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 PressIran, pressured by blackouts and pollution, targets Bitcoin
Within days, as frustration spread among residents, the government launched a wide-ranging crackdown on Bitcoin processing centers, which require immense amounts of electricity to power their specialized computers and to keep them cool — a burden on Iran's power grid. Authorities shuttered 1,600 centers across the country, including, for the first time, those legally authorized to operate. As the latest in a series of conflicting government moves, the clampdown stirred confusion in the crypto industry — and suspicion that Bitcoin had become a useful scapegoat for the nation's deeper-rooted problems.
WorldReutersCanada's Trudeau presses Pfizer CEO on vaccine shortage, hints at travel crackdown
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Friday that Pfizer had reassured him it would meet Canada's vaccine order in full by end-March as, with a second COVID wave spreading across the country, he hinted at a clampdown on citizens leaving home. Pfizer, which is retooling a European manufacturing plant, told Canada on Tuesday it would receive no vaccine next week, promising more pain for provinces already complaining about a shortage of supplies. Pfizer also said it would cut supplies to the European Union.
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 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 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.
U.S.The Independent‘We’re a National Guard family’: Jill Biden visits Capitol troops with cookies after some were forced to stay in garage
First Lady Jill Biden made a surprise trip to visit the National Guard troops stationed at the US Capitol on Friday so she could deliver them cookies made from the White House. The stop was not on Dr Biden's official schedule, but it was made in an effort to show her gratitude towards the troops for protecting Washington DC around Inauguration Day. I just wanted to come today to say thank you to all of you for keeping me and my family safe.
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?
- WorldAssociated Press
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.
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.
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 PressProtests against Israeli PM Netanyahu continue nationwide
Over a thousand protesters gathered in Jerusalem on Saturday for weekly demonstrations demanding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu step down over corruption charges, as smaller protests were staged at intersections and bridges across the country. The protests have taken place each week since last summer, primarily at a Jerusalem square near Netanyahu's official residence, and continued despite lower turnout in the cold winter nights. In March, Israel will hold its fourth national election in less than two years, and Netanyahu is facing further challenges from defectors within his Likud party.
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.
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.
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Hannity: Biden even struggling to answer 'friendly fawning media'
'Hannity' host reacts to first full day of Biden administration during opening monologue
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.
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
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.
WorldINSIDERDrone footage purports to show Vladimir Putin's secret $1.4 billion palace on Russia's Black Sea
A video uploaded to YouTube on Tuesday purports to show a secret $1.4 billion palace on Russia's Black Sea that allegedly belongs to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Alexei Navalny, the Russian politician and Putin critic behind the video, alleges Putin and his billionaire friends secretly built the mansion using illicit funds. The Kremlin denies Putin has any connection the property.
PoliticsThe WeekPlan to oust acting attorney general seen as Trump White House 'in a nutshell'
Former President Donald Trump worked with a Justice Department lawyer, Jeffrey Clark, on a plan to oust former Acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen and have Clark replace him, The New York Times reports. The strategy reportedly stemmed from the fact that Rosen had rebuffed Trump's pleas to use the Justice Department's power to cast doubt on and ultimately overturn Georgia's presidential election results, though it likely would have been unsuccessful in achieving the latter goal. Regardless, Trump reportedly held a meeting that two officials compared to an episode of The Apprentice because he had Rosen and Clark — who denies devising any plan to oust Rosen — make their separate cases to him.
WorldAssociated PressGerman virus death toll tops 50,000 even as infections sink
The death toll from the coronavirus in Germany has passed 50,000, a number that has risen swiftly over recent weeks even as infection figures are finally declining. The country's disease control center, the Robert Koch Institute, said Friday that another 859 deaths were reported over the past 24 hours, taking the total so far to 50,642. Germany had a comparatively small number of deaths in the pandemic's first phase and was able to lift many restrictions quickly.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderModerate Republican senators signal opposition to Biden's economic rescue package, jeopardizing speedy passage of $1,400 stimulus checks
Several GOP senators expressed opposition to Biden's stimulus plan in recent days. Several moderate Republicans, including Sen. Susan Collins, are skeptical of the plan's large cost. The opposition imperils the package's new measures of stimulus checks and enhanced unemployment insurance.
WorldAssociated PressAP PHOTOS: Marchers rehearse for India's Republic Day parade
Wielding a sword and wearing a turban in the colors of his regiment, Indian army Maj. Piyush Sharma thundered, "Troops, prepare to march." On his order, the camel-mounted regiment — its mustachioed riders led by shiny brass bands with glimmering tubas — swiftly moved down a boulevard in the Indian capital on Friday in a rehearsal for the annual Republic Day parade. Republic Day marks the anniversary of the adoption of the country's constitution on Jan. 26, 1950.
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.
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.
“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.”