In an extraordinary phone call, U.S. President Donald Trump pleaded Saturday with election officials in the southern U.S. state of Georgia to find him enough votes to overturn his pivotal loss there to President-elect Joe Biden.

“So, look. All I want to do is this. I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have. Because we won the state,” Trump told the state’s top elections official, Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, in a recording obtained by The Washington Post and published Sunday afternoon.  (Read transcript of phone call)

In an hourlong call, Trump sometimes assailed Raffensperger and sometimes flattered him and his office’s general counsel, Ryan Germany. The president disputed the accuracy of three separate vote counts in Georgia that showed Biden was the first Democratic presidential contender to capture the state since 1992.

On Sunday, Trump said on Twitter, “I spoke to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger yesterday about Fulton County and voter fraud in Georgia. He was unwilling, or unable, to answer questions such as the ‘ballots under table’ scam, ballot destruction, out of state ‘voters’, dead voters, and more. He has no clue!”

Raffensperger replied a few hours later, “Respectfully, President Trump: What you’re saying is not true. The truth will come out.”

In the United States’ indirect form of democracy, Biden, by winning the popular vote in the state, won all 16 of Georgia’s electoral votes en route to a 306-232 margin in the Electoral College.

On Wednesday, a joint session of Congress with Vice President Mike Pence presiding will meet. At least a dozen Republican U.S. senators have said they will join an unknown number of House Republican colleagues in objecting to the certification of Electoral College votes for Biden.

Dozens of House, Senate Republicans Joining Likely Futile Effort to Reject Biden Victory

Trump encourages Wednesday protest, two weeks ahead of opponent’s inauguration

The effort is expected to fail. Democrats hold the majority in the House and prominent Republican senators have said they won’t back the challenge.

Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris are set to be inaugurated January 20.

Even if Trump were to upend the Georgia vote, Biden would still have more than the 270-vote majority needed to win the presidency in the Electoral College.

Reaction to the call was swift Sunday afternoon.

Harris described it as “the voice of desperation” and a “bald faced, bold abuse of power by the president of the United States.”

“Absolutely appalling,” Republican Representative Adam Kinzinger, of Illinois, said of the call on Twitter. “To every member of Congress considering objecting to the election results, you cannot — in light of this — do so with a clean conscience. #RestoreOurGOP”

 

“Republicans, there is no defense for this. None,” Jeff Flake, a former Republican senator from Arizona, tweeted.

“I will not be silent as the outgoing president attempts to subvert the will of more than 5 million voters in my state,” a Democratic representative from the state of Georgia, Carolyn Bourdeaux, said on Twitter. “This country is a democracy, not a dictatorship — and I will use every power in my authority to reject Trump’s attacks on our election.”

 

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., condemned Trump’s actions as “despicable abuses of power” that are potentially impeachable.

The president wasn’t without support, however. The Arizona Republican Party tweeted, “President Trump sounded really good (strong, clear voice; no static) on the “recording” – he cares about #ElectionIntegrity, as all Americans do. Thank you, Mr. President!”

 

Trump asked the Georgia officials to recalculate the vote count and said that if Raffensperger refused to overturn the vote in the state, he would be taking “a big risk.”

Throughout the call, Raffensperger and Germany rebuffed Trump’s assertions that he had been defrauded of a win in the state. Trump has lost dozens of legal challenges claiming vote and vote-counting irregularities cost him victories in Georgia and in other political battleground states.

AP Fact Check: Trump’s Claims of Fake Georgia Votes are Unfounded

President Donald Trump put forth an array of fuzzy accounting and false claims in a phone call to Georgia’s secretary of state seeking a reversal of his election defeat

Trump rejected the claims by Raffensperger and Germany that the Georgia outcome was legitimate.

“The people of Georgia are angry, the people in the country are angry,” Trump said. “And there’s nothing wrong with saying, you know, um, that you’ve recalculated.”

Raffensperger responded: “Well, Mr. President, the challenge that you have is, the data you have is wrong.”

Throughout the call, Trump repeated he had won the state. “There’s no way I lost Georgia,” he said at one point. “There’s no way. We won by hundreds of thousands of votes.”

The president linked his fate in the state to Tuesday’s Senate runoff elections in which two incumbent Republican senators, David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, respectively face Democratic challengers Jon Ossoff and the Rev. Raphael Warnock in contests that will determine control of the U.S. Senate during the first two years of the Biden presidency.

