PoliticsThe TelegraphRepublican split widens as Donald Trump intervenes in party elections in Arizona
The acrimonious split within Republican ranks widened over the weekend as Donald Trump made his foray back into politics, backing the re-election of a hard-line supporter as chair of the party in Arizona. Underlining Mr Trump's grip on the Republican grassroots, the Arizona party also voted to censure John McCain's widow, Cindy, former senator Jeff Flake and governor Doug Ducey, who refused to back the former president's claims of election fraud. Mr Trump's intervention came amid reports that he is considering setting up a “Patriot Party” which would spearhead primary challenges to his opponents in the 2022 mid-term elections.
U.S.Associated PressUS judge blocks release of Tennessee man in Capitol riot
A federal judge on Sunday blocked the release of a Tennessee man who authorities say carried flexible plastic handcuffs during the riot at the U.S. Capitol earlier this month. U.S. District Judge Beryl A. Howell for the District of Columbia set aside an order by a judge in Tennessee concerning the release of Eric Munchel of Nashville. After testimony at a detention hearing, U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Frensley for the Middle District of Tennessee determined Friday that Munchel wasn't a flight risk and didn't pose harm to the public.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderTed Cruz's 'Pittsburgh over Paris' campaign shows us just how dumb the Biden years are going to be
In response to Biden re-entering the US into the Paris climate agreement, GOP Sen. Ted Cruz has launched a "Pittsburgh over Paris" campaign. Cruz says that Biden rejoining the Paris agreement will cost the citizens of Pittsburgh jobs, but the idea makes no sense and is just another bad faith attempt at scoring political points. This is the norm for Republicans, and a sign of what's to come.
PoliticsReutersProminent Senate Republican warns Trump trial could spark more impeachments
A prominent U.S. Senate Republican warned on Saturday that former President Donald Trump's second impeachment trial could lead to the prosecution of former Democratic presidents if Republicans retake the chamber in two years. "If it is a good idea to impeach and try former Presidents, what about former Democratic Presidents when Republicans get the majority in 2022? Think about it and let's do what is best for the country," Senator John Cornyn, a 19-year veteran of the Senate, said in a Twitter post directed at Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
WorldThe TelegraphIsrael expands vaccination drive to include 16 to 18-year-olds in bid to save exams
Israel will ban passenger flights in and out of the country from Monday for a week as it seeks to stop the spread of new coronavirus variants. "Other than rare exceptions, we are closing the sky hermetically to prevent the entry of the virus variants and also to ensure that we progress quickly with our vaccination campaign," said Benjamin Netanuahu, the Israeli prime minister. It came as a study in Israel reported a 60 per cent drop in over-60s being hospitalised with coronavirus three weeks after being vaccinated, in the latest sign that the jabs are effective.
WorldAssociated PressFourth Zimbabwean Cabinet member dies of COVID-19 in surge
Four Zimbabwean Cabinet ministers have died of COVID-19, three within the past two weeks, highlighting a resurgence of the disease that is sweeping through this southern African country. President Emmerson Mnangagwa said the coronavirus is reaping a “grim harvest” in the country. Then came the death of the transport minister.
PoliticsReuters'We can't wait:' Biden administration fights for $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief plan
Officials in President Joe Biden's administration tried to head off Republican concerns that his $1.9 trillion pandemic relief proposal was too expensive on a Sunday call with Republican and Democratic lawmakers, some of whom pushed for a smaller plan targeting vaccine distribution. "It seems premature to be considering a package of this size and scope," said Republican Senator Susan Collins, who was on the call with Brian Deese, director of the White House's National Economic Council, and other top Biden aides. Collins said she agreed additional funding was needed for vaccine distribution, but in a "more limited" bill, and planned to discuss such a measure with other lawmakers.
HealthLA TimesCDC says severe allergic reactions to Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine are 'a rare event'
The authors calculated that there were 2.5 cases of anaphylaxis for every 1 million doses of the Moderna vaccine that were administered. A similar study of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech reported that there were 11.1 cases of anaphylaxis for every 1 million doses of that vaccine during its first 10 days of administration. Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction that can be fatal if not treated promptly.
