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  • Brooke Shields opens up for the 1st time about how she broke her leg

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  • Experts say Dominion and Smartmatic could win their defamation lawsuits, but MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell says they have 'zero' shot

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  • Rand Paul Launches Into Transphobic Rant Against Trans Nominee

    REUTERSDr. Rachel Levine, the first transgender person to be nominated for a Senate-confirmed position in the federal government, had been seated in her confirmation hearing to become the nation’s assistant secretary of health for a little less than an hour when she was grilled about “genital mutilation” of minor children by a Republican committee member.“American culture is down normalizing the idea that minors can be given hormones,” Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) said on Thursday, likening standards of care for transgender minors to castration and female circumcision and blaming increasing rates of trans-identified youth on “the social pressure to conform and do what others do.”“Do you believe minors are capable of making such a life changing decision of changing one's sex?” Paul asked Levine,In response, Levine thanked Paul for his “interest” in the question of transgender medicine, calling it “a very complex and nuanced field with robust research and standards of care that have been developed” by pediatricians.“If I’m fortunate enough to be confirmed, I will look forward to working with you and your office and coming to your office to discuss the particulars of the standards of care for transgender medicine,” Levine said. Levine, who currently serves as Pennsylvania’s secretary of health, is a pediatrician and former state physician general whose handling of the coronavirus pandemic in Pennsylvania has drawn widespread praise, did not address the substance of the question, or attempt to correct Paul’s apparent misunderstanding of medical transition for transgender youth.Paul, a former self-certified ophthalmologist, repeated his question of whether Levine supported access to hormone blockers and “reconstruction of genitalia” for minors, before relaying the story of Keira Bell, a British citizen who was assigned female at birth before taking puberty blockers and supplemental testosterone as a teenager. Bell, who later de-transitioned when she was an adult, led a court case that effectively blocked transgender children under 16 from medical transition in the United Kingdom. It is not standard medical practice to perform gender confirmation surgery on minors in the United States, and Bell’s surgery was not performed until she was 20.“I’m alarmed that you’re not saying they should be prevented from making decisions to amputate their breasts or genitalia,” Paul said. “We have always said that minors do not have full rights—will you make a more firm decision on whether or not minors should be involved in these decisions?”Levine reiterated that transgender medicine is “a very complex and nuanced field,” as well as her offer to talk with Paul and his staff about the issue, upon which Paul asked the record to show that she refused to answer his question and likened trans men being given testosterone to hydroxychloroquine being used to treat COVID-19.Rachel Levine Picked by Biden for Assistant Health Secretary, Would Be First Ever Transgender Senate Confirmee“We should be outraged that someone is talking to a three-year-old about changing their sex,” Paul said.Levine was later defended by other members of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, who called Paul’s line of questioning inappropriate and uninformed.“It is really critical to me that our nominees be treated with respect and that our questions focus on their qualifications,” Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) said, “rather than ideological and harmful misrepresentations.”The LGBTQ Victory Institute, which works to elevate LGBTQ people in politics and government, called Paul’s remarks deeply offensive.“His remarks echo the talking points of the same organizations who said gay men deserved AIDS and that LGBTQ people should be criminalized,” Ruben Gonzales, the group’s executive director, said in a statement. “He explicitly attacked vulnerable trans youth for his own perceived political gain and it was a disgrace.”Levine has been the subject of repeated misgendering by Republican lawmakers and staff since her nomination, particularly as the leadup to the Equality Act—set to be passed by the House of Representatives later on Thursday—has prompted opponents to fixate on trans children in school sports as a reason to defeat the legislation.Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), for example, hung an anti-transgender sign in the hallway outside her office on Wednesday in response to another lawmaker’s display of the transgender pride flag. That lawmaker, Rep. Marie Newman (D-IL), has a transgender daughter.Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

  • Acting Capitol Police chief: Phone logs show Jan. 6 National Guard approval was delayed

