PoliticsReutersProminent Senate Republican warns Trump trial could spark more impeachments
A prominent U.S. Senate Republican warned on Saturday that former President Donald Trump's second impeachment trial could lead to the prosecution of former Democratic presidents if Republicans retake the chamber in two years. "If it is a good idea to impeach and try former Presidents, what about former Democratic Presidents when Republicans get the majority in 2022? Think about it and let's do what is best for the country," Senator John Cornyn, a 19-year veteran of the Senate, said in a Twitter post directed at Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
U.S.Associated PressUS judge blocks release of Tennessee man in Capitol riot
A federal judge on Sunday blocked the release of a Tennessee man who authorities say carried flexible plastic handcuffs during the riot at the U.S. Capitol earlier this month. U.S. District Judge Beryl A. Howell for the District of Columbia set aside an order by a judge in Tennessee concerning the release of Eric Munchel of Nashville. After testimony at a detention hearing, U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Frensley for the Middle District of Tennessee determined Friday that Munchel wasn't a flight risk and didn't pose harm to the public.
WorldThe TelegraphSNP reveals 'roadmap to referendum' as poll shows support for independence
A Section 30 order - part of the Scotland Act 1998 which allows Holyrood to pass laws normally reserved to Westminster - was granted by the UK Government ahead of the 2014 independence referendum. Mr Russell says the UK Government could either agree that Holyrood already has the power to hold a second referendum or agree to a Section 30 order - something he said would put the question of legality "beyond any doubt". Boris Johnson has repeatedly stated his opposition to a second independence referendum.
WorldReutersU.S. carrier group enters South China Sea amid Taiwan tensions
A U.S. aircraft carrier group led by the USS Theodore Roosevelt has entered the South China Sea to promote "freedom of the seas", the U.S. military said on Sunday, at a time when tensions between China and Taiwan have raised concern in Washington. U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement the strike group entered the South China Sea on Saturday, the same day Taiwan reported a large incursion of Chinese bombers and fighter jets into its air defence identification zone in the vicinity of the Pratas Islands.
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.
WorldAssociated PressIsrael targets flights, religious scofflaws, as virus rages
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday said Israel will be closing its international airport to nearly all flights, while Israeli police clashed with ultra-Orthodox protesters in several major cities and the government raced to bring a raging coronavirus outbreak under control. The entry of highly contagious variants of the virus, coupled with poor enforcement of safety rules in ultra-Orthodox communities, has contributed to one of the world's highest rates of infections. It also has threatened to undercut Israel's highly successful campaign to vaccinate its population against the virus.
WorldAssociated PressKremlin: US comments on protests support law-breaking
The spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin says the U.S. Embassy's statements about the nationwide protests, in which more than 3,500 people reportedly were arrested, interfere in the country's domestic affairs and encourage Russians to break the law. Dmitry Peskov made the criticism on Sunday, a day after protests took place across the country demanding the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, an anti-corruption activist who is Putin's most well-known critic. During the protests, embassy spokeswoman Rebecca Ross said on Twitter that “the U.S. supports the right of all people to peaceful protest, freedom of expression.
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 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.
WorldAssociated PressFourth Zimbabwean Cabinet member dies of COVID-19 in surge
Four Zimbabwean Cabinet ministers have died of COVID-19, three within the past two weeks, highlighting a resurgence of the disease that is sweeping through this southern African country. President Emmerson Mnangagwa said the coronavirus is reaping a “grim harvest” in the country. Then came the death of the transport minister.
WorldAssociated PressThousands take to streets protesting Brazil's Bolsonaro
Thousands of Brazilians took the streets for a second day on Sunday to call for the impeachment of President Jair Bolsonaro, who is under fire for his government's response to rampant cases of COVID-19, which has claimed more than 216,000 lives in the country. "When Bolsonaro arrived, we voted for him for his proposals that we found interesting, but the situation now with the pandemic is terrible”, said Meg Fernandes, a 66-year-old engineer who joined a protest in Rio on Sunday. “I had already been disappointed last year, but now with the situation in Manaus, I think (this government ) has to stop," she said.
PoliticsThe New York Times10 Republicans Voted to Impeach Trump. The Backlash Has Been Swift.
It's been less than two weeks since Reps. Peter Meijer, Tom Rice and Liz Cheney broke with nearly all of their Republican colleagues in the House and voted to impeach President Donald Trump, but in their home states, the backlash is already growing. In Michigan, a challenger to Meijer received a boost when Steve Bannon promoted him on his podcast. In South Carolina, a local Republican is getting so many calls urging him to run against Rice that he can't keep his phone charged.
