PoliticsThe IndependentGOP Senator threatens to block Biden cabinet confirmations if Democrats push ahead with impeachment
Wisconsin Senator and staunch Trump supporter Ron Johnson suggested that the senate may not confirm President Biden's cabinet nominees if the Democrats go ahead with a second impeachment trial for former president Donald Trump. Mr Johnson said Democrats have to choose between "being vindictive or staffing the administration to keep the nation safe". A significant contingent of senate Republicans have argued that an impeachment trial of a former president is unconstitutional and shouldn't take place at all, but new Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has been steadfast in his commitment to holding a trial.
WorldAssociated Press3,000 arrested at protests demanding Navalny's release
Protests erupted in dozens of cities across Russia on Saturday to demand the release of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, the Kremlin's most prominent foe. In Moscow, thousands of demonstrators filled Pushkin Square in the city center, where clashes with police broke out and demonstrators were roughly dragged off by helmeted riot officers to police buses and detention trucks, some beaten with batons.
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.
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.
U.S.Associated PressJudge: Kenosha shooter can't associate with supremacists
An 18-year-old Illinois teen charged with fatally shooting two people during a protest in southeastern Wisconsin last year is prohibited from associating with known white supremacists under a judge's recently modified bail conditions. Kyle Rittenhouse was 17 during the Aug. 25 demonstration in Kenosha, Wisconsin, as hundreds were protesting the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man. Rittenhouse has been charged with multiple counts, including reckless and intentional homicide, endangerment and being a minor in possession of a firearm.
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Biden imposing 100-day pause on deportations is 'purely political': Don Rosenberg
Don Rosenberg, president of Advocates for Victims of Illegal Alien Crime, accuses President Biden of playing politics with his immigration policy.
WorldReutersJailed Kremlin critic Navalny, on protest eve, says has no plans to commit suicide
Jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny said on Friday he wanted it known that he had no plans to commit suicide in prison, as he issued a message of support to his followers on the eve of protests the authorities say are illegal. Navalny was detained on Sunday after flying home for the first time since being poisoned with what the West says was a military-grade nerve agent that Navalny says was applied to his underpants by state security agents. The 44-year-old lawyer, in a Moscow prison pending the outcome of four legal matters he describes as trumped up, accuses President Vladimir Putin of ordering his attempted murder.
WorldThe WeekChina conducts unusual military flights in Taiwanese airspace
It's not unusual for China to conduct military flights between the southern part of Taiwan — which it claims as its territory — and the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands in the South China Sea, Reuters reports. Eight nuclear-capable Chinese bombers and four fighter jets entered the southwestern corner of Taiwan's air defense identifications zone, Taiwan's defense ministry said.
PoliticsAssociated PressSupporters' words may haunt Trump at impeachment trial
The words of Donald Trump supporters who are accused of participating in the deadly U.S. Capitol riot may end up being used against him in his Senate impeachment trial as he faces the charge of inciting a violent insurrection. At least five supporters facing federal charges have suggested they were taking orders from the then-president when they marched on Capitol Hill on Jan. 6 to challenge the certification of Joe Biden's election win. Jacob Chansley, the Arizona man photographed on the dais in the Senate who was shirtless and wore face paint and a furry hat with horns, has similarly pointed a finger at Trump.
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
WorldReutersGreek foreign minister hopes for 'positive' spirit from Turkey in talks
Greece's foreign minister said he hoped Turkey would have a positive approach towards a meeting next week aimed at reviving long-stalled efforts to open negotiations over disputed territorial claims. He said the exploratory talks, which were halted in March 2016, were not negotiations but aimed to discover whether there was enough convergence for possible future negotiations on just one specific issue. "I want to be clear, that (subject) is the demarcation of the exclusive economic zone and continental shelf in the Aegean and the eastern Mediterranean on the basis of international law," Dendias was quoted as saying.
WorldAssociated PressDiplomats contact Canadian held for over 2 years in China
Canada said its officials have met online with former diplomat Michael Kovrig, who has been held in China for more than two years in a case related to an executive of Chinese telecoms giant Huawei. Canada's Foreign Ministry said officials led by Ambassador Dominic Barton were given “on-site virtual consular access” to Kovrig on Thursday. Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor have been confined since Dec. 10, 2018, just days after Canada detained Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou, who is also the daughter of the founder of the Chinese telecommunications equipment giant.
PoliticsLA TimesColumn: You thought McConnell was tough as majority leader? Wait until you see him as minority leader
In the first days after a mob invaded the Capitol to try to halt President Biden's election, a welcome wave of bipartisan anger rippled through Washington. Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader in the Senate, condemned the riot as an assault on democracy, accused former President Trump of provoking the mob and even said he would consider voting to convict Trump in an impeachment trial. In Week One of the Biden presidency, McConnell opted for a more familiar pursuit: partisan combat.
PoliticsBBCWhat next for Trump - and Trumpism?
Then Trump spent two months trafficking in unsubstantiated allegations of electoral fraud, feuded with party officials in battleground states, unsuccessfully campaigned for two Republican incumbent senators in Georgia's run-off elections and instigated a crowd of supporters that would turn into a mob that attacked the US Capitol. He's been impeached (again) by a bipartisan vote in the House of Representatives and could, if convicted in the Senate, be permanently banned from running for public office. Over his five-year career in politics, Trump has wriggled free from political predicaments that would sink most others.
WorldAssociated PressThousands of Hong Kongers locked down to contain coronavirus
Thousands of Hong Kong residents were locked down in their homes Saturday in an unprecedented move to contain a worsening coronavirus outbreak in the city. Authorities said in a statement that an area comprising 16 buildings in the city's Yau Tsim Mong district would be locked down until all residents were tested. The restrictions, which were announced at 4 a.m. in Hong Kong, were expected to end within 48 hours, the government said.
