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.
U.S.TheGrioHouston police veteran lied about entering Capitol, feds say
Tam Dinh Pham of the Houston police department was part of the deadly mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. A veteran Houston police officer is in trouble after attending the U.S. Capitol riots in Washington, D.C., then lying about it. Officer Tam Dinh Pham joined the deadly mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.
WorldAssociated PressGroup: Billion in aid needed to help Afghan kids in 2021
Some 10 million children in war-ravaged Afghanistan are at risk of not having enough food to eat in 2021, a humanitarian organization said Tuesday and called for $1.3 billion in new funds for aid. Just over 18 million Afghans, including 9.7 million children, are badly in need of lifesaving support, including food, Save the Children said in a statement. Chris Nyamandi, the organization's Afghanistan country director, said Afghans are suffering under a combination of violent conflict, poverty and the virus pandemic.
PoliticsThe IndependentJoe Biden cries in emotional speech before heading to Washington DC for Inauguration Day
In a deeply personal and at times emotional speech, President-elect Joe Biden delivered a final goodbye to his hometown of Delaware on Tuesday before departing for the White House, thanking his supporters and the state he said helped raise him. “It's kind of emotional for me,” Mr Biden said behind tears. The president-elect, who was set to be sworn in on the footsteps of the US Capitol on Wednesday, recalled meeting his wife, soon-to-be First Lady Dr Jill Biden, in the state where he served as a US Senator.
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
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.
WorldTheGrioBlack woman deported after facing backlash for viral Bali post
After facing backlash for a viral Twitter thread about moving to Bali, a Black woman is officially being deported. A Black American woman has faced backlash on Twitter after posting about relocating to Bali, Indonesia. In a now-deleted thread, Kristin Grey tweeted on January 16, 2020, about how moving to Bali with her girlfriend was a “game-changer.”
U.S.CBS NewsMega Millions winning numbers announced for $865 million jackpot
Those feeling lucky have a chance Tuesday night to win the Mega Millions estimated $865 million jackpot, the game's largest in at least two years. The bounty has reached those heights because there hasn't been a winner since mid-September. An $865 million payout would be Mega Millions' second largest, behind only a $1.54 billion bonanza won in 2018.
PoliticsThe IndependentIvanka praises her own work in farewell message as bitter Don Jr compares Biden to Disney’s Uncle Scar
Ivanka Trump praised her work for American families in a farewell message as bitter Don Jr compared Joe Biden to Disney's Uncle Scar. Ms Trump took to Twitter to highlight her successes and achievements while her older brother instead took a bizarre shot at the president-elect on Instagram. Meanwhile, Ms Trump wished Joe Biden “courage and strength” and said she was “excited for the future” as she leaves Washington DC for Florida.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderTrump is considering starting the 'Patriot Party' after facing criticism from top Republicans over Capitol riot, The Wall Street Journal reports
Donald Trump may launch a new political party after leaving office, The Wall Street Journal reported. The report comes after Sen. Mitch McConnell blamed Trump for this month's riot at the US Capitol. Embittered by critical comments from some top Republicans, outgoing President Donald Trump is considering a launch of a new third party, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday.
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".
PoliticsThe IndependentJosh Hawley blocks Biden cabinet appointment
Josh Hawley has blocked the quick confirmation of Joe Biden's pick to lead the Department of Homeland Security. The Missouri senator announced that he would hold up the nomination of Alejandro Mayorkas just hours before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs was set to complete its hearing with the nominee. “Mr Mayorkas has not adequately explained how he will enforce federal law and secure the southern border given President-elect Biden's promise to roll back major enforcement and security measures,” Mr Hawley said in a statement.
PoliticsThe Daily BeastTrump Defies Lawyers, Pardons Former Top Strategist Steve Bannon: NYT
President Trump has pardoned his former top strategist Steve Bannon in the final hours of his presidency, according to multiple reports. The move came after Trump was repeatedly cautioned against granting pardons to Bannon and GOP allies who were implicated in the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol. Bannon's chances at clemency had reportedly appeared to shrink when lawyers staged an intervention of sorts for Trump on the eve of his White House departure, warning him of potential legal headaches and further scrutiny in his impeachment trial.
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.
