Grammy Awards.
NO BULL WITH RAGING ROBERT.
Robert Massimi.
Race Called for Warnock
Two key runoff elections in Georgia went down to the wire overnight, with one race still too close to call. The outcome of both will determine which party controls the US Senate.
In the first race, Raphael Warnock (D) leads incumbent Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R) by 1.2%, or roughly 54,000 votes, as of this morning. The Associated Press called the race for Warnock overnight, though Loeffler has not conceded. If projections hold, Warnock — who currently leads Atlanta’s iconic Ebenezer Baptist Church — would be the first Black senator from the state, and the 11th Black senator in US history.
The second race between incumbent Sen. David Perdue (R) and challenger Jon Ossoff remains tighter. As of this morning, Ossoff leads Perdue by 0.4%, or about 16,300 votes. If the margin is less than 0.5%, candidates can request a recount.
Less than 2% of ballots, primarily mail-in votes, remain uncounted. Republicans need to win one of the two races to maintain control of the Senate. Should Democrats win both, the chamber would have a 50–50 split with Vice President-elect Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) acting as the deciding vote. Track results here.
Electoral Certification
Congress meets in a joint session today to count the votes cast by the Electoral College, the last step in formalizing the results of the 2020 presidential election. Typically a ceremonial-like process in modern times, at least 13 Republican senators are expected to join more than 140 Republican House members in objecting to the results of certain states, including Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Arizona.
The day’s procedures are determined by the Electoral Count Act of 1887. Vice President Mike Pence will preside as each state’s results are read, one at a time. Any member of Congress may object to an individual state’s results. If at least one member of both the House and Senate object, each chamber adjourns for up to two hours, after which both vote on whether to accept or reject the state’s vote. To uphold an objection — and discard the votes — a majority in both the House and Senate must approve. See a deep-dive on the process here.
The Dec. 14 Electoral College vote favored Joe Biden, 306 to 232. Because Democrats control the House, and at least 21 Republican senators have said they will support the results as is, any objections appear unlikely to change the outcome.
Some have suggested Pence has the authority to reject a state’s electors, or introduce a new slate of electors in challenged states. Legal experts say such a move falls outside his constitutionally mandated role, and would establish a precedent where incumbent candidates overturn election results on an ad hoc basis. Pence is anticipated to stick to the traditional duties, advisers said yesterday.
In related news, thousands of President Trump supporters are planning rallies in the nation’s capital to coincide with the certification.
No Charges in Blake Shooting
Wisconsin officials announced yesterday no charges would be brought against a police officer involved in the August shooting of Jacob Blake. District Attorney Michael Graveley said the investigation concluded that prosecutors would not be able to disprove Officer Rusten Sheskey acted in self-defense.
Blake, a Black resident of Kenosha, Wisconsin, was shot four times in the back as he attempted to enter his car after resisting arrest. Sheskey, who fired seven shots in total, said Blake turned toward him holding a knife; investigators found a knife on the floorboard but could not corroborate whether Blake was holding it at the time of the shooting. The incident sparked violent protests in Kenosha and nationwide over excessive police force, following months of unrest over the May death of George Floyd. Blake was left partially paralyzed and had parts of his small intestine and colon removed. Protesters marched peacefully through downtown following yesterday’s decision, with no incidents reported.
Watch the full news conference here.
Enjoy reading? Share 1440 with your three closest friends.
FOR THE FOREVER CURIOUS
Do you always have a book, journal, podcast, or newsletter handy to soak up information? Can’t stop learning, and always want more? Well, sounds like you need to add The Great Courses Plus to your queue.
The Great Courses Plus helps you learn more on just about any topic. Stream thousands of videos by some of the world’s brightest minds, ranging from the Art of Investing to the Theory of Everything, to quench your thirst for knowledge in a way that simply hasn’t been available before. With The Great Courses Plus, you can learn anytime, anywhere, on the device of your choosing, and at your own pace. There’s nothing keeping you and your endlessly curious mind from starting on this educational journey.
Start today with a free trial when you sign up for The Great Courses Plus!
Please support our sponsors!
