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Georgia lawmaker ‘shaken but resolved’ following arrest at election bill signing

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5 years ago

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Following the arrest of Rep. Park Cannon D-Ga., for knocking on the door while Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed a sweeping election bill this week, her attorney said Cannon is “shaken but resolved” to continue the fight for voting rights in Georgia — and to clear her name.
Cannon faces charges of obstructing law enforcement and disrupting a general assembly session after she repeatedly knocked on the door of Kemp’s office as he held a private livestream of the bill signing. The 90-page bill adds new voting requirements for Georgia residents following the results of the 2020 election that flipped the traditionally red state to blue.

A viral video of Cannon, who is a Black woman, being forcibly escorted out of the statehouse by Georgia state troopers, even after she identified herself as a state representative, sparked national outrage. She argued that the public and other members of the General Assembly should be allowed to witness the event.

© Alyssa Pointer/AP State Rep. Park Cannon is placed into the back of a Georgia State Capitol patrol car after being arrested by Georgia State Troopers at the Georgia State Capitol Building in Atlanta, March 25, 2021.

“It reminds us of the 50s and the 60s in Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia and South Carolina,” Cannon’s attorney, Greg Griggs, said. “But I think the governor needs to understand that we are not going to sit back on George Wallace type tactics and not respond the same way we responded to George Wallace. So I think the rest of the country needs to take a very strong look at the tactics that are being used in Georgia. The Justice Department needs to get involved. There needs to be passage of the John Lewis Voting Rights Act to protect voting rights. And we need the Justice Department to crack down on the tactics of these local and state officials that are trying to silence voters and silence people.”

Griggs said Cannon was arrested in an area that state lawmakers normally have access to and added she did not expect to be apprehended by law enforcement.

“She has access to all parts of the People’s House and so there was no indication that the ceremony should have been closed off. Many times when a governor signs bills that are going to go into law, it’s open to the public, to the press and to other members of the House of Representatives and the state Senate,” Griggs said.

Griggs told ABC News that Cannon plans to return to the Georgia State Capitol on Monday to keep working. He also said the state of Georgia should expect a “prolonged legal fight” even if charges are dismissed.

Brian P. Kemp wearing a suit and tie: Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp makes remarks during a news conference at the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta, March 16, 2021.

© Alyssa Pointer/AP, FILE Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp makes remarks during a news conference at the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta, March 16, 2021.

“She’ll be doing the job that she was elected to do for her district and the people of Georgia. And as far as the charges are concerned, they’re just allegations at this point. They have to be proven beyond a reasonable doubt,” Griggs said.

“The constitution of the state of Georgia is quite clear on that a duly elected representative cannot be arrested during a session. That’s a violation of the Constitution unless there are three exceptions: One would be a felony, two would be a breach of the peace and three would be a treason. We believe, based on the facts and evidence that we have uncovered so far, neither of those exceptions apply,” he added.

Griggs said he and Cannon’s team are in touch with the district attorney’s office and are hopeful that the charges will be dismissed.

MORE: Biden calls new GOP-passed Georgia law restricting voting access an ‘atrocity’

He also said Kemp and Cannon have not spoken to each other since the incident — and that Kemp has not reached out. Griggs wouldn’t say if Cannon is owed an apology.

© Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images President Joe Biden answers a question during his first press briefing in the East Room of the White House , March 25, 2021.

President Joe Biden, Stacey Abrams, Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock and other prominent Democrats have expressed support for Cannon, many sharing photos that compare her to civil rights protesters in the 1960s. When asked if that was her intention, Griggs said she’s trying to “make sure that the voices of the voters in her district and around the state of Georgia were amplified.”

Kemp has defended the bill and his decision to sign it into law and continued to do so Saturday on Fox News.

“Well, I can truthfully look in the camera and ask my African American friends and other African Americans in Georgia to simply find out what’s in the bill versus the blank statement of this is Jim Crow or this is voter suppression, or this is racist — because it is not,” Kemp said.