“You have a big election coming up,” Trump told Raffensperger, “and because of what you’ve done to the president — you know, the people of Georgia know that this was a scam.”

“Because of what you’ve done to the president,” Trump said, speaking of himself in the third person, “a lot of people aren’t going out to vote, and a lot of Republicans are going to vote negative, because they hate what you did to the president. OK? They hate it. And they’re going to vote. And you would be respected, really respected, if this can be straightened out before the (Tuesday) election.”

Trump’s call to Raffensperger is Trump’s latest effort to pressure state officials and lawmakers to overturn the votes in their political battleground states that Biden won or name Trump supporters as electors instead of ones supporting Biden.

 

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New Puerto Rico Gov. Pedro Pierluisi declared a “fiscal emergency” and ordered the island’s Department of Justice to step up anti-corruption efforts Saturday — hours after being sworn into office.

His inaugural speech included a vow to work for statehood. He is a Democrat The Puerto Rico representative to the U.S. House, Jenniffer Gonzalez, is a Republican, and she also will work for statehood. As noted earlier, on November 3 the ballot question on statehood passed by four percentage points.

Why it matters: Puerto Rico has experienced a tumultuous period politically and economically, with three governors in four years and a billion-dollar public debt.

• The pandemic has badly affected the island, which is still recovering from catastrophic Hurricane Maria and last year’s earthquakes.
• Political analyst Mario Negrón told AP, “The economy is in critical condition, and even though federal funds are on their way, people forget that the debt will have to be paid starting in February.”

The big picture: Pierluisi signed six executive orders Saturday night — including the fiscal measure instructing government agencies to reduce costs, such as imposing travel limits, and for the local DOJ to liaise closely with federal prosecutors in corruption cases.

• The 61-year-old leader of the pro-statehood New Progressive Party also ordered the Caribbean island’s health department to “design a robust” plan for coronavirus testing, according to Bloomberg.

What he’s saying: In a bilingual speech after being sworn in earlier Saturday, Pierluisi vowed to “turn the page on political turbulence,” fight corruption, “work hard on what unites us,” and achieve prosperity through statehood.

• He called on “everyone to battle our common enemies: the pandemic, poverty and crime, lack of access to good education and health care, economic stagnation, corruption and inequality.”
• Doing this while jump-starting the economy, attracting investment and growing the tourism industry would “put Puerto Rico on a path to recovery and progress,” Pierluisi said.

Of note: Pierluisi briefly served as governor after former Gov. Ricardo Rosselló resigned in 2019 amid massive protests after the U.S. territory’s House of Representatives found five impeachable offenses against him.

• The new governor previously caucused with the Democrats as the island’s congressional representative for eight years.

Go deeper: Why Puerto Rico is still struggling to get online

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By Monique Washington

A Brick Kiln Village Business has been found dead at Herbert’s Beach on Sunday (January 3) morning.

The body of contractor Myron “White “Jeffers was found mid-morning on Sunday under a tree at Herbert’s beach.

Upon arrival, the Observer noted a large number of vehicles and onlookers at the scene. Around mid-day, the body was removed.

More to this story will be provided as it becomes available.

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As the world enters the fourth year since the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union, millions of British and EU nationals alike now face a post-Brexit reality: From different queues at airports to requiring a new passport for their pets and applying for a special settlement scheme. 48 years since the UK joined the EU, it has now separated.

With a last-minute trade deal in place, the biggest fear over Brexit—that of a no-deal, borders-closed scenario—has been averted. Trade between the EU and UK will continue to attract no taxes, however, there will be additional checks in place between the two sides than what exists currently.

To check how the Brexit transition will affect you (or if it will), the UK government has set up a “Brexit checker” which will inform you of what steps you may need to take.

Broadly, here’s what will change from today:

Passport matters

UK citizens wanting to travel to the EU or the Schengen region can still do so without a visa. However, those planning to stay for longer than 90 days in a 180-day period, or to work or study, will need to apply for a visa. UK nationals may no longer take the EU queues at airports.

Of course, due to coronavirus restrictions, travellers from non-EU countries may not visit the region presently.

Travel to Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus and Romania will not count in the 180-day period.

Those whose passports are due to expire within six months, however, will have to apply for a new one before entering the EU.

From 2022, UK citizens will need to apply for an EU visa-waiver scheme before travelling there.

