PoliticsNational ReviewRand Paul Warns One Third of Republicans Will Leave Party if GOP Senators Back Impeachment
Senator Rand Paul (R., Ky.) warned Friday that one third of Republican voters could leave the party if GOP senators vote in impeachment proceedings to convict President Trump. The senator's remarks come amid an increasing divide between congressional Republicans who oppose impeaching the president, and a smaller number who support the measure following the riots at the Capitol on January 6. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) is reportedly hopeful that Republicans can use impeachment to purge Trump from the GOP, although he would need the support of at least 16 additional Republican senators to vote to convict.
CelebrityTheGrioMAGA protester punched by Black woman security guard fired by UMass Hospital
On January 5th, Therese Duke and a group of pro-Trump protesters that included other family members were filmed harassing Ashanti Smith, a security guard working at Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington D.C. After Duke made a failed attempt to grab Smith's phone out of her hand, the woman proceeded to punch Duke in the face once, to dissuade her. Following the incident, her very liberal 18-year-old daughter Helena Duke exposed her on social media. Hi mom remember the time you told me I shouldn't go to BLM protests bc they could get violent…this you?
U.S.Military.comFort Bliss Soldier Charged with Raping Fellow Soldier a Year Before Her New Year's Eve Death
A 1st Armored Division soldier at Fort Bliss, Texas has been charged with sexually assaulting three women over the past year, including a fellow soldier who was found dead a year on New Year's Eve. Christian G. Alvarado, of 1st Battalion, 501st Aviation Regiment, was arraigned on Thursday in a general court-martial hearing and charged with three counts of sexual assault, one count of aggravated assault and two counts of making a false statement to Army investigators, according to a Jan. 7 charge sheet. Alvarado is accused of raping Fort Bliss soldier Pfc.
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California Gov. Newsom is ‘far behind’ on coronavirus vaccine distribution: Rep. Issa
Darrell Issa, R-Calif. provides insight into the push to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom.
U.S.The Independent‘It was my pleasure to crush a white nationalist insurrection’: DC officer injured in Capitol riot speaks out
A Washington DC police officer who was crushed by a far-right mob during the insurrection at the US Capitol earlier this month has said that he would do it all again to protect US democracy. “If it wasn't my job I would've done that for free,” Officer Daniel Hodges said in an interview with NBC. “It was absolutely my pleasure to crush a white nationalist insurrection … We'll do it as many times as it takes."
PoliticsNBC NewsTexas realtor who took private jet is charged in Capitol riot
A Texas realtor who took a private jet to the riot at the U.S. Capitol last week and called it the best day of her life is facing federal charges. Jennifer Ryan, who goes by Jenna Ryan on social media, is the latest person charged in connection to the Jan. 6 attack that left five people dead, including a Capitol police officer. Federal authorities said in court documents released Friday that Ryan traveled with a group to Washington, D.C., on Jan. 5 and documented her two-day trip on social media.
PoliticsThe WeekTrump reportedly began 'choreographing' premature victory speech weeks before election
President Trump is known for going off script, but his premature presidential election victory declaration in the early hours of the morning on Nov. 4 wasn't a completely spur-of-the-moment decision, Axios' Jonathan Swan reports. In the first installment of a reported series on Trump's final two months in office, Swan writes that Trump began "choreographing election night in earnest" during the second week of October following a "toxic" debate with President-elect Joe Biden on Sept. 29 and a bout with COVID-19 that led to his hospitalization. At that point, Trump's internal poll numbers had reportedly taken a tumble, Swan notes.
- PoliticsReuters
Biden taps former deputy CIA director Cohen for spy agency again
President-elect Joe Biden on Friday named former Deputy CIA Director David Cohen to reprise his role at the U.S. intelligence agency as he continued to fill out top roles for his administration. Cohen previously served as the deputy director for the Central Intelligence Agency from 2015 to 2017 under Democratic then-President Barack Obama, when Biden served as vice president. Cohen would serve under longtime U.S. diplomat William Burns, Biden's nominee for CIA director.
U.S.Miami Herald‘You are violating my rights!’ Florida woman jailed — again — for refusing to wear a mask
Cindy Falco Dicorrado may have wanted a bagel at an Einstein Bros. Bagels near Boca Raton but she may have had to settle for eating one in a Palm Beach County jail the next morning. Dicorrado, 62, who lives in Boynton Beach, was arrested Thursday morning after she refused to leave an Einstein bagel shop at 9795 Glades Rd. because she refused to wear a mask. There is a mask mandate in Palm Beach County due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which is currently surging in Florida.
