Dec 11, 2017

Report: Obama robocalls against Roy Moore in Alabama

Former President Barack Obama is telling voters to vote for Jones ahead of tomorrow's special election.

Barack Obama has reportedly pre-recorded phone messages encouraging Alabama voters to reject Roy Moore ahead of tomorrow's special election, reports CNN. Obama's messages coincide with President Trump's own recorded calls in support of Moore.

The message: "This one's serious. You can't sit it out," Obama says in the call. "Doug Jones is a fighter for equality, for progress. Doug will be our champion for justice. So get out and vote, Alabama." Obama doesn't mention Moore by name.

  • His audience: The calls are "intended to specifically reach black voters," reports CNN, whose turnout could sway the results in Jones' favor.
  • Get smart: This isn't the only special election Obama has gotten involved in. He also campaigned for Democratic gubernatorial candidates in Virginia and New Jersey, both of whom won last month.
  • Go deeper: Politico reports that Joe Biden, who hasn't ruled out a 2020 presidential bid, has also recorded robocalls in support of Jones.

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Hong Kong police fire pepper pellets at demonstrators

Hong Kong riot policeissue a warning as they aim to clear away people gathered downtownon Wednesday. Photo: Anthony Wallace/AFP via Getty Images

Hong Kong riot police fired pepper pellets at protesters and surrounded the Legislative Council during demonstrations against a bill proposing to criminalize "disrespect of the Chinese anthem" on Wednesday, per Reuters.

Why it matters: The bill is the latest concern pro-democracy protesters have that Chinese authorities are encroaching on the high degree of autonomy the former British colony has retained since it was returned to China in 1997.

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Minneapolis unrest as hundreds protest death of George Floyd

Tear gas is fired as police clash with protesters demonstrating against the death of George Floyd outside the 3rd Precinct Police Precinct in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Tuesday. Photo: Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

Minneapolis police used tear gas during clashes with protesters demanding justice Tuesday night for George Floyd, an African American who died in police custody, according to multiple news reports.

Driving the news: The FBI is investigating Floyd's death after video emerged of a Minneapolis police officer kneeling on his neck for several minutes, ignoring protests that he couldn't breathe. Hundreds of protesters attended the demonstration at the intersection where Floyd died, per the Guardian.

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U.S. coronavirus updates

Data: The Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins; Map: Andrew Witherspoon/Axios. This graphic includes "probable deaths" that New York City began reporting on April 14.

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced plans Tuesday to make wearing face coverings mandatory statewide for most people over the age of 10 when inside public places like retailers, on public transportation and government buildings. He announced the measure, effective Friday, as coronavirus case numbers increased to 39,342.

By the numbers: More than 98,900 people have died from COVID-19 and over 1.6 million have tested positive in the U.S. Over 384,900 Americans have recovered and more than 14.9 million tests have been conducted.

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