    Acting U.S. Capitol Police chief Yogananda Pittman testified on Thursday that cellphone records show former USCP chief Steven Sund requested National Guard support from the House sergeant-at-arms as early as 12:58pm on Jan. 6, but he did not receive approval until over an hour later.Why it matters: Sund and former House sergeant-at-arms Paul Irving clashed at a Senate hearing on Tuesday over a dispute in the timeline for when Capitol Police requested the National Guard during the Capitol insurrection.Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. Subscribe for freeIrving insisted that he has no recollection of receiving the request until after 2pm. Lawmakers are looking for accountability over that hour of lost time, when pro-Trump rioters were able to breach and ransack the Capitol."I did not get a request at 1:09 that I can remember," Irving, who resigned after the insurrection, testified. "The first conversation I had with chief Sund in that timeframe was 1:28, 1:30. In that conversation, he indicated that conditions were deteriorating and he might be looking for National Guard approval."Details: Pittman testified to a House subcommittee that Sund's phone records show the former chief first reached out for National Guard support to Irving at 12:58pm.Sund then spoke to former Senate sergeant-at-arms Michael Stenger to make the same request at 1:05pm, per Pittman.Pittman says Sund repeated his request to Irving at 1:28pm, then spoke to him again at 1:34pm, 1:39pm and 1:45pm.Go deeper: Pittman testifies officers were unsure of lethal force rules on Jan. 6Like this article? Get more from Axios and subscribe to Axios Markets for free.

  • Pelosi mocks McConnell for criticizing commission on the Capitol insurrection: GOP Sen. 'Ron Johnson seems to be taking the lead'

    Pelosi also accidentally called the Wisconsin senator "Don" Johnson. "Not Miami Vice or anything like that?" she said, referencing a TV actor.

  • Phone Records Prove House Sergeant-at-Arms DID Ignore Pleas for Backup: Capitol Police Chief

    Erin Schaff/ReutersThe acting chief of the U.S. Capitol Police just came with the receipts.Testifying before a House Appropriations subcommittee about the catastrophic breakdown that allowed thousands of MAGA rioters to breach the Capitol, Acting Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittman revealed that her predecessor called the House sergeant-at-arms, Paul Irving, at 12:58 p.m. to request the National Guard as rioters breaching the building and forced lawmakers into hiding.Former Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund, who resigned after the riot, called Irving again seven minutes later, according to phone records pulled by Pittman—and then called him at least three more times until 1:45 p.m.“When there’s a breakdown you look for those commanders with boots on the ground to provide that instruction,” Pittman said. “That did not happen, primarily because those operational commanders at the time were so overwhelmed, they started to participate and assist the officers… versus providing that guidance and direction.”First Capitol Riot Hearing Only Raised More Questions About Jan. 6The receipts–which support the narrative that a series of unanswered calls, withheld information, and conflicting orders led to complete malfunction—directly contradicted Irving’s testimony.On Tuesday, Sund testified that he asked for National Guard backup just after 1 p.m. But Irving insisted that was wrong. He said he did not remember the conversation with Sund and claimed he didn’t get an official request until “shortly before 1:30 p.m.” Troops were not approved to help overwhelmed officers at the Capitol until 2:10 p.m.“Mr. Irving stated that he was concerned about the ‘optics’ of having the National Guard present and didn’t feel that the intelligence supported it,” Sund said Tuesday. Irving, who resigned in the wake of the riot, said that was “categorically false.”On Tuesday, Irving said that if Sund, Senate sergeant-at-arms Michael Stenger, or any other leaders concluded ahead of Jan. 6 that unarmed National Guardsmen were needed, he “would not have hesitated” to ensure the reinforcement was ready.Pittman’s testimony—and her insistence that Capitol Police did everything possible to contain the insurrection—was just the latest twist in a series of finger-pointing between the top law enforcers in charge of securing the Capitol. During hearings before lawmakers this week, officials have blamed one another for the widespread failures.One failure, Pittman conceded on Thursday, was that nobody in law enforcement knew the mob would be so violent.She told lawmakers that they were prepared for militia groups, white supremacists, and other extremists to be present, but the small organization was not prepared for thousands of “everyday” Americans “who took on a mob mentality.” (Acting D.C. Police Chief Robert Contee revealed on Tuesday that the FBI intel consisted merely of an email sent on Jan. 5.)Officials believe over 10,000 demonstrators were at the Capitol on Jan. 6 and that 800 breached the building. About 1,200 police officers responded, Pittman said.She also made the stunning admission that since Jan. 6, Capitol Police have maintained heightened security because they learned that militia groups have chatted about plans to “blow up the Capitol and kill as many members as possible” in connection with the State of the Union, which has no scheduled date yet. “We know that the insurrectionists that attacked the Capitol weren’t only interested in attacking members of Congress and officers. They wanted to send a symbolic message to the nation as [to] who was in charge of that legislative process,” Pittman said. On Tuesday, Irving insisted that Capitol Police were privy to intelligence provided by the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security that “did not support” the likelihood of a coordinated assault at the Capitol.An NYPD Cop’s Road From Terror ‘Victim’ to Capitol Rioter“The department was not ignorant of intelligence indicating an attack of the size and scale we encountered on the sixth. There was no such intelligence,” Pittman said Thursday. “Although we knew the likelihood for violence by extremists, no credible threat indicated that tens of thousands would attack the U.S. Capitol. Nor did the intelligence received from the FBI or any other law enforcement partner indicate such a threat.”Pittman added that because officers at the Capitol were not prepared for a violent mob, lockdown procedure was not properly executed. She added that some officers were also not sure when to use lethal force, and that radio communications between law enforcers were not robust.Five individuals died during the violent riots. Four were pro-Trump protesters, including Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt, who was shot and killed by a police officer after attempting to break into the Speaker’s Lobby. Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick died after allegedly clashing with rioters. In the days after the siege, at least two officers died by suicide.Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