WorldAssociated PressRuling Communist Party to set Vietnam's course this week
Almost 1,600 leading members of Vietnam's ruling Communist Party meet this week to approve future policy and help select the nation's top leaders amid talk whether the current party chief will stay. General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, 76, defied conventional wisdom by winning a second term in 2016 against a favored opponent. Trong has made his name by presiding over economic growth and waging a popular war on corruption.
PoliticsThe TelegraphBiden on collision course with Saudi Arabia that could upset Trump's alliance against Iran
The Biden administration has already set itself on a collision course with Saudi Arabia after its director of National Intelligence vowed to declassify a report on the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. The push to release the intelligence community's assessment of the murder of the dissident journalist, which is believed to implicate Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has the potential to trigger a major fallout with the kingdom. Avril Haines, who was confirmed in her new role on Thursday, told Congress “we will follow the law” regarding the report, referring to the Trump administration's refusal to release the full version for US House representatives.
WorldReutersUK vaccine roll-out speeds up but doctors want quicker second dose
Britain's COVID-19 vaccination push gathered pace on Saturday, with 5.9 million people now having had a first dose, but doctors challenged the government over its policy of delaying a second shot of the Pfizer vaccine for up to 12 weeks. Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned on Friday that the new UK variant of COVID-19 may be associated with a higher level of mortality as the country's death tally from COVID-19 nears the 100,000 mark - hitting 97,329 on Saturday. But in a letter to Chief Medical Officer (CMO) for England Chris Whitty, the British Medical Association said leaving the 12-week interval for the Pfizer vaccine went against World Health Organization guidance.
U.S.Associated PressFor 1st Black Pentagon chief, racism challenge is personal
Newly confirmed Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will have to contend not only with a world of security threats and a massive military bureaucracy, but also with a challenge that hits closer to home: rooting out racism and extremism in the ranks. Austin took office Friday as the first Black defense chief, in the wake of the deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, where retired and current military members were among the rioters touting far-right conspiracies. Austin, who was confirmed in a 93-2 vote, has made clear that accelerating delivery of coronavirus vaccines will get his early attention.
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Are Biden administration efforts on immigration lawful?
Former acting DHS secretary Chad Wolf reacts to President Biden's day one actions on immigration.
PoliticsThe WeekTrump's pressure on DOJ to sue states over election in Supreme Court reportedly 'got really intense'
Former President Donald Trump, citing unfounded claims of widespread voter fraud, pushed the Justice Department to ask the Supreme Court to invalidate President Biden's electoral victory, people familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal. "He wanted us, the United States, to sue one or more states directly in the Supreme Court," a former administration official told the Journal. Ultimately, several Justice Department officials, including former Acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen and former Attorney General William Barr, reportedly refused to file a case with the high court because there was no legal basis to challenge the election outcome and the federal government "had no legal interest" in whether Trump or Biden won the presidency.
WorldReutersStolen but not silent: Indigenous Australians protest national celebrations
As Australia prepares for its national day of festivities on Jan. 26, Indigenous woman Rita Wright will be protesting the celebrations at a march in Sydney. Australia Day marks the date the British fleet sailed into Sydney Harbour in 1788 to start a penal colony, viewing the land as unoccupied despite encountering settlements. For Wright, holding national celebrations on the highly sensitive date reinforces a legacy of mistreatment of Indigenous people.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderThe Bidens were reportedly left waiting outside the White House on Inauguration Day because Trump sent the staff home
Biden reportedly wasn't greeted by White House staff on Inauguration Day because Trump sent them home. Trump reportedly sent the butlers home so "there would be no-one to help the Bidens when they arrived." Chief usher Timothy Harleth left his role before the Bidens arrived at the White House.
