President Donald Trump has prioritized loyalty in building his second-term team.

A Georgia businessman who scammed former NBA star Dwight Howard out of millions of dollars in a bogus scheme to buy the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream has been sentenced to more than 12 years in federal prison.

Vice President JD Vance has toured a Michigan plastics manufacturing facility while promoting a promised Trump administration industrial renaissance nationwide even as jitters about rising tariffs and steep drops in consumer confidence and financial markets point to the opposite.

Russian news agencies say that Trump special envoy Steve Witkoff has arrived in Moscow for high-level talks.

President Donald Trump said Friday that he’s committed to making the U.S. a world leader in cryptocurrencies as industry leaders heaped praise on him for reversing what they said had been unfair attacks on digital assets by the previous administration.

The Small Business Administration said it will relocate six of its regional offices in so-called “sanctuary cities,” part of a broader Trump administration effort to crack down on cities that it deems have immigrant-friendly policies.

The U.S. Senate has confirmed Kelly Loeffler, a Georgia businesswoman and former senator, to lead the Small Business Administration.

The United States has a new secretary of veterans affairs.

President-elect Donald Trump says he'll nominate former Senate candidate Herschel Walker as the U.S. ambassador to the Bahamas.

Donald Trump announced on Saturday that his inaugural committee will be chaired by Florida real estate investor Steven Witkoff and former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis pursued charges against roughly half of the people recommended to her by a special grand jury tasked with investigating efforts to overturn Georgia’s 2020 presidential election.

A special grand jury investigating efforts to overturn Georgia’s 2020 presidential election results recommended indictments against a much larger group than prosecutors ultimately charged, including one current and two former U.S. senators.

Georgia election officials say they would need six to nine months to install new software and hardware to update the state’s voting system.

There will be only four weeks before the Dec. 6 runoff in Georgia between Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and Republican Herschel Walker for U.S. Senate.

Amid criticism of other voting changes, few noticed in 2021 when Georgia lawmakers shortened the period between an election and a runoff from nine weeks to four weeks.

President Joe Biden has honored the 2020 WNBA champions Seattle Storm at the White House.

Republicans’ U.S. Senate nomination in a premier battleground like Georgia is a plum political prize, but a year before GOP voters choose a nominee for the 2022 midterms, they have no clear options.

Republicans in Georgia are calling for party unity to avoid more losses to Democrats in 2022.

The NAACP has given him its Jackie Robinson Sports Award. And, for the first time, the nation's oldest civil rights organization is recognizing more than one person by honoring the WNBA Players Association. Ad“I am so proud of the WNBA players for this well-deserved recognition of their continued activism and advocacy for social justice and equality," WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a statement provided to the AP. Warriors coach Steve Kerr, outspoken on many issues himself, admires the WNBA players for their activism. “I love what the WNBA players have done.

Trump was acquitted of inciting the insurrection during his second impeachment trial, where Democrats made some of the same arguments defense attorneys are making in criminal court. Some Republican lawmakers have said the better place for the accusations against Trump is in court, too. Hundreds of Trump supporters were photographed and videotaped storming the Capitol and scores posted selfies inside the building on social media, so they can’t exactly argue in court they weren’t there. “That defense is dead on arrival,” said Bradley Simon, a New York City white-collar criminal defense attorney and former federal prosecutor. Other defendants linked to militant groups also have tried to shift blame to Trump in seeking their pretrial release from jail.

James applauded Montgomery's ownership role by posting on Twitter: “So proud of this Queen. “The Dream isn’t going anywhere.”The WNBA announced on Jan. 20 the ownership change was close to being completed. “I want to take this time to thank the WNBA players, particularly the Dream players,” Engelbert said Friday. They served as role models with their advocacy and continue to do that.”Gottesdiener said the Dream players captured his attention and respect. “Today does mark a new beginning for the Atlanta Dream organization," Engelbert said.

FILE - In this Jan. 4, 2021, file photo President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally for Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., and David Perdue at Dalton Regional Airport in Dalton, Ga. Trump will be making his first post-presidential appearance at a conservative gathering in Florida next weekend. Ian Walters, spokesman for the American Conservative Union, confirmed that Trump will be speaking at the group's annual Conservative Political Action Conference on Feb. 28. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)(Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

FILE - In this Jan. 4, 2021, file photo President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally for Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., and David Perdue at Dalton Regional Airport in Dalton, Ga. Trump will be making his first post-presidential appearance at a conservative gathering in Florida next weekend. Ian Walters, spokesman for the American Conservative Union, confirmed that Trump will be speaking at the group's annual Conservative Political Action Conference on Feb. 28. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)WASHINGTON – Donald Trump will be making his first post-presidential appearance at a conservative gathering in Florida next weekend. Ian Walters, spokesman for the American Conservative Union, confirmed that Trump will be speaking at the group's annual Conservative Political Action Conference on Feb. 28. AdTrump has a long history with CPAC, which played a key role in his emergence as a political force.

Ivanka Trump comes onto stage as President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally in support of Senate candidates Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., and David Perdue in Dalton, Ga., Monday, Jan. 4, 2021. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)WASHINGTON – Ivanka Trump will not be running for Florida Sen. Marco Rubio's U.S. Senate seat in 2022 as she settles into life after Washington. Lara Trump, the former president's daughter-in-law, who served as a chief campaign surrogate, is still considering running for the Senate in North Carolina. And the former president’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., remains deeply popular with his father's base. AdIn a pair of friendly statements, Rubio and Ivanka Trump praised one another for their efforts together working on issues like paid family leave.

“As it relates to the Atlanta Dream, we understand a sale of the franchise is close to being finalized,” the league said in a statement. An Atlanta Dream spokeswoman said the team had no comment on the impending sale at this time. Brian Kemp, didn't immediately sell the team, WNBA players started to endorse and campaign for her opponent, Democrat Raphael Warnock, who defeated Loeffler in Georgia's runoff election on Jan. 5. Loeffler, a wealthy businesswoman who had closely aligned herself with Trump, has been an owner of the Dream since 2011. The Dream would be the second WNBA franchise sold this month.

