican enclave in Dalton in the northern part of the state, telling supporters the election could be their “last chance to save the America that we love.”“The far left wants to destroy our country, demolish our history and erase everything that we hold dear,” Trump said. “This could be the most important vote you will ever cast for the rest of your life.”
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By Polityk | 01/06/2021 | Повідомлення, Політика
Поліція і рятувальники посилять заходи безпеки на Різдво – МВС
Понад 25 тисяч поліцейських і 1,5 тисячі службовців Національної гвардії патрулюватимуть під час святкування Різдва, повідомляє Міністерство внутрішніх справ із посиланням на першого заступника міністра Сергія Ярового.
За повідомленням, поліцейські та нацгвардійці чергуватимуть біля храмів та в місцях масового скупчення людей.
Читайте також: «Українська Рамадана». Як святкували Різдво і Новий рік на Наддніпрянщині та які традиції зберегли?
«За підрахунками правоохоронців, у святкових заходах з нагоди Різдва планують взяти участь близько 600 тисяч громадян. На свято Різдва Христового до забезпечення порядку та безпеки будуть залучені більше 25 тисяч поліцейських та 1,5 тисячі військовослужбовців Національної гвардії», – заявив Яровий.
Із 6 по 11 січня рятувальники Державної служби з надзвичайних ситуацій переходять на посилений режим роботи. Вони також, зазначають у МВС, обстежили церковні споруди напередодні Різдва. За даними Ярового, на цілодобовому чергуванні перебуватимуть близько 7 тисяч рятувальників, 2 тисячі одиниць техніки і вісім літаків.
7 січня українські православні церкви та Українська греко-католицька церква святкуватимуть Різдво Христове за юліанським календарем (так званим «старим стилем»).
your ad hereBy Gromada | 01/06/2021 | Повідомлення, Суспільство