PoliticsThe IndependentKayleigh McEnany leaves White House after final two-minute press briefing following deadly Capitol riot
Donald Trump's press secretary Kayleigh McEnany has packed up her office at the White House, days before president-elect Joe Biden is sworn into office, though she is expected to remain in the role until the president's term ends on 20 January. The press secretary took no questions from the reporters in the room. Following a career in right-wing cable news commentary, Ms McEnany was named the Republican National Committee's national spokesperson in August 2017 before joining the Trump campaign as its national press secretary in 2019.
U.S.Miami HeraldSuspect seen crushing police officer during Capitol riot is wanted by the FBI
Authorities have released photos of a suspect who they say crushed a police officer in a doorway as rioters tried to enter the U.S. Capitol last week. A video shows officer Daniel Hodges of the Metropolitan Police Department screaming in agony and bleeding as police and rioters squared off on Jan. 6. Police say the suspect “assaulted and used a clear police shield to pin” Hodges in a door jamb.
PoliticsAxiosCommunications director for gun-toting congresswoman quits
The communications director for Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado, a firebrand Republican freshman who boasts about carrying a gun to work, has quit after less than two weeks on the job. Why it matters: Ben Goldey's resignation cited last week's insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, which followed efforts by Boebert and lawmakers to block certification of Joe Biden's Electoral College victory. The Hill veteran's departure highlights the deep divide among Republicans over President Trump's conduct.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderPelosi says Congress members may face prosecution if an investigation shows they were accomplices in Capitol siege
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Friday said that Congress members could face prosecution should an investigation show that they were accomplices in the Capitol riots. "If they aided and abetted the crime, there may have to be actions taken beyond the Congress in terms of prosecution for that," Pelosi said during a news conference. Pelosi also pointed out one rioter captured on camera in a "Camp Auschwitz" sweatshirt, describing him as a "punk."
PoliticsThe WeekGOP officials are reportedly worried controversial pro-Trump House members could run for Senate, governor
Georgia and Arizona were two of the most crucial states in this election cycle, and it looks like they'll remain at the forefront of the coming battle within the Republican Party, The New York Times reports. Things have grown tense in the Sun Belt states, where mainstream Republicans are hoping to fend off President Trump's allies. In Arizona, for instance, the state GOP is trying to censure Republican Gov. Doug Ducey — as well as former Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) and Cindy McCain — in part because he has been "deemed insufficiently beholden to Trump," Politico reports.
U.S.INSIDERIllinois mayor who attended Trump's DC rally apologizes after claiming the media lied about Capitol riot
Thomasboro, Illinois Mayor Tyler Evans Issued a statement Thursday apologizing for his comments accusing the media of lying about the violence that took place at the Capitol on January 6. In a now-deleted video, Evans described being at the Capitol building as "the most exhilarating thing." As of Jan 15, the FBI has identified more than 270 suspects involved in criminal activity related to the Capitol riot and taken more than 100 individuals into custody.
BusinessBusiness InsiderBitcoin owner whose story went viral after he lost his wallet password says he has 'made peace' with potential $220 million loss
German-born programmer Stefan Thomas made headlines this week after a lost password rendered his bitcoin stash worth $220 million inaccessible. As Insider earlier reported, the secure hard drive, on which 7,002 bitcoins were stored, was an IronKey device. It gives owners 10 chances to guess their password before encrypting the contents.
U.S.The Daily BeastA Serial Rapist Terrified a Black Sorority for a Decade. Police Just Cracked the Case.
In 2011, Delta Sigma Theta's leadership warned sorority members to be on high alert: A series of rapes had been reported in the Dallas area, and the rapist appeared to be targeting alumnae of the century-old Black sorority. Delta Sigma Theta told Dallas-area members to stop wearing sorority t-shirts, remove sorority decals from their cars and offices, make sure their houses were secure from intruders and even stop attending meetings in person. “To think that our members are being targeted is disturbing and extremely disheartening,” Cynthia M. A. Butler-McIntyre, then the national president of Delta Sigma Theta, said at the time.
