Georgia on our minds

Two closely watched Senate runoffs come to a head; the UK imposes a strict lockdown as Covid-19 cases rise.   Tonight's Sentences was written by Cameron Peters. TOP NEWS Georgia voters will decide control of the Senate Tuesday Brandon Bell/Getty Images On Tuesday, Georgia voters head to the polls to weigh in on a pair of high-stakes Senate runoffs. The result will decide control of the Senate for the next two years — and could define Joe Biden's presidency. [Politico / Steven Shepard] The two races pit incumbent Republican Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler against Democratic challengers Jon Ossoff and Rev. Raphael Warnock, respectively. [NPR / Deirdre Walsh] The winner of the Perdue-Ossoff race will serve a full six-year term in the Senate, but it's a different story for Loeffler and Warnock, who are vying to serve out the remainder of retired Sen. Johnny Isakson's term, which expires in 2022. [NYT /  Reid J. Epstein, Shane Goldmacher, and Stephanie Saul] Polling suggests that both races are more or less a dead heat. According to polling averages from FiveThirtyEight, Ossoff and Warnock both hold a narrow lead that has widened in the closing days of the race, but remains within the margin of error. [FiveThirtyEight] The contests have also driven record-setting early vote numbers. Around 3 million people voted early, eclipsing the total turnout record for a Georgia runoff even before voters go to the polls on Election Day. [AJC / Mark Niesse] And there's some good news for Democrats there: Of those who voted early, about 34 percent are Black — up from 31 percent ahead of the 2020 general election. The white share of the early vote fell, from 63 percent to 60 percent. [Bloomberg / Brett Pulley] If the races are close, as polling suggests it will be, it could take a while to know the winners. Georgia's deputy secretary of state told ABC he hopes to have full results two days after the election. [ABC News / Quinn Scanlan] If both Ossoff and Warnock win on Tuesday, each party will control 50 seats in the Senate — making Vice President-elect Kamala Harris the tie-breaking vote once she is sworn in on January 20 and tipping the majority to the Democrats. [CNN / Harry Enten] A Democratic victory would have big implications. Unified control of government would make it easier for President-elect Joe Biden to govern on numerous fronts, and could be the make-or-break factor for his legislative agenda. [Vox / Ella Nilsen] Polls close in Georgia at 7 pm Eastern time; for live results, you can follow along with Vox and Decision Desk. [Vox / Ella Nilsen] The UK locks down as new Covid variant spreads The United Kingdom is back under a strict lockdown this week following a Monday announcement by Prime Minister Boris Johnson and amid soaring Covid-19 case numbers. [CNN / Tara John, Luke McGee, and Nada Bashir] Under the new restrictions, which will likely remain in place through at least mid-February, Britons have been directed not to leave their homes except for select activities like exercise and grocery shopping. Schools and universities will switch to remote learning. [BBC] The UK's latest Covid-19 surge — a record 58,784 new coronavirus cases were reported in a single day Monday — appear driven at least in part by a highly transmissible variant of Covid-19 discovered last month in the UK. [NYT / Stephen Castle and Mark Landler] Monday also brought some good news, however: The UK began to administer the AstraZeneca/Oxford University Covid vaccine this week following its authorization late last month. [AP / Danica Kirka and Sylvia Hui] Compared to the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine, which was authorized earlier in December, AstraZeneca's vaccine is both more affordable and easier to store. Between the two vaccines, the UK has signaled it now has enough doses to vaccinate its entire population. [NPR / Jaclyn Diaz] MISCELLANEOUS The police officer who shot Jacob Blake in the back 7 times will not face charges, Kenosha's district attorney announced Tuesday. [CNN / Amir Vera and Madeline Holcombe] "A viral tsunami": As California's coronavirus crisis worsens, LA is running short on ICU beds, morgue capacity — and now, oxygen. [Washington Post / Fenit Nirappil and William Wan] After a sudden resignation, Trump has replaced the US attorney in Atlanta. [Politico / Josh Gerstein] In Pennsylvania Tuesday, GOP state senators refused to seat state Sen. Jim Brewster, a Democrat, despite the fact that his reelection has been formally certified by the state. [Philly Inquirer / Angela Couloumbis and Cynthia Fernandez] The Steve Kornacki craze, re-explained ahead of Tuesday's Senate runoffs. [Vox / Terry Nguyen] VERBATIM "The wall. The wall. The wall. Remember? 'We'll build a wall. We're gonna build a wall.' And that's right, Mexico is paying for the wall. Or if I were here, they would be." [Outgoing President Donald Trump, at a Monday rally ostensibly in support of Republican Senate candidates in Georgia / Vox] WATCH THIS The Georgia runoffs, explained. [YouTube / Madeline Marshall and Jerusalem Demsas] Read more from Vox   Why some Florida counties are using Eventbrite to schedule vaccine appointments   Our predictions for 2021, from the Biden presidency to Covid-19   Ask a Book Critic: Books to kick off the new year   Georgia is experiencing its "worst surge" of Covid-19 ahead of the Senate runoffs   The case for large cities in a post-pandemic world   Facebook Twitter YouTube This email was sent to edwardlorilla1986.paxforex@blogger.com. Manage your email preferences, or unsubscribe to stop receiving all emails from Vox. If you value Vox's unique explanatory journalism, support our work with a one-time or recurring contribution. 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