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.
PoliticsNational ReviewRand Paul Misreads the Politics of Trump’s Senate Trial
Rand Paul would like you to know that while he “didn't agree with the [Capitol] fight that happened” January 6, he doesn't believe that President Trump — whose batty two-month crusade to convince his supporters the election was stolen served as the proximate cause of the “fight” — should be disqualified from holding office again in the future. Language tends to be intemperate these days, but “I didn't agree with the fight” errs in the opposite direction: It's far too tame a response to the sickening display of January 6. This was no ordinary “fight.
U.S.The WeekFeds arrest Capitol rioter who allegedly broke into Pelosi's office, stole laptop, wanted to sell it to Russia
A woman who participated in the Jan. 6 siege of the U.S. Capitol surrendered to authorities in Pennsylvania on Monday night, the Justice Department said. Riley Williams, 22, was charged with illegally entering the Capitol, violent entry, and disorderly conduct, but the FBI said it is also investigating a tip from the suspect's former "romantic partner" that Williams broke into House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office during the siege, stole a laptop, and "intended to send the computer device to a friend in Russia, who then planned to sell the device to SVR, Russia's foreign intelligence service." The transfer of the laptop to Russian intelligence "fell through for unknown reasons," the former partner, identified only as Witness 1, told the FBI, "and Williams still has the computer device or destroyed it."
U.S.NextSharkBoy Killed By Father After Vaccination Dispute in Heartbreaking Murder-Suicide in SF
A boy who was killed in an alleged murder-suicide by his father has been identified as 9-year-old Pierce O'Loughlin. Family tragedy: The boy and his father, Stephen O'Loughlin, 49, were both found dead at their home on Scott Street, Marina District in San Francisco on Wednesday afternoon, SF Chronicle reports. The boy's mother, Lesley Hu, asked authorities to check on her son after learning that he did not show up for school that day.
WorldThe TelegraphIsraeli Covid czar says first Pfizer jab not as effective as hoped and blames spike in cases on British strain
Israel's coronavirus czar has warned that the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine offers less protection than expected, as he blamed the country's surge in Covid cases partly on the new British variant. Nachman Ash said many Israelis had caught Covid in between their first and second doses of the Pfizer vaccine, suggesting that the first jab is “less effective than we thought,” according to Army Radio. His remarks underline the importance of receiving a second vaccine dose, which according to recent studies is more than 90 per cent effective in protecting against coronavirus.
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".
PoliticsNational ReviewHawley Blocks Quick Vote on Biden’s DHS Secretary Nominee, Citing Lax Immigration Stance
Senator Josh Hawley (R., Mo.) blocked a quick confirmation of Alejandro Mayorkas as Joe Biden's Department of Homeland Security secretary, citing Mayorkas's immigration policy stance. Mayorkas is a former Obama administration official considered the architect of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which allowed illegal immigrants brought to the U.S. as children a renewable deportation deferment, without providing a path to citizenship. The confirmation hearings for Mayorkas come as Biden has pledged to undue many of the Trump administration's restrictions on immigration, although it is unclear how quickly the Biden administration can act on those promises.
U.S.AxiosWoman who allegedly stole laptop from Pelosi's office to sell to Russia is arrested
A woman accused of breaching the Capitol and planning to sell to Russia a laptop or hard drive she allegedly stole from Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office was arrested in Pennsylvania's Middle District Monday, the Department of Justice said. Driving the news: Riley June Williams, 22, is charged with illegally entering the Capitol as well as violent entry and disorderly conduct. Following the siege, a person called the FBI tip line to identify Williams and claimed that she told them she planned to send the computer device to a friend in Russia, per a DOJ statement of facts.
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Biden's pick for assistant health secretary is transgender woman who could make history
President-elect Joe Biden has tapped Pennsylvania Health Secretary Rachel Levine to be his assistant secretary of health, leaving her poised to become the first openly transgender federal official to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
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.
PoliticsThe IndependentJoe Biden family: How many children does the new President have and who are they?
President-elect Joe Biden has fathered four children from two marriages — though tragically only two are still alive today. Mr Biden had three children with his first wife, Neilia Biden, whom he married in 1966. In order of birth, they were Joseph Robinette III, known as Beau; Robert Hunter; and Naomi Christina, known as Amy.
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.
