WorldAssociated PressMexican leader says Biden offers $4B for Central America
President Joe Biden's first calls to foreign leaders went to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador at a strained moment for the U.S. relationship with its North American neighbors. Mexico's president said Saturday that Biden told him the U.S. would send $4 billion to help development in Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala — nations whose hardships have spawned tides of migration through Mexico toward the United States. López Obrador, who spoke Friday with Biden by phone, said the two discussed immigration and the need to address the root causes of why people migrate.
U.S.The IndependentRioters who entered Capitol building may not be charged if they didn’t engage in violence, report says
Rioters who stormed the Capitol Building may not face criminal charges if they did not act violently, a report says. Federal law enforcement officials are reportedly debating not pressing charges against some of the pro-Trump mob to prevent hundreds of cases swamping the court system. No final decision has made on the non-charging of individuals who took part in the 6 January pro-Trump violence, according to the Washington Post.
U.S.Reuters$1 billion U.S. Mega Millions jackpot up for grabs after record winless streak
A billion-dollar Mega Millions jackpot that has been building for four months will be up for grabs on Friday, available to whoever can beat the one-in-302 million odds. "We generally see a lot of the sales occur on the day of the drawings," Mega Millions spokesman Seth Elkin, of the Maryland State Lottery and Gaming Control Agency, said by telephone. The selection of the six numbers will be the 37th semi-weekly drawing since the last grand prize winner was picked on Sept. 15, the longest jackpot dry spell Mega Millions has ever had, Elkin said.
PoliticsThe WeekBiden's next executive order will let people stay on unemployment if they quit an unsafe job
President Biden has issued another two executive orders aimed at the coronavirus pandemic's economic fallout. Millions of Americans have claimed unemployment insurance as they lost their jobs amid the pandemic, not to mention thousands of noncitizen workers who haven't been eligible for the benefits. Biden is pushing Congress to pass another $1.9 trillion stimulus program, but took initial and immediate relief steps Friday with another round of executive orders.
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.
U.S.The IndependentFormer police officer who climbed over fences to get into Capitol during riot claims he was there to see art
A former police officer admitted to climbing over fences to get into the Capitol during the 6 January riot but then claimed he only went inside because it was a rare moment to view historical art pieces. Ex-officer Tam Dinh Pham was arrested Wednesday for unlawful entry of the Capitol and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, The Washington Post reported. After 18 years working for the Houston Police Department, he stepped down on January 14, Chief of Police Art Acevedo announced on Twitter.
ScienceCBS NewsAtmospheric river means massive snow coming to the West
In what has been the worst fire season in recorded history in California, with twice the burned acreage of any season prior and fires burning months past the end of traditional wildfire season - some just days ago - fortune is about to shift, but to another extreme. A rip-roaring jet stream with embedded atmospheric rivers is primed to pummel California with heavy rain and massive snow over the coming week. With the flip of a switch, California and the Southwest U.S., will go from the driest 6-month stretch in state history to the potential for flash flooding, landslides and snow so deep in the elevations, avalanches will become a danger.
LifestyleArchitectural DigestLucas Interior Embraces Color to Modernize Palm Springs Spanish Revival Home
The materials and colors took center stage,” said David Lucas when it came to the design of the home. Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
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Judge Jeanine: Welcome to the Biden administration, home to the new slogan, 'America Last'
The Judge highlights the agenda of the new Biden presidency
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.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderOver 3 dozen Democrats lawmakers urge Biden to commute the sentences of all remaining federal death row inmates
Thirty-seven lawmakers asked President Joe Biden to commute the sentences of all remaining federal death row inmates. The effort was led by Reps. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts and Cori Bush of Missouri. Biden is opposed to the death penalty and campaigned on ending the practice.
EntertainmentThe IndependentAmanda Gorman: inaugural poet lands prestigious job offer
Amanda Gorman, the inaugural poet who read “The Hill We Climb” at President Joe Biden's swearing-in, has a new job offer. Morgan State University President David Wilson offered the 22-year-old Harvard graduate a role at the historically Black university, tweeting on Wednesday (20 January), “Ms. Gorman, I need you as our Poet-in-Residence at the National Treasure, â ¦@MorganStateU.
WorldAssociated PressTwitter bans suspect Iran account after post threatens Trump
Twitter said Friday it has permanently banned an account that some in Iran believe is linked to the office of the country's supreme leader after a posting that seemed to threaten former President Donald Trump. In the image posted by the suspect account late Thursday, Trump is shown playing golf in the shadow of a giant drone, with the caption “Revenge is certain” written in Farsi. In response to a request for comment from The Associated Press, a Twitter spokesman said the account was fake and violated the company's “manipulation and spam policy," without elaborating how it came to that conclusion.
PoliticsThe Daily BeastDems Urged Not to ‘Waste a Second’ Negotiating as Republicans Back Away From COVID Relief
Democrats are facing new objections from Republicans over the Biden administration's COVID-19 relief package, a maddening reality that has set off alarm bells among progressives who fear hard-fought issues could be left on the chopping block. While President Joe Biden has long touted a working ability to inspire bipartisanship, some on the party's left wing are already warning against spending too much time trying to negotiate with the GOP, citing double control in the House and Senate and playing up the importance of providing fast monetary relief to Americans during the pandemic. “Democrats need to just plow ahead,” said Larry Cohen, chairman of Our Revolution, a grassroots network that supported Sen. Bernie Sanders' (I-VT) presidential bids.
