PoliticsThe Independent‘It’s unfortunate’: Ashley Biden confirms first lady snubbed her mother on traditional White House handover
In her first ever TV interview, incoming first daughter Ashley Biden said it was “unfortunate” that first lady Melania Trump had not honoured “traditional protocol” and invited her mother to the White House. The daughter of President-elect Joe Biden and Dr Jill Biden confirmed that no invitation had been sent from the White House inviting the new first lady for tea and a tour of the executive mansion, with introductions to the residence staff. Ms Biden said that her mother had not heard at all from Ms Trump in what is one of the strangest handovers of power in US history.
PoliticsThe WeekChief Justice John Roberts reportedly wants no part of Trump's impeachment trial
Constitutionally-speaking, Chief Justice John Roberts is meant to preside over President Trump's impeachment trial, but he apparently wants out, Politico reports. Multiple Republican and Democratic sources have reportedly told Politico that Roberts is seeking a way to avoid the job because of how things played out when he oversaw Trump's first impeachment trial last year. Roberts, Politico notes, has worked hard to keep the Supreme Court apolitical during his tenure, so he was reportedly displeased that he "became a top target of the left" during the proceedings.
U.S.TheGrioHouston police veteran lied about entering Capitol, feds say
Tam Dinh Pham of the Houston police department was part of the deadly mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. A veteran Houston police officer is in trouble after attending the U.S. Capitol riots in Washington, D.C., then lying about it. Officer Tam Dinh Pham joined the deadly mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.
HealthReutersModerna says possible allergic reactions to COVID-19 vaccine under investigation
The company's comments come after California's top epidemiologist on Sunday issued a statement recommending providers pause vaccination from lot no. 41L20A due to possible allergic reactions that are under investigation. The vaccine maker said it was unaware of comparable cases of adverse events from other vaccination centers which may have administered vaccines from the same lot or from other lots of its vaccine. A total of 307,300 doses from the lot remain in storage, Moderna said, of the total 1,272,200 doses that were produced in the batch.
PoliticsThe IndependentJosh Hawley blocks Biden cabinet appointment
Josh Hawley has blocked the quick confirmation of Joe Biden's pick to lead the Department of Homeland Security. The Missouri senator announced that he would hold up the nomination of Alejandro Mayorkas just hours before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs was set to complete its hearing with the nominee. “Mr Mayorkas has not adequately explained how he will enforce federal law and secure the southern border given President-elect Biden's promise to roll back major enforcement and security measures,” Mr Hawley said in a statement.
U.S.NBC NewsGeorgia lawyer said he kicked in Pelosi's door, she could've been 'torn into little pieces'
A Georgia lawyer boasted that he and fellow rioters "kicked in Nancy Pelosi's office door" and the House speaker dodged being "torn into little pieces," according to a criminal complaint. William McCall Calhoun Jr., an attorney from Americus, Georgia, has been charged with entering a restricted building, violent or disorderly conduct and obstructing official proceedings of government, according to an FBI affidavit seeking his arrest. The FBI's National Threat operation Center received a tip that Calhoun documented — in words and video on social media — his role in the deadly Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol Building, according to the affidavit.
PoliticsThe WeekTrump's White House staff and alumni are reportedly using the same excuse to skip his big sendoff
Anthony Scaramucci was right: The White House appears to be having trouble rounding up a sizable crowd for President Trump's official send-off from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Wednesday. "In what looks like a desperate attempt to build a crowd for the crowd-obsessed president, an email has been making the rounds to current and former White House officials inviting them, and as many as five plus-ones, to Trump's elaborate exit ceremony," Politico reported Tuesday morning. "Former White House officials and campaign staffers who would typically land plum jobs in corporate America after serving their time are now out in the cold," Politico says.
PoliticsThe IndependentDonald Trump Jr shares doctored Biden video in last minute attack before father leaves office
Donald Trump Jr has taken one final false swing at President-elect Joe Biden before his father leaves office on Inauguration Day by sharing a doctored video of him on Twitter. The president's eldest son was called out by a fact-checker on Tuesday for promoting the fake clip, which attempted to show Mr Biden lost and confused on stage at an event on 16 January. Nonprofit fact-checker Politifact reported on Tuesday that the video had in fact been edited to promote a false narrative.