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.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.
PoliticsReutersRepublican congressman played a role in Trump's campaign to fight election loss: NYT
A Republican U.S. congressman played a role in ex-President Donald Trump's efforts to oust the top Justice Department official and replace him with a loyalist willing to support efforts to overturn his election defeat, the New York Times reported on Sunday. Representative Scott Perry of Pennsylvania arranged for Trump to meet Jeffrey Bossert Clark, a Justice Department official who Trump considered naming to replace Acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen earlier this month, the newspaper reported.
CelebrityThe TelegraphDuke and Duchess of Cambridge 'besotted' with new puppy that has helped them get over death of Lupo
When their beloved cocker spaniel, Lupo, died last month, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were heartbroken. But their grief was tempered by the arrival of a new puppy, with whom the whole family is said to be “besotted. The new cocker spaniel, whose name has not yet been revealed, was given to the family by the Duchess's brother, James Middleton, before Lupo died.
PoliticsUSA TODAY OpinionAs Republicans get more diverse, overlooked white voters are key to future Democratic wins
His increase in Black support is even more notable considering the long history of Black voters supporting Democratic candidates. In 2016, Trump earned 8% support from them overall, with Black men more likely than Black women to back him. The percentage of Black men voting for Trump ballooned to 18% just four years later while Black women continued to reject him and support Biden en masse.
U.S.Business InsiderA Texas man who tweeted 'Assassinate AOC' is facing charges in the Capitol riot, FBI says
A Texas man charged in the US Capitol riot tweeted "Assassinate AOC" the day of the attack. In a criminal complaint, the FBI says Garret Miller made multiple threats of violence online. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has said she thought she was going to die during the insurrection.
PoliticsINSIDER'Gondor has no king': Pro-Trump lawyer files a bizarre election lawsuit citing the imaginary kingdom in Lord of The Rings
A Trump supporter filed a lawsuit making baseless claims of election fraud with the use of "Lord of the Rings" references. Lawyer Paul Davis, who filed the suit, was fired earlier this month after he recorded himself storming the Capitol. The suit explains how the fictional land of Gondor is missing its rightful kings and that a "stewardship" should be issued.
U.S.Business InsiderMan who punched cop during Capitol riot has brother in Secret Service who is friends with Michelle Obama, the Huffington Post has revealed
Son of police officer who punched cop during Capitol riots has brother in the Secret Service. Scott Kevin Fairlamb, 43, of Stockholm, New Jersey, was arrested on five charges on January 22. Preston Fairlamb III led Michelle Obama's service detail while she was First Lady.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderSanders says Democrats can't 'wait weeks and weeks' to gain Republican support to pass COVID-19 relief and should use reconciliation to avoid the filibuster
Sen. Bernie Sanders said Sunday that Democrats can't wait to pass a COVID-19 relief package. On CNN, Sanders said Democrats will use reconciliation "as soon as we possibly can" to pass relief. Reconciliation would prohibit the use of the filibuster, which to override requires a vote of 60.
SportsAssociated PressTeam UK edges Luna Rossa to win AmCup Challenger series
Forced to sail mostly on guesswork after a technical glitch, Britain's INEOS Team UK broke the magical 50-knot barrier in beating Italy's Luna Rossa by 33 seconds on Saturday in the final round-robin race of the America's Cup challenger series at Auckland, New Zealand. In doing so Team UK, which had been a lame duck due to equipment and systems issues in pre-Christmas racing, retained its unbeaten record after five races in the Prada Cup challengers series to qualify automatically for the final. When the boats came together on opposing gybes near the bottom of the last leg — Team UK on port and Luna Rossa with the right of way on starboard — Britannia slid just across the bow of Luna Rossa; only meters separated the yachts.
U.S.INSIDERRepublican governors are ordering their National Guard troops home from DC amid backlash over members resting in a parking garage
Several Republican governors said they're ordering their National Guard members to return home from DC, amid reports that the Guardsmen have endured poor conditions. The governors of Florida, Montana, New Hampshire, and Texas have recently complained about the way the troops were treated. Over 20,000 Guardsmen were sent to Washington, DC, following the US Capitol insurrection on January 6 and ahead of President Joe Biden's inauguration.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderCindy McCain, John McCain's widow, says it's a 'badge of honor' to be censured by the Arizona GOP for not backing Trump
Cindy McCain, wife of the late Sen. John McCain, was censured by the Arizona GOP Saturday. The party censured her for "globalist" beliefs and speaking out against President Trump's attacks on her late husband. Splits between Trump loyalists and Republican critics threaten the party.
“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.”