Pet passports will also no longer be valid from January 1, 2021. Those wanting to travel with their dogs or cats will need to meet certain conditions including getting an Animal Health Certificate (AHC) confirming the pet is microchipped and vaccinated against rabies.

Likewise, EU, EEA and Swiss citizens can continue travelling to the UK for holidays without a visa, provided they have a valid passport valid for the entirety of their planned stay.

From October 1, 2021, however, EU, EEA will be able to use their EU nationals ids provided they: Have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, have an EU Settlement Scheme family permit, have a frontier worker permit, are an S2 Healthcare Visitor, are a Swiss Service Provider. This will be the case until at least 31 December 2025.

EU citizens will largely face the same restrictions as non-EU nationals to immigrate to the UK, having to apply via the points-based system prioritising immigrants with necessary skillsets. EU citizens will also have to pay the standard visa fees: £348 for a student visa if applied from outside the UK (£475 if applied from within).

Trade and tariffs

While the estimated 1,200-page deal still needs to be passed by both the UK and EU parliaments, with traders still struggling to digest the new rules that were agreed just a week before, some changes are known in advance.

A free trade agreement sealed on Christmas Eve after months of tense negotiations ensures that Britain and the 27-nation EU can continue to buy and sell goods without tariffs or quotas. That should help protect the $894 billion in annual trade between the two sides, and the hundreds of thousands of jobs that rely on it.

But companies face sheaves of new costs and paperwork, including customs declarations and border checks.

The English Channel port of Dover and the Eurotunnel passenger and freight route braced for delays as the new measures were introduced, though the coronavirus pandemic and a holiday weekend meant cross-Channel traffic was light, with only a trickle of trucks arriving at French border posts in Calais as 2020 ended.

The vital supply route was snarled for days after France closed its border to UK truckers for 48 hours last week in response to a fast-spreading variant of the virus identified in England.

Northern Ireland will maintain an all-but-invisible border according to the BBC, and will largely follow EU rules—so trucks can enter it without facing inspections. Food products, however, will have to be inspected to ensure they comply with EU standards.

The Gibraltar question

Another last-minute deal, between the UK and Spain, sought to foreclose the risk of a hard border in the island of Gibraltar. With an in-principle agreement reached between both sides, the British overseas territory will be allowed to join the Schengen zone with Spain as its guarantor. For a four-year period, Gibraltar’s airport and port will become the EU’s external border, with the EU’s Frontex border agency responsible for checks.

However, since this is just an agreement, the EU commission will have to approve the proposals.

With inputs from PTI

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US Senator Ted Cruz on Saturday said he will spearhead a drive by nearly a dozen Republican senators to challenge President-elect Joe Biden’s victory when Electoral College results are tallied in Congress on Jan. 6 – a largely symbolic move that has little chance in preventing Biden from taking office.

Cruz’s effort is in defiance of Senate Republican leaders, who have argued that the Senate’s role in certifying the election is largely ceremonial and had been looking to avoid an extended debate on the floor about the outcome.

In a statement, Cruz, the US senator from Texas, and the other 10 senators said they intend to vote to reject electors from swing states that have been at the center of President Donald Trump’s unproven assertions of election fraud. They said Congress should immediately appoint a commission to conduct an emergency 10-day audit of election results in those 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.

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BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – An additional case of coronavirus disease was reported on January 1 in St. Kitts and Nevis by Chief Medical Officer Dr. Hazel Laws. An international traveller landed from the United States on December 27.

The patient has been in quarantine at one of the COVID-19 certified hotels since arrival in the Federation. The patient was duly notified and is in isolation.

This additional case brings the total number of COVID-19 confirmed cases to 33 with 22 cases in St. Kitts and 11 cases in Nevis. Thirty-one cases have fully recovered with zero deaths. There are now two active cases.

These patients are stable and are being monitored. All front-line workers at the Robert Llewellyn Bradshaw International Airport (RLBIA), the St. Christopher Air and Sea Ports Authority (SCASPA) and in the hotel and tourism sector continue to adhere to the COVID-19 protocols along the corridor of containment between the ports of entry and hotel/accommodation sites.

The Ministry of Health has assured the public that the following measures are being taken to restrict the spread of coronavirus:
• In-depth contact tracing to effectively assess the persons with whom the recently diagnosed cases would have interacted; and
• Quarantine, monitoring and testing of contacts as indicated.

The Ministry of Health and Federal Government reminds all citizens and residents that every effort is being made to prevent the spread of this virus locally.

