Good morning, and happy Day-Before-Thanksgiving! I’ll be prepping pies for tomorrow much of this afternoon. However, in totally unrelated-to-Thanksgiving news, it’s National Jukebox Day, which is dedicated to frontline and essential workers this year. That Waffle House is one of the major partners made this especially important to share with my fellow Georgians. Here’s how to celebrate.
Now, let’s get on to the news.
Pat Conroy
- In the story that will probably haunt them for the foreseeable future, Senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler are again facing questions about their stock trades from last January.
- House Democrats have accused the Air Force of “trumpeting the placement of a new aircraft operating base in Georgia” in order to influence the outcome of the runoffs in favor of the incumbents.
- If you’re wondering why so many of Sen. Loeffler’s attacks on Reverend Raphael Warnock focus on his faith, this piece explains it well.
- As of Monday, 762,000 absentee ballots have been requested for the January runoff election.
- Rep. Rick Allen (GA-12) has tested positive for COVID.
- Governor Brian Kemp has again encouraged, but not required, mask wearing amid a surge in the state’s COVID cases. (Alternate link.)
- Five years after the state legalized treatment, the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission has opened applications from businesses to manufacture medical marijuana in the state. (Alternate link.)
- If you only have time for one article this morning, I highly recommend Georgia Health News‘s deep dive into Georgia Power’s land buys over the past two decades as a way to shield it from coal ash cleanup costs (which, as Terri included in the Morning Reads yesterday, they’re already trying to force onto customers).
Alice Walker
- The Washington Post has this fun, handy graphic to keep up with President-elect Joe Biden’s selections for his cabinet.
- Meanwhile, President Donald Trump is expected to appear at the Pennsylvania GOP’s voter fraud event alongside Rudy Giuliani.
- Here’s a look at how Michigan – a state with clear results in the presidential election – became a “national embarrassment” over baseless voter fraud claims.
- In actual fraud news, prisoners in California have carried out the largest scheme in the state’s history by claiming $1 billion in pandemic unemployment benefits.
- Fox News has reached a settlement with Seth Rich’s parents over the false story regarding his murder.
- Here are the ways in which President-elect Biden could push for more COVID aid.
- Yesterday, 2,100 COVID deaths were reported in the United States, and it’s set to get much worse. Please, please be safe.
Flannery O’Connor
- A former North Korean gymnast successfully vaulted the 12-foot barbed wire fence surrounding the country in order to escape into South Korea.
- 2020 is the 400th anniversary of the First Thanksgiving, but the Wampanoag continue to struggle for recognition.