Culled from the ABC News ( MaryAlice Parks contributed to this report.

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Houston

Turnout, Trust, and Ground Game: What Decided Houston’s Runoff Elections

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1 day ago

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December 14, 2025

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Low-turnout runoff races for Houston City Council and Houston Community College trustee seats revealed how message discipline, local credibility, and voter mobilization determined clear winners—and decisive losers.

The final ballots are counted, and Houston’s runoff elections have delivered clear outcomes in two closely watched local races, underscoring a familiar truth of municipal politics: in low-turnout elections, organization and credibility matter more than name recognition alone.

In the race for Houston City Council At-Large Position 4, Alejandra Salinas secured a decisive victory, winning 25,710 votes (59.27%) over former council member Dwight A. Boykins, who garnered 17,669 votes (40.73%). The margin was not accidental. Salinas ran a campaign tightly aligned with voter anxiety over public safety and infrastructure—two issues that consistently dominate Houston’s civic conversations. Her emphasis on keeping violent criminals off city streets and expanding Houston’s water supply spoke directly to quality-of-life concerns that resonate across districts, especially in an at-large contest where candidates must appeal to the city as a whole.

Salinas’ win reflects the advantage of message clarity. In a runoff, voters are not looking to be introduced to candidates—they are choosing between candidates they are already familiar with. Salinas presented herself as forward-looking and solutions-oriented, while Boykins, despite his experience and political history, struggled to reframe his candidacy beyond familiarity. In runoffs, nostalgia rarely outperforms momentum.

The second race—for Houston Community College District II trustee—followed a similar pattern. Renee Jefferson Patterson won with 2,497 votes (56.63%), defeating Kathleen “Kathy” Lynch Gunter, who received 1,912 votes (43.37%). Though the raw numbers were smaller, the dynamics were just as telling.

Patterson’s victory was powered by deep local ties and a clear institutional vision. As an HCC alumna, she effectively positioned herself as both a product and a steward of the system. Her pledge to expand the North Forest Campus and direct resources to Acres Home connected policy goals to place-based advocacy. In trustee races, voters often respond less to ideology and more to proximity—those who understand the campus, the students, and the neighborhood. Patterson checked all three boxes.

By contrast, Gunter’s loss highlights the challenge of overcoming a candidate with genuine community roots in a runoff scenario. Without a sharply differentiated message or a strong geographic base, turnout dynamics tend to favor candidates with existing neighborhood networks and direct institutional relevance.

What ultimately decided both races was not a surprise, but execution. Runoffs reward campaigns that can re-mobilize supporters, simplify their message, and convert familiarity into trust. Salinas and Patterson did exactly that. Their opponents, though credible, were unable to expand or energize their coalitions in a compressed electoral window.

The lesson from Houston’s runoff elections is straightforward but unforgiving: winners win because they align message, identity, and ground game. Losers lose because, in low-turnout contests, anything less than that alignment is insufficient.

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Africa

Nigeria–Burkina Faso Rift: Military Power, Mistrust, and a Region Out of Balance

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1 day ago

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December 14, 2025

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The brief detention of a Nigerian Air Force C-130 Hercules aircraft and its crew in Burkina Faso may have ended quietly, but it exposed a deeper rift shaped by mistrust, insecurity, and uneven military power in West Africa. What was officially a technical emergency landing quickly became a diplomatic and security flashpoint, reflecting not hostility between equals, but anxiety between unequally matched states navigating very different political realities.

On December 8, 2025, the Nigerian Air Force transport aircraft made an unscheduled landing in Bobo-Dioulasso while en route to Portugal. Nigerian authorities described the stop as a precautionary response to a technical fault—standard procedure under international aviation and military safety protocols. Burkina Faso acknowledged the emergency landing but emphasized that the aircraft had violated its airspace, prompting the temporary detention of 11 Nigerian personnel while investigations and repairs were conducted. Within days, the crew and aircraft were released, underscoring a professional, if tense, resolution.