PoliticsNBC NewsMyPillow CEO Mike Lindell says products were dropped from major retailers after voter fraud claims
MyPillow CEO and ardent Trump supporter Mike Lindell says his products have been dropped by major retailers like Bed Bath & Beyond and Kohl's after his repeated false claims of voter fraud in the presidential election. Lindell told NBC Minnesota affiliate KARE on Monday that HEB Stores, Wayfair and Canada's Today's Shopping Choice channel had also stopped selling his products. MyPillow, the bedding company with commercials starring Lindell, is based in Chaska, Minnesota.
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”.
PoliticsThe IndependentTrump insists his ‘movement’ is ‘just beginning’ in farewell address to nation
As the smoke clears from this month's pro-Trump insurrection at the Capitol, the president reminded his supporters that their movement is "just beginning" in a farewell speech to the nation. The president, who spent months railing against the election with baseless conspiracy theories and insisting he won before conceding in January, and years before that launching brutal partisan attacks, appears to be rewriting his record to emphasize a bipartisan spirit that rarely if ever materialized while he held the White House.
HealthReutersPortugul in 'tough marathon', says PM, as COVID-19 deaths hit new daily record
Portugal is living "one of the saddest moments", the prime minister said on Tuesday, as doctors warned of a healthcare system nearing collapse and the daily death toll from COVID-19 reached a new record high. The country of 10 million people recorded 218 new COVID-19 fatalities, up from 167 on Monday and pushing the total death toll since the start of the pandemic to 9,246, health authority DGS said. "We are certainly living one of the saddest moments, of greatest pain and suffering," Prime Minister Antonio Costa told parliament.
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
WorldNBC NewsLarge migrant caravan dissolves in Guatemala
EL FLORIDO, Guatemala—A once large caravan of Honduran migrants that pushed its way into Guatemala last week had dissipated by Tuesday in the face of Guatemalan security forces. Small groups pressed on toward the Mexican border, while others accepted rides from authorities back to Honduras. Many of the migrants were driven by an increasingly desperate situation in Honduras, where the economic ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic and two major hurricanes in November have piled atop chronic poverty and gang violence.
PoliticsThe IndependentWhite Evangelical pastors turn their back on Trump after capitol riots
Parts of the conservative Christian right are caving in as some within the community turn on President Trump after the storming of the Capitol. The vast majority of Christian conservatives are still very supportive or Mr Trump, causing those within the community who choose to speak out to be cast aside amid threats and other kinds of abuse. Conservative preacher Jeremiah Johnson issued a public apology on January 7 "to repent for inaccurately prophesying that Donald Trump would win a second term".
U.S.Business InsiderThe man accused of breaking the window Ashli Babbitt tried to climb through when she was shot during the Capitol insurrection has been arrested
Chad Barrett Jones, 42, of Coxs Creek, Kentucky, was arrested in Louisville on Saturday, the FBI said in a news release. Jones is accused of breaking a window of the Capitol building moments before Ashli Babbitt was fatally shot during the insurrection earlier this month. He's facing multiple charges, including assault on a federal officer, destruction of government property, obstruction of justice, unlawful entry on restricted building or grounds, and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
U.S.The Daily BeastBeverly Hills Doctor Who Pushed Trump’s Favorite COVID Drug Arrested in Capitol Riots
A Beverly Hills doctor who's publicly criticized the coronavirus vaccine and advocated for hydroxychloroquine as a treatment against the deadly virus has been arrested in connection with the Capitol riots. Dr. Simone Gold, 55, was among three Los Angeles residents who were arrested on Monday in connection with the insurrection. Gina Bisignano, the 52-year-old owner of Gina's Eyelashes and Skincare, and 37-year-old John Strand are also facing charges.
PoliticsUSA TODAYFact check: Chatham County, Georgia, stopped counting votes when staff ran out of ballots
The claim: A dump of ballots happened after election officials in Georgia stopped counting The Georgia Jan. 5 Senate runoff elections became the target of a false claim of fraud that echoed the November general election. Shortly after Democrats Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff were projected the winners of the Georgia Senate runoff races, some took to social media to cast doubt on the election's legitimacy. One viral post on Facebook claims election officials stopped counting votes at 11:05 p.m.
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.
PoliticsNBC NewsTrump asks nation to 'pray' for Biden administration, says MAGA movement 'only just beginning'
In his farewell address to the nation Tuesday, President Donald Trump attempted to highlight his administration's successes amid the backdrop of an impeachment trial on a charge of inciting an insurrection, while also calling on Americans to "pray" for the new administration. "This week, we inaugurate a new administration and pray for its success in keeping America safe and prosperous," Trump said. He added, "We did what we came here to do — and so much more," referring to the administration's conservative legislative achievements and record-setting judicial appointments.
“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.”