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<title>Daily-Dose</title><meta content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" name="viewport"/><link href="styles/simple.css" rel="stylesheet"/><link href="../styles/simple.css" rel="stylesheet"/><style>*{overflow-x:hidden;}</style><link href="https://unpkg.com/aos@2.3.1/dist/aos.css" rel="stylesheet"/><script src="https://unpkg.com/aos@2.3.1/dist/aos.js"></script></head>
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<h1 data-aos="fade-down" id="daily-dose">Daily-Dose</h1>
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<h1 data-aos="fade-right" data-aos-anchor-placement="top-bottom" id="contents">Contents</h1>
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<ul>
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<li><a href="#from-new-yorker">From New Yorker</a></li>
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<li><a href="#from-vox">From Vox</a></li>
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<li><a href="#from-the-hindu-sports">From The Hindu: Sports</a></li>
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<li><a href="#from-the-hindu-national-news">From The Hindu: National News</a></li>
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<li><a href="#from-bbc-europe">From BBC: Europe</a></li>
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<li><a href="#from-ars-technica">From Ars Technica</a></li>
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<li><a href="#from-jokes-subreddit">From Jokes Subreddit</a></li>
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</ul>
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<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-new-yorker">From New Yorker</h1>
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<ul>
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<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>What the San Francisco Bay Area Can Teach Us About Fighting a Pandemic</strong> - The region’s hyper-local response has lessons for us as we confront the winter wave and begin to distribute vaccines. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/california-chronicles/what-the-san-francisco-bay-area-can-teach-us-about-fighting-a-pandemic">link</a></p></li>
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<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Can Boosting Child and Elder Care Help Democrats Win Control of the Senate?</strong> - Groups canvassing in Georgia say that the “care economy” is a pivotal issue to voters. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/campaign-chronicles/can-boosting-child-and-elder-care-help-democrats-win-control-of-the-senate">link</a></p></li>
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<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Can Democrats Win Georgia—and the Senate?</strong> - In order to do so, the candidates will need high voter turnout in a state where it tends to drop during runoffs, especially among the Party’s own supporters. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/campaign-chronicles/how-the-democrats-are-turning-out-voters-in-georgia">link</a></p></li>
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<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The Real Republican Radicals</strong> - The Trump movement was long understood as a populist one. But, since the election, the people at the barricades have been politicians and their lawyers. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/the-real-republican-radicals">link</a></p></li>
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<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Dr. Anthony Fauci on Becoming an Activist Within Government</strong> - America’s top infectious-disease expert discusses how governments can respond to save lives in pandemics. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/video/watch/the-new-yorker-festival-dr-anthony-fauci-on-becoming-an-activist-within-government">link</a></p></li>
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</ul>
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<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-vox">From Vox</h1>
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<ul>
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Nancy Pelosi is elected to a fourth term as House speaker</strong> -
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<figure>
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<img alt="Pelosi, in a red suit, necklace made of metal beads, and a white mask featuring red and black paisley patterns, stands with her head held high in from of a row of US and US House of Representative flags." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/05_nih__MT64NHsEyP-aorWrMFo=/307x0:4759x3339/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/68613471/1293771788.0.jpg"/>
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<figcaption>
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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaks at her weekly news conference on Capitol Hill on December 30, 2020. | Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images
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</figcaption>
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</figure></li>
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</ul>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
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Pelosi will lead a slim Democratic House majority in the 117th Congress.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="aedZCl">
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California Democratic Rep. Nancy Pelosi has been elected to another term — her fourth — as speaker of the House of Representatives, one she has promised will be her last.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="NeLdAG">
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By a vote of <a href="https://twitter.com/MEPFuller/status/1345849878887460874?s=20">216 to 209</a> Sunday, with three members voting present and several others either absent or voting for other candidates, Democratic lawmakers once again gave Pelosi the gavel just hours after the <a href="https://www.vox.com/e/21975448">historically diverse 117th Congress was sworn in</a>.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="AcMZdk">
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Pelosi, 80, previously made history as the first woman to be elected speaker, and she has <a href="https://history.house.gov/Institution/Firsts-Milestones/Speaker-Fast-Facts/">again made history</a> on Sunday by becoming the oldest American to be elected to the role. Renowned House Speaker Sam Rayburn of Texas, who previously held that honor, was 78 when elected for his final term.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="nn6vmG">
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Pelosi faced no challengers, but had little margin for error given her party’s slender majority in the new Congress. Despite having expected to expand their majority in the 2020 elections, Democrats actually <a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-donald-trump-race-and-ethnicity-iowa-elections-d7c101e1432fbe49191f26d41d6c6832">lost ground</a> and now hold just <a href="https://twitter.com/mkraju/status/1345778856779800576?s=20">222 seats</a> in the chamber — four more than the 218 needed for a bare majority — with two races still undecided. In total, the GOP picked up at least nine seats.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="D1T87q">
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To retain the speakership, Pelosi needed only to receive a simple majority of votes in the full House. But she faced questions over whether she would be able to achieve that majority.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="sOPheu">
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Among other issues, several Democratic House members — such as Wisconsin Rep. Gwen Moore — have tested positive for the coronavirus in recent weeks. Moore ultimately <a href="https://twitter.com/MEPFuller/status/1345826871234228225?s=20">ended up voting on the House floor</a> anyway, despite <a href="https://twitter.com/Olivia_Beavers/status/1345788322950602753?s=20">not having tested negative</a> for Covid-19 since her positive test on December 28.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="PLAbdS">
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The absence of two Republican representatives-elect because of positive Covid-19 tests — David Valadao of California and Maria Elvira Salazar of Florida — also made the math somewhat easier for Pelosi.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="OS1Dqp">
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Nonetheless, there was concern that, as in 2018, Pelosi would face opposition to her bid from within the Democratic Party — and that this time it might be enough to derail her chances.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="cBAL3G">
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After the 2018 midterms, more than a <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/11/15/18095869/nancy-pelosi-speaker-votes-democrats-letter">dozen Democrats opposed another speaker’s term</a> for Pelosi, arguing that their party needed new leadership. Some of those who were against Pelosi then, like former New York Rep. Max Rose, lost reelection; others, like Pennsylvania’s Rep. Conor Lamb, remain in the House. Ahead of Sunday’s vote, there were lingering questions about how these lawmakers — as well as first-term members who had been silent about their intentions — might vote on Sunday.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="iySpC6">
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Lamb <a href="https://twitter.com/JakeSherman/status/1345825120267493379?s=20">voted</a> for New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the chair of the House Democratic Caucus, on Sunday.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="LvLzBR">
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But Jeffries himself was confident about Pelosi’s chances ahead of the vote Sunday, telling <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/rep-hakeem-jeffries-pelosi-will-be-next-speaker">Fox News</a>, “Nancy Pelosi will be the next speaker of the United States House of Representatives and I look forward to placing her name into nomination.”