The certification by Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger officially seals Warnock and Ossoff's victories over their Republican opponents in the Jan. 5 runoffs. Once Warnock and Ossoff are sworn in, there will be a 50-50 partisan divide in the Senate, giving Vice President-elect Kamala Harris the tie-breaking vote. Biden in November became the first Democratic presidential candidate to carry the state since 1992, while Warnock and Ossoff are the first Democrats to win a U.S. Senate election in Georgia since 2000. Loeffler gave a farewell speech from the Senate floor Tuesday, where she thanked her supporters and wished Warnock well. Perdue's term ended Jan. 3, while Loeffler remains in the Senate until Warnock is sworn in because she was appointed to fill Isakson's unexpired term.

Ivanka Trump comes onto stage as President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally in support of Senate candidates Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., and David Perdue in Dalton, Ga., Monday, Jan. 4, 2021. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)WASHINGTON – Ivanka Trump's global women's development program is about halfway toward its goal of helping 50 million women in developing countries advance economically by 2025. That's according to an annual report for the U.S. government's Women's Global Development and Prosperity Initiative released Wednesday as the program nears its two-year mark. President Trump established the program in February 2019, directing the U.S. government to make global women's development a cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy and national security. Ivanka Trump has promoted the program during visits to Africa and South America.

“The 25th Amendment is of zero risk to me, but will come back to haunt Joe Biden and the Biden administration,” Trump said. As Trump wrapped up, thousands of his supporters were already heading to the Capitol, where lawmakers convened to count the electoral votes. In the end, his administration has overseen the construction of roughly 450 miles of border wall construction — likely reaching 475 miles by Inauguration Day. A few dozen Trump supporters rallied hours before his visit to the Rio Grande Valley near the Harlingen, Texas, airport, where he was scheduled to land. Beyond touting the wall, Trump rapidly listed his massive changes on the border aimed at discouraging asylum.

(AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)WASHINGTON – Democrats' momentum for a fresh drive to quickly impeach outgoing President Donald Trump gained support Saturday, and a top Republican said the president's role in the deadly riot at the Capitol by a violent mob of Trump supporters was worthy of rebuke. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., said he believed Trump had committed “impeachable offenses.” But he did not explicitly say whether he would vote to remove the president from office at the conclusion of a Senate trial if the House sent over articles of impeachment. “I do think the president committed impeachable offenses, but I don’t know what is going to land on the Senate floor, if anything," Toomey said. Late Saturday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sent a letter to her Democratic colleagues reiterating that Trump must be held accountable — but stopped short of committing to an impeachment vote. Rep. David Cicilline, D-R.I, a leader of the House effort to draft impeachment articles — or charges — accusing Trump of inciting insurrection, said his group had grown to include 185 co-sponsors.

It occurred as election officials were conducting an audit of signatures on absentee ballot envelopes in Cobb County. Trump pressed the investigator to look into Fulton County, a Democratic stronghold that contains most of Atlanta. AdVarious election officials across the country and Trump’s former attorney general, William Barr, have said there was no widespread fraud in the election. During another call in early December, Trump pressed Georgia Gov. In last week’s call with Raffensperger, Trump urged the secretary of state to change the certified results.

In a state long dominated by Republicans, Democrats won Georgia’s electoral votes for president in November and two U.S. Senate seats in runoff elections Tuesday, defeating Kemp's hand-picked Senate appointee. And the defeats of both Loeffler and fellow Republican David Perdue handed control of the U.S. Senate to Democrats. Some Republicans blame Trump and his false claims of election fraud for hurting GOP turnout in the the Senate runoffs. “I’ll be here in about a year and a half, campaigning against your governor,” Trump said. “I guarantee it.”The strain on Kemp was on display Tuesday when the governor attended an election-night event for the GOP Senate candidates before their defeats were sealed.

ATLANTA – Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler on Thursday conceded to Democrat Raphael Warnock in one of two Georgia Senate runoffs that will give control of the U.S. Senate to Democrats. With his victory in Tuesday’s election, Warnock becomes the first African American from Georgia elected to the Senate. “Unfortunately we came up slightly short in the runoff election,” Loeffler says in the video, “Earlier today I called Rev. Democrat Jon Ossoff beat Republican David Perdue in Georgia’s other Senate runoff. Tuesday’s runoff election broke turnout records for a Georgia runoff, with more than 4.4 million ballots cast.

Tennessee's GOP senators abandoned the effort, as did Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., who lost her runoff election Tuesday, helping to deliver control of the Senate to Democrats. Wisconsin's GOP Sen. Ron Johnson dropped out, as did James Lankford, R-Okla., a promising younger Republican who raised eyebrows when initially supporting the effort. We will not bow to lawlessness or intimidation," said Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. “We are back at our posts. As senators debated, Trump took it on the chin from longtime critics like Mitt Romney, R-Utah. Enough is enough.”Romney, the party's 2012 nominee, reminded his colleagues that he knows how unpleasant it is to lose a presidential election, drawing hearty laughter.

Democrat Raphael Warnock won one of two runoffs in Georgia with a broad coalition of voters including Black Americans, moderates and suburban women. Democrats narrowly edged out Republicans among that group, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 3,700 Georgia voters. Black voters — 32% of the electorate in the runoff, according to the survey — supported Ossoff and Warnock almost universally. VoteCast showed Black voters were 29% of the November electorate. About 6 in 10 Georgia voters say they were contacted on behalf of Democratic candidates, compared with about half for Republican candidates, according to VoteCast.

Raphael Warnock's roots showed little promise of a future that led to the U.S. Senate. He grew up in Savannah in the Kayton Homes public housing project, the second youngest of 12 children. “Only in America is my story even possible,” Warnock told the cheering drive-in crowd Sunday. Warnock was arrested at the Georgia state Capitol in 2014 while protesting the refusal of state Republicans to expand Medicaid. Warnock recalled the Washington arrest during his speech Sunday in Savannah, as he looked ahead to his next trip to Capitol Hill.

___HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE GEORGIA SENATE ELECTIONSGeorgia’s two Senate runoff elections determined which party will soon control the U.S. Senate. Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler lost to Democrat Raphael Warnock, while Democrat Jon Ossoff defeated Republican David Perdue. The Associated Press has called the runoffs for Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock. The Senate race in Georgia between incumbent Republican David Perdue and Democratic challenger Jon Ossoff is too early to call. The contest between Democrat Jon Ossoff and Republican David Perdue remains too early to call.

Voters mark their ballots at the Lawrenceville Road United Methodist Church in Tucker, Ga. during the Senate runoff election Tuesday morning, Jan. 5, 2021. Georgia’s other runoff election pitted Perdue, a 71-year-old former business executive who held his Senate seat until his term expired on Sunday, against Ossoff, a former congressional aide and journalist. Republican state officials on the ground reported no significant problems. Trump’s claims about voter fraud in the 2020 election, while meritless, resonated with Republican voters in Georgia. AP VoteCast found that 6 in 10 Georgia voters say Senate party control was the most important factor in their vote.

But Black voters were a force in the early vote and on Election Day. Notably, it wasn’t just in metro Atlanta, but also in rural and small-town counties across South Georgia, where Black turnout has historically lagged. That means it was an alliance spanning from the most affluent Black residents of Atlanta, including recent transplants to Georgia, to those Black Georgia natives who hail from the most economically depressed pockets of the state. But Black voters can point to Tuesday’s vote count and take credit for that strategy ending in defeat. But Democratic turnout stayed strong, as well, with Fulton and DeKalb in the core of metro Atlanta on pace to nearly match or exceed their general election turnout.

Democrat Raphael Warnock won one of two runoffs in Georgia with a broad coalition of voters including Black Americans, moderates and suburban women. In defeating Republicans Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, Democrats will have half the seats in the chamber, leaving Vice President-elect Kamala Harris to serve as tiebreaker. Nearly two-thirds of all Georgia voters were pessimistic about the nation’s future. Georgia voters were keenly aware of what was at stake. That position was in line with Georgia voters.

“Looks like they are setting up a big ‘voter dump’ against the Republican candidates. The candidate lead swings can be particularly pronounced when votes are recorded in population-dense counties, which often favor Democratic candidates. Trump's tweet revisits a similar baseless claim that he made about his own loss in November to President-elect Joe Biden. Trump has repeatedly — and falsely — claimed that his loss to Biden was the product of widespread voter fraud. Raffensperger repeatedly rebuffed Trump's request and his office has conducted several tallies and recounts.

As the hour slipped past 2 a.m. on the East Coast, Democrat Raphael Warnock beat Republican Kelly Loeffler. King and MSNBC's Kornacki dominated their networks with headache-inducing number crunching. Warnock and Ossoff jumped to early leads, but as more votes came in, the Republicans swung in front. After midnight, the Times judged both Warnock and Ossoff had a better than 95% chance of winning. Fox News spent less time on raw numbers to showcase their prime-time stars, Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham.

But Black voters were a force in the early vote and on Election Day. Notably, it wasn’t just in metro Atlanta, but also in rural and small-town counties across South Georgia, where Black turnout has historically lagged. That means it was an alliance spanning from the most affluent Black residents of Atlanta, including recent transplants to Georgia, to those Black Georgia natives who hail from the most economically depressed pockets of the state. But Black voters can point to Tuesday’s vote count and take credit for that strategy ending in defeat. According to AP VoteCast, Republican voters are siding with Trump: About 6 in 10 approve of Kemp’s handling of the election aftermath.

Workers at the Gwinnett County Georgia elections headquarters process absentee ballots for Georgia's Senate runoff election in Lawrenceville, Ga. on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021. The call was made after an analysis of outstanding ballots showed there was no way for Perdue, who was seeking a second term, to overtake Ossoff’s lead. Many of the ballots left to be counted were mail votes, a form of voting that overwhelmingly favored Ossoff. The remaining votes left to be counted in Republican-leaning areas that favored Perdue were not enough for him to catch up. Until Warnock, a Democrat hadn't won a U.S. Senate contest in the state since former Georgia Gov.

About three-quarters of voters who backed Republican candidates in Georgia's Senate runoffs say Biden was not legitimately elected two months ago. Nearly two-thirds of all Georgia voters were pessimistic about the nation’s future. In November, about three-quarters of Republican voters in Georgia considered the nation on the right track. Georgia voters were keenly aware of what was at stake. After weeks of the GOP candidates warning about the impact of Democratic control of the White House, House and Senate, Republican backers were more likely to prioritize holding a Senate majority than Democratic supporters.

(AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)WASHINGTON – Two high-stakes runoff elections in Georgia are poised to determine which party controls the Senate over the next two years. What the contests won't do is affect the certification of Electoral College results by Congress. Regardless of the outcome of their races, it won’t change the calculus in Congress when it comes to the Electoral College certification process. And thanks to quirks in Georgia election law, Perdue won’t be able to cast a vote Wednesday even if he wins. If he wins, he can retake his seat after the results of his election are certified later this month and Georgia Gov.

(AP Photo/Ben Gray)ATLANTA – Voters across Georgia cast their ballots Tuesday to decide which party will control the U.S. Senate. “I feel like for the Republican candidates to still stand there with Trump and campaign with Trump feels pretty rotten. James said he was worried about losing a balance of power in Washington if Democrats win control of the Senate. ___ANGELA TRAN, 27Tran voted for Warnock and Democratic candidate Jon Ossoff at a church in downtown Atlanta. Tran said the attack ads against Warnock actually swayed her to vote for him and Ossoff.