  • "Momentous occasion": First COVID-19 vaccines distributed by COVAX arrive in Ghana, West Africa

    The first COVID-19 vaccine doses distributed by the World Health Organization’s global sharing scheme COVAX arrived in Ghana, West Africa, on Wednesday.Why it matters: The shipments represent the "beginning of what should be the largest vaccine procurement and supply operation in history," per a joint statement from the WHO and UNICEF hailing the arrival as a "momentous occasion."Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. Subscribe for freeThe global initiative to ensure that every country has access to COVID-19 vaccines has more than 180 nation participants.Driving the news: Some 600,000 doses of the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine are now in Ghana's capital Accra."After a year of disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with more than 80,700 Ghanaians getting infected with the virus and over 580 lost lives, the path to recovery for the people of Ghana can finally begin," the WHO and UNICEF statement said.What to watch: The COVAX initiative plans to deliver nearly 2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines this year.Go deeper: U.S. commits $4 billion to COVAX vaccine initiativeLike this article? Get more from Axios and subscribe to Axios Markets for free.

  • A Texas border patrol officer was charged after she used a coworker's login to bring her children's nanny into the US from Mexico

    Prosecutors allege that Rhonda Lee Walker, 40, used her coworker's computer to scan in a Mexican immigrant's paperwork to become her live-in nanny.

  • Lady Gaga’s Dog Walker Shot as Thieves Swipe Her Two French Bulldogs

    Reuters/Saul LoebThieves have shot Lady Gaga’s dog walker and made off with two of her French bulldogs, a representative from her team has confirmed to People magazine.The shooting took place in West Hollywood late on Wednesday night. The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed to The Daily Beast that a 30-year-old male victim was taken to a local hospital. The dog walker was identified as Ryan Fischer by ABC7. He was reportedly alert and communicative while being treated at the scene, and is now recovering well, CNN reported Thursday. The singer is “extremely upset” and is offering a $500,000 reward for the safe return of Koji and Gustav “no questions” asked, according to TMZ. A third dog, Asia, managed to escape and is now with a member of Lady Gaga’s team. Anyone with information is asked to email KojiandGustav@gmail.com.Disturbing home security footage obtained by TMZ shows a white car pulling up alongside Fischer as he’s walking the three dogs. Two suspects swiftly jump out of the backseat and surround Fischer. One appears to brandish a gun and says, “Give it up.”Fischer refuses and falls to the ground screaming “no” and “help me.” After wrestling with his attackers, he appears to get back on his feet and run away when a single shot rings out. He collapses, yelling that he had been shot in the chest.The thieves hurriedly grab two of the yelping dogs before the sedan drives off. Asia, the dog that was left behind, runs over to Fischer.“I’ve been shot,” he yells. “Help me! I’m bleeding out. They shot me in my [inaudible] heart. They stole two dogs. Oh my god. Please help me.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) Neighbors call out that they contacted 911 and rush over to help. Even while injured, Fischer is concerned for the dogs, repeatedly stating they had been stolen and that they belonged to Lady Gaga.TMZ noted Lady Gaga wanted the video to be released in hopes it would identify the thieves and safely bring home her pets.The shooting began right before 10 p.m. ABC7 footage from the scene shows Fischer dressed in shorts laying on the pavement cradling Asia while first responders attended to him. Police were seen swaddling Asia in a blanket before Lady Gaga’s bodyguard retrieved the pet, reported TMZ. Police are searching for at least one male suspect, who is believed to have used a semi-automatic handgun and was last seen fleeing northbound toward Hollywood Boulevard Avenue in a white vehicle.The case is now being handled by the department’s Robbery-Homicide Division, which often oversees high-profile investigations. They are treating the case as an “assault with a deadly weapon,” a police spokesperson confirmed.Lady Gaga is currently in Rome where she is filming Ridley Scott’s new movie Gucci. Her father Joe Germanotta described Fischer as a friend of the family.“Our whole family is upset and praying Koji and Gustav are not harmed,” he told Fox News. He then pleaded for help to “catch these creeps,” adding “shooting someone in order to steal dogs is wrong.”Officials said it was too early in the investigation to know if the dogs were specifically targeted in the attack. French bulldogs are very popular pets and puppies can cost as much $10,000, depending on their pedigree.Lady Gaga’s team was not immediately available for further comment.Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