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="dVvjcb">
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And Virginia Rep. Gerry Connolly suggested to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/03/politics/nancy-pelosi-speaker-vote/index.html">CNN</a> that concerns about Pelosi’s ability to secure majority support were overblown, saying, “If Nancy can do anything, it is that she knows how to count.”
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="LBQWGG">
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Ultimately, Pelosi was able to marshal enough votes to stay in power, with previously undeclared first-term members like New York <a href="https://twitter.com/JakeSherman/status/1345812464278110213?s=20">Rep. Jamaal Bowman</a> choosing to support her for a fourth term as speaker.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="sY9VDK">
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However, the 117th Congress will likely be Pelosi’s last as speaker. In 2018, she <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/12/12/18138499/nancy-pelosi-house-speaker-votes-term-limits">struck a deal with Democrats who opposed her run</a> — promising that she would abide by proposed term limits for House leadership, meaning she would be able to serve only four more years.
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</p>
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<h3 id="0H62XA">
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Pelosi will face a new set of challenges in the 117th Congress
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</h3>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="FiR802">
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Now that she has secured her position as speaker, Pelosi will face the early challenge of her majority dwindling even further, albeit likely just temporarily.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="7InnVS">
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At least three House Democrats — Reps. Cedric Richmond, Marcia Fudge, and Deb Haaland — have been tapped for jobs in the <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/11/17/933848488/biden-administration-heres-who-has-been-nominated">Biden administration</a>, leaving their seats vacant. (Richmond, who is in line to serve as director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, does not need to be confirmed for the job, though Fudge and Haaland do.)
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="MgiyID">
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All three currently serve in <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-12-16/pelosi-approves-of-haaland-leaving-u-s-house-for-biden-cabinet">comfortably Democratic districts</a> which are likely to remain blue if their current occupants leave for a Biden administration — but the seats will take time to fill, temporarily leaving Pelosi with as few as 219 Democratic votes.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="5wUppb">
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Even once those seats are filled — assuming they are won by Democrats, as is likely — Pelosi will have to find a way to govern an occasionally fractious, diverse caucus and pass legislation with fewer votes to spare than she had in the last Congress. Unless she wins Republican votes, which is an unlikely prospect when it comes to many Democratic legislative priorities, she’ll be able to lose just four votes.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="5Iu2vj">
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And Pelosi will preside over a deeply divided caucus — a split that was evident in the days immediately following the election, in which moderate members <a href="https://www.vox.com/21562362/house-democrats-2020-election-aoc-spanberger">blamed progressives for losses</a>, and that saw progressives call for even bolder action on issues like <a href="https://www.vox.com/22165471/progressive-immigration-reform-biden-jayapal">immigration</a> and <a href="https://www.vox.com/2020/12/17/22179577/biden-student-debt-house-resolution">education</a>.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="AWOSJC">
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The need for nearly every vote from both sides of the caucus will give individual members a greater ability to force compromises on legislation, a fact Washington Rep. Pramila Jayapal, chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, acknowledged recently.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="hS8lBC">
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“Anytime you have a very narrow majority it gives a lot of different parts of the caucus power. Progressives will have power but so will more conservative Democrats. So this will have to be a case where we are thoughtful, careful on how and when we weigh in on things and work as much as we can across the caucus as well,” Jayapal told <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/slim-majority-progressives-aim-leverage-power-push-biden-congress-left-1557041">Newsweek</a> in December.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="NRhnMY">
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However, it’s not all bad news for Pelosi. For the first time since she yielded the speaker’s gavel in January 2011 following a Republican wave in the 2010 midterm elections, she will have an ally in the White House in the form of President-elect Joe Biden. What’s more, should Democrats win a pair of Senate runoffs in Georgia this week, the Democratic Party could enjoy unified control of the government for the first time since January 2011.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ldbKAd">
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If Democratic Senate nominees Jon Ossoff and Rev. Raphael Warnock win out against incumbent Republican Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler Tuesday, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will become the tie-breaking vote on January 20, tipping control of the chamber to the Democratic Party and making New York Sen. Chuck Schumer the majority leader.
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</p>
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<ul>
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Trump’s call with Georgia’s secretary of state is a subversion of democracy</strong> -
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<figure>
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<img alt="Trump, in a navy blue windbreaker featuring the seal of the president of the US and a red “Make America Great Again” baseball cap, climbs behind the wheel of a white golf cart on a cloudy day." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Zlsz-2z3X9t4QR2Ams9y-7RaiS0=/41x0:2952x2183/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/68613405/1230113307.0.jpg"/>
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<figcaption>
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President Donald Trump climbs into a golf cart at Trump National Golf Club in December 2020. | Al Drago/Getty Images
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</figcaption>
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</figure></li>
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</ul>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
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Trump told the Georgia official: “I just want to find 11,780 votes.”