U.S.The IndependentTexas sues Biden administration claiming halt in deportations is ‘unlawful’
Texas attorney general Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against Department of Homeland Security in an attempt to halt the Biden administration's “unlawful” freeze on deportations. In a complaint filed with US District Court, Mr Paxton is seeking a restraining order against the new president's executive order rolling back immigration policies of the Trump administration. The suit alleges the directive from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) violates the Administrative Procedure Act, which requires that the department seek input from Texas.
PoliticsAssociated PressDemocrats make federal election standards a top priority
Democrats plan to move quickly on one of the first bills of the new Congress, citing the need for federal election standards and other reforms to shore up the foundations of American democracy after a tumultuous post-election period and deadly riot at the Capitol. States have long had disparate and contradictory rules for running elections. But the 2020 election, which featured pandemic-related changes to ease voting and then a flood of lawsuits by former President Donald Trump and his allies, underscored the differences from state to state: Mail-in ballots due on Election Day or just postmarked by then?
U.S.BBCNational Guard: President Biden apologises over troops sleeping in car park
US President Joe Biden has apologised after some members of the National Guard stationed at the Capitol were pictured sleeping in a car park. Mr Biden called the chief of the National Guard Bureau on Friday to apologise and ask what could be done, according to US media reports. First Lady Jill Biden also visited some of the troops to thank them personally, bringing biscuits from the White House as a gift.
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Saudi TV says missile or drone intercepted over Riyadh
Saudi Arabia said Saturday it intercepted an apparent missile or drone attack over its capital, Riyadh, amid the kingdom's yearslong war against neighboring Yemen's Houthi rebels. Saudi state TV quoted authorities in the kingdom acknowledging the interception. Yahia Sarei, a military spokesman for the Houthis, said in a brief statement that the rebels had not carried out attacks on Saudi Arabia in the past 24 hours.
PoliticsThe New York TimesTrump and Justice Dept. Lawyer Said to Have Plotted to Oust Acting Attorney General
The Justice Department's top leaders listened in stunned silence this month: One of their peers, they were told, had devised a plan with President Donald Trump to oust Jeffrey Rosen as acting attorney general and wield the department's power to force Georgia state lawmakers to overturn its presidential election results. The unassuming lawyer who worked on the plan, Jeffrey Clark, had been devising ways to cast doubt on the election results and to bolster Trump's continuing legal battles and the pressure on Georgia politicians. Because Rosen had refused the president's entreaties to carry out those plans, Trump was about to decide whether to fire Rosen and replace him with Clark.
PoliticsLA TimesYes, Bernie Sanders is laughing at those viral inauguration memes too
Sen. Bernie Sanders is feeling the Bern — and the love — after a photo of him sitting alone in his face mask, winter coat and patchwork mittens at Wednesday's presidential inauguration went viral. On Thursday's episode of "Late Night With Seth Meyers," Sanders said he was amused by the now-ubiquitous image, which has Twitter hailing the Vermont senator for his commitment to social distancing and utilitarian fashion choices. Sanders couldn't help but laugh when Meyers produced one of his favorite takes on the meme, placing Inauguration Bernie on a couch with the women of "Sex and the City," and asked if Sanders had been tracking his social media fame.
WorldAssociated PressChina law empowers coast guard to use force amid disputes
China has authorized its coast guard to fire on foreign vessels and destroy structures on features it claims, potentially raising the possibility of clashes with regional maritime rivals. The Coast Guard Law passed on Friday empowers the force to “take all necessary measures, including the use of weapons, when national sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction are being illegally infringed upon by foreign organizations or individuals at sea.” The law also authorizes the coast guard to demolish other countries' structures built on reefs and islands claimed by China and to seize or order foreign vessels illegally entering China's territorial waters to leave.
PoliticsThe Independent‘The stupidity is extraordinary’: Morning Joe host slams GOP lawmakers for taking guns to Congress
MSNBC host Joe Scarborough ripped into Republican lawmakers who have been stopped from entering the chamber of the House of Representatives carrying firearms just two weeks after the violent storming of the US Capitol led to five deaths. The former Republican congressman was incredulous in a segment of Friday's edition of Morning Joe, exclaiming: “Really, the stupidity is just extraordinary.” Mr Scarborough was reacting to a report that Republican lawmaker Andy Harris of Maryland was stopped by Capitol Police with a gun on his hip as he was entering the House to cast a vote.
StyleTime‘Someone Needs to Take a Stand Like That.’ The Creator of Kamala Harris’ Inauguration Night Dress on Supporting Black Designers
Vice-President Kamala Harris attends a televised ceremony at the Lincoln Memorial on Jan. 20; Dr. Jill Biden during the Inauguration Day ceremony on Jan. 20 Credit - Joshua Roberts—Pool/Getty Images; Oliver Contreras—Sipa The politically savvy understand that fashion tells a story, and at the 2021 Presidential Inauguration on Wednesday, the wardrobe choices of Vice President Kamala Harris and First Lady Jill Biden reinforced the values and hope of the new Administration. Their clothing confirmed a return to the time-honored tradition of supporting American designers and reflected an understanding that what they wear holds meaning.
PoliticsINSIDERGiuliani admits his associate asked for a fee of $20,000 a day to help Trump overturn the election, but says he didn't know about it
After months of denial, Giuliani admitted his associate requested a daily $20,000 fee to help Trump. Giuliani said he represented Trump out of a sense of commitment and didn't expect to be paid. After months of denials, former President Donald Trump's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, conceded that one of his associates asked campaign officials for a $20,000 daily fee to help Trump after his election loss, according to a New York Times report.
“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.”