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Georgia Senate runoffs, pro-Trump protests, Heisman Award: 5 things to know Tuesday

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USA TODAY

Georgia Senate runoff elections: Which party will control the upper chamber?

Georgia voters head to the polls Tuesday for a pair of runoff elections that will determine control of the U.S. Senate, marking the end of the tumultuous 2020 election cycle that saw Republicans make gains in Congress while losing the White House. The elections are being held as President Donald Trump continues to allege without evidence that widespread voter fraud in Georgia caused his loss to Joe Biden on Nov. 3. Republicans are worried those claims – punctuated by Trump's extraordinary phone call Saturday when he tried to pressure GOP state officials to overturn November's election – could discourage GOP voters from turning out Tuesday. Peach State voters will decide whether Republicans David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler return to Washington or if Democratic challengers Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock take their place. Election watchers expect the bitterly contested race to be extremely close.

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DC mayor calls in National Guard ahead of pro-Trump protests

Protests planned for Washington, D.C., this week are likely to attract large numbers of President Donald Trump's supporters, including conspiracy theorists, militia groups and members of the extremist group the Proud Boys, raising concerns of violent confrontations. The nation's capital has mobilized the National Guard ahead of planned protests that are supposed to begin Tuesday and will continue Wednesday in connection with the congressional vote expected to affirm President-elect Joe Biden's election victory. The Associated Press reported that Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser put in a request on New Year's Eve to have National Guard members on the streets from Tuesday to Thursday to help bolster the Metropolitan Police Department. Bowser on Monday asked residents stay away from downtown D.C., and avoid confrontations with anyone who is "looking for a fight." A December pro-Trump rally in Washington ended in violence.

U.K. under new lockdown restrictions, weeks ahead the 'hardest yet'

All residents of the United Kingdom will be required to stay home except for permitted reasons beginning Tuesday under new coronavirus lockdown restrictions. "The weeks ahead will be the hardest yet but I really do believe that we’re entering the last phase of the struggle,” British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said. The lockdown was scheduled to go into effect at midnight and will include the closure of all schools and universities for in-person teaching until mid-February. The restrictions come as a  new, more contagious strain of COVID-19 has been spreading throughout the U.K. It was first spotted in September in southeastern England and accounted for a quarter of cases in London by November. By the week of Dec. 9, it was responsible for 60% of cases in the city. 

College football's top player will be awarded Heisman Trophy

The Heisman Trophy will be awarded during a one-hour show (7 p.m. ET, ESPN), nearly a month after its traditional ceremony date. The event will be virtual, making it another casualty of the impact of COVID-19 on the college football season. The finalists are Alabama quarterback Mac Jones, Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence, Alabama wide receiver DeVonta Smith and Florida quarterback Kyle Trask. Quarterbacks have won nine of the last 10 awards, and no wide receiver has won since Michigan's Desmond Howard in 1991. Jones and Smith will take part in the Jan. 11 College Football Playoff championship game against Ohio State. Voting, as usual, took place before bowl games, so stats and performances from the postseason were not considered.

The best cities to live in without a vehicle: West, Northeast top the list

While some Americans have bought cars for the first time to avoid using mass transit or ride-hailing vehicles during the COVID-19 pandemic, many others still don't want to get behind the wheel and value walkability in their city or town. A new ranking of the nation's best cities for living without a vehicle published Tuesday includes some of the usual suspects, such as San Francisco and New York, as well as a few surprises. The assessment of 150 cities conducted by lawn car services company LawnStarter examined 20 metrics, including walkability, bicycling infrastructure, pedestrian safety, transit options and gun safety. Many of the worst places to live without a car were in the South, including the five worst spots. Shreveport, Louisiana finished last on the list.

Contributing: The Associated Press

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