More and more persons are adhering to the COVID-19 prevention and control measures which include:
• Wearing a face mask when in public places;
• Maintaining good hand hygiene; and
• Maintaining physical distance of at least 6-feet from others when in public places and avoiding crowd s and events.

The Ministry of Health encourages everyone to continue doing what is absolutely critical if we are to beat this virus. It is necessary to work together to maintain and protect the health and wellbeing of the people of the Federation.

May the New Year bless you with health, wealth and happiness!

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BASSETERRE, St. Kitts — While acknowledging that the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis is a country favoured by God, Prime Minister Dr. the Hon Timothy Harris has announced of plans to set aside a day of prayer to start the New Year 2021 to give God thanks for His compassion.

“I would wish that St. Kitts and Nevis stands apart, – we do not have to follow the pattern of every country,” said Prime Minister Harris at a special Old Year’s night worship service held on New Year’s Eve at the Rivers of Living Water Christian Centre in Lime Kiln, West Basseterre. “I want to recommend to my Cabinet on January 4 that we consider a special day of prayer to start the New Year, giving God thanks for His compassion.”

“The county has set aside days for a number of secular things – for Carnival, J’ouvert, and Emancipation – without recognising the Hand of God and the Spirit of God moving around and protecting the people,” said Dr. Harris.

“Perhaps it is full time we take a lead and set aside just one day – some period of the day the citizens and residents of St. Kitts and Nevis can meet and pray to God for healing, for provision, for a better job, for mercy, for grace, whatever it is – let us acknowledge that hitherto the Lord has been good,” observed Prime Minister Harris. “When that day is announced, I hope all of you will respond to it and our country will set itself aside from other nations, as a country that acknowledges it is one favoured by God.”

Delivering the sermon at the special service was Prophetess Dr. Debbie Isaac and accompanying the Prime Minister included Deputy Speaker, Senator the Hon Dr. Bernicia Nisbett, the National Secretary of the Peoples Labour Party (PLP) Ms Myrtilla Williams, and a number of the National and Branch executives and membership of the party.

Earlier in his message, Prime Minister Harris had thanked the many people who had come out for the special service in keeping with the country’s Christian tradition of ushering the New Year in the House of God.

“We certainly are a nation that loves Christ, and that is important,” said Dr. Harris. “Many years ago when we were going into independence, the authors and creators of our Constitution were careful and thoughtful enough to insert in the preamble that we are a Nation under God. And I hope today and every day as we are alive to tell a story that we appreciate that God is with us, and we appreciate that our country is favoured by God.”

Members of the congregation were told by the Prime Minister that if they looked around they hear what is happening and some of the stories which are being told as it relates to the Covid-19 pandemic, for them to know it must be the Hand of God protecting them and keeping them, and making the difference in the country.

The Honourable Prime Minister comforted them by telling them that they would soon say goodbye to 2020 with all its challenges, lockdowns, the displacement of the workers and that they would welcome 2021 with new optimism and hope because they know on whom their anchor and their hope must lie and the person, he added, is Jesus.

“It is a good thing that in our country the leadership of the government, blessed by God to serve for such a time like this, feel comfortable to say to our people that we need God,” said the Prime Minister. “We need more prayer warriors in our country; we need more people committed to doing good, and we need more people in service to the Nation.”

He appealed to the congregation and the country in general to pray not just for that evening, and to pray not just to usher their wish for the New Year, but for them to pray without cease every day, every morning, every night. He made request of them to pick a leaf out of the Book of Daniel and to pray at least three times a day, because the goodness of God, so long as they are alive, it reflects His compassion and His goodness and noting that the goodness of God keeps running after them.

In closing, Prime Minister Harris asked the congregation for “a special prayer and blessing on your senior pastors, Prophetess Dr. Debbie Isaac, her husband Dr Allan Isaac, so that they could continue to lead the church, and lead our country in acknowledging the importance of God and the need for us to serve Him so that we can receive a blessing.”

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BASSETERRE, St. Kitts — An autopsy was performed on the body of 60-year-old Charles Lowry of Phillip’s Village on December 31 by Resident Pathologist, Dr. Adrian Nunez.

Dr. Nunez concluded that death was as a result of Acute Pulmonary Edema and Congestion, severe Atherosclerosis of Coronary Arteries, Diabetes Mellitus (condition contributing to the death) (Heart Attack).

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