PoliticsAssociated PressAP source: Lawmakers threatened ahead of impeachment trial
Federal law enforcement officials are examining a number of threats aimed at members of Congress as the second trial of former President Donald Trump nears, including ominous chatter about killing legislators or attacking them outside of the U.S. Capitol, a U.S. official told The Associated Press. The threats, and concerns that armed protesters could return to sack the Capitol anew, have prompted the U.S. Capitol Police and other federal law enforcement to insist thousands of National Guard troops remain in Washington as the Senate moves forward with plans for Trump's trial, the official said.
WorldThe TelegraphChinese fighter jets enter Taiwan air space for second day as tensions rise days into Biden term
China ramped up its pressure on democratic Taiwan over the weekend, with an unusually large number of fighter jets approaching the island in a "test" for the new administration of US President Joe Biden. On Sunday, 12 Chinese fighter jets entered Taiwan's air defence identification zone, along with a reconnaissance aircraft and two anti-submarine aircraft, Taiwan's defence ministry said. A day earlier, China sent eight bomber planes capable of carrying nuclear weapons and four fighter jets to the same area to the southwest of the island, as well as one reconnaissance aircraft.
U.S.Business InsiderMan who punched cop during Capitol riot has brother in Secret Service who is friends with Michelle Obama, the Huffington Post has revealed
Son of police officer who punched cop during Capitol riots has brother in the Secret Service. Scott Kevin Fairlamb, 43, of Stockholm, New Jersey, was arrested on five charges on January 22. Preston Fairlamb III led Michelle Obama's service detail while she was First Lady.
CelebrityINSIDERPoisoner who targeted a gifted dancer on Grindr sentenced to life for killing him with a date-rape drug called 'devil's breath'
A Grindr predator killed a talented Irish dancer with a date-rape drug scopolamine, known as 'devil's breath.' Joel Osei, 26, of Seven Sisters, north London, poisoned Adrian Murphy, 43, to rob him. Osei was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 32 years' imprisonment.
PoliticsAssociated PressMyPillow Guy among the Trump acolytes picking up the torch
When Mike Lindell, better known to TV viewers as the MyPillow Guy, went to the White House last week to try to persuade President Donald Trump to keep pushing bogus theories about the election, he came away disappointed. Unexpectedly, Trump passed him — and his claims about sabotaged voting machines — off on staffers. The president has told him before that he would back his bid for governor of Minnesota, Lindell told The Associated Press.
PoliticsBBCCovid-19: Why the US hasn't hit vaccine targets so far
President Joe Biden has pledged to boost the rollout of Covid vaccines in the US, and has criticised the speed of the operation under the previous administration. It's been "a dismal failure thus far," the president said, and he's committed to overseeing 100 million vaccine doses administered in his first 100 days as president. As of 20 January, the day Mr Biden became president, about 16.5 million vaccines had been administered in the US, according to official statistics.
U.S.Business InsiderA Texas man who tweeted 'Assassinate AOC' is facing charges in the Capitol riot, FBI says
A Texas man charged in the US Capitol riot tweeted "Assassinate AOC" the day of the attack. In a criminal complaint, the FBI says Garret Miller made multiple threats of violence online. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has said she thought she was going to die during the insurrection.
BusinessBusiness InsiderElon Musk's SpaceX reportedly plans to drill near a Texas launchpad for natural gas
Elon Musk, who recently relocated to Texas, now reportedly has plans to to drill for natural gas there, too. SpaceX, Musk's space company, is looking to drill wells close to the company's Boca Chica, Texas, launchpad, according to Bloomberg. The site in Boca Chica previously hosted prototype launches for the company.
U.S.Associated PressUS police weigh officer discipline after rally, Capitol riot
For two Virginia police officers who posed for a photo during the deadly U.S. Capitol insurrection, the reckoning has been swift and public: They were identified, charged with crimes and arrested. The contrasting cases highlight the dilemma faced by police departments nationwide as they review the behavior of dozens of officers who were in Washington the day of the riot by supporters of President Donald Trump. How does a department balance an officer's free speech rights with the blow to public trust that comes from the attendance of law enforcement at an event with far-right militants and white nationalists who went on to assault the seat of American democracy?
“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.”