PoliticsThe IndependentJill Biden spent her first week as First Lady reshaping the role. Melania Trump spent hers isolated in a tower
Dr Biden tapped former US Ambassador to Uruguay Julissa Reynoso Pantaleon to serve as her chief of staff before Inauguration Day could even arrive. The political strategist and prominent attorney who previously worked under former President Barack Obama would help the new first lady roll out her agenda, which included the relaunch of Joining Forces, an initiative she co-founded with former First Lady Michelle Obama providing support for military families. Whereas the national gaze is typically cast on the new president during their first days in office, the first lady's presence could be felt in a recently unfamiliar way.
U.S.The TelegraphFar-Right 'Proud Boy' leader arrested ahead of Capitol riots revealed to have been police informer
The leader of the Proud Boys extremist group has been unmasked as a "prolific" former FBI informant. Enrique Tarrio, 36, worked undercover exposing a human trafficking ring, and helped with drug and gambling cases, according to court documents. Tarrio's documented involvement with law enforcement related to the period 2012 -2014.
WorldReutersGerman lockdown beginning to take effect, new CDU leader says
Germany's coronavirus lockdown is starting to take effect, the new leader of the ruling Christian Democrats said on Wednesday, noting that the seven-day infection rate had fallen to 97.2 per 100,000 in his state of North Rhine Westphalia. "The current development is encouraging," Armin Laschet, also state premier, told the regional parliament, adding that Chancellor Angela Merkel's office and regional leaders were working on a "sequence of steps for possible openings" after the current lockdown is due to end on Feb. 14. The number of confirmed cases in Germany increased by 13,202 to 2,161,279, data showed on Wednesday, down from a rise of 15,974 a week ago, although the reported death toll rose by 982 to 53,972.
PoliticsNational ReviewMcConnell Signals Support for Effort to Deem Trump Impeachment Trial ‘Unconstitutional’
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) and 45 members of his caucus backed an effort to declare the impeachment trial of former President Trump “unconstitutional” on Tuesday. McConnell's colleague from Kentucky, Senator Rand Paul, introduced a point of order on Tuesday to declare Trump's impeachment trial unconstitutional on the grounds that a president can't be impeached once he has left office. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer then moved to table Paul's point of order, blocking the effort to preemptively invalidate the impeachment trial.
LifestyleArchitectural DigestHere Are The Brightest Decor Buys of the Season
Let's get loud Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
WorldThe IndependentGrandmother ‘overjoyed’ to be outside after receiving Covid-19 vaccine killed in Portland vehicle attack
A woman who was "overjoyed" to be outside again after receiving the Covid-19 vaccine was killed when a driver in Portland ploughed into a group of people. Jean Gerich, 77, was killed after Paul Rivas, 64, drove his vehicle into a group of people in Portland, according to KGW News. The grandmother had just received her Covid-19 vaccine and was enjoying some return to normalcy when she was killed.
- U.S.Associated Press
Singapore detains 16-year-old over plans to attack mosques
Authorities in Singapore have detained without trial a 16-year-old student who made detailed plans and preparations to carry out “terrorist attacks” on two mosques with a machete. The Singaporean teen was inspired by an Australian white supremacist who killed 51 worshippers at two mosques in New Zealand in 2019, the Internal Security Department said Wednesday. The teen, an ethnic Indian Christian who wasn't named as he is underage, was “self-radicalized, motivated by a strong antipathy towards Islam and a fascination with violence," the department said in a statement.
HealthThe TelegraphDoctor with terminal cancer kills paediatrician in hostage siege a childrens clinic
A doctor with terminal cancer killed a female pediatrician and then himself after taking hostages at a children's clinic in Austin, Texas. Dr Bharat Narumanchi held hostages in a five-hour siege before killing Dr Katherine Lindley Dodson. Narumanchi had applied for a volunteer position at the clinic a week ago and was declined.
