Warnock’s and Ossoff’s wins signal hope and real change for some Black residents in Georgia
By Nicquel Terry Ellis, CNN As a fellow Morehouse College graduate, Patrick Delisser feels inspired by Rev. Raphael Warnock’s historic Senate victory. Delisser, a 32-year-old urgent care doctor, said Warnock embodies the will of Black men and HBCU graduates to beat the odds. “This is an exciting time, this is monumental,” said Delisser, who is also Warnock’s Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity brother. “HBCUs put us in positions that people aren’t aware of, and Warnock shows people what we can achieve.” Delisser is among the Black Georgia voters celebrating Warnock and fellow Democrat Jon Ossoff flipping two Senate seats that will
Warnock will make history as Georgia’s first Black Senator
By Veronica Stracqualursi, CNN Rev. Raphael Warnock will make history when he becomes Georgia’s first Black senator and the first Black Democrat to represent a southern state in the Senate. Once sworn in, Warnock will be the 11th African American to serve in the US Senate — a group that includes former President Barack Obama, who served as a US senator from Illinois, and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, who is a US senator from California. CNN projected early Wednesday morning that Warnock beat incumbent GOP Sen. Kelly Loeffler, with Black voters in the Atlanta metro area, the cradle of the
Trump signs coronavirus relief and government funding bill into law after lengthy delay
By Kevin Liptak, Kate Bennett, Tami Luhby, Kaitlan Collins, Jason Hoffman, Phil Mattingly and Jeremy Diamond, CNN President Donald Trump signed the massive $2.3 trillion coronavirus relief and government funding bill into law Sunday night, averting a government shutdown that was set to begin on Tuesday, and extending billions of dollars in coronavirus aid to millions. Trump’s signature of the $900 billion Covid relief package extends unemployment benefits for millions of jobless gig-workers and independent contractors, as well as the long-term unemployed. The estimated 12 million people in two key pandemic unemployment programs, who were facing their last payment this
Trump throws Covid relief bill in doubt by asking Congress to amend it
By Nikki Carvajal, Kevin Liptak, Manu Raju, Jeremy Diamond and Paul LeBlanc, CNN President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he is asking for changes to the coronavirus relief bill passed by Congress, leaving the future of the $900 billion stimulus in doubt. Trump’s position could threaten to torpedo the carefully drafted bill, which his own administration helped negotiate — a move that could lead to a government shutdown and send the economy into a tailspin if he carried through with a veto. “I’m asking Congress to amend this bill and increase the ridiculously low $600 to $2000 or $4000 per
Coalition of Black pastors see Loeffler campaign ads as “an attack against the Black Church”
By Caroline Kenny, CNN A group of Black pastors, mostly from Georgia, penned an open letter to Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler and her campaign this weekend to respond to recent attacks from Loeffler against Democratic Senate candidate Rev. Raphael Warnock’s faith and sermons. The coalition of pastors said in the letter that they see Loeffler’s attacks against Warnock “as a broader attack against the Black Church and faith traditions for which we stand.” The group called on Loeffler to stop her attacks on the Senate candidate. “We call on you to cease and desist your false characterizations of Reverend Warnock
Hill leaders reach $900 billion Covid relief deal
After days of tense negotiations and months of partisan stalemate, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced Sunday evening that leadership from both chambers had “finalized an agreement,” saying, “It is packed with targeted policies that help struggling Americans who have already waited entirely too long.” The announcement follows policy disputes and partisan finger-pointing between Democrats and Republicans that fueled uncertainty over whether lawmakers would manage to close out a deal or whether talks would collapse with lawmakers soon set to leave Washington for the holidays and the end of the 116th Congress in sight. The full details of what will