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="dsvhW5">
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President Donald Trump asked Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican, to “find” almost 12,000 nonexistent votes during a Saturday phone call, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-raffensperger-call-georgia-vote/2021/01/03/d45acb92-4dc4-11eb-bda4-615aaefd0555_story.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=wp_main">according to a report by Amy Gardner of the Washington Post</a>. Inventing those votes would change the outcome of the election in that state, tipping its electoral votes to Trump over President-elect Joe Biden.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="6c9NKp">
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Over the course of a more than hour-long phone call, a recording of which was obtained by the Post, Trump raised a series of baseless, debunked conspiracy theories — and variously cajoled and threatened Raffensperger to find some way to award him the victory in Georgia, a state Trump lost by <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/11/03/us/elections/results-georgia.html">11,779 votes</a>.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="oZMV23">
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“All I want to do is this,” Trump told Raffensperger on the call. “I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have. Because we won the state.”
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="lRrHmm">
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Ryan Germany, the general counsel to the Georgia secretary of state’s office, was also on the call, according to the Post, as were White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and conservative lawyer Cleta Mitchell.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="JkugnH">
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Trump had earlier acknowledged the call in a tweet, but framed it very differently, claiming the men spoke about allegations of election fraud, which Raffensperger has disproven several times. Sunday’s Washington Post story reveals what was discussed in far more detail.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="3RRWb8">
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“I spoke to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger yesterday about Fulton County and voter fraud in Georgia,” <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1345731043861659650?s=20">Trump tweeted Sunday morning</a>. “He was unwilling, or unable, to answer questions such as the ‘ballots under table’ scam, ballot destruction, out of state ‘voters’, dead voters, and more. He has no clue!”
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</p>
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<div id="nVkWqW">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" dir="ltr" lang="en">
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I spoke to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger yesterday about Fulton County and voter fraud in Georgia. He was unwilling, or unable, to answer questions such as the “ballots under table” scam, ballot destruction, out of state “voters”, dead voters, and more. He has no clue!
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</p>
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— Donald J. Trump (<span class="citation">@realDonaldTrump</span>) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1345731043861659650?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2021</a>
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</blockquote>
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</div>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="pnmHDQ">
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Audio from the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/politics/audio-trumps-full-jan-2-call-with-ga-secretary-of-state/2021/01/03/3f9426f4-7937-4718-8a8e-9d6052001991_video.html">full 62-minute call</a> was published by the Post Sunday, including an exchange where Trump threatens Raffensperger and Germany with imminent legal consequences should they fail to overturn the already certified results.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="8An9Ms">
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“That’s a criminal offense,” Trump tells Raffensperger and Germany on the call, apparently in reference to Raffensperger not reporting made-up instances of election fraud. “And you can’t let that happen. That’s a big risk to you and to Ryan, your lawyer. And that’s a big risk.”
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="XE0t6Y">
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Trump also raised a number of conspiracy theories resembling those promoted by onetime Trump lawyer Sidney Powell, who was <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/11/22/giuliani-releases-statement-distancing-trump-campaign-lawyer-sidney-powell/">cut loose</a> by the Trump campaign’s legal team as her election fraud allegations became increasingly outlandish.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="PDIe3F">
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Powell, who has pushed a series of election lawsuits with scant — and sometimes purely <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/sidney-powells-secret-intelligence-contractor-witness-is-a-pro-trump-podcaster/2020/12/24/d5a1ab9e-4403-11eb-a277-49a6d1f9dff1_story.html">fictitious</a> — evidence of fraud. She has also repeatedly falsely asserted that voting machines designed by <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/voting-machine-firm-demands-pro-trump-attorney-retract/story?id=74783255">Dominion Voting Systems</a> helped to steal the 2020 election from Trump.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Qz8dHe">
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In reality, President-elect Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election by 306 electoral votes to Trump’s 232, and with a popular vote margin of <a href="https://cookpolitical.com/2020-national-popular-vote-tracker">more than 7 million votes</a>. Recounts in battleground states like <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/07/politics/georgia-recount-recertification-biden/index.html">Georgia</a> and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-donald-trump-madison-wisconsin-7aef88488e4a801545a13cf4319591b0">Wisconsin</a> — both won by Biden — have turned up no evidence of large-scale fraud or irregularities that could have affected the results of the election.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="hX5q5a">
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In all 50 states and Washington, DC, the election results have been carefully reviewed by state officials and <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/09/politics/2020-election-results-certified/index.html">certified</a> as accurate. And <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2020/12/02/fact-check-claim-dominion-tech-altered-georgia-votes-false/3792599001/">Dominion’s machines</a> have been found to have operated correctly.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="KdlK4i">
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Nonetheless, Trump aired a version of the Dominion conspiracy during his Saturday call.
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="cIfO9h">
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“Now, do you think it’s possible that they shredded ballots in Fulton County?” Trump asked Germany on the call. “Because that’s what the rumor is. And also that Dominion took out machines. That Dominion is really moving fast to get rid of their machinery. Do you know anything about that? Because that’s illegal, right?”
