U.S.The IndependentLocal newspapers turn on Lauren Boebert as 68 state politicians demand investigation into Capitol riot role
The demand for an investigation into Lauren Boebert gained traction after 68 elected officials from Colorado wrote to House speaker Nancy Pelosi, condemning the representative's alleged association with “right-wing groups that supported the insurrection of Capitol Building." Ms Boebert is the representative for Colorado's third congressional district in Congress. “We have heard overwhelmingly from our constituents, therefore her constituents, that there is deep concern about her actions leading up to and during the protests that turned into a violent deadly mob," said the letter signed by officials, including mayors, county commissioners and town council members, reported the Steamboat Pilot & Today newspaper.
PoliticsNextSharkGeorgia's First Vietnamese American State Rep Wears Áo Dài to Swear-In
Bee Nguyen, Georgia's first Vietnamese American state representative, donned an áo dài to her swearing-in ceremony on Tuesday. Regarded as the most popular national costume of Vietnam, the áo dài for women is a long dress with a contoured top that flows over loose-fitting trousers that reach the sole of the feet. Nguyen, 39, decided to wear the garment in response to the Capitol siege on Jan. 6, in which rioters carried the South Vietnamese flag.
PoliticsThe WeekCapitol rioters intended to 'capture and assassinate elected officials,' prosecutors say
Federal prosecutors in a new court filing reportedly point to "strong evidence" that rioters who stormed the Capitol building last week aimed to "capture and assassinate elected officials." The prosecutors included this assessment while asking a judge to detain Jacob Chansley, one of the men who was arrested and charged following the deadly Capitol riot, Reuters reports. "Strong evidence, including Chansley's own words and actions at the Capitol, supports that the intent of the Capitol rioters was to capture and assassinate elected officials in the United States government," the prosecutors wrote.
U.S.Associated PressWaitress credited with helping boy after noticing bruises
A Florida waitress who noticed bruises on an 11-year-old boy flashed him a handwritten note asking him if he needed help, and when he nodded yes, she called the police, authorities said. Orlando police credited Flaviane Carvalho, a waitress at Mrs. Potato Restaurant, with coming to the boy's aid on New Year's Eve when the child's parents weren't looking. Police took the boy to a hospital where doctors found bruises on his face, earlobes and arms.
PoliticsReutersErdogan hopes for positive steps on F-35 jet programme in Biden term
President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday he hoped positive steps will be taken on Turkey's role in the F-35 jet programme once U.S. President-elect Joe Biden takes office, describing Ankara's exclusion for purchasing Russian defences as a "serious wrong". Last month, Washington imposed long-anticipated sanctions on Turkey's defence industry over its acquisition of S-400 missile defence systems from Moscow, in a move Turkey called a "grave mistake". The United States has also removed fellow NATO member Turkey from the F-35 programme over the move.
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.
BusinessAxiosInstacart to provide $25 stipend to shoppers who get COVID-19 vaccine
Grocery delivery company Instacart says it will provide a $25 stipend to its workers who take time off to get vaccinated for COVID-19 in the U.S. and Canada starting on February. Why it matters: Some companies in retail and services are beginning to announce incentives to get their workforces vaccinated sooner rather than later—both for the workers' safety and the companies' own bottom lines. Dollar General, for example, recently announced it will give workers four hours of pay if they get vaccinated.
U.S.Miami HeraldThe FBI keeps making more arrests in the Capitol riot. Here are some Florida suspects
At least a handful of Florida residents have been tracked down, thanks in part to video and images widely circulated on social media. At least one Floridian was a first responder: Andrew Williams, who was at first put on paid administrative leave by his employer, the Sanford Fire Department, and then unpaid leave. Williams was arrested Tuesday, charged with unlawful entry and disorderly conduct.
U.S.The WeekSecret Service reportedly had to use Obama's bathroom after being barred from Ivanka Trump's
Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner have spent the past few years living in a six bedroom, 6.5 bathroom rented home in Washington, D.C.'s exclusive Kalorama neighborhood. The family could count high-profile officials and even one former president among their neighbors — as well as their own Secret Service detail, who had to rent a nearby apartment to use the bathroom because they weren't allowed inside the Kushner-Trump home, neighbors and law enforcement sources tell The Washington Post. It's not unusual for Secret Service agents to stay out of the typically expansive homes they're guarding, instead using a garage or auxiliary building as their home base, the Post notes.
PoliticsThe IndependentSigns declaring Biden next president go up right outside Trump’s window
Banners declaring Joe Biden the next US president have started being put up outside of the White House, ahead of the president-elect's inauguration on 20 January. Signs bearing the names of Mr Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, which are visible from windows inside the White House, have been put up just a few days before Donald Trump's presidency ends, according to HuffPost. Bunting similar to the one outside the White House have started being put up all around Washington, DC, and along what was scheduled to be the inauguration ceremony's parade route.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderBumble removed its political filter after people used it to lure conservatives who were at the Capitol riot into sending incriminating evidence
The dating app Bumble has temporarily removed its political identification filter to prevent "misuse." The move came after women tweeted about using the filter to find conservatives who took part in the Capitol breach, and passing on evidence to law enforcement. Users started to notice that the political filter had been removed on Thursday, and criticized Bumble for appearing to protect the insurrectionists.
WorldBBCUganda elections 2021: Bobi Wine takes on Yoweri Museveni
Earlier, the police said they intended to deploy officers on rooftops of Kampala during the election period, saying that opposition activists commanded protests from high-rise building in November, when more than 50 people were killed after Bobi Wine was arrested. Dressed in military fatigues, Mr Museveni gave a stark warning during a televised speech on Tuesday evening: "If you try to disturb peace, you will have yourself to blame. The security forces, following the law, are ready to deal with any troublemaker."
