PoliticsReutersIn early action, Biden tries to make good on pledge to heal America's racial divide
President Joe Biden on Tuesday issued a firm call to heal America's racial divide, taking several steps and promising more to confront racism and inequality that he said has plagued the United States for far too long. Racial tensions simmered during the turbulent four-year presidency of Donald Trump and in issuing several executive orders, Biden noted that the Jan. 6 siege of the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters was carried out by "thugs, insurrectionists, political extremists and white supremacists." But Biden said he believes the vast majority of Americans believe in equality.
WorldThe TelegraphEU's coronavirus jabs 'may have ended up' in Britain
AstraZeneca vaccines meant for and paid for by the EU could have ended up in Britain, diplomatic sources in Brussels claimed today. The suspicion is that the British-Swedish pharmaceutical company supplied the UK from the EU vaccine stock because Britain paid a higher price for the dose and approved it sooner. On Monday, Brussels threatened to block EU vaccine exports to non-EU countries, after AstraZeneca revealed that it would not be able to fulfil its contractual obligations as originally hoped.
PoliticsBBCSarah Huckabee Sanders: The Trump defender enters political race
Known to millions around the world for her staunch defence of Trump from the press briefing room, now it's her turn to speak for herself. Sarah Huckabee Sanders is back in the political game, announcing on Monday that she's running for the Republican nomination to be the governor of Arkansas in the 2022 election. In true Trumpian fashion, his former White House press secretary broke the news in a video posted on Twitter.
PoliticsAssociated PressVeteran activists campaign for Biden's immigration reform
Immigrant rights activists energized by a new Democratic administration and majorities on Capitol Hill are gearing up for a fresh political battle to push through a proposed bill from President Joe Biden that would open a pathway to citizenship for up to 11 million people. The multimillion-dollar #WeAreHome campaign was launched Monday by national groups including United We Dream and the United Farm Workers Foundation. “We are home,” a young woman's voice declares in the first video spot showing immigrants in essential jobs such as cleaning and health care.
WorldReutersBritain says it will work with EU to avoid vaccine disruption
Britain will be able to work with the European Union to ensure there is no disruption to vaccine supplies, Health Minister Matt Hancock said on Tuesday, arguing protectionism was not right during a pandemic. German Health Minister Jens Spahn earlier said he backed proposals to restrict vaccines leaving the EU, saying Europe should have its "fair share". The European Commission later said it had no plans to impose an export ban, explaining its proposal would require firms to register vaccine exports.
WorldReutersWhat you need to know about the coronavirus right now
Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus right now: Global cases surpass 100 million Global coronavirus cases surpassed 100 million on Wednesday, according to a Reuters tally, as countries around the world struggle with new virus variants and vaccine shortfalls. Almost 1.3% of the world's population has now been infected with COVID-19 and more than 2.1 million people have died. One person has been infected every 7.7 seconds, on average, since the start of the year.
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Biden administration has system in place where reporters will not ask president tough questions: Media critic
Steve Krakauer, editor at Fourth Watch, says 'it shouldn't be contingent' on one reporter to ask Biden tough questions.
LifestyleArchitectural DigestHere Are The Brightest Decor Buys of the Season
Let's get loud Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
PoliticsAssociated PressSenate confirms Antony Blinken as 71st secretary of state
Blinken, 58, served as deputy secretary of state and deputy national security adviser during the Obama administration. He has pledged to be a leading force in the administration's bid to reframe the U.S. relationship with the rest of the world after four years in which President Donald Trump questioned longtime alliances. Shortly after his confirmation, Blinken took the oath of office at a private ceremony at the State Department.
WorldReutersMexico passes 150,000 deaths from the coronavirus as pandemic deepens
Mexico's official death toll from the coronavirus passed 150,000 on Monday following a surge in infections in recent weeks that has stretched the health system in the capital to the limit and led to the president contracting COVID-19. The Health Ministry on Monday reported 659 new deaths, bringing the total death toll to 150,273. The government says the real number of infected people is likely significantly higher than the confirmed cases.
WorldReutersMyanmar army warns may 'take action' over its election dispute
Myanmar's army warned on Tuesday it would "take action" if an election dispute was not settled and declined to rule out staging a coup if its demands were not met, just days out from the convening of a new parliament. Military spokesman Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun told a new conference there may have been fraud in the November contest, which was won in a landslide by Aung San Suu Kyi's National league for Democracy (NLD) party. "We will take action according to the constitution and existing laws if they don't resolve the issue," he said of the election commission, declining to give further details.
PoliticsBBCBiden overturns Trump transgender military ban
President Joe Biden has repealed Donald Trump's ban on transgender Americans joining the military. The ban was announced by Mr Trump during his first year in office. "Transgender servicemembers will no longer be subject to the possibility of discharge or separation on the basis of gender identity," the White House said.
WorldReutersChina to conduct military drills in South China Sea amid tensions with U.S.
China said on Tuesday it will conduct military exercises in the South China Sea this week, just days after Beijing bristled at a U.S. aircraft carrier group's entry into the disputed waters. A notice issued by the country's Maritime Safety Administration prohibited entry into a portion of waters in the Gulf of Tonkin to the west of the Leizhou peninsula in southwestern China from Jan. 27 to Jan. 30, but it did not offer details on when the drills would take place or at what scale. A U.S. carrier group led by the USS Theodore Roosevelt entered the South China Sea on Saturday to promote "freedom of the seas," the U.S. military said, days after Joe Biden began his term as president.