PoliticsReutersExplainer: Why Trump's post-presidency perks, like a pension and office, are safe for the rest of his life
The impeachment proceeding against Donald Trump on a charge of inciting the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol has fueled speculation online that he could lose some of the benefits extended to former presidents. But according to legal experts, under the laws currently in effect, Trump will retain perks including a pension, office space and security detail even in the unlikely event that he is convicted by the Senate in its impeachment trial. Trump can thank a relatively obscure law, the Former Presidents Act.
U.S.TimePutting Harriet Tubman on the $20 Bill Is Not a Sign of Progress. It's a Sign of Disrespect
A congressional staffer departs holding a visual aid following a news conference regarding the redesigned $20 bill meant to honor Harriet Tubman, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on June 18, 2019. The Biden Administration announced its plan to return to an Obama-era initiative to put Harriet Tubman's face on the U.S. $20 bill. Her image would replace Andrew Jackson, the notoriously racist President, known both for owning hundreds of slaves and for his brutal and genocidal policy of Indian removal. Based on current designs, a statue of Jackson would remain on the back of the bill, while Harriet Tubman would grace the front.
WorldAssociated PressPolish ombudsman: Abortion ruling condemns women to torture
Poland's top human rights official on Thursday denounced a top court ruling that amounts to a near total ban on abortion, saying it imposes a severe limitation of women's rights and “condemns them to torture. The constitutional court on Wednesday issued a justification of a controversial October ruling that bans abortions in cases of fetuses with congenital defects, even when they are so severe that there is no chance of survival upon birth. That October ruling sparked weeks of mass protests, but until now it had not taken legal effect — though women's reproductive rights activists said hospitals were already canceling procedures, fearing recriminations from the authorities.
U.S.The Daily BeastAnother Police Officer Who Responded to Capitol Riots Dies by Suicide Days Later
A second police officer who responded to the riots at the Capitol earlier this month has died by suicide, the D.C. police chief revealed on Tuesday evening. Jeffery Smith had worked for the Metropolitan Police Department for 12 years and died on Jan. 15—just nine days after thousands of MAGA supporters stormed the Capitol. “Officer Jeffrey Smith's service and presence will be dearly missed at the Second District,” MPD Second District Commander Duncan Bedlion told The Daily Beast in an email.
WorldReutersIsrael's top general says its military is refreshing operational plans against Iran
Israel's top general said on Tuesday that its military was refreshing its operational plans against Iran and that any U.S. return to a 2015 nuclear accord with Tehran would be "wrong." The remarks are an apparent signal to U.S. President Joe Biden to tread cautiously in any diplomatic engagement with Iran. Such comments by Israel's military chief of staff on U.S. policymaking are rare and likely would have been pre-approved by the Israeli government.
PoliticsThe WeekKevin McCarthy pleads with Republican lawmakers to 'cut this crap out'
During a Wednesday phone call, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) let GOP lawmakers know he wants all infighting to stop, asking them to "cut this crap out." Two representatives and an aide on the call told CBS News and CNN that McCarthy made the plea without calling anyone out by name. One known issue involves Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), who as conference chairwoman is the No. 3 House Republican.
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Biden administration has system in place where reporters will not ask president tough questions: Media critic
Steve Krakauer, editor at Fourth Watch, says 'it shouldn't be contingent' on one reporter to ask Biden tough questions.
HealthReutersChile health regulator approves AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use
Chile's health regulator on Wednesday approved the AstraZeneca-Oxford COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use among its population by a unanimous vote of its advisory board. The vaccine has previously been approved by international regulators including in the UK, South African and Argentina. The approval from the Chilean Public Health Institute (ISP) is for use for Chileans over the age of 18 and without an upper age limit.
PoliticsThe IndependentTrump’s ‘radioactive’ properties in New York are plummeting in value, report claims
Donald Trump's real estate empire appears to be feeling the heat of his divisive presidency, with Trump-branded properties in Manhattan losing half their value since he took office, according to a new report. Data from UrbanDigs, analysed by the real estate website Curb, suggested that even Trump properties that have removed his name from their branding saw their value drop by as much as 17 per cent since 2016. The changes represent reductions in value significantly greater than the shift in property values across Manhattan as a whole, estimated to have fallen 9 per cent.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderDemocrats are setting the stage to propose $300 monthly direct payments for families with children under 17
Democrats are drafting legislation to have the IRS send monthly payments of up to $300 to millions of families, sources told Insider. People could opt to receive a monthly check or a lump sum after filing taxes, according to an early version of the plan. Biden supported an identical measure during the presidential race, and Democrats are expected to lobby heavily for it.