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</p>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="OG499f">
|
||
As Germany affirmed on the call, none of Trump’s allegations are true.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="wI39tY">
|
||
Despite the Trump legal team’s move to disavow Powell, Trump has reportedly remained enamored with her theories. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/19/us/politics/trump-sidney-powell-voter-fraud.html">According to a New York Times report from December</a>, he briefly considered naming Powell as special counsel to investigate his baseless claims of voter fraud, though he was ultimately talked down by aides.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="D3QkfV">
|
||
And as recently as Sunday, he <a href="https://twitter.com/SidneyPowell1/status/1345571395921735680?s=20">retweeted</a> a message from Powell alleging — again, without even a shred of evidence — “massive fraud.”
|
||
</p>
|
||
<div id="nNwo6T">
|
||
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" dir="ltr" lang="en">
|
||
This “election” was stolen from the voters in a massive fraud that you & others are now complicit in. American elections are supposed to be completely auditable and transparent. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeThePeople?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeThePeople</a> demand the Truth & the prosecutions of all who committed voter fraud. <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"><span class="citation">@realDonaldTrump</span></a> <a href="https://t.co/Gd4vNmGxHV">https://t.co/Gd4vNmGxHV</a>
|
||
</p>
|
||
— Sidney Powell ⭐⭐⭐ #Kraken (<span class="citation">@SidneyPowell1</span>) <a href="https://twitter.com/SidneyPowell1/status/1345571395921735680?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2021</a>
|
||
</blockquote>
|
||
</div>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ixpCPz">
|
||
According to the Washington Post, Trump’s remarks on the call Saturday raise the possibility of additional legal problems for a president already facing <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516588&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.newyorker.com%2Fmagazine%2F2020%2F11%2F09%2Fwhy-trump-cant-afford-to-lose&referrer=vox.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vox.com%2F2021%2F1%2F3%2F22211657%2Fwashington-post-trump-call-georgia-secretary-state-raffensperger-recording-find-votes" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">quite a few potential criminal investigations</a> upon leaving office. The report noted, however, that there is no clear-cut offense revealed on the call and that any possible charges would ultimately be “subject to prosecutorial discretion.”
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="G4Uxtp">
|
||
As CNN reporter Ryan Struyk <a href="https://twitter.com/ryanstruyk/status/1345802492639137794?s=20">pointed out on Twitter Sunday</a>, US law makes it a crime to “‘knowingly and willfully ... attempt to deprive or defraud the residents of a State of a fair and impartially conducted election process’ by ‘the procurement ... of ballots that are known by the person to be materially false.’”
|
||
</p>
|
||
<div id="TbFBKG">
|
||
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" dir="ltr" lang="en">
|
||
52 US Code §20511 makes it illegal to "knowingly and willfully... attempt to deprive or defraud the residents of a State of a fair and impartially conducted election process" by "the procurement... of ballots that are known by the person to be materially false."
|
||
</p>
|
||
— Ryan Struyk (<span class="citation">@ryanstruyk</span>) <a href="https://twitter.com/ryanstruyk/status/1345802492639137794?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2021</a>
|
||
</blockquote>
|
||
</div>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="d6DpAl">
|
||
Trump may also have landed himself in legal peril at the state level. <a href="https://twitter.com/kyledcheney/status/1345805510944174087?s=20">According to Politico reporter Kyle Cheney</a>, “conspiracy to commit election fraud” and “criminal solicitation to commit election fraud” are both <a href="http://ga.elaws.us/law/21-2%7C15">crimes</a> in Georgia, and some legal experts believe Trump’s comments Saturday violated state law.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ahekHy">
|
||
Other reporters, such as <a href="https://twitter.com/grace_panetta/status/1345813428674375680?s=20">Business Insider’s Grace Panetta</a>, have pointed out that Trump’s comments are strikingly similar to those he was impeached over in late 2019, after his pressure campaign against the president of Ukraine seeking to extort an investigation into Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, came to light.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<div id="zrf2f0">
|
||
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" dir="ltr" lang="en">
|
||
This is shockingly similar to what Trump was impeached over <a href="https://t.co/gqV2llatQu">https://t.co/gqV2llatQu</a>
|
||
</p>
|
||
— Grace Panetta (<span class="citation">@grace_panetta</span>) <a href="https://twitter.com/grace_panetta/status/1345813428674375680?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2021</a>
|
||
</blockquote>
|
||
</div>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="bQGbIr">
|
||
In a statement Sunday, a Biden adviser <a href="https://twitter.com/kylegriffin1/status/1345834824443990017?s=20">condemned</a> Trump’s election pressure campaign.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="lr9ech">
|
||
“We now have irrefutable proof of a president pressuring and threatening an official of his own party to get him to rescind a state’s lawful, certified vote count and fabricate another in its place,” former Obama White House counsel and current Biden senior adviser Bob Bauer said.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<h3 id="JznZ7C">
|
||
Saturday’s call isn’t the first time Trump has tried to subvert democracy
|
||
</h3>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="dL7PuC">
|
||
Though Sunday’s Washington Post scoop provides arguably the starkest example of Trump’s long-running attempts to subvert democracy in order to remain in power — not to mention a more than passing resemblance to President Richard Nixon’s presidency-ending tapes — it is by no means the only time Trump has mounted an effort of this sort since losing reelection.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="yEmtTK">
|
||
In at least three other battleground states that he lost to Biden — <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/arizona-governor-becomes-latest-trump-target-after-certifying-biden-s-n1249549">Arizona</a>, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/michigan-gop-lawmakers-heckled-arrival-white-house-meeting-n1248396">Michigan</a>, and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-pennsylvania-coronavirus-pandemic-c5b7f43af7794f01f6d339b7258b915a">Pennsylvania</a> — Trump has directly reached out to lawmakers and <a href="https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2020/11/19/trump-monica-palmer-wayne-canvassers-certification-election/3776190001/">other officials</a> to urge them to help him overturn the election results in their states, potentially awarding him an unelected second term in office.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="R0aBYV">
|
||
In Pennsylvania, one Republican lawmaker — state Senate Majority Leader Kim Ward — <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/09/us/politics/trump-pennsylvania-electoral-college.html">told the New York Times</a> that she chose not to push back on Trump’s baseless fraud accusations.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="O8jYCV">
|
||
“If I would say to you, ‘I don’t want to do it,’” she said in December, “I’d get my house bombed tonight.”