Here are some big questions as the 2020 election cycle finally nears a close:DOES TRUMP HELP OR HURT HIS PARTY? While Biden nipped Trump, Perdue led Ossoff by about 88,000 votes in November, finishing just short of the outright majority required to avoid a runoff. Perdue was within a few thousand votes of Trump, leaving Ossoff about 100,000 votes behind Biden’s pace. About 115,000 Senate votes in the Perdue-Ossoff contest went to a Libertarian. Warnock and Ossoff talk often of a “new Georgia” as they concentrate efforts around Atlanta and the state’s mid-size cities.

Georgia's two Senate runoff elections on Tuesday will determine which party controls the U.S. Senate. ___HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE GEORGIA SENATE ELECTIONSGeorgia’s two Senate runoff elections Tuesday will determine which party controls the U.S. Senate. Democrats need to win both of Georgia’s Senate runoff elections to claim the Senate majority. Georgia’s two Senate runoff elections on Tuesday will determine which party controls the U.S. Senate. Georgians are voting on two Senate runoff elections that will determine control of the U.S. Senate.

ATLANTA – Democrat Raphael Warnock won one of Georgia’s two Senate runoffs Wednesday, becoming the first Black senator in his state’s history and putting the Senate majority within the party's reach. Warnock, 51, acknowledged his improbable victory in a message to supporters early Wednesday, citing his family’s experience with poverty. Trump's claims about voter fraud in the 2020 election, while meritless, resonated with Republican voters in Georgia. AP VoteCast found that 6 in 10 Georgia voters say Senate party control was the most important factor in their vote. “I feel like for the Republican candidates to still stand there with Trump and campaign with Trump feels pretty rotten.

Eleven Republican senators saying they will not be voting Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, to confirm President-elect Joe Biden's victory include Wyoming's newly sworn in Sen. Cynthia Lummis, a Cheyenne-area rancher and former congresswoman. It is unclear just what the Republican senators will do, but the process could drag into the night as the two chambers will have to consider each objection individually. He is under growing pressure from Trump and others to tip the results in Trump’s favor. And more than a dozen Republican senators have said they will not support the effort. The commission remains his focus, he has said, not to undo the election results, even though that would be the practical effect of a successful objection.

What’s a runoff election? Runoff elections are second elections held if no candidate reaches the necessary requirement of votes during the first election. Why is there a runoff election in Georgia? If that doesn’t happen, then the top two vote-getters square off in a runoff election. Why are the Georgia runoff races so important?

Trump says “the stakes in this election could not be higher” as he warns a boisterous crowd of several thousand supporters about Democrats winning control of the Senate. The crowd shouted back, “Fight for Trump.”Trump is also repeating the false assertion that he won the presidential race in Georgia. Trump says he’s had two elections in Georgia, and “I won both.”He is also promising he will be returning to Georgia in a year and a half to campaign against the state’s Republican Gov. Earlier Monday, President-elect Joe Biden campaigned for Democratic challengers Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock. Trump is continuing to push Republican lawmakers to fight Biden's electoral victory when Congress meets to affirm the vote on Wednesday.

It’s a new year, and tomorrow can be a new day for Atlanta, for Georgia and for America,” Biden said at a drive-in rally. The call highlighted how Trump has used the Georgia campaign to make clear his continued hold on Republican politics. A top Georgia election official said hours before Trump's rally that he “wanted to scream” after hearing audio of the president's call with Raffensperger. Biden said he needs a Senate majority to pass legislation to combat the coronavirus, and he blasted Perdue and Loeffler as obstructionist Trump loyalists. Ossoff and Warnock have countered with warnings that a Republican Senate will stymie Biden's administration, especially on pandemic relief.

Perdue got about 88,000 more votes than Ossoff in the general election, but a Libertarian candidate’s 115,000 votes kept him from topping 50%, which is required to win. Warnock got 1.6 million votes, while Loeffler got nearly 1.3 million and Republican U.S. Rep. Doug Collins placed third with nearly a million votes. No ballots, including absentee ballots received in advance of Election Day, can be counted until the polls close. Second, Republican voters have been more likely to vote in person, either on Election Day or during the early voting period. In November, more than 5 percent of Georgia’s votes were counted after noon on the day after Election Day.

“The party has a real choice to make on where we go from here,” said Michael McNeely, a former Georgia Republican vice chairman. Trump fueled Republican turnout, especially in rural areas and small towns, that overwhelmed Democrats in states less diverse than Georgia. Plenty of Georgia Republicans embrace Trump’s imprint, at least publicly. “Absolutely four Republican votes in this house,” she said, including her young adult children casting absentee ballots. But all three are Democratic districts, and they include the two most concentrated Democratic districts, the 4th and 5th in the metro Atlanta core.

Though he got nothing but cheers Monday night, Trump's attempt to overturn the presidential election i s splitting the Republican Party. Trump repeated numerous times his claims of election fraud, which have been rejected by election officials — Republican as well as Democratic in state after state — and courts up to the U.S. Supreme Court. Two current Republican senators, Rob Portman of Ohio and Mike Lee of Utah, joined the growing number who now oppose the legislators' challenge. Larry Hogan of Maryland; Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, the third-ranking House GOP leader; and former House Speaker Paul Ryan — have criticized the GOP efforts to overturn the election. Cruz's coalition of 11 Republican senators vows to reject the Electoral College tallies unless Congress launches a commission to immediately conduct an audit of the election results.

I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have," Trump said. The Associated Press obtained the full audio of Trump’s conversation with Georgia officials from a person on the call. Trump has repeatedly attacked how Raffensperger conducted Georgia’s elections, claiming without evidence that the state’s 16 electoral votes were wrongly given to Biden. “He has no clue!” Trump tweeted of Raffensperger, saying the state official “was unwilling, or unable” to answer questions. Raffensperger’s Twitter response: “Respectfully, President Trump: What you’re saying is not true.