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Australia to kill pigeon that made extraordinary journey from Oregon
A racing pigeon has survived an extraordinary 13,000-kilometer (8,000-mile) Pacific Ocean crossing from the United States to find a new home in Australia. Now authorities consider the bird a quarantine risk and plan to kill it.
U.S.USA TODAYKyle Rittenhouse accused of flashing white power sign at bar; prosecutors want him to stay away from Proud Boys
MILWAUKEE – Prosecutors in Wisconsin have asked a judge to order Kyle Rittenhouse to stay out of bars and away from groups such as the Proud Boys, an extremist group with ties to white nationalism. The request comes a week after Rittenhouse was seen drinking at a tavern outside Kenosha after pleading not guilty – via Zoom from his lawyer's office in Racine – at his arraignment Jan. 5 on homicide and other charges related to the Aug. 25 violence in Kenosha. Rittenhouse, who is free on $2 million bail, had just turned 18 two days earlier.
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 WeekTrump's team is reportedly trying to assemble a crowd for a 'major send-off' hours before Biden's inauguration
President Trump is planning to exit the White House on the morning of Jan. 20, a few hours before President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in a short distance away, CNN reports. "Eager for a final taste of the pomp of being president, Trump has asked for a major send-off," and "as one of their final acts, Trump's team is working to organize a crowd to see him off on the morning of Biden's inauguration, when he plans to depart Washington while still president" for a flight to Palm Beach, Florida, where his term will officially end at noon. There are 20,000 National Guard troops currently deployed or en route to Washington, D.C., ahead of Biden's inauguration, because the last crowd Trump drew to the White House morphed into an insurrectionist mob that stormed the Capitol.
PoliticsThe IndependentTrump Jr wanted for questioning by DC attorney general over alleged inaugural funds abuse
Donald Trump Jr is wanted for questioning as part of an investigation into the alleged misuse of his father's 2017 presidential inauguration funds. Washington DC attorney general Karl Racine said Mr Trump Jr had been notified of the request, which was sent after new evidence emerged in court filings earlier this week. They allege that the Presidential Inaugural Committee “improperly wasted its fund” when it paid almost $50,000 (£37,000) to the Loews Madison for a block of hotel rooms on behalf of the Trump Organization.
U.S.Associated PressMan convicted in 3 killings to be last executed under Trump
The last federal inmate facing execution before President Donald Trump leaves office was sentenced to death for the killings of three women in a Maryland wildlife refuge, a crime that led to a life sentence for the man who fired the fatal shots. Dustin Higgs, 48, who is scheduled to be executed on Friday at the federal prison in Terre Haute, Indiana, says nobody alleges he pulled the trigger. His lawyers have argued it is “arbitrary and inequitable” to execute Higgs while Willis Haynes, the man who fatally shot the women in 1996, was spared a death sentence.
PoliticsPoliticoEx-McCaskill staffers launch PAC to block Hawley's electoral ambitions
Democrats are looking for revenge against Sen. Josh Hawley after he challenged the results of the presidential election last week. A group of ex-staffers for former Missouri Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill are launching a new organization dedicated to preventing Hawley from winning any further election, whether it's reelection to the Senate in 2024 or in a future presidential run, according to a source familiar with the effort. Hawley defeated McCaskill in 2018.
PoliticsBusiness Insider'We're going to pull out all the stops:' A top Senate Democrat says he'll fight to include a $600 federal unemployment benefit in Biden's stimulus plan
Sen. Ron Wyden, incoming chair of the Senate Finance committee, opened the door to modifying the Biden stimulus package during congressional negotiations, particularly on unemployment aid. "I'm going to push hard for what's needed to get people through a very difficult circumstance" Wyden told Insider. "The president-elect served in the Senate, and he knows all of these issues are in negotiation."
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. 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.Business InsiderNational Guard asks people to please stop trying to give it donations, after photos of National Guardsmen sleeping on the floor of the Capitol spread on social media
The National Guard said Wednesday that it is not capable of accepting donations. The statement came after some were moved to donate after seeing photos of National Guard members sleeping on the floor of the US Capitol. The National Guard assured the public that its members have proper sleeping quarters.
PoliticsThe IndependentMelania snubs meeting Jill Biden as First Lady-to-be unveils advisors
As Dr Jill Biden acknowledged the fast-approaching inauguration, tweeting: “One week”, and began announcing her plans for her time in the White House, the current first lady Melania Trump has reportedly still not made any contact with her. Dr Biden intends to continue her work on issues affecting military families. Ms Trump's plans for her post-White House life are unknown.
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Biden unveils $1.9T COVID-19 relief package with $1,400 checks
President-elect announces plans for additional economic relief to help those impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
EntertainmentLA TimesMAGA musician Ariel Pink, spurned by fans, complains to Tucker Carlson: 'People are so mean'
Days after attending a rally that led to a deadly right-wing insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, the L.A. indie musician Ariel Pink tried to defend his actions on Fox News host Tucker Carlson's show on Thursday. “I had no choice, there's nothing else for me to do,” Pink said, looking shaken and nervous. Pink, an acclaimed but antagonizing fixture of L.A.'s experimental music scene, has become an unlikely far-right martyr-hero after photos of him attending the Jan. 6 “Stop the Steal” rally (with fellow local avant-garde artist John Maus) surfaced.
“Governors are being WAY too precious about who gets this vaccine.”
“The federal government needs to give states strict parameters for when their vaccine allocation must be administered.”
“While public health leaders know what must be done, their critical work could be supported by a national COVID-19 Vaccine Corps.”
“The US vaccine campaign is not a disaster. Rather, I think it is predictably mediocre.”
“The best option may be to rely more on private industry.”