  • Manhattan prosecutors reportedly obtain millions of pages of Trump's tax records

    The Manhattan district attorney is now in possession of millions of pages of former President Trump's tax and financial records, CNN first reported, following a Supreme Court ruling that allowed prosecutors to enforce a subpoena after a lengthy legal battle.Why it matters: Trump fought for years to keep his tax returns out of the public eye and away from prosecutors in New York, who are examining his business in a criminal investigation that was first sparked by hush-money payments made by Trump's former fixer Michael Cohen during the 2016 election.Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. Subscribe for freeThe New York Times reports that the investigation has intensified in recent months and that prosecutors are now examining potential tax and bank-related fraud.Trump has denied any wrongdoing, attacking the investigation by Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance as a political "witch hunt."Go deeper: Here’s What’s Next in the Trump Taxes Investigation (N.Y. Times)Like this article? Get more from Axios and subscribe to Axios Markets for free.

  • New York prosecutors finally got a hold of Trump's taxes after a lengthy court battle

    Manhattan prosecutors now have access to a treasure trove of information about the complex world of Trump's finances.

  • Stephen Miller, the architect of Trump's migrant-family-separation scheme, called Biden's immigration policies 'cruel' and 'inhumane'

    The family-separation policy made Miller one of the most controversial Trump officials. He even put conservatives on edge.

  • J&J's coronavirus shot could dramatically accelerate the US vaccine rollout. Here's your new vaccination timeline.

    The nation could now distribute 500 million doses by the end of June - enough to vaccinate all of its adult population.

  • Angela Merkel says she will not take AstraZeneca vaccine and 'lead by example'

    Angela Merkel has dismissed suggestions she should ignore her government’s guidelines and take the Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine. There have been calls for Mrs Merkel to “lead by example” and be vaccinated on camera in order to dispel German public fears over the jab. But the AstraZeneca vaccine is currently only approved for under-65s in Germany, and Mrs Merkel is 66. “I do not belong to the recommended age group for AstraZeneca,” Mrs Merkel told Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper. She also rejected suggestions she take the rival Pfizer jab, arguing it was “well accepted” by the German public. Mrs Merkel and other German leaders have been reluctant to be seen as jumping the queue for the vaccines, preferring to wait their turn. But there have been calls for them to set an example as widespread public resistance to the AstraZeneca jab stalls the country’s rollout. “AstraZeneca is a reliable vaccine, effective and safe, approved by the European Medical Agency and recommended in Germany up to the age of 65 years. All the authorities tell us that this vaccine can be trusted,” Mrs Merkel told Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung .

  • This $4,500 electric car is reportedly outselling Tesla's Model 3 in China by almost two to one

    State-owned SAIC Motor sold almost twice as many of its budget EVs in China in January than Tesla did of its Model 3, the BBC reported.

  • Texas Lt. Gov. says that people getting huge energy bills 'gambled on a very, very low rate' - but suggests they won't have to pay the full amount

    Texans on variable-rate energy deals were faced with enormous bills as the wholesale price of electricity spiked 10,000% during the storms.

  • Kaley Cuoco has a 'large pack of dogs' and won't say the exact number because she's worried it's illegal

    Riverside County, CA, where Kuoco lives, states that households with more than five dogs must obtain a special license.

  • SC Republican files bill to allow Donald Trump to be buried on State House grounds

    The bill was filed in response to a piece of legislation in the U.S. House that would bar twice-impeached presidents from being buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

  • Fox anchor suspended after saying he was ‘annoyed’ at obese people getting Covid vaccine

    The anchor was called out “fatphobic” on social media