U.S.The IndependentTrump ends term with ‘patriotic education’ report which makes excuses for slavery and calls anti-abortion movement ‘great reform’
The White House has released a report by the 1776 commission that pushes for "patriotic education" that teaches the country's history with "with reverence and love" and says that slavery was not "a uniquely American evil". The commission, which was created in response to The New York Times Magazine's 1619 project which “reframes American history around the consequences of slavery and the contributions of Black Americans”, released their report on MLK day. The report attempts to defend slave-owning founding fathers against charges that they were hypocrites who “didn't believe in their stated principles,” and that “the country they built rests on a lie".
PoliticsBusiness InsiderTrump is considering starting the 'Patriot Party' after facing criticism from top Republicans over Capitol riot, The Wall Street Journal reports
Donald Trump may launch a new political party after leaving office, The Wall Street Journal reported. The report comes after Sen. Mitch McConnell blamed Trump for this month's riot at the US Capitol. Embittered by critical comments from some top Republicans, outgoing President Donald Trump is considering a launch of a new third party, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday.
PoliticsThe WeekLindsey Graham seemed very pleased with Biden's secretary of state nominee
Antony Blinken, President-elect Joe Biden's choice to lead the State Department, appeared before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday and appears to have passed with flying colors. As it turns out, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) may have been his biggest fan. Graham, who called Blinken an "outstanding choice" and gave him an elbow bump during a break, asked a series of questions, many of which resulted in answers the senator found quite agreeable.
PoliticsThe IndependentClinton and Pelosi suggest Trump may have been on phone with Putin during Capitol siege
Former secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, and House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, have suggested that Donald Trump might have been in contact with Russian president Vladimir Putin on the day of the deadly riots at the US Capitol, and called for a “9/11-type commission” to investigate the events of 6 January. Speaker Pelosi was in conversation with Ms Clinton for the podcast 'You and Me Both' on Monday, when the former secretary of state said she would love to see Mr Trump's phone to see if he had been talking to Mr Putin on 6 January — the day of the riots. Ms Pelosi responded by saying “Putin wants to undermine democracy” of America and with Mr Trump “all roads lead to Putin”.
PoliticsAxiosGOP leaders skip Trump send-off in favor of church with Biden
Congressional leaders, including House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, will skip President Trump's departure ceremony in Maryland tomorrow morning in favor of attending mass with incoming President Joe Biden ahead of his inauguration, congressional sources familiar with their plans tell Axios. Why it matters: Their decision is a clear sign of unity before Biden takes the oath of office. What we're hearing: The Catholic service will take place at St. Matthew's Cathedral in downtown Washington, D.C., about 10 blocks from the White House.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderSecretary of State Mike Pompeo's departing message to the US is that multiculturalism is 'not who America is'
The outgoing secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, on Tuesday decried multiculturalism as un-American. Pompeo was excoriated on Twitter for his comments. On his last full day as the top US diplomat and just one day after Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo deemed multiculturalism to be un-American.
PoliticsThe WeekMelania Trump released a farewell video. So did Colbert's Late Show Melania Trump.
First lady Melania Trump released a seven-minute farewell video Monday, saying that "as Donald and I conclude our time in the White House," she is thankful fo the military service members, law enforcement officers, and caregivers who have inspired her over the "unforgettable" past four years. Stephen Colbert did not think the message was particularly well-suited to the messenger, he suggested on Monday's Late Show. The announcement ended up being more of a song, but if you are going to have a Broadway star like Laura Benanti be your Melania stand-in, it makes sense for her to play to her strengths, especially in her farewell message.
LifestyleINSIDERA photographer lives full-time in a 66-square-foot van that has a king-size bed, roof deck, and secret compartments that disappear into the walls
Schrock has lived on the road full-time for about six years in various vehicles. Quin Schrock is a photographer who travels the US and the world on assignment - and he gets to bring his home with him. Schrock has lived and worked out of various camper vans in the last six years since he left a career in accounting to become a professional photographer.