PoliticsThe IndependentBiden ‘doesn’t think’ Senate will convict Trump, but says second impeachment ‘has to happen’
President Joe Biden has reportedly indicated he does not believe Democrats in the US Senate will have enough votes to convict Donald Trump during the former president's second impeachment trial. In a brief interview with CNN in the halls of the West Wing, the new president said he thinks the trial “has to happen” despite his call for lawmakers to focus on providing immediate relief to Americans impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. I think it has to happen,” Mr Biden said about the impeachment trial on Monday, suggesting there could be “a worse effect if it didn't happen” in the weeks ahead.
WorldReutersMyanmar prioritises healthcare workers as it launches vaccination drive
Myanmar launched a COVID-19 vaccination programme on Wednesday, with healthcare staff and volunteer medical workers the first to receive shots of the AstraZeneca and Oxford University vaccine donated by neighbouring India. Last week, Myanmar received 1.5 million doses of the vaccine manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, amid a diplomatic drive by New Delhi to supply neighbouring countries just as regional rival China has also pledged vaccine consignments. "This should create a situation to reduce the rate of infection, so it is such a relief for healthcare workers," Tun Myint, a health ministry official at Yangon General Hospital, told reporters.
U.S.BBCCapitol riots: Who has the FBI arrested so far?
The suspects in the Capitol riot are a varied group: they include a West Virginia lawmaker, a Florida firefighter and a left-wing activist from Utah. It's been over two weeks since the Capitol Hill riot - how much progress has law enforcement made bringing the perpetrators to justice? Michael Sherwin, US Attorney for the District of Columbia, says they have identified 400 suspects and arrested 135 to date in connection with the Capitol siege.
WorldAssociated PressUS exploring new bases in Saudi Arabia amid Iran tensions
The U.S. military is exploring the possibility of using a Red Sea port in Saudi Arabia and an additional two airfields in the kingdom amid heightened tensions with Iran, the military said Tuesday. While describing the work as "contingency" planning, the U.S. military said it already has tested unloading and shipping cargo overland from Saudi Arabia's port at Yanbu, a crucial terminal for oil pipelines in the kingdom. Using Yanbu, as well as air bases at Tabuk and Taif along the Red Sea, would give the American military more options along a crucial waterway that has come under increased attack from suspected mine and drone boat attacks by Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.
PoliticsThe Independent‘Don’t let him off the hook’: Beto O’Rourke says Ted Cruz is guilty of sedition
Former Congressman Beto O'Rourke accused Sen. Ted Cruz - who he challenged in a Senate race in 2018 - of being "guilty of sedition." Mr O'Rourke made the statement on Twitter while imploring citizens not to "let him off the hook" for his involvement in the US Capitol riots. "Don't let him off the hook.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderBiden administration taking steps to speed up putting Harriet Tubman on $20 bill
The Biden administration is moving to put Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill as soon as possible. Former President Donald Trump criticized an Obama-era plan to put the civil rights icon on the $20 bill. The White House said it's important US money reflects "the history and diversity of our country."
WorldAssociated PressU.S. announces restoration of relations with Palestinians
U.S. President Joe Biden's administration announced Tuesday it was restoring relations with the Palestinians and renewing aid to Palestinian refugees, a reversal of the Trump administration's cutoff and a key element of its new support for a two-state solution to the decades-old conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. Acting U.S. Ambassador Richard Mills made the announcement of Biden's approach to a high-level virtual Security Council meeting, saying the new U.S. administration believes this “remains the best way to ensure Israel's future as a democratic and Jewish state while upholding the Palestinians' legitimate aspirations for a state of their own and to live with dignity and security.”
CelebrityLA TimesAmanda Gorman signs with IMG Models, but we all know it's the presidency she's after
Literary star Amanda Gorman, the youngest inauguration poet in U.S. history, is literally putting the model in role model and taking another step on her runway to Air Force One in 2036. The 22-year-old National Youth Poet Laureate has signed with IMG Models, the talent discovery and model management agency acquired by William Morris Endeavor, to expand her personal brand through endorsements and editorial opportunities, The Times has confirmed. The Harvard grad has skyrocketed to fame since reciting her poignant poem "The Hill We Climb" at last week's inauguration of President Joe Biden.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderGeorgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene expressed support on social media for assassinating top Democrats
GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene repeatedly expressed support for assassinating powerful Democrats, CNN reported Tuesday. In 2018, Greene wrote on Facebook that "the stage is being set" to hang Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. In 2019, she liked a Facebook comment suggesting Nancy Pelosi get a "bullet to the head."
PoliticsUSA TODAYFive Republican senators vote against motion that impeachment against Trump is unconstitutional
Five Republican Senators sided with their Democratic colleagues on Tuesday to reject the idea that former President Donald Trump's historic second impeachment trial was unconstitutional, effectively ending an effort to have the trial thrown out. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., made a motion that the impeachment trial against Trump is unconstitutional in the Senate, arguing that Trump couldn't be tried as a private citizen. The motion was rejected by a 55-45 vote, which suggests a lack of support for convicting Trump on the charge of inciting insurrection.
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WH calls on Russia to release Alexei Navalny
Police detained more than 3,700 people and used force to break up rallies across Russia on Saturday as tens of thousands of protesters ignored extreme cold and police warnings to demand Navalny be freed from jail where he is serving out a 30-day stint for alleged parole violations he denies. The Biden administration has called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to immediately release Navalny, along with the protestors.
SportsLA TimesRams assistant Shane Waldron leaving to join Seahawks as offensive coordinator
Shane Waldron, a Rams assistant for the last four seasons, will leave to join the Seattle Seahawks as offensive coordinator, people with knowledge of the situation said Tuesday. The people requested anonymity because they are not authorized to speak about the situation publicly. Waldron was the Rams' pass game coordinator the last three seasons.
“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.”