Yet the symbolism mattered. In a Sahel region gripped by coups, insurgencies, and fragile legitimacy, airspace is not merely technical—it is political. Burkina Faso’s reaction reflected a state on edge, hyper-vigilant about sovereignty amid persistent internal threats. Nigeria’s response, measured and restrained, reflected confidence rooted in capacity.

The military imbalance between the two countries is stark. Nigeria fields one of Africa’s most formidable armed forces, with a tri-service structure that includes a large, well-equipped air force, a dominant regional navy, and a sizable army capable of sustained operations. The Nigerian Air Force operates fighter jets such as the JF-17 and F-7Ni, as well as A-29 Super Tucanos for counterinsurgency operations, heavy transport aircraft like the C-130, and an extensive helicopter fleet. This force is designed not only for internal security but for regional power projection and multinational operations.

Burkina Faso’s military, by contrast, is compact and narrowly focused. Its air arm relies on a limited number of light attack aircraft, including Super Tucanos, and a small helicopter fleet primarily dedicated to internal counterinsurgency. There is no navy, no strategic airlift capacity comparable to Nigeria’s, and limited logistical depth. The Burkinabè military is stretched thin, fighting multiple insurgent groups while also managing the political consequences of repeated military takeovers.

This imbalance shapes behavior. Nigeria’s military posture is institutional, outward-looking, and anchored in regional frameworks such as ECOWAS. Burkina Faso’s posture is defensive, reactive, and inward-facing. Where Nigeria seeks stability through deterrence and cooperation, Burkina Faso seeks survival amid constant internal pressure. That difference explains why a technical landing could be perceived as a “serious security breach” rather than a routine aviation incident.

The incident also illuminates why Burkina Faso continues to struggle to regain political balance. Repeated coups have eroded civilian institutions, fractured command structures, and blurred the line between governance and militarization. The armed forces are not just security actors; they are political stakeholders. This creates a cycle where insecurity justifies military rule, and military rule deepens insecurity by weakening democratic legitimacy and regional trust.

Nigeria, despite its own security challenges, has managed to avoid this spiral. Civilian control of the military remains intact, democratic transitions—however imperfect—continue, and its armed forces operate within a clearer constitutional framework. This stability enhances Nigeria’s regional credibility and amplifies its military superiority beyond hardware alone.

The C-130 episode did not escalate into confrontation precisely because of this asymmetry. Burkina Faso could assert sovereignty, but not sustain defiance. Nigeria could have asserted its capability, but chose restraint. In the end, professionalism prevailed.

Still, the rift lingers. It is not about one aircraft or one landing, but about two countries moving in different strategic directions. Nigeria stands as a regional anchor with superior military power and institutional depth. Burkina Faso remains a state searching for equilibrium—politically fragile, militarily constrained, and acutely sensitive to every perceived threat from the skies above.

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Bizarre Epstein files reference to Trump, Putin, and oral sex with ‘Bubba’ draws scrutiny in Congress

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1 month ago

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November 14, 2025

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The latest tranche of emails from the estate of late convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein includes one that contains what appear to be references to President Donald Trump allegedly performing oral sex, raising questions the committee cannot answer until the Department of Justice turns over records it has withheld, says U.S. Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee.

Garcia insists the Trump White House is helping block them.

In a Friday afternoon interview with The Advocate, the out California lawmaker responded to a 2018 exchange, which was included in the emails released, between Jeffrey Epstein and his brother, Mark Epstein. In that message, Mark wrote that because Jeffrey Epstein had said he was with former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, he should “ask him if Putin has the photos of Trump blowing Bubba.”

“Bubba” is a nickname former President Bill Clinton has been known by; however, the email does not clarify who Mark Epstein meant, and the context remains unclear.

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