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="DbKP2F">
|
||
But Trump’s antidemocratic efforts have been most acute in Georgia — possibly because the state remains in the news this month, more than 60 days after the presidential election, in the run-up to two crucial Senate runoffs this Tuesday that will decide partisan control of the chamber.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="9ZcVhL">
|
||
In his call Saturday, Trump suggested that this was the case to Raffensperger.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="NKxz42">
|
||
“You have a big election coming up and because of what you’ve done to the president — you know, the people of Georgia know that this was a scam,” Trump said on the call. “Because of what you’ve done to the president, a lot of people aren’t going out to vote, and a lot of Republicans are going to vote negative, because they hate what you did to the president.”
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="uxrEA1">
|
||
Georgia voters set a record for early-voting turnout ahead of Tuesday’s runoffs, <a href="https://www.ajc.com/politics/early-voting-ends-with-record-3m-georgia-voters-for-us-senate-runoffs/47HZD2AAXRDZDCHPJXKNZVKRTE/">according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution</a>, with more than 3 million votes cast ahead of Election Day on January 5. But as <a href="https://www.vox.com/2020/12/15/22176161/trump-perdue-loeffer-rigged-election-runoffs">Vox’s Aaron Rupar</a> has written, there are some indications Trump’s efforts to spread doubt about the security of the election may have depressed Republican participation so far.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Kpc6Zp">
|
||
And Republicans are likely to need every vote to ensure victories in both races. Polling suggests that both races are more or less a toss-up: <a href="https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/georgia-senate-polls/">According to FiveThirtyEight’s polling averages</a>, Democratic Senate candidates Jon Ossoff and Rev. Raphael Warnock lead incumbent Republican Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler by around 2 percentage points each.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Z09Iu9">
|
||
Trump will be back in Georgia on Monday for a final <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2021/01/03/trump-georgia-stakes-tuesdays-runoffs-453901">preelection rally</a>, though if his <a href="https://www.vox.com/2020/12/5/22156585/trump-valdosta-georgia-rally-loeffler-perdue-grievances">last Georgia rally</a> is any indication, he will likely stray to other topics, such as his grievances against Raffensperger and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="FQnIBp">
|
||
“You would be respected, really respected if this thing could be straightened out before the election,” Trump told Raffensperger on the call Saturday. “You have a big election coming up on Tuesday.”
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="SPXz93">
|
||
To date, Raffensperger has resisted Trump’s efforts to overturn the election, and Sunday, responded to Trump’s characterization of the call by <a href="https://twitter.com/GaSecofState/status/1345753643593687040?s=20">tweeting</a>, “Respectfully, President Trump: What you’re saying is not true. The truth will come out.”
|
||
</p>
|
||
<ul>
|
||
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A historic new Congress has just been sworn in</strong> -
|
||
<figure>
|
||
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/i7i_hxtUh3n-Qjp5-x4MzBz7JcU=/284x0:4813x3397/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/68612880/1293460936.0.jpg"/>
|
||
<figcaption>
|
||
The sun rises over the US Capitol on December 28, 2020 in Washington, DC. | Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images
|
||
</figcaption>
|
||
</figure></li>
|
||
</ul>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||
Democrats face a narrow House majority, with control of the Senate to be decided in two Georgia runoff elections.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="hO2Ty2">
|
||
A historic new Congress was sworn in on Sunday, one that narrowed the margin of control in both chambers and brought a diverse class of first-term members to Capitol Hill.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Z5ofTa">
|
||
In the House of Representatives, a previously robust Democratic <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/elections/election-results/house-2020/">majority</a> shrank to just <a href="https://twitter.com/mkraju/status/1345778856779800576?s=20">222 seats</a> — four more than the 218 needed for a bare majority — with two races still undecided, for a net GOP pickup of nine seats.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="47QtsY">
|
||
One Republican House member, Iowa Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, was seated <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2020/12/30/pelosi-seats-iowa-mariannette-miller-meeks-452332">provisionally</a>, as her opponent continues to contest Miller-Meeks’s six-vote margin of victory, and New York’s 22nd Congressional District will be temporarily <a href="https://www.syracuse.com/politics/cny/2021/01/nys-22nd-district-starts-year-without-us-house-member-what-does-that-mean.html">without a representative</a> as incumbent Rep. Anthony Brindisi’s race remains too close to call.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="PxfR5u">
|
||
And another House district in Louisiana will remain vacant for the time being after the <a href="https://www.vox.com/2020/12/30/22206161/luke-letlow-louisiana-covid-19-congress">sudden death of Representative-elect Luke Letlow</a> from Covid-19 complications last week. Letlow, 41, had won a runoff in Louisiana’s Fifth Congressional District; now, a special election will be held to fill his seat.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="dOLghZ">
|
||
Despite Letlow’s tragic death, adherence to the House’s <a href="https://twitter.com/CraigCaplan/status/1338940808309985282?s=20">mask policy</a> was a flashpoint Sunday as new members were sworn in: At least two new Republican members clashed with House staff on the issue Sunday, <a href="https://twitter.com/JakeSherman/status/1345782585927098370?s=20">according to Punchbowl News’s Jake Sherman</a>.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<div id="BnfbuG">
|
||
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" dir="ltr" lang="en">
|
||
2 new Republicans — including <a href="https://twitter.com/mtgreenee?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"><span class="citation">@mtgreenee</span></a> — are being told by House floor staff that they have to put their masks on. as of now, they seem to be telling the floor staff that they will not put it on. <br/><br/>Taylor Greene is leaving the floor with the other R, who were trying to ID
|
||
</p>
|
||
— Jake Sherman (<span class="citation">@JakeSherman</span>) <a href="https://twitter.com/JakeSherman/status/1345782585927098370?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2021</a>
|
||
</blockquote>
|
||
</div>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="QdaKYy">
|
||