U.S.Miami HeraldIt began as a typical eviction case in Miami. Then it turned into a nightmare
When Linda Mallard's tenant stopped paying his $650 in monthly rent last February for an efficiency he leases on Northeast 80th Terrace, she hired a private company to begin eviction proceedings. Mallard's desperation — she's 66, retired and depends on the rent from four local modest properties she and her father, John Palmer, own — illustrates the frustration shared by landlords stuck with fraudulent tenants who cannot be removed due to the ongoing COVID eviction moratorium. “Right now there are probably hundreds of people like Mickens running around Miami doing the same thing,” said Armando Alfonso, a Miami-based attorney who represents landlords and tenants in eviction cases.
PoliticsTime‘He’s Saying One Thing and Then He’s Doing Another.’ Rep. Madison Cawthorn Peddles a Different Kind of Trumpism in a Post-Trump World
Rep. Madison Cawthorn, R.N.C., speaks as the House debates the objection to confirm the Electoral College vote from Pennsylvania, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. early on Jan. 7, 2021. As the Trump Administration drew to a close, Republican legislators and aides were forced to choose a side. Longtime Trump faithfuls, including Sen. Mitch McConnell and Rep. Tom Rice have chosen Option 1, rebuffing their former leader, calling for rule of law and returning, at least rhetorically, to the storied principles of conservatism that once guided the Grand Old Party.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderI went through a luxury hotel quarantine in Singapore to beat the coronavirus - and it works. But Americans just wouldn't find it acceptable.
Singapore's approach to preventing the spread of COVID-19 is one of the most successful in the world. My husband and I are currently confined to a hotel room, unable to go out into the city until we've quarantined for a full two weeks and received negative COVID tests. Singapore's stringent COVID prevention rules and policies would likely outrage many Americans who believe that personal liberty is at the core of what it means to live in the US.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderGOP group invests $700,000 into backing Sen. Josh Hawley after he was scrutinized for inciting Capitol riot
A political action committee has put $700,000 behind Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley after he was criticized for his role in inciting the January 6 Capitol insurrection, Axios reported. Hawley continued with his effort to dispute the electoral votes even after Trump supporters breached the Capitol. Critics have called on him to resign, and several Democrats have asked for an ethics probe into his and Sen. Ted Cruz's actions.
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'I'm glad we've stepped back from this cliff' -McConnell
"I'm glad we're finally able to get the Senate up and running" Schumer said. Mitch McConnell, the U.S. Senate Republican leader, said on Monday he would agree to a power-sharing agreement with Democrats, dropping demands that had held up the basic organization and daily work of the 50-50 chamber for days. Democrat Chuck Schumer, now the majority leader thanks to Vice President Kamala Harris' tie-breaking vote, and McConnell had been at odds over the Republican's request that Democrats promise to protect the filibuster, which requires a 60-vote supermajority to advance most legislation.
PoliticsLA TimesWeek 1 and counting in the Biden-Harris era as Latinos wait on immigration promises
Inauguration Day offered a break in that grim count, with symbolic gestures of Latino visibility at the swearing-in ceremony for President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. Jennifer Lopez recited the final line of the Pledge of Allegiance in jubilant Spanish. And Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the high court's first Latina, swore in Harris — the nation's first female, first South Asian and first Black vice president.
LifestyleArchitectural Digest47 Best Housewarming Gifts to Celebrate a New Home
Everything they need to put the horrors of moving behind them Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
“By encouraging this act of terror on our capital, Trump’s legacy is destroyed.”
“Both backers and critics of Trump agreed that he remade the federal judiciary — a change that will impact America for decades.”
“He was largely responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Americans who did not need to die.”
“I do know what the future should hold for this country. That is to say, a policy of Trumpism without Trump.”
“It will be decades before the consequences of his tenure are fully known.”