PoliticsThe WeekTrump is reportedly just going up to people and asking if they want a pardon
President Trump has spent the last few days asking his friends, aides, and associates if they would like pardons — even those who are not facing any charges, a senior administration official told The Washington Post. In one case, the official said, Trump offered a pardon to a person who declined the chance at clemency, saying they weren't in any legal trouble and hadn't committed any crimes. Trump has taken a great interest in pardoning people, the Post reports, even calling families to personally let them know he granted a pardon.
WorldAssociated PressChina labels Pompeo 'doomsday clown' over genocide claims
China's Foreign Ministry described outgoing U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday as a “doomsday clown” and said his designation of China as a perpetrator of genocide and crimes against humanity was merely “a piece of wastepaper.” The allegations of abuses against Muslim minority groups in China's Xinjiang region are “outright sensational pseudo-propositions and a malicious farce concocted by individual anti-China and anti-Communist forces represented by Pompeo,” spokesperson Hua Chunying told reporters at a daily briefing.
PoliticsThe WeekBiden honors late son Beau in emotional pre-inauguration speech: 'We should be introducing him as president'
President-elect Joe Biden delivered an emotional farewell to Delaware on Tuesday one day before his swearing-in, choking up while paying tribute to the state and to his late son, Beau Biden. Biden spoke from Delaware before departing for Washington, D.C., and he became emotional from the top of the remarks as he thanked Delawareans who have been with him "through the good times and the bad" and said it's "deeply personal that our next journey to Washington starts here." The president-elect went on to say he'll "always be a proud son of the state of Delaware," emotionally adding that "when I die, Delaware will be written on my heart."
PoliticsAxiosSpeaker Pelosi: Trump could be "accessory" to murder over deadly insurrection
President Trump could be an "accessory" to murder after over the deadly Jan. 6 riots at the Capitol, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told MSNBC Tuesday night. Why it matters: Trump faced intense criticism after a crowd of his supporters breached the Capitol and broke into chambers, including Pelosi's office. Five people died as a result of the insurrection.
WorldReutersIndia, 'pharmacy of the world', starts COVID vaccine shipments to neighbours
India started delivering coronavirus vaccines to its neighbours on Wednesday, the foreign ministry said, flagging off a drive to garner goodwill in an often fractious region with the first shipment sent to the tiny Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan. Bangladesh and Nepal said they expected deliveries on Thursday. The only neighbour absent from India's list apart from China, is regional rival Pakistan, which had not requested assistance, according to an Indian government official.
WorldAssociated PressIran’s telecom minister appears before prosecutor, released
Iran's judiciary released the country's telecom minister on bail Wednesday after he was summoned for prosecution by Iran's general prosecutor, state TV reported. The state media outlet quoted Jamal Hadian, a spokesman for the telecommunications ministry, as saying Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi appeared before a prosecutor Wednesday, was released and had already returned to his office. The office of the general prosecutor had summoned Jahromi for prosecution over his refusal to block Instagram and other foreign social media messaging systems, according to earlier reports.
PoliticsUSA TODAYJoe Biden attends Mass at Cathedral of St. Matthew, site of JFK funeral and iconic image
WASHINGTON - President-elect Biden attended Mass at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, his only event before he will be sworn in as the 46th president on Wednesday. He was joined by his spouse Dr. Jill Biden, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff as well as congressional leaders from both parties. The Bidens had a front pew, with Harris and Emhoff on the other side of the aisle, also in the front.
WorldReutersRussia files Sputnik V vaccine registration in Europe
The official account promoting the vaccine tweeted the latest development on Wednesday, moving it a step closer for approval as countries across the world plan massive vaccine rollouts to stem the pandemic. The Sputnik V vaccine has been approved in Argentina, Belarus, Serbia and several other countries. The Sputnik V and European Medical Agency (EMA) teams held a scientific review of the vaccine on Tuesday, the Sputnik V account said, adding the EMA will take a decision on the authorization of the vaccine based on the reviews.
- NewsYahoo News Video
Biden leads COVID-19 memorial service: 'To heal, we must remember'
On a day when U.S. deaths from COVID-19 topped 400,000, President-elect Joe Biden led a memorial service on the National Mall to remember the victims of the pandemic.
