Chris Wallace's framing on 'race and violence' debate topic is wrong on so many levels

CNN

2021-01-17 19:05:44

• Oklahoma woman to join MAGA protests in Washington D.C.

  BIXBY, Okla. — Some Oklahomans are headed to Washington D.C. to participate in a planned march Wednesday, protesting the results of the presidential election. Bixby mom Stacie Cannon said she knows of at least 76 Oklahomans who plan to join the protest. She plans to hold signs that say, “Stop the Steal,” and “Do not certify.” Cannon said this is about speaking out against election fraud she believed happened in the 2020 elections and about answering President Trump’s call.“When he said come, I said okay, I’m coming, but really it’s not about President Trump,” Cannon said. “It is about a free and fair election, and it’s really about supporting Senator Lankford there.”On Wednesday, Congress is expected to approve the electoral college count and formally confirm President-elect Joe Biden as the 46th President of the Untied States. Cannon said she happy to do her civic duty and participate. “I feel like it’s really made a difference,” Cannon said. “All the people have reached out to their senators and to our politicians have made a difference. We can see Senator Lankford has now stepped up and joined Ted Cruz and said my state says we need to investigate this, and I’m going to support my constituents.”MagaD.cElection FraudPoliticsPresidential ElectionCollegeCongressMAGAOklahomansWashington D.C.ProtestsStacie CannonPresident TrumpSenator LankfordOkla.Joe BidenTed Cruz

• Indigenous Lands Are Critical for Mammal Conservation

  Indigenous lands cover around 25 percent of Earth’s surface and most are relatively free from human impacts. A new analysis reveals the importance of these lands to global mammal conservation. The Gist. To understand how and where mammal distribution intersects with indigenous lands, scientists combined habitat data from nearly 4,500...Read Full StoryIndigenous PeoplesSpecies ConservationProtected SpeciesLand DevelopmentIUCNTakeaway O'Bryan 'sMapped Indigenous LandsConservation SuccessIndigenous ParticipationConservation DebatePasture LandsIndigenous InvolvementBiodiversity ProtectionBiodiversity ValuesTerrestrial MammalsO'bryan

• Stocks rise as Wall Street watches Georgia Senate races

  © Getty ImagesStocks opened with gains Tuesday as Georgians cast their final votes in two runoff elections that will determine which party will control the Senate.The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up more than 100 points from Monday’s close roughly 30 minutes after the market opened Tuesday. The S&P 500 index gained 0.5 percent and the Nasdaq composite gained 0.7 percent.After kicking off 2021 with losses, the stock market bounced back Tuesday with Wall Street focused on the results of the Senate races in Georgia and their implication for President-elect Joe Biden ’s agenda.Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) is seeking a full term against Democratic challenger Raphael Warnock after she was appointed to complete the term of former GOP Sen. Johnny Isakson . Former Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.), whose first term ended Sunday, is seeking a second stint in the upper chamber against Democratic candidate Jon Ossoff.Republicans currently hold a 51 to 48 majority over the Democrats and need either Loeffler or Perdue to win to maintain control of the Senate and stymie Biden’s most ambitious plans. If both lose, Democrats would be able to control an evenly divided Senate when Vice President-elect Kamala Harris is sworn in on Jan. 20 and assumes the role as the upper chamber's tiebreaker.The battle over the Senate will also influence how ambitious Biden and Democrats can be when the incoming president proposes a promised follow-up to the $900 billion economic relief package signed by President Trump last month. Ossoff and Warnock have both campaigned on a promise to help Biden and Democrats approve a measure to increase the $600 stimulus checks passed through that package to $2,000.Georgia SenatePoliticsPresidential ElectionStocksThe SenateWall StreetStock MarketGeorgiansDemocraticGOPRepublicansDemocratsRacesGains TuesdayS&P 500Joe BidenKelly LoefflerRaphael WarnockJohnny IsaksonDavid PerdueJon OssoffKamala Harris