U.S.INSIDERA Michigan deputy was fired after he arrested a Black man who was going door-to-door collecting signatures
Authorities say two deputies were sent to a neighborhood in Springfield, Michigan on January 2 after a call about a suspicious person possibly soliciting. A 10-minute video recording shows La'Ron Marshall was going door-to-door collecting signatures to form a tenant organization when police arrested him. "We hold all Calhoun County sheriff deputies to a high standard," said Sheriff Steve Hinkley in a statement video.
PoliticsThe IndependentPriest who attended pro-Trump rally ahead of Capitol insurrection is suspended from post and may be defrocked
An Orthodox priest has claimed that he has been suspended by his diocese for three months and faces a “possible defrocking” after travelling to Washington, DC, to attend the “Stop the Steal” rally prior to the Capitol riots on 6 January. Reverend Mark Hodges, who is a “supply priest” at Paul the Apostle Orthodox Church in Dayton, Ohio, was “suspended from all priestly functions” from 12 January, according to the website of the Orthodox Church in America's Diocese of the Midwest. Mr Hodges told the Dayton Daily News that he travelled to Washington, DC, on 6 January for the “Stop the Steal” rally that was organised by supporters of then president Donald Trump.
U.S.Business InsiderBiden apologizes to National Guard chief after 5,000 soldiers had to reportedly sleep in a DC parking garage with only one bathroom
President Joe Biden called the National Guard's chief on Friday to issue an apology. National Guard members were forced to vacate the Capitol on Thursday, according to Politico. President Joe Biden has called the chief of the National Guard Bureau to apologize after images circulated online of troops sleeping in a parking garage.
HealthINSIDERPfizer will now ship fewer COVID-19 vaccine vials to the US after scientists discovered extra doses in them
Pfizer will ship fewer COVID-19 vaccine vials to the US after extra doses were discovered. The company has pushed the FDA to formally acknowledge the extra doses found in each vial. Last month, pharmacists across the US found a pleasant surprise when they discovered that the vials of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine contained extra doses.
U.S.Business InsiderA Texas doctor has been charged with stealing 9 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine 'for friends and family'
A Texas doctor was fired and charged after being accused of stealing a vial of the COVID-19 vaccine. The District Attorney said the vial contained nine doses of the vaccine. Gokal's attorney told CNN that the vile was due to expire and would have gone to waste.
PoliticsThe IndependentFormer Estonian president compares Trump Jr to ‘exceptionally small-brained fish’
A former president of Estonia has compared Donald Trump Jr to an “exceptionally small-brained fish” in response to a wild attempt to talk up his father on Twitter. Following his father's departure from office on Wednesday, Mr Trump Jr took to Twitter on Friday in an attempt to shore up his presidential legacy. “Donald Trump is the first president in modern history[sic] did not start a new war,” he tweeted.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderFauci said he wanted to go on Rachel Maddow's MSNBC show for 'months' but was 'blocked' under Trump administration
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top disease expert, said he was "blocked" under the Trump administration from going on MSNBC's "The Rachel Maddow" show. "I've been wanting to come on your show for months and months," Fauci told Maddow Friday. Fauci has openly expressed his feelings about working under Biden compared to when he previously worked on the coronavirus task force under Trump.
U.S.USA TODAYFederal government wants Americans to buy groceries online. Most people on SNAP can’t, despite benefits increase.
But a majority of Americans who depend on food stamps have no choice but to shop in person because the federal government only allows online shopping with SNAP benefits in limited circumstances in 47 states. For those who are able to shop on the web, the costs can be shocking for families who barely have enough to eat in part because SNAP benefits cannot be used to pay for delivery fees or tips. "Groceries have just gone up dramatically, your milk, your eggs," said Wilt.
EntertainmentINSIDERPhotographer of Bernie Sanders' inauguration meme said it's not that 'great' of a picture - but he liked the senator's mittens
Brendan Smialowski is the photographer behind Sen. Bernie Sanders' now-famous Inauguration Day moment. Smialowski told Rolling Stone that he happened to spot Sanders sitting alone and took two pictures. At President Joe Biden's Inauguration Day ceremony, Agence France-Presse photographer Brendan Smialowski snapped two pictures of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders taking a seat distanced from other people.
U.S.Business InsiderLawyer for the 'Q Shaman' who stormed the Capitol in a fur headdress with horns says his client feels 'duped' after Trump didn't pardon him
A man known as the "Q Shaman" who stormed the Capitol says he feels "duped" after Trump didn't pardon him. Jacob A. Chansley was arrested and charged earlier this month in connection with the Capitol riots. A far-right Arizona conspiracy theorist known as "QAnon Shaman," who stormed the Capitol in a fur headdress with horns, says he feels "duped" by Trump after the former president didn't pardon him, his lawyer has said.
CelebrityThe IndependentFox host angrily denounces Time magazine’s satirical cover showing mess left by Trump: ‘That’s not real!’
Fox News host Harris Faulkner has reacted angrily to Time magazine's satirical cover that depicts a mess in the Oval Office left by Donald Trump. The front page of the magazine's 1-8 February double issue shows President Joe Biden on his first day in the role, looking out of an Oval Office window surrounded by fire. The Resolute Desk is covered by files and fast food packaging, while documents are strewn on the floor and a “Make America Great Again” hat lies next to a bullhorn.
“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.”