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| Good morning, Daily Briefing readers! Welcome to a very busy day in political news. I'm Jane, with Wednesday's headlines. |
| Democrats appear to be on the brink of taking control of the U.S. Senate as ballots are still being counted in Georgia. A joint session of Congress will convene to formally count the votes cast by the Electoral College – and a group of GOP lawmakers say they plan to fight the results. |
| From Georgia's runoffs to Congress' certification of President-elect Joe Biden's victory, don't miss a thing with USA TODAY's texts: Sign up and we'll text you the latest political news the moment it goes down. |
| Here's today's news: |
Ga. runoffs: Senate control hinging on Perdue-Ossoff result after Warnock win |
| Ballots will continue to be counted in Georgia as the runoff election result between GOP Sen. David Perdue and Democratic challenger Jon Ossoff will determine which party controls the U.S. Senate . Earlier Wednesday, Raphael Warnock defeated incumbent GOP Sen. Kelly Loeffler in Georgia, according to projections by the Associated Press. With the projected victory, Warnock became the first Black man elected as U.S. senator from Georgia with his victory and the first Democrat elevated to the Senate from Georgia in 20 years. A win by Ossoff would result in a 50-50 split in the Senate, effectively giving Democrats control of the chamber since Vice President-elect Kamala Harris would cast tiebreaking votes. |
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Fireworks expected as Congress certifies Biden's election win |
| A group of Republican lawmakers plan to object Wednesday when a joint session of Congress meets to formally count the votes cast by the Electoral College, marking a dramatic conclusion to the bitter 2020 presidential election. The meeting, required by the U.S. Constitution, is all but certain to affirm President-elect Joe Biden's victory over President Donald Trump by a count of 306-232 electoral votes. But multiple House Republicans, taking their lead from Trump's baseless claims of widespread voter fraud, have indicated they will object to some states' electoral votes. Nearly a dozen senators have said they would join the effort unless an "emergency 10-day audit" of the returns in the "disputed states" is completed. Vice President Mike Pence, who has not acknowledged that Trump lost, will preside over the session. "We'll hear the objections. We'll hear the evidence," Pence said at a rally in Georgia on Monday. |
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DC braces for violence as protests to Trump's election loss continue |
| Protests planned for Washington, D.C., on Wednesday are likely to attract large numbers of President Donald Trump's supporters, including armed groups and members of the extremist group the Proud Boys , raising concerns of violent confrontations. The rallies coincide with the official congressional vote to certify the Electoral College votes from the 2020 election and declare President-elect Joe Biden the winner. Far-right groups from around the country have vowed to descend on the capital to protest the vote and attempt to pressure lawmakers into voting against certifying the results, an outcome that even the leaders of the effort admit is unlikely to happen. Trump himself has amplified conspiracy theories about the election and encouraged his supporters to show up at the protests. The rallies began Tuesday and by Tuesday night, D.C. police had announced six protest-related arrests. The charges ranged from carrying a pistol without a license to assault of a police officer, according to a spokesman. |
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More news you need to know: |
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Christians celebrate Epiphany, also known as Three Kings Day |
| Many Christians across the world Wednesday will celebrate Epiphany, also known as Three Kings Day in many places. Epiphany celebrates the manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles, recounted in the Bible in the story of the wise men who brought the baby Jesus gifts and proclaimed him the Son of God. The day traditionally is celebrated 12 days after Christmas, closing out the holiday season, although most U.S. Protestants mark the day on the Sunday closest to Jan. 6. Many Latino families in the U.S. and abroad give children toys, candy or other gifts for Three Kings Day. |
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Macy's to close more stores. Is yours on the list? |
| Macy's is expected Wednesday to reveal the stores it plans to close by the middle of the year as the retailer struggles to stay relevant at a time when shoppers are doing their buying online. The department store chain announced in February 2020 that it planned to cut 2,000 jobs and close one-fifth of its stores or roughly 125 locations over the next couple of years. Macy's, along with other department store chains, temporarily shuttered all of its stores amid the coronavirus pandemic in mid-March. The company, which includes Bloomingdale's and Bluemercury, started reopening stores in May and added curbside pickup. |
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And finally: UPS driver's customers hold parade in his honor |
| UPS driver Anthony Gaskin was brought to tears when hundreds of his Hallsley, Virginia, customers lined the street to thank him for everything he's done. Watch the moving moment in this Humankind video. |
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