• Trump to speak at DC rally as Congress meets on election

  WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump will personally address a gathering of his supporters in Washington Wednesday as he seeks to rally populist support for his last-ditch efforts to overturn his loss to President-elect Joe Biden. The White House confirmed Tuesday that Trump will speak at a rally on the Ellipse just south of the White House. The protests coincide with Wednesday’s congressional vote expected to certify the Electoral College results, which Trump continues to dispute.The rallies have local officials bracing for potentially violent street clashes. With downtown D.C. businesses boarding up their windows, Mayor Muriel Bowser has requested a limited National Guard deployment to help bolster the Metropolitan Police Department. During a press conference Monday, Bowser urged local area residents to stay away from downtown D.C. and avoid confrontations with anyone who is “looking for a fight.” But, she warned, “we will not allow people to incite violence, intimidate our residents or cause destruction in our city.”Election officials from both political parties, governors in key battleground states and Trump’s former attorney general, William Barr, have said there was no widespread fraud in the election. Nearly all the legal challenges from Trump and his allies have been dismissed by judges, including two rejected by the Supreme Court.A pro-Trump rally Dec. 12 ended in violence as hundreds of Trump supporters, wearing the signature black and yellow of the Proud Boys faction, sought out confrontations with a collective of local activists attempting to bar them from Black Lives Matter Plaza, an area near the White House. At least two local Black churches had Black Lives Matter banners torn down and set ablaze. On Monday, MPD officers arrested the leader of the Proud Boys, Henry “Enrique” Tarrio, 36, after he arrived in Washington ahead of this week’s protests. Tarrio was accused of burning one of the Black Lives Matter banners in December. Organizers planned to rally Tuesday evening at Freedom Plaza and again all day Wednesday on the Ellipse, including a 1 p.m. Wednesday march to the Capitol. Expected attendees include high-level Trump supporters like Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Republican strategist Roger Stone, a longtime Trump devotee whose three-year prison sentence was commuted by Trump. Stone was convicted of repeatedly lying to Congress during the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.A November pro-Trump rally drew about 15,000 participants. The Dec. 12 rally drew smaller numbers, but a larger contingent of Proud Boys. At previous pro-Trump protests, police have sealed off Black Lives Matter Plaza itself, but the confrontations spilled out to the surrounding streets. Acting Police Chief Robert Contee on Monday said sealing the area again was “a very real possibility” but said that decision would depend on the circumstances. “We know that historically over the last few demonstrations that BLM Plaza has been a focal point,” Contee said. “We want to make sure that that is not an issue.” Black ChurchesPoliticsPresidential ElectionCongressRepublican OfficialsPolitical ProtestsAPThe White HouseThe Electoral CollegeNational GuardThe Supreme CourtMPDThe Proud BoysRussianBLMDonald TrumpJoe BidenMuriel BowserWilliam BarrKen PaxtonRoger Stone