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Dinosaur drive-through exhibition a roaring success
Welcome to Jurassic Quest featuring 70 lifesized models of dinosaurs Location: Pasadena, California The drive-through exhibition has been a roaring success More than 300,000 vehicles have driven through the exhibition since it began touring the U.S. at the end of July (SOUNDBITE) (English) CEO OF JURASSIC QUEST, ADAM FRIEDMAN, SAYING:"You stay in your own car, you enjoy the event... There he is, he's letting us know he's having a good time too and you stay in the safety of your own car. There is no risk to this event except having an unbelievably good time."
EntertainmentArchitectural DigestThe Coolest New Automotive Technology at CES 2021
Mercedes-Benz's Hyperscreen, General Motors' Bright Drop, and Jeep's Electric Wrangler were among the unveils that turned heads Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
HealthBusiness InsiderA Black scientist who approved the coronavirus vaccine says it is 'nothing like Tuskegee' and people of color will not be 'guinea pigs'
Black Americans are less likely to get the coronavirus vaccine than white people, but are more likely to get sick and die from COVID-19. Dr. James E. K. Hildreth, a Black immunologist, explained how the process was safely expedited. As the coronavirus vaccine is haphazardly distributed across the country, Black Americans are being left behind.
PoliticsAssociated PressRoberts to swear in yet another president who opposed him
Someday, perhaps, John Roberts will swear in a new president who doesn't wish someone else was chief justice of the United States. When Roberts leads President-elect Joe Biden in the oath of office, security will be unusually tight following the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, and inaugural events will be curtailed because of the coronavirus pandemic. Biden was one of 22 senators who voted against Roberts in 2005.
SportsMiami HeraldAngler reels in massive, once-in-a-lifetime bass in Texas lake after lengthy struggle
An angler in Lake Austin, Texas, reeled in the catch of a lifetime after an intense struggle, For the Win Outdoors reported. “She was so massive that I could barely reel to get her in,” CJ Oates said told the publication of his whopping 13.02-pound largemouth bass he wrestled in after a lengthy nighttime struggle on Thursday, said. Oates' bass was donated live to the Texas Parks and Wildlife department at the start of the agency's seasonal Toyota ShareLunker Program.
BusinessBusiness InsiderAn electric-car battery that can be charged as fast as filling up your gas tank was just shown off by a startup
The new lithium-ion batteries were developed by the Israeli company StoreDot and manufactured by Eve Energy in China. The company has produced 1,000 sample batteries compliant with li-ion battery certifications, StoreDot said Tuesday. The samples will be used to showcase the company's technology to prospective buyers and investors looking to get a jump on the electric-vehicle market, including BP, Daimler, Samsung Ventures, and TDK.
LifestyleINSIDERInterior designers share 6 kitchen trends that'll be huge this year, and 4 that will be out
Interior designer Michelle Harrison-McAllister told Insider that forest-green cabinets are already trending for 2021. "This color is not only a neutral, but plays well with warm and light tones," Harrison-McAllister said. "People are moving away from 'safe' white or dark-wood cabinets."
PoliticsReutersIn farewell address, Trump wishes luck to next administration without mentioning Biden
U.S. President Donald Trump, in a farewell address released on Tuesday, touted his legacy and wished luck to the new administration of President-elect Joe Biden but without acknowledging his successor by name. Trump has refused to offer a full concession to Democrat Biden, who won the Nov. 3 election with 306 Electoral College votes to Trump's 232. Biden will be inaugurated at 12:00 p.m. EST (1700 GMT) on Wednesday and Trump is not meeting with Biden beforehand or attending the swearing in as is customary in the handover of power to the White House.
CelebrityINSIDERChrissy Teigen made her first Shabbat dinner with chicken soup, challah, and a babka from Trader Joe's
Chrissy Teigen hosted her first Shabbat dinner on Friday. She made chicken soup, chicken, kugel, and challah, and bought babka from Trader Joe's. Some followers are criticizing Teigen for wearing a headscarf and a face jewel they say looks like a bindi.
“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.”