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.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderSecretary of State Mike Pompeo's departing message to the US is that multiculturalism is 'not who America is'
The outgoing secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, on Tuesday decried multiculturalism as un-American. Pompeo was excoriated on Twitter for his comments. On his last full day as the top US diplomat and just one day after Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo deemed multiculturalism to be un-American.
- WorldReuters Videos
Second major fire hits Rohingya refugee camps
In a video shared by an eyewitness, a fire was seen burning a school building in B-Block of the Cox's Bazar refugee camp in the early hours of Monday. Local residents were also seen sifting through the charred rubble after day break. Last Thursday (January 14), a huge fire in Nayapara Camp destroyed more than 550 homes, 150 shops and a facility belonging to a non-profit organization, according to the U.N. Refugee Agency (UNHCR).
PoliticsThe TelegraphHow will Trump hand over the nuclear 'football' to Biden when he skips the inauguration?
Donald Trump's decision to skip Joe Biden's inauguration has caused a break with precedent for one key ritual of the modern transfer of power - the control of the nuclear "football". Traditionally the "football", a briefcase that contains the codes and mechanisms needed for a president to authorise a nuclear strike, is symbolically handed from one military aide to a new designated aide at midday - when the new commander-in-chief is sworn in. It is expected that multiple nuclear "footballs" could be in use today, with one travelling Mr Trump on Air Force One to Florida, one accompanying Mr Biden in Washington, another accompanying the vice president and one assigned to a designated survivor.
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.
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.
PoliticsThe IndependentPence posts four pictures in his Twitter farewell message – none of them including Trump
Mike Pence posted four pictures in his Twitter farewell message to the country – but none of them included Donald Trump. The vice president and Mr Trump have reportedly suffered a frayed relationship after Mr Pence refused to help him overturn his election loss to Joe Biden. The president had pressured Mr Pence to refuse to certify Mr Biden's win on the day his supporters violently stormed the Capitol Building.
U.S.Business Insider20-year-old US Army soldier charged with providing kill targets for ISIS, plotting ways to attack the 9/11 Memorial in New York
A 20-year-old US Army soldier was arrested on federal terrorism charges and is accused of trying to help ISIS kill other service members in the Middle East, according to the Justice Department. Private First Class Cole Bridges is accused of helping plan targets like the 9/11 Memorial in New York City, and giving "advice about the best way to fortify an ISIS encampment to repel an attack by US Special Forces." A 20-year-old US Army soldier was arrested on federal terrorism charges and is accused of trying to help ISIS to kill other service members in the Middle East, according to the Justice Department.
PoliticsThe WeekMelania Trump released a farewell video. So did Colbert's Late Show Melania Trump.
First lady Melania Trump released a seven-minute farewell video Monday, saying that "as Donald and I conclude our time in the White House," she is thankful fo the military service members, law enforcement officers, and caregivers who have inspired her over the "unforgettable" past four years. Stephen Colbert did not think the message was particularly well-suited to the messenger, he suggested on Monday's Late Show. The announcement ended up being more of a song, but if you are going to have a Broadway star like Laura Benanti be your Melania stand-in, it makes sense for her to play to her strengths, especially in her farewell message.
PoliticsThe IndependentWho is Michael Boulos? Tiffany Trump announces engagement to Lebanon-born business executive
After Tiffany Trump, 27, announced that she was engaged the day before her father's presidency ends, the question many people were asking was who exactly was the man who'd won her heart. Step forward Michael Boulos, a 23-year-old business executive who was first photographed with Ms Trump in 2018. Ms Trump later introduced Mr Boulos to her family during Thanksgiving 2018 at Mar-a-Lago in Florida.
PoliticsThe IndependentAs Trump prepares to give Biden the ultimate snub, militia groups send an ominous message
With less than 24 hours left as president, Donald Trump appears eager as ever to take a sledgehammer to tradition and decorum on his way out the door. Mr Trump and First Lady Melania Trump are fleeing the executive residence on Wednesday morning for Mar-a-Lago, the president's club in Florida, shortly before President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration proceedings commence. It will be the first time since Andrew Johnson vacated the White House in 1869 that a president hasn't been there to welcome the incoming first family.
“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.”