• 8 Pa. House GOP members to oppose Biden’s electoral votes

  HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Eight Republican members of Congress from Pennsylvania, falling in line with President Donald Trump, said that they will oppose the state’s electoral votes being cast Wednesday for President-elect Joe Biden.Those eight will join dozens of other Republicans around the country whom Trump has enlisted to challenge the Electoral College vote when Congress convenes in a joint session to confirm Biden’s 306-232 win. As one of six states that flipped from Trump in 2016 to Biden in 2020, Pennsylvania could have a spotlight on it during debate over the Electoral College vote.The eight representatives have already gone to court multiple times unsuccessfully — as has Trump’s campaign — seeking to block Biden’s victory in Pennsylvania. In statements released last week, they complained about election-related policies of Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration and decisions by the state Supreme Court, generally concerning the collection and counting of mail-in ballots.“Until these unlawful practices are acknowledged and corrected, we cannot agree to support electors chosen based upon an inaccurate total vote count,” they wrote. Their complaints, however, are based on outright falsehoods, say state officials, and ignore what courts have repeatedly said, say constitutional law scholars.“I have taught constitutional law for almost four decades, and I do not believe I have ever before seen American officials reject the outcome of an election with such brazenness,” said Seth Kreimer, a law professor at the University of Pennsylvania.The opposition won’t change the fact that Biden will be sworn in Jan. 20, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a letter to colleagues that there is “no doubt” of Biden’s victory.Of the other two Republicans members of Pennsylvania’s congressional declaration, U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey said he will support Pennsylvania’s electoral votes for Biden while U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of suburban Philadelphia did not respond to a request for comment.A look at the claims of the eight objecting Republicans from Pennsylvania:— “Unfortunately, the many unlawful actions undertaken by the Pennsylvania Governor’s office, the Secretary of State, and what has been described as a rogue Pennsylvania Supreme Court exceeded and circumvented the state legislature’s clear constitutional authority.” They are ignoring case law that makes it plain that the executive branch has the authority to make decisions on how to implement election law, and courts have the authority to interpret election law, say constitutional law scholars. “There’s always going to be some discretion to implement what the Legislature has done,” said Derek Muller, a University of Iowa law professor who specializes in election law. “So the question is, is there a circumstance in which it goes too far?”If they disagree with the courts, the solution is for lawmakers to clarify what they meant by passing legislation, Muller said.Kreimer said the claim that Congress can overrule the Pennsylvania Supreme Court on issues of Pennsylvania law “suggests a remarkable level of arrogance or ignorance or both combined.” The rule of law means that no public official is entitled to ignore determinations by courts because they disagree with them, Kreimer said.— “Accepting ballots past 8:00 pm on Election Day.” The state Supreme Court, ruling in two lawsuits seeking an extension, cited the pandemic and U.S. Postal Service delays in granting three extra days for counties to accept and count ballots mailed before polls closed. However, a Republican appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court resulted in those late-arriving ballots — about 9,400 — being set aside and not counted in the presidential election, even though the U.S. Supreme Court never agreed to hear the case. It may yet do so in the future.— “Not properly requiring signatures to match those on mail-in ballots or requiring dates.” In one ruling, the state Supreme Court said the law on mail-in ballots makes it clear only that the ballot envelope requires the voter’s signature, but not a matching signature. Separately, the state Supreme Court rejected Republican challenges to the decisions of election boards in Philadelphia and Allegheny counties to count mail-in ballots that lacked the voter’s handwritten date on the outer envelope.State law says the voter shall “fill out, date and sign” a declaration on the outside envelope, although it does not say that leaving off a date automatically disqualifies the ballot.— “Authorizing the curing of mail-in ballots with less than a 24-hour’s notice; Only some counties were informed and adhered to this order leaving voters treated unequally from county to county.” State officials say this is false. They released guidance Oct. 21 in which they advised counties that voters whose mail-in ballot could be disqualified by a technicality — like a missing signature on the outer envelope — could “cure” — meaning, to correct — that problem by casting a provisional ballot in its place. The guidance was posted publicly on the state’s website. Meanwhile, the state released an email from Oct. 25 addressed to all county election directors that describes that guidance and refers to it being posted publicly online. In any case, federal and state courts have rejected the complaint that voters were treated “unequally” when some counties let voters correct a potentially disqualifying technicality with a mail-in ballot. Bruce Ledewitz, a professor of law at Duquesne University, said there is no case law saying that “every county has to treat every voter the same.” — “Authorizing the use of unsecure drop boxes, which is not permitted in statute.” State officials say this is false. State law is silent on the use of drop boxes. After some counties began using them in the run-up to the primary election, the Trump administration sued to outlaw them. Ultimately, the state Supreme Court decided that they are legal. Meanwhile, the state’s publicly posted guidance to counties was to ensure that drop boxes are secure, to prevent tampering with ballots.— “Prohibiting certified poll watchers overseeing the canvassing of ballots in Philadelphia.” The Trump campaign’s own court complaint, witnesses and lawyers acknowledged that its watchers were able to see the processing of mail-in ballots in Philadelphia, which was also livestreamed on video. The Trump campaign’s complaint, however, was that their watchers were not allowed close enough to election workers to see writing on the ballot envelopes.The state Supreme Court ruled that state law does not require counties to let observers get close enough to see the writing, only that they be able to observe.___Follow Marc Levy on Twitter at www.twitter.com/timelywriter. State CourtsState Supreme CourtElectoral VotesPoliticsPresidential ElectionDemocratic VotersGOP VotersRepublican Primary VotersDemocratic LawmakersRepublican LawmakersHouse GOPAPCongressRepublicansElectoral CollegeJoe BidenDonald TrumpTom WolfNancy PelosiPat ToomeyDerek MullerMarc Levy