The Republican <a href="https://twitter.com/nielslesniewski/status/1345788116662165507?s=20">Senate majority</a>, meanwhile, dwindled slightly to just 51 seats ahead of a pair of decisive runoffs in Georgia this Tuesday. That’s down from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s 53-seat margin for most of the 116th Congress, a majority that fell briefly to just 52 seats last month after Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, a Democrat, was <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/02/politics/mark-kelly-swearing-in-arizona-senator/index.html">sworn in on December 2</a> following his special-election victory.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="C7y44k">
|
||
The Georgia runoffs mean that the Senate seat previously belonging to incumbent Sen. David Perdue will temporarily stand vacant between Sunday and the January 5 election, though Sen. Kelly Loeffler, who is facing a special election runoff, will retain hers at least through January 5.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="4kzWPk">
|
||
Beyond Kelly winning a seat previously held by Republican Sen. Martha McSally, two other Senate seats changed hands in November, with Democratic Sen. John Hickenlooper ousting incumbent Republican Sen. Cory Gardner in Colorado and Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville defeating incumbent Democrat Sen. Doug Jones in Alabama. However, given the affiliations of both victors, those elections will have no effect on the chamber’s overall balance of power.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<h3 id="P3GKNv">
|
||
A first-term class full of firsts
|
||
</h3>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="LMaoTP">
|
||
In addition to the partisan changes, the 117th Congress has ushered in a number of demographic firsts.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="hZ2Wxz">
|
||
In the House, <a href="https://abc7ny.com/ny-congressman-congress-swearing-in-ritchie-torres-mondaire-jones/9313011/">Rep. Mondaire Jones</a> (D-NY) became the first openly gay Black man to serve in Congress, while Democrat New York <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/ritchie-torres-is-making-afro-latino-lgbtq-political-history-in-congress-on-his-own-terms">Rep. Ritchie Torres</a> became the first openly gay Afro-Latino member.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="SlWOhk">
|
||
Rep. Stephanie Brice (R-IA) is now the first <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/01/03/951481488/heres-a-look-at-congress-incoming-freshman-class?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=politics&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_term=nprnews">Iranian-American person</a> in Congress.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="gaC2y5">
|
||
Reps. Marilyn Strickland (D-WA), Young Kim (R-CA), and Michelle Steel (R-CA) are the <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/01/03/951481488/heres-a-look-at-congress-incoming-freshman-class?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=politics&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_term=nprnews">first Korean-American women</a> in Congress.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="NMhMrc">
|
||
And at just 25 years old, Rep. <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/04/politics/madison-cawthorn-house-north-carolina/index.html">Madison Cawthorn</a> (R-NC) is the youngest person to serve in Congress in the modern era, according to CNN.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="SqMVZj">
|
||
The new House also includes more women than ever, breaking a record set by the <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/11/7/18024742/midterm-results-record-women-win">116th Congress</a>. Of the <a href="https://www.politico.com/interactives/2021/new-women-of-congress/">118 women in the House</a>, 89 are Democrats and 29 Republicans.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="n2wmVZ">
|
||
Another notable first is the presence of <a href="https://www.rollcall.com/2020/11/05/qanon-goes-to-washington-two-supporters-win-seats-in-congress/">two</a> <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/11/04/marjorie-greene-qanon-georgia-congress-election/">open</a> <a href="https://www.vox.com/2020/7/3/21309935/qanon-supporters-winning-congressional-primaries-explained">supporters</a> of the viral <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/8/1/17253444/qanon-trump-conspiracy-theory-4chan-explainer">QAnon conspiracy</a> theory, which posits the existence of a global cabal of Satanic pedophiles and which has been <a href="https://twitter.com/BrandyZadrozny/status/1345753877170302978?s=20">repeatedly amplified</a> by President Donald Trump.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="7XdRuF">
|
||
The FBI has labeled QAnon a <a href="https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/janelytvynenko/trump-praises-qanon">domestic terrorism threat</a>, and the conspiracy, which counts among its adherents Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and Lauren Boebert (R-CO), has been linked to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/oct/15/qanon-violence-crimes-timeline">multiple real-world acts of violence</a>, including at least one murder.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<h3 id="Ri8MZT">
|
||
A new test for Nancy Pelosi
|
||
</h3>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="rldkEW">
|
||
In addition to swearing in new members, the House will also elect a new speaker Sunday. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), who reclaimed the gavel after the 2018 midterms, is <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/01/03/952422397/pelosi-poised-to-be-reelected-speaker-but-slimmer-majority-makes-it-tight">expected to win another term</a> in the job, though she’ll have little margin for error with a slender new majority.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="uzMgnc">
|
||
Pelosi, 80, has led the House Democratic caucus for 17 years and must receive a simple majority of votes in the full House to retain the speakership. A handful of Democrats have already signaled they plan to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/03/politics/nancy-pelosi-speaker-vote/index.html">refuse to back Pelosi’s bid</a>, but likely not enough to derail Pelosi’s bid for the gavel.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="gFkXd8">
|
||
However, the 117th Congress will likely be Pelosi’s last as speaker. In 2018, she struck a deal with fellow Democrats in the House that she would only seek two more years in the job, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/18/politics/houses-democrats-leadership-election-nancy-pelosi-moderates-progressives/index.html">according to CNN</a>.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="FiR802">
|
||
Should she again become speaker, Pelosi will face the early challenge of her majority dwindling even further, albeit likely just temporarily. At least three House Democrats — Reps. Cedric Richmond, Marcia Fudge, and Deb Haaland — have been tapped for jobs in the <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/11/17/933848488/biden-administration-heres-who-has-been-nominated">Biden administration</a>, leaving their seats vacant. (Richmond, who is in line to serve as director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, does not need to be confirmed for the job, though Fudge and Haaland do.)