Biden and his team have steered at least $18 million to help Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock try to unseat Republican Sens. The pair has planned media interviews in markets across Georgia, including morning and late-afternoon “drive-time” radio on Election Day. That included 3.6 million early ballots and about 1.4 million on Election Day. In Biden’s camp, meanwhile, O’Malley Dillon said there’s a confidence that Georgia, regardless of its outcome, already has proven a new path for Democrats under Biden. And O'Malley Dillon said the Georgia investments demonstrate Biden’s willingness to lend his brand across the country, even in GOP strongholds.

Both of Georgia's Senate seats weren't supposed to be up for grabs in 2020. As for the challengers, Ossoff and Warnock are seeking to become the first Democrats to win a U.S. Senate election in Georgia since 2000. If he defeats Perdue, Ossoff would be the Senate's youngest member at age 33. The November elections resulted in Republicans holding 50 Senate seats and Democrats controlling 48. Trump has scheduled a Monday rally with Perdue and Loeffler in conservative northwest Georgia.

Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas on Saturday announced a coalition of 11 senators and senators-elect who have been enlisted for Trump’s effort. But their challenges, and those from House Republicans, represent the most sweeping effort to undo a presidential election outcome since the Civil War. said the Republican effort to create a federal commission “to supersede state certifications" is wrong. On the other side of the Republican divide, several senators spoke out Saturday against Cruz and Hawley's effort. McConnell had previously warned GOP senators not to participate in raising objections, saying it would be a terrible vote for colleagues.

Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas on Saturday announced a coalition of 11 senators and senators-elect who have been enlisted for Trump’s effort. But their challenges, and those from House Republicans, represent the most sweeping effort to undo a presidential election outcome since the Civil War. said the Republican effort to create a federal commission “to supersede state certifications" is wrong. On the other side of the Republican divide, several senators spoke out Saturday against Cruz and Hawley's effort. McConnell had previously warned GOP senators not to participate in raising objections, saying it would be a terrible vote for colleagues.

The president has spread unfounded assertions of voter fraud and blasted Georgia Republican officials, including Gov. Democrats are fine with the GOP senators' decision to run as Trump Republicans and use exaggerated attacks. But the early vote already has set a statewide Georgia runoff turnout record. McNeely, the former state GOP leader, lamented that even if Perdue and Loeffler win, their campaigns move Georgia further away from a more centrist tradition. But he rose through the Georgia General Assembly in an era when Democrats dominated the state.

The president has spread unfounded assertions of voter fraud and blasted Georgia Republican officials, including Gov. Democrats are fine with the GOP senators' decision to run as Trump Republicans and use exaggerated attacks. But the early vote already has set a statewide Georgia runoff turnout record. McNeely, the former state GOP leader, lamented that even if Perdue and Loeffler win, their campaigns move Georgia further away from a more centrist tradition. But he rose through the Georgia General Assembly in an era when Democrats dominated the state.

ATLANTA – The consequences of Georgia’s twin Senate runoffs are well known: They’ll determine which party controls the Senate in the new Congress. November elections guaranteed Republicans at least 50 Senate seats for the 117th Congress, which convenes for the first time in January as set by federal law. Democrats won 48 Senate seats. The Georgia seats remain up for grabs because no candidates got an outright majority as state law requires. One Republican victory would keep the Senate under GOP control throughout the next Congress (barring an unforeseen vacancy).

Both of Georgia's Senate seats weren't supposed to be up for grabs in 2020. As for the challengers, Ossoff and Warnock are seeking to become the first Democrats to win a U.S. Senate election in Georgia since 2000. If he defeats Perdue, Ossoff would be the Senate's youngest member at age 33. The November elections resulted in Republicans holding 50 Senate seats and Democrats controlling 48. Trump has scheduled a Monday rally with Perdue and Loeffler in conservative northwest Georgia.

David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler belatedly declared their support on Tuesday for one-time payments of $2,000 that Trump and Democrats endorse but most congressional Republicans oppose. Perdue told Fox & Friends in a Tuesday morning interview he’d be “delighted” to back a $1,400 increase in individual payments. That could allow Loeffler and Perdue to cast a “yes” vote on the record, giving them partial political cover even if the measure doesn’t pass. Perdue and Loeffler, meanwhile, have anchored their arguments against Ossoff and Warnock with warnings that their election would herald a socialist expansion of government. “We’re the firewall for stopping socialism,” Loeffler declared on Fox in the same segment she endorsed the $2,000 direct payments to Americans.

Peterson, like many voters in this area of Atlanta, voted for Democrat Joe Biden but also cast votes for Republican Senate candidates in November. Some of Georgia's most affluent voters, formerly reliable cornerstones of the state's once-ascendant Republican majority, live in million-dollar houses here. Perdue led Ossoff by about 88,000 votes, although the incumbent fell short of the majority required in Georgia because of votes won by a Libertarian. Perdue also ran ahead of Trump in wealthier areas of DeKalb County, a Democratic bastion where Trump won only two of 191 precincts and lost some areas 20-to-1. Once a registered Republican in Pennsylvania — Georgia doesn't register voters by party — Levin said she has “zero respect” for Perdue and Loeffler.

In Georgia's second runoff election, Republican U.S. Sen David Perdue started with an even wider lead, having won 88,000 more votes in November than Democrat Jon Ossoff. Through Wednesday, nearly 2.1 million voters had cast ballots, roughly on pace with the Nov. 3 general election. Miles Coleman of the University of Virginia Center for Politics said the joint effort has helped Warnock wrap up Democratic voters. Henderson also frets that Loeffler has never been to his county, so far from Atlanta that many watch out-of-state television. “The Democrats have really struggled to turn out Black voters in rural parts of the state," Coleman said.