• Cruz to object to Arizona's Electoral College results Wednesday

  Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) will object to Arizona's Electoral College results Wednesday, making it the third state Senate Republicans are expected to challenge.Cruz's planned challenge, confirmed to The Hill by a source familiar, is expected to be backed by several of the 10 GOP senators who signed on to a plan vowing to support objections to the election results. Because Congress votes on Electoral College results alphabetically by state, Cruz's objection is expected to be one of the first and, according to the source, will focus on his request for a commission to review the presidential election rather than arguing for setting aside the state's election results. At least two states besides Arizona are so far expected to see challenges from Senate Republicans to their Electoral College votes when Congress convenes its joint session to formally count the results. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), who like Cruz is viewed as a potential 2024 challenger, has pledged to challenge the results in Pennsylvania and hasn't ruled out trying to set aside the results in additional battleground states where President-elect Joe Biden defeated President Trump . A separate source also told The Hill on Monday that Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) is likely to challenge Georgia, a traditionally red state where Biden defeated Trump. Loeffler's announcement that she would object to the Electoral College results comes as she is facing off against the Rev. Raphael Warnock in one of Georgia's two runoff elections on Tuesday that will determine which party controls the Senate majority. Cruz's decision to object to Arizona, which was first reported by The Washington Post, comes after he and 10 other GOP senators released a letter over the weekend vowing to support challenges to the election results unless a commission was formed to conduct a 10-day audit. "Congress should immediately appoint an Electoral Commission, with full investigatory and fact-finding authority, to conduct an emergency 10-day audit of the election returns in the disputed states. Once completed, individual states would evaluate the Commission’s findings and could convene a special legislative session to certify a change in their vote, if needed," they said in a joint statement. Under the rules for Wednesday's joint session, if a House member and a senator object to a state's election results, the joint session is paused, lawmakers go to their respective chambers and the objection is debated for up to two hours. In order for an objection to be successful it needs a majority support in both chambers. That means every objection made Wednesday will fail both in the Democratic-controlled House but also the GOP-controlled Senate, where several Republicans have spoken out against the effort. "I'm confident we'll get 12" Republican senators, Cruz told radio host Mark Levin , adding that they could "get more than that." Election ResultsSenate RepublicansThe Electoral CollegeState SenatePoliticsPresidential ElectionRepublican SenatorsRepublican LawmakersCongressThe Washington PostAn Electoral CommissionHouseDemocraticGOP-controlled SenatePresident TrumpTed CruzJosh HawleyJoe BidenKelly LoefflerRaphael WarnockMark Levin

• Early data suggest diverse voting blocs could give Democrats the edge in Georgia runoffs

  Austelle, Ga. — Jada Longchamp stood about 1,000 feet from the big campaign stage planted in one of the many mega parking lots in Cobb County, Georgia. Longchamp, 54, had come both to hear Raphael Warnock speak, and bolster a friend’s pandemic-economy side hustle: T-shirts, tote bags and masks with text inspired by a conversation the two women had a few days after the presidential election about the political stakes in Georgia. The merchandise read “Georgia Saves America.”Read Full StoryEarly VotingPresidential ElectionPoliticsDemocratsOnline VotingRepublicansThe U.S. SenateTargetSmartGeorgiansInstagramNBC BLKGeorgia Saves AmericaTwitterFacebookSenate Runoff ElectionsRaphael WarnockJoe Biden

• Trump raises pressure on Pence, incorrectly stating he could throw out electors