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="MgiyID">
|
||
All three currently serve in <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-12-16/pelosi-approves-of-haaland-leaving-u-s-house-for-biden-cabinet">comfortably Democratic districts</a> which are likely to remain blue if their current occupants leave for a Biden administration — but the seats will take time to fill, temporarily leaving Pelosi with as few as 219 Democratic votes.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<h3 id="83YCHL">
|
||
The Senate is still up in the air
|
||
</h3>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="7upQIp">
|
||
In the Senate, McConnell’s slim majority — and thus his tenure as majority leader in the 117th Congress — could prove ephemeral, depending on how Tuesday’s high-stakes Georgia runoffs shake out.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="NieD0B">
|
||
With two days until voters head to the polls in Georgia, incumbent Republicans Perdue and Loeffler both trail their respective Democratic challengers — Jon Ossoff and Rev. Raphael Warnock — by less than 2 percentage points, <a href="https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/georgia-senate-polls/">according to FiveThirtyEight’s polling average</a>, making both of the races essentially toss-ups.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="tAJ21u">
|
||
Biden won the state in November this year, becoming the first Democratic presidential candidate to win in Georgia since 1992, and Trump has <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-raffensperger-call-georgia-vote/2021/01/03/d45acb92-4dc4-11eb-bda4-615aaefd0555_story.html">focused</a> much of his ire over his election loss on Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ykMmNo">
|
||
If Democrats win both races, however, that will boost their margin in the chamber to 50 seats (counting independent Sens. Bernie Sanders and Angus King, who caucus with Senate Democrats). With the inclusion of Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, who could become the tie-breaking vote once she’s sworn in on January 20, Democrats would hold the majority for the first time since the <a href="https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/briefing/Majority_Minority_Leaders.htm">113th Congress</a>, which ended in January 2015.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="kEEtmu">
|
||
Warnock’s victory would be particularly historic: If he wins, he will be <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/02/us/politics/raphael-warnock-georgia-senate.html">the first Black senator ever elected in the state of Georgia</a>.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="7jhYQb">
|
||
If either Perdue or Loeffler, or both, win reelection, though, McConnell will hold onto the majority, and President-elect Joe Biden is likely to find working with the Senate <a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-georgia-health-elections-coronavirus-pandemic-48f1fc66dd56be64db94cc6bb69560a8">much more difficult</a>.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-the-hindu-sports">From The Hindu: Sports</h1>
|
||
<ul>
|
||
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Tokyo Olympics | Hopeful of India recording best-ever medal haul: Abhinav Bindra</strong> - is optimistic about a strong performance by the Indian shooting contingent</p></li>
|
||
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Cricket Australia rejects reports of India seeking to shift fourth Test out of Brisbane</strong> - Nick Hockley said the Indian cricket board was ‘fully across (and) supportive’ of quarantine requirements in Queensland.</p></li>
|
||
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>New Zealand vs Pakistan, 2nd Test, Day 2 | Williamson's 112 helps New Zealand cut Pakistan's lead</strong> - Williamson's century was his 24th in Tests and again came at a crucial time for New Zealand</p></li>
|
||
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>We should be mentally prepared for several challenges on way to Olympics: Manpreet</strong> - With only 200 days to go for the Olympics, Manpreet and Rani, believe the players in respective core groups will have to give their 100% to be able to achieve their goals</p></li>
|
||
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Aus vs Ind | Australia pacer James Pattinson ruled out of third Test against India with bruised ribs</strong> - A replacement has not been named for James Pattinson, who got injured after a fall at home</p></li>
|
||
</ul>
|
||
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-the-hindu-national-news">From The Hindu: National News</h1>
|
||
<ul>
|
||
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Trinamool leader alleges lack of fund allocation by Railways</strong> - West Bengal minister Sashi Panja says the Railways had in 2019 allocated a token of ₹1,000 for many "pro-people" projects.</p></li>
|
||
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>306-km waterway to be made navigable from next month</strong> - 68-km Vallakadavu-Kollam stretch, 70-km Kottapuram-Chavakkad stretch to be commissioned</p></li>
|
||
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>New COVID-19 strain: Total 38 people in India test positive</strong> - These include the 29 cases which were announced till January 1</p></li>
|
||
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Goa Congress leader seeks SC direction to Speaker regarding disqualification of MLAs</strong> - The disqualification petition with the Speaker was filed in August 2019 and one-and-half year has gone by and a decision has still not been taken on it.</p></li>
|
||
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Parties hold meetings of newly elected GP members</strong> - Major political parties on Monday held meetings of newly elected members of Gram Panchayats to show their strength in Shivamogga district. BJP leaders</p></li>
|
||
</ul>
|
||
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-bbc-europe">From BBC: Europe</h1>
|
||
<ul>
|
||
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Coronavirus: French government vows to speed up vaccinations</strong> - A week into mass vaccinations France has inoculated fewer than 1,000 - far behind Germany.</p></li>
|
||
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Covid: Brian Pinker, 82, first to get Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine</strong> - The PM says the number of vaccine doses will amount to "tens of millions" by the end of March.</p></li>
|
||
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Julian Assange: Wikileaks founder extradition to US blocked by UK judge</strong> - The Wikileaks founder is wanted in the US over the publication of thousands of classified documents.</p></li>
|
||
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Brexit: Fresh test for Irish Sea trade border processes</strong> - As businesses return to work after Christmas, the amount of freight moving through NI will increase.</p></li>
|
||
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Fiat Chrysler and PSA merger faces final hurdle</strong> - The deal will create the world's fourth biggest car maker and lead to major savings for the new group.</p></li>
|
||
</ul>
|
||
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-ars-technica">From Ars Technica</h1>
|
||
<ul>
|
||
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Study: Folklore structure reveals how conspiracy theories emerge, fall apart</strong> - Rumors swirling around 2016 Wikileaks dump was glue that held "Pizzagate" together. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1692790">link</a></p></li>
|
||
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>My green home: $90,000 in clean tech upgrades, $20,000 in tax breaks</strong> - I bought solar panels, a heat pump, a condensing boiler, and an electric car. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1729668">link</a></p></li>
|
||