Many Republican voters in Georgia are angry; certain that widespread voter fraud claims of which are baseless cost President Donald Trump the election. The companies deny several statements made about them, and there is no evidence any voting system switched or deleted votes in the 2020 election. That came days after Smartmatic sent a letter threatening legal action to Fox and two other networks popular with Trump supporters, Newsmax and One America News Network. A statement aired by Newsmax anchors on Monday, and also printed on the company website, was much broader and concerned both Smartmatic and Dominion. “No evidence has been offered that Dominion or Smartmatic used software or reprogrammed software that manipulated votes in the 2020 election,” Newsmax said.

Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris campaigns for Democratic U.S. Senate challengers the Rev. Ivanka Trump, meanwhile, warned that failing to reelect the two Republican incumbents in next month's crucial runoff could erode her father's legislative achievements. Telling a crowd in Columbus that “everything is at stake” in the Jan. 5 contests, Harris said Democratic candidates Jon Ossoff and the Rev. Trump, President Donald Trump's daughter and a senior White House adviser, stumped with Republican U.S. Sens. Over the crowd's shouts of “We love Trump!” and “Fight for Trump!” she implored voters to send Republicans back to the Senate “to protect all that America stands for."

Brian Kemp in December last year was widely seen as a way for the Georgia GOP to appeal to moderate suburban women. Or would she heed the plea for bipartisanship made in a farewell speech by her predecessor, retired Republican Sen. Johnny Isakson? Critics say Loeffler took a hard-right turn once she drew a challenge from staunch Trump ally and fellow Republican Doug Collins. Loeffler's campaign did not make her available for an interview and did not respond to questions sent by email. Loeffler's connection to the company poses potentially deep conflicts of interest on Senate matters dealing with the regulation of financial markets.

Now Warnock is the politician running for office and the one under attack for his sometimes impassioned words from the pulpit. His opponent, Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler, has blasted his rhetoric and proposals as “radical,” socialist and out of step with Georgia residents. At the Georgia Capitol in 2014, he was arrested while protesting the refusal of state Republicans to expand Medicaid. Warnock said he was trying to make sure young people had lawyers or family present when questioned by authorities. Warnock is right to keep focusing on his platform of a living wage, expanded health care options and voting rights, said the Rev.

ATLANTA – Vice President Mike Pence has seemingly been holding rallies everywhere in Georgia lately. President Donald Trump rounded out the map with a Dec. 5 rally in Valdosta in south Georgia. A win by either Perdue or Loeffler would keep the Senate majority in the hands of Republicans. “A drop of 10% or 15% in places like Valdosta,” he added, could make “swing voters in Gwinnett County” moot. In November, Perdue pushed his margins across many of the north Georgia counties to 80%.

(AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)ATLANTA – Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler of Georgia on Wednesday declined to rule out a formal protest of Democrat Joe Biden's victory when Congress convenes next month to certify the presidential election results. Those voters will be crucial in the Jan. 5 runoffs as Loeffler takes on Democrat Raphael Warnock and Perdue faces Democrat Jon Ossoff. Following the Electoral College's affirmation on Monday of Biden's victory, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell broke his weeks of silence on the matter to congratulate Biden and call on his fellow Republican senators not to dispute the results. It’s disrespectful to Georgia voters to say anything else.”Loeffler could do little more than momentarily delay the final certification of Biden’s victory over Trump. “I have fought alongside President Trump since day one to get our agenda accomplished, and I continue to stand with him now,” he said.

(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, Pool, File)KANSAS — A western Kansas mayor announced Tuesday that she is resigning, effective immediately, because of threats she has received after she publicly supported a mask mandate. Brian Kemp and Public Health Commissioner Kathleen Toomey visited Savannah as the first four shots were administered to local health care workers. ___TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Florida’s largest hospital system said it was on track to immunize nearly 20,000 health care workers against COVID-19 as Gov. He traveled to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., on Monday and was given the first dose of Pfizer-BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine. Several health care workers at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital in the eastern part of the state also received injections.

ATLANTA – President-elect Joe Biden told Georgia voters on Tuesday they must deliver two Democratic Senate runoffs victories in January so his administration can forcefully confront the coronavirus pandemic and other national challenges. “They fully embraced nullifying nearly 5 million Georgia votes,” said Biden, the first Democratic presidential nominee to win the state since 1992. Democrats would need to win both Georgia seats to force a 50-50 Senate, and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris would be the tiebreaking vote. Republicans need one of the two Georgia seats for McConnell to remain majority leader and set the Senate agenda. Biden also used the trip to catch up with key supporters who helped him win Georgia.

Martin Natatorium and Recreation Center in Atlanta on the first day of early voting for the senate runoff Monday, Dec. 14, 2020. (AP Photo/Ben Gray)ATLANTA – Early in-person voting began Monday in the runoff elections for Georgia's two U.S. Senate seats, with lines reported to be shorter than in the first days of early voting for the general election last month. More than half of the record 5 million votes in the Nov. 3 general election were cast during its three-week early voting period. In an overnight tweet just hours before early voting began, he continued his attack on Georgia Gov. Preparation for early voting saw squabbles over cuts to the number of early polling places.

Many Republican voters in Georgia are angry; certain that widespread voter fraud claims of which are baseless cost President Donald Trump the election. (AP Photo/Ben Gray, File)ATLANTA – Many Republican voters in Georgia are angry. They're convinced that widespread voter fraud — claims that are baseless — cost President Donald Trump the election to Democrat Joe Biden. But interviews with voters and party activists in the state suggest there's little sign that Trump's voters are planning to stay home in protest. Jeanne Seaver, a Republican activist in Georgia who worked on Trump's 2016 campaign, said she believes that Republican voters will still come out to support Perdue and Loeffler despite the anger on the ground.

Democrats need a Georgia sweep to force a 50-50 Senate and position Vice President-elect Kamala Harris as the tiebreaking vote. Highlighting the importance of the race, Biden plans to visit the state next week to campaign for Ossoff and Warnock. “Let them steal Georgia again, you’ll never be able to look yourself in the mirror,” Trump told rallygoers. “I want you to be confident about your vote," Pence said. “That’s just not Georgia to me," said Davis, 57, who helped run her late husband's medical business.