EntertainmentArchitectural DigestMore Inside Artist Jorge Pardo's Transformed Bushwick Carriage House
When it came to the lighting in his home, Pardo drew inspiration from the insides of fruits, nuts, and seeds, as well as sea creatures and machine parts. Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
PoliticsThe WeekMelania Trump is reportedly more than ready to leave the White House
First lady Melania Trump is spending her final days in the White House packing, making photo albums, and counting down the minutes until she can move out, CNN reports. Since November, she has been overseeing the Trump family's move, deciding what will go to Mar-a-Lago in Florida and what will go into storage. With the help of White House staffers, she has been doing this stealthily, as to not upset President Trump — the official told CNN he really didn't think they would be moving, and it's a sensitive subject.
U.S.INSIDERA woman in Washington, DC said she found a pipe bomb while doing laundry on the same day as Capitol siege
D.C. resident Karlin Younger found a pipe bomb while doing her laundry on January 6. The FBI has launched an investigation in response to multiple reports of pipe bombs found around DC that may be connected to the riots. The FBI has launched an investigation after a woman in Washington, DC found a pipe bomb while doing her laundry on the same day as pro-Trump rioters stormed the US Capitol.
CelebrityBusiness InsiderJames Murdoch, son of Fox News mogul Rupert Murdoch, said news outlets that promoted 'lies' are to blame for US Capitol riot
James Murdoch, son of Fox News owner Rupert Murdoch, had attacked news outlets "that propagate lies" for their role in unleashing "insidious and uncontrollable forces that will be with us for years." "Those outlets that propagate lies to their audience have unleashed insidious and uncontrollable forces that will be with us for years," the youngest Murdoch told the Financial Times on Friday. Murdoch's broke from the family empire last year after reports surfaced that he and his wife Kathryn, were frustrated with some of the News Corp coverage on climate change.
PoliticsLA TimesTrump retreats from his job, and Pence fills the void as 'acting' president
Frustrated by the loss of his Twitter account and forced to accept that he soon must leave office, President Trump has effectively stopped doing his job, delegating daily responsibilities to Vice President Mike Pence while hunkering down with a shrinking group of acquiescent aides and contemplating additional presidential pardons. Trump had considered leaving the White House before his final day in office Wednesday, even as early as this weekend, but he has opted to depart on the morning of President-elect Joe Biden's Inauguration Day, according to two people familiar with discussions who cautioned that, with Trump, plans are always subject to change. Intrigued by the idea of upstaging Biden, the president has requested a major send-off.
U.S.INSIDERA waitress at an Orlando restaurant used a secret sign to help rescue a boy suspected of abuse after noticing his parents weren't giving him any food
Flavaine Carvalho became suspicious of a family that she was serving at the Mrs. Potato Restaurant in Orlando, Florida, on New Years Day when she noticed they weren't giving their son any food. After noticing other signs of abuse, including a massive scratch on the boy's forehead, the waitress flashed signs behind the parents' back that read "are you ok?" and "do you need help"? After multiple attempts, the boy indicated to Carvalho that he needed help, which prompted her to call the police.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderPelosi taps retired military commander, who oversaw the US response to Hurricane Katrina, to oversee probe into security failures during Capitol siege
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that retired Lt. Gen. Russel Honoré will lead "an immediate review" of the security during the Capitol attack. On January 6, pro-Trump insurrectionists stormed the Capitol, which resulted in five deaths. Honoré is known for leading the task force that was in charge of the US military response to Hurricane Katrina.
PoliticsThe IndependentTrump is back in contact with Steve Bannon and ‘asking him how to overturn election’
Donald Trump is reportedly back in touch with his former chief strategist Steve Bannon who he has been speaking to several times over the phone in the recent weeks, seeking advice on how to overturn his defeat in the 2020 presidential elections. Mr Bannon is considered one of the main architects of Mr Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and had joined him as an adviser in the White House after the elections. Mr Bannon quit the position in August 2017 after he fell from the good books of the president due to a controversy related to his book.
“If you’re looking to win elections, it is probably best not to urge your supporters not to vote.”
“Warnock’s portrayal of himself as a dog lover, a means of overcoming white suspicions of Black men, smacked of pure genius.”
“Trump has done damage to the Republican brand among suburban voters that goes well beyond just races where he is on the ballot.”
“Once more, Democrats must profusely thank activist Stacey Abrams.”
“Overall, demographic trends show that the state’s electorate is becoming younger and more diverse each year.”