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Tesla delivered a record 500,000 vehicles in 2020</strong> - Tesla needs to expand rapidly to justify its $600 billion market capitalization. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1732660">link</a></p></li>
|
||
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Archaeology is going digital to harness the power of Big Data</strong> - Combining traditional "pick and trowel" field work with a sweeping birds-eye view - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1732570">link</a></p></li>
|
||
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>You can’t unsee Tedlexa, the Internet of Things/AI bear of your nightmares</strong> - From the archives: Teddy Ruxpin + Arduino + Raspberry Pi + Alexa = What could go wrong? - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=997673">link</a></p></li>
|
||
</ul>
|
||
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-jokes-subreddit">From Jokes Subreddit</h1>
|
||
<ul>
|
||
<li><strong>How many cops does it take to push a black man down the stairs?</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
|
||
<div class="md">
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||
None, reports say he fell
|
||
</p>
|
||
</div>
|
||
<!-- SC_ON -->
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/Trianchorgen"> /u/Trianchorgen </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/kq5idz/how_many_cops_does_it_take_to_push_a_black_man/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/kq5idz/how_many_cops_does_it_take_to_push_a_black_man/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
|
||
<li><strong>Anna complained to her friend Julia how she sometimes found it difficult to initiate sex with her husband.</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
|
||
<div class="md">
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||
"I know a simple trick,” Julia said.<br/> “Whenever I want to have sex with Peter, I gently put my hand on his dick and say:<br/> <em>Your dick is very cold, do you want me to warm it up for you?</em><br/> And that's it! Works every time!”<br/> Anna was impressed, and said she would try it when her husband got home that night.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||
When they met the next day, Julia asked how it went. Anna immediately started crying.<br/> “We’re getting a divorce!” she sobbed.<br/> “What? What happened?” Julia asked concerned.<br/> “I tried to do your trick, but as I laid my hand on his dick, it was actually quite warm. I didn’t know what to say, so I asked him:<br/> <em>Why isn't your dick cold, like Peter’s?</em>”
|
||
</p>
|
||
<pre><code>Edit: </code></pre>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||
Credit is due to <a href="https://www.reddit.com/u/Qandeel19">u/Qandeel19</a>, who posted <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/hhdgsa/i_tried_to_translate_joke_from_arabic/">this</a>.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||
Thanks for all the awards and upvotes! Really made my day!
|
||
</p>
|
||
</div>
|
||
<!-- SC_ON -->
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/BinBender"> /u/BinBender </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/kprres/anna_complained_to_her_friend_julia_how_she/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/kprres/anna_complained_to_her_friend_julia_how_she/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
|
||
<li><strong>What do the testicles and prostate have in common?</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
|
||
<div class="md">
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||
Nothing. There’s a vas deferens between the two.
|
||
</p>
|
||
</div>
|
||
<!-- SC_ON -->
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/vilketaventyr"> /u/vilketaventyr </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/kpzr3i/what_do_the_testicles_and_prostate_have_in_common/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/kpzr3i/what_do_the_testicles_and_prostate_have_in_common/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
|
||
<li><strong>Indian student in USA(NSFW)</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
|
||
<div class="md">
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||
It was the first day of a school in USA and a new Indian student named Chandrasekhar Subramanian entered the fourth grade.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||
The teacher said: "Let's begin by reviewing some American History.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||
Who said 'Give me Liberty, or give me Death'?"
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||
She saw a sea of blank faces except for Chandrasekhar who had his hand up: ’Patrick Henry, 1775' he said.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||
'Very good! Who said 'Government of the People, by the People, for the People, shall not perish 'from the Earth?''
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||
Again, no response except from Chandrasekhar. 'Abraham Lincoln, 1863' said Chandrasekhar.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||
The teacher snapped at the class: 'Class, you should be ashamed. Chandrasekhar, who is new to our country, knows more about our history than you do.'
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||
She heard a loud whisper: 'F*** the Indians,'
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||
'Who said that?' she demanded.
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||
Chandrasekhar put up his hand. 'General Custer, 1862.'
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||
At that point, a student in the back said: 'I'm gonna puke.'
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||
The teacher glares around and asks: 'All right! Now, who said that?'
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||
Again, Chandrasekhar says: 'George Bush to the Japanese Prime Minister, 1991.'
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||
Now furious, another student yells: 'Oh yeah? Suck this!'
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||
Chandrasekhar jumps out of his chair waving his hand and shouts to the teacher: 'Bill Clinton, to Monica Lewinsky, 1997'
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||
Now with almost mob hysteria someone said: 'You little shit. If you say anything more, I'll kill you.'
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||
Chandrasekhar frantically yells at the top of his voice: 'Michael Jackson to the child witnesses testifying against him, 2004.'
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||
The teacher fainted. And as the class gathered around the teacher on the floor, someone said: 'Oh shit, we're screwed!'
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||
And Chandrasekhar said quietly: 'I think it was Lehmann Brothers, November 4th, 2008'
|
||
</p>
|
||
</div>
|
||
<!-- SC_ON -->
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/Sachinksda"> /u/Sachinksda </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/kq1vr4/indian_student_in_usansfw/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/kq1vr4/indian_student_in_usansfw/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
|
||
<li><strong>Why does Gordon Ramsay hate seeing a bunch of cute pet pictures?</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
|
||
<div class="md">
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||
Cause it's fucking <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/aww">r/aww</a>!
|
||
</p>
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
|
||
EDIT: Thanks for the dopamine hits, everyone!
|
||
</p>
|
||
</div>
|
||
<!-- SC_ON -->
|
||
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/ChewyNutCluster"> /u/ChewyNutCluster </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/kpledb/why_does_gordon_ramsay_hate_seeing_a_bunch_of/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/kpledb/why_does_gordon_ramsay_hate_seeing_a_bunch_of/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
|
||
</ul>
|
||
|
||
|
||
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