No candidate cleared 50% of the vote in the respective races, and Georgia law requires a runoff in such cases. Earlier this week, Castro, the former U.S. housing secretary and San Antonio mayor, spent two days in Georgia stumping with both Ossoff and Warnock. Another high-profile Texas Republican, Crenshaw, has already visited the state and plans to return before the end of the month. The state party has been mobilizing volunteers on its Mighty Texas Strike Force to head to Georgia, with the largest deployment expected to happen after Christmas. In a sign of how the political world has gone all in on Georgia, the campaigners from Texas have not gone unnoticed by other out-of-state surrogates.

But the funding behind the group will likely remain a mystery until well after ballots are cast in the Jan. 5 election. Yet unlike other similar outside groups operating in the state, Peachtree PAC has taken steps to mask who its donors are until Jan. 31, according to Federal Election Commission records. Groups like Peachtree PAC are often referred to as “pop up " PACs, which have been embraced by Republicans and Democrats alike. This new activity through Peachtree PAC will articulate the stakes couldn’t be higher as the future of freedom is on the ballot,” SLF President Steven Law said in a statement. CNN was first to report that Senate Leadership Fund was operating Peachtree PAC.

Dozens of state lawmakers, elected officials and party leaders in recent weeks have endorsed and advanced Trump’s false claims, and in some cases called for undemocratic actions to reverse results. None of the moves have had an impact on the election results — and even Republican governors have certified Biden’s win. In Texas, the state's Republican attorney general has filed a lawsuit to the U.S. Supreme Court demanding that other states' Electoral College votes be invalidated. Even in liberal Massachusetts, five GOP candidates who lost their races filed a federal lawsuit Monday trying to decertify the state’s election results, recycling claims about irregularities and voting machines. Meanwhile, Trump's attempts to personally persuade GOP lawmakers, governors and state election officials to intervene have failed.

Weeks before her family turns the White House over to President-elect Joe Biden, Melania Trump announced that a new tennis pavilion on the south grounds is ready for action. The first lady's office said Monday that the pavilion's design was inspired by the architectural style of the White House, especially the East and West Wings. A colonnade, parapet wall and fanlight windows tie the new building to the look and feel of the White House. The White House did not disclose the cost. Completion of the tennis pavilion follows the first lady's redesign of the White House Rose Garden earlier this year.

Democratic challenger for U.S. Senate Raphael Warnock speaks during a debate with Republican U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler, Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Ben Gray, Pool)ATLANTA – Sen. Kelly Loeffler repeatedly refused to acknowledge that President Donald Trump lost reelection in November, as she debated her Democratic opponent, Rev. But Loeffler steered clear of any criticism of Trump, even as she tacitly acknowledged his defeat. The debate came a day after Trump campaigned in Georgia alongside the two senators. Loeffler blamed Democratic leaders for Congress' failure to pass a new round of assistance this fall.

According to a tweet from the governor, Trump also asked him to order an audit of absentee ballots from the presidential race in his state. Trump on Sunday tweeted more unproved allegations that Georgia’s election was fraudulent, blaming Kemp and Duncan for inaction. Signature verification & call a Special Session. State lawmakers could call a special session on their own, but only if 60% of members in both houses of the General Assembly demanded a session in writing. “I don’t believe that there’s the will in the General Assembly for a special session,” Raffensperger said.

Democratic challenger for U.S. Senate Raphael Warnock speaks during a debate with Republican U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler, Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Ben Gray, Pool)ATLANTA – Sen. Kelly Loeffler repeatedly refused to acknowledge that President Donald Trump lost reelection in November, as she debated her Democratic opponent, Rev. But Loeffler steered clear of any criticism of Trump, even as she tacitly acknowledged his defeat. The debate came a day after Trump campaigned in Georgia alongside the two senators. Loeffler blamed Democratic leaders for Congress' failure to pass a new round of assistance this fall.

“Let them steal Georgia again, you’ll never be able to look yourself in the mirror,” Trump told rallygoers. The Jan. 5 Senate runoffs in Georgia will determine the balance of power in Washington after Biden takes office. Democrats need a Georgia sweep to force a 50-50 Senate and position Vice President-elect Kamala Harris as the tiebreaking vote. Trump continued to reiterate his unsubstantiated claims of fraud, despite his own administration assessing the election to have been conducted without any major issues. Chants of “Fight for Trump” drowned out the two senators as they briefly spoke to the crowd.

“Let them steal Georgia again, you’ll never be able to look yourself in the mirror,” Trump told rallygoers. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler are trying to defeat Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, respectively, and keep the Senate under Republican control. ___8:40 p.m.President Donald Trump suggested at a big gathering on behalf of Republican senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue that he was reluctant to hold another campaign rally. “I shouldn’t do this for them,” Trump said “It costs too much money.”___8:15 p.m.President Donald Trump ripped Republican Gov. ___7:35 p.m.President Donald Trump kicked off his Saturday night rally in Georgia for Republican Sens.

“Let them steal Georgia again, you’ll never be able to look yourself in the mirror,” Trump told rallygoers. The Jan. 5 Senate runoffs in Georgia will determine the balance of power in Washington after Biden takes office. Democrats need a Georgia sweep to force a 50-50 Senate and position Vice President-elect Kamala Harris as the tiebreaking vote. Trump continued to reiterate his unsubstantiated claims of fraud, despite his own administration assessing the election to have been conducted without any major issues. Chants of “Fight for Trump” drowned out the two senators as they briefly spoke to the crowd.

(AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)ATLANTA – The Georgia U.S. Senate runoffs don't take place until Jan. 5. And President Donald Trump has complicated the contest by claiming baselessly that the November election in Georgia was beset by fraud. Already, $329 million in advertising has been spent or reserved in the state since Election Day, according to data from the ad tracking firm Kantar/CMAG. While Biden’s campaign ran operations in Georgia until the Nov. 3 election, Senate Democrats’ campaign arm is in charge now. “People are very inspired by the Stacey Abrams magic,” said Michael Smith, a Los Angeles donor who has given to several groups raising money for the Georgia Democrats.