  President Trump is heaping the pressure on Mike Pence ahead of a joint session of Congress where the vice president will preside over challenges to the Electoral College vote in several states.Trump in a Tuesday tweet suggested he believes that Pence should overturn the results in some states by rejecting chosen electors, a power the vice president doesn't have in what is largely a ceremonial role.In the tweet, Trump claimed incorrectly that Pence “has the power to reject fraudulently chosen electors.” The Constitution does not grant the vice president such power.Congress could reject the results of a state's Electoral College vote, but it would require majorities in both chambers. There are not enough votes to overturn the results in either chamber given opposition from Democrats and many Republicans. A federal judge in Texas last week dismissed a far-fetched effort by Rep. Louie Gohmert (Texas) and other Republicans that aimed to give Pence the legal authority to effectively overturn the election results. Pence, represented by a Justice Department attorney, had asked that the judge dismiss the suit, saying the vice president’s office was not the proper defendant.There has not been an indication that Pence plans to deviate from normal procedure in overseeing the certification on Wednesday, but the process promises to be an unusually dramatic day in Washington.Trump’s unsubstantiated claims that the election was “rigged” against him and rife with fraud have divided the GOP.Several Republicans have criticized his rhetoric and acknowledged Biden as the winner of the election. More on Tuesday also said they would not join plans by their colleagues to object to the Electoral College results, including senior GOP Sens. John Cornyn (Texas) and James Inhofe (Okla.).“Objecting to certified electoral votes won't give the president a second term,” Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), who has opposed the efforts to challenge the results, wrote in an op-ed published by the Arkansas Democratic Gazette Tuesday.“With Democrats in control of the House, Republicans have no chance of invalidating even a single electoral vote, much less enough votes to deny Joe Biden a majority in the electoral college. Instead, these objections would exceed Congress' constitutional power, while creating unwise precedents that Democrats could abuse the next time they are in power,” Cotton wrote.Still, some Republicans, including Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), have laid plans to object to the results. Pence’s chief of staff Marc Short said in a statement Saturday that the vice president “welcomes the efforts of members of the House and Senate to use the authority they have under the law to raise objections and bring forward evidence before the Congress and the American people on January 6th.”Meanwhile, Trump has indicated he plans to appear at the protests in Washington, D.C., taking place the same day as the Electoral College certification. Supporters of the president are flocking to the nation’s capital to participate in demonstrations, causing D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) to activate the National Guard.Trump began his pressure campaign targeting Pence during a rally in Georgia on Monday evening intended to boost Republicans David Perdue — whose Senate term ended Sunday — and Sen. Kelly Loeffler (Ga.) on the eve of the Senate runoffs in the Peach State.“I hope that Mike Pence comes through for us, I have to tell you. I hope that our great vice president, our great vice president comes through for us. He’s a great guy,” Trump told a crowd of supporters in Dalton, Ga.“Of course, if he doesn’t come through, I won’t like him quite as much,” Trump continued. “Nah, Mike is a great guy. He’s a wonderful man and a smart man and a man that I like a lot.” Trump’s divisive rhetoric on the election has caused Republican to fear that it could cost them the Senate elections in Georgia, which will determine the Senate majority for the next two years. Trump has endured a mountain of criticism after he pressured Georgia’s Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to “find” votes to overturn his loss in a Saturday call that was leaked to the press. Trump has swiped at Republicans, including Cotton, for not backing his push to overturn the results, branding them members of the “Surrender Caucus” in a tweet earlier Monday. Election ResultsPoliticsPresidential ElectionDemocratsCongressJustice DepartmentGOPThe Electoral CollegeHouseSenateAmericanThe National GuardStatePresident TrumpObjectionsMike PenceLouie GohmertJohn CornynTom CottonJoe BidenTed CruzJosh HawleyMarc ShortMuriel BowserDavid PerdueKelly LoefflerBrad RaffenspergerDonald Trump

• Watch: Mel Kiper Got In A Heated Debate On ESPN This Morning

  Mel Kiper Jr. found himself in a heated debate this Tuesday morning, but it surprisingly didn’t have anything to do with the NFL Draft. Oddly enough, Kiper was having a debate with Marcus Spears over who should be the quarterback of the future for the Philadelphia Eagles. Kiper believes it should be Carson Wentz, whereas Spears thinks the franchise will go in a different direction.Read Full StoryNfl DraftPhiladelphia EaglesQuarterbackThe NFL [email protected]@[email protected] SpearsPhillyFranchiseCoaching StaffThingsSuitorsMel Kiper Jr.Jalen HurtsTodd McshayCarson Wentz

• People struggle to get stimulus checks

  EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU) - While there’s plenty of debate over how much money people should receive in their stimulus checks, some people are more concerned about getting any money. Both Cheryl Haas of Colby and Bethany Olson of Eau Galle said they’re having issues getting their stimulus dollars. They...Read Full StoryStimulus CheckIrsBank DepositsIRSWEAUChecksMoneyDeposit InformationBillsDirect DepositsEmergenciesPeopleBackup ReliefDebateThings

• ‘Hear Us Roar’ rally in Harrisburg seeks to decertify Pa.’s votes

  About 150 to 200 people have converged on the steps of the Pennsylvania Capitol building in Harrisburg this morning to attend the “Hear Us Roar” rally. According to organizer Tricia Cunningham, the rally is intended to encourage state lawmakers to decertify Pennsylvania’s vote in the November Election. There are discrepancies...Read Full StoryPoliticsPresidential ElectionState LawmakersHouse LawmakersCongressRepublicansThe White HouseDecertify Pa.RallyRoarCapitolState OfficialsRepresentative Mike JonesMike PenceJoe BidenJeffrey LordCharlie Gerow