IN THE KNOW
Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
Brought to you by ButcherBox™
> Alabama wide receiver DeVonta Smith wins Heisman Trophy as college football’s most outstanding player; Smith is first receiver to win the award in nearly 30 years (More) | Boston Red Sox hire Bianca Smith, making her first Black woman to coach professional baseball; Smith will work with team’s minor league affiliate (More)
> The 2021 Grammy Awards postponed until March 14 due to COVID-19; ceremony was originally scheduled for Jan. 31, hosted by Trevor Noah (More)
> Actress Tanya Roberts, known for roles in “Charlie’s Angels” and “James Bond,” dies at age 65, one day after her death was prematurely announced (More)
Free Meat. That’s right; you’ll get up to 10lbs of free meat in your first order from ButcherBox™. Enjoy pork butt, ground beef, and bone-in chicken thighs (all high quality and humanely raised) for free when you sign up today. Check it out while it lasts. #Ad
Science & Technology
> The Environmental Protection Agency finalizes rule requiring the full public release of raw data from studies used to craft most environmental public health regulations; critics argue the move is designed to curtail scientific input (More)
> Brown fat linked to improved cardiac health, according to the largest study to date on its health benefits (More) | What is brown fat? (More)
> Machine-learning algorithm developed combining patient datasets with advanced modeling to speed up drug repurposing, or finding new uses for existing drugs; current process is time-intensive and often luck-based (More)
Business & Markets
> US stock markets bounce back up (S&P 500 +0.7%, Dow +0.6%, Nasdaq +1.0%) as investors await Georgia Senate election outcomes (More)
> Oil and energy stocks soar as OPEC and Russia agree to keep oil production at reduced levels amid pandemic (More)
> President Trump signs executive order banning transactions with Chinese apps including Alipay, Ant Group’s payment app (More)
Politics & World Affairs
> Almost 5 million Americans have received the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, with 17 million doses distributed (More) | Dr. Anthony Fauci says US could vaccinate 1 million per day in near future, despite slow start (More) | Total US COVID-19 deaths at 357,377 as of this morning; see rolling averages (cases, deaths)
> North Korean leader Kim Jong Un opens the country’s first national congress in five years with rare admission of policy failures (More) | More than 50 pro-democracy lawmakers and activists arrested in Hong Kong (More)
> US intelligence agencies formally blame Russia for the wide-ranging SolarWinds cyberattack uncovered last month (More) | Background on what is believed to be the worst hack of the US government in history (More)
DON’T BE STAGNANT
In partnership with The Great Courses Plus
Keep your mind forever active with The Great Courses Plus. Learn at your own pace with the ability to stream lectures like the Art of Investing anytime, anywhere. Tap into an expansive selection of over 13,000 video lectures from some of the world’s greatest minds.
Start learning today; 1440 readers can sign up for The Great Courses Plus with a free trial now.
Please support our sponsors!
ETCETERA
The most expensive places to be a renter (and other US rental market insights).
… though country living is growing on Americans.
Each state’s most popular New Year’s resolution.
From our partners: This company’s security-first approach to video communication and team collaboration will put your mind at ease while delivering first-rate solutions that make your team more efficient. Sign up today. #Ad
A crashed CIA spy plane outside Area 51 has been found.
A guide to 2021’s best meteor showers.
Life lessons learned from a year in a pandemic. (Some NSFW language)
When you go for groceries but end up getting a COVID-19 vaccine.
Jeweler sets record with a 12,638-diamond ring.
Clickbait: The best random internet videos of 2020, compiled. (via YouTube)
Historybook: Joan of Arc born (1412); Telegraph publicly demonstrated for first time (1838); RIP geneticist and botanist Gregor Mendel (1884); First Montessori school is opened (1907); RIP President Teddy Roosevelt (1919).
“Nothing in this world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty.”
- Teddy Roosevelt
- Prezi, Xing.com, Behance.com, Tik Toc, Gmail, Hotmail, Yola, Noom, Instagram, Covid 19, Anthony Fauci, Nicholas Cage, Variety.com, Grammy Awards, Breitbart, Stimulus Checks, www.broadwayworld.com, www.playbill.com, Montessori School, New York City.