Vice President Mike Pence speaks during a briefing on COVID-19 at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Friday, Dec. 4, 2020, in Atlanta. There have even been suggestions from some Trump allies that conservative voters should sit out the Jan. 5 Senate runoffs in protest, a notion Pence took head on. Pence, as he did two weeks ago when campaigning with the Georgia senators, tried to strike a balance. But this time, Pence's message comes as Georgia completes yet another recount of presidential ballots and in the wake of Trump escalating his attacks on Georgia Republicans. As Pence arrived in the state, Georgia officials were in the final stages of a third count requested by Trump’s campaign.

(AP) – President Donald Trump said Sunday he was “ashamed” for endorsing the Republican governor of Georgia after he lost in the state to Democrat Joe Biden. Trump has seethed over losing the southern state, which hadn’t voted for a Democrat for president in nearly 30 years. Trump has made baseless accusations that illegal votes cost him the election in Georgia and beyond. Trump backed Kemp’s campaign in 2018, boasting that his “full endorsement” helped him edge rising Democrat Stacey Abrams. “If we vote, we will win this election.”___This story has been corrected to show that Trump backed Kemp’s campaign in 2018, not Kemp’s re-election campaign.

A day earlier, Vice President Mike Pence campaigned with Warnock’s opponent, Sen. Kelly Loeffler, and her fellow Republican senator, David Perdue. For Republicans, the pandemic is secondary in a runoff blitz defined by dire warnings about what it would mean if Warnock defeats Loeffler and Perdue falls to Democratic challenger Jon Ossoff. But Perdue led Ossoff by about 100,000 votes, finishing just short of the outright majority Georgia requires to avoid a runoff. Loeffler acknowledges the pandemic in her standard speech by highlighting her and Perdue’s votes for the spring economic relief package. Ossoff also has sought to tie Perdue’s loyalty to Trump back to the pandemic.

(AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)GAINESVILLE, Ga. – Twin Georgia Senate runoffs have Republicans in a quandary. They could admit President Donald Trump lost his re-election bid and turn all attention to salvaging a Senate majority to counter President-elect Joe Biden. “I’m here because I stand with President Donald Trump,” Pence declared in Gainesville, Georgia. Brian Kemp, himself a former Georgia secretary of state, on social media. The 60-year-old came to see Pence, Loeffler and both Perdues, but made clear she was there because of her loyalties to the president.

Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Sen. Kelly Loeffler speaks at a campaign rally on Friday, Nov. 13, 2020, in Cumming, Ga. Loeffler and Democratic candidate Raphael Warnock are in a runoff election for the Senate seat in Georgia. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)ATLANTA – U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler said Monday that she will return to public campaigning after she got a second straight negative coronavirus test. A test Saturday came back inconclusive and a test Sunday came back negative, Loeffler’s campaign said. “She looks forward to getting back out on the campaign trail.”Perdue said before Loeffler’s negative test was announced Sunday that he would remain at home as he awaited Loeffler’s results. He returned to public campaigning on Monday, appearing with Iowa Republican Sen. Joni Ernst in Griffin, south of Atlanta.

While Pence was on a bus tour in Georgia, a partial recount loomed in Wisconsin. Pence focused Friday on securing the Republican Senate majority by helping Perdue and Loeffler defeat Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, respectively. Pence implied as much when he said Friday that a “Republican Senate majority could be the last line of defense for all that we’ve done." Pence is the latest in a flurry of potential future Republican presidential candidates to come to Georgia, following Florida Sens. Pence's exurban itinerary Friday underscores Republican math in Georgia: both are in heavily Republicans counties that are growing fast.

Scott, 67, has been quarantining at home all week after coming into contact in Florida on Nov. 13 with someone who subsequently tested positive. Scott, a Republican, said he was “feeling good” despite the mild symptoms and would be working at his home in Naples. “I want to remind everyone to be careful and do the right things to protect yourselves and others,” Scott said in a statement. House members could be regularly tested in the Capitol starting this week, but there is still no testing protocol for senators. The absence Scott and Grassley on Tuesday helped Democrats block the nomination of Judy Shelton, Trump’s controversial pick for the Federal Reserve.

Georgia would like a few moments of presidential campaign time. The state has fast become a stage for the cast of possible Republican presidential candidates after President Donald Trump's defeat. Meanwhile, Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley has sent a flurry of fundraising emails coaxing rank-and-file Republicans to bankroll the Georgia runoff campaigns. “Until there is a cure for Trumpism, the 2024 Republican presidential hopefuls will remain as frozen as a COVID vaccine,” Tyler quipped. For Democrats, there’s less future presidential intrigue to blend into the Georgia campaign.

In this Nov. 2, 2020 photo, Republican candidate for Senate Sen. David Perdue and his wife Bonnie reacts during a campaign stop at Peachtree Dekalb Airport in Atlanta. Republicans are flooding Georgia with cash and field operatives as they look to keep Democrats from seizing control of the Senate under President-elect Joe Bidens administration. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue. “We need Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue in the Senate, and the RNC is mobilizing our grassroots army to help keep them there."

This combination of photos shows Democratic candidate for Senate Jon Ossoff, left, on Nov. 10, 2020, and Republican candidate for Senate Sen. David Perdue on Nov. 2, 2020, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)ATLANTA – President Donald Trump won’t be on the ballot in January when Georgia voters settle two Senate runoffs that will determine control of the U.S. Senate. The two Senate contests offer an early measure of Trump’s lasting political imprint and whether both parties can sustain momentum in the post-Trump era. For now, both the incumbents and their Democratic rivals are largely avoiding direct mention of Trump, instead focusing on Senate control. Republicans have dominated statewide runoffs in Georgia recently, proving more adept at returning their core supporters to the polls.