WorldAssociated PressPopular Thai politician charged with defaming monarchy
Thai officials on Wednesday filed criminal charges against a popular former politician, accusing him of defaming the monarchy by broadcasting criticism of government efforts to secure supplies of coronavirus vaccines. The action against Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit came just a day after Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha told reporters that that his government will prosecute anyone who shares false information about coronavirus vaccines. Thanathorn, former leader of the dissolved Future Forward Party, accused the government of acting too slowly in procuring the vaccines.
PoliticsThe WeekBiden's Inauguration Day begins at church and ends at the White House
President-elect Joe Biden will be sworn in as the 46th U.S. president outside the U.S. Capitol at noon on Wednesday, amid heavy security and hours after President Trump leaves Washington, D.C., for Florida. Biden will start the day with a mass at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, their spouses, and the top congressional leaders: Sens. The inauguration ceremony will begin at 11:15, and Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts will administer the oath of office at noon, with Biden's hand on his family Bible.
HealthReutersModerna says possible allergic reactions to COVID-19 vaccine under investigation
The company's comments come after California's top epidemiologist on Sunday issued a statement recommending providers pause vaccination from lot no. 41L20A due to possible allergic reactions that are under investigation. The vaccine maker said it was unaware of comparable cases of adverse events from other vaccination centers which may have administered vaccines from the same lot or from other lots of its vaccine. A total of 307,300 doses from the lot remain in storage, Moderna said, of the total 1,272,200 doses that were produced in the batch.
WorldAssociated PressIndonesian leader promises compensation for plane crash
Indonesia's leader on Wednesday assured relatives of 62 people killed in a Sriwijaya Air plane crash that they will be compensated. President Joko Widodo visited the command center at Jakarta's international container terminal where tons of plane debris hauled by divers from seafloor were collected for an investigation into what caused the Boeing 737-500 to nosedive into the Java Sea shortly after takeoff from Jakarta on Jan. 9. He also witnessed the first three relatives of the victims receiving money from the compensation fund.
WorldBBCNew owners of Tiger King zoo ordered to surrender cubs
The new owners of an Oklahoma zoo featured in the hit Netflix documentary Tiger King have been ordered to surrender all tiger cubs and their mothers to the federal government. The case was filed against Jeff and Lauren Lowe, owners of the Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park. They are accused of violating the Endangered Species Act and the Animal Welfare Act.
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 TelegraphJoe Biden's popularity in charts: How the new president compares to Donald Trump
As Joe Biden is sworn in as the 46th President of the United States he starts his term in office with a better standing both at home and abroad than his predecessor. Though he may be inheriting a bitterly divided and tense country in the wake of the storming of the Capitol and Donald Trump's insistence that he won the 2020 election, President Biden can at least count on popularity as he faces the the difficult task of uniting all Americans behind his vision for the future.
HealthReutersPortugul in 'tough marathon', says PM, as COVID-19 deaths hit new daily record
Portugal is living "one of the saddest moments", the prime minister said on Tuesday, as doctors warned of a healthcare system nearing collapse and the daily death toll from COVID-19 reached a new record high. The country of 10 million people recorded 218 new COVID-19 fatalities, up from 167 on Monday and pushing the total death toll since the start of the pandemic to 9,246, health authority DGS said. "We are certainly living one of the saddest moments, of greatest pain and suffering," Prime Minister Antonio Costa told parliament.
PoliticsAssociated PressTrump frees former aides from ethics pledge, lobbying ban
Donald Trump, in one of his final acts as president, released current and former members of his administration from the terms of their ethics pledge, a move that once again laid bare the failure to meet his 2016 campaign promise to “drain the swamp.” Trump won the presidency, in part, on a pledge to take on entrenched special interests in Washington, and his ethics policy was one of his first acts after assuming office. Trump instituted a major loosening of ethics standards when compared with the administration of his predecessor, Barack Obama, as well as the rules that will govern Joe Biden's White House.
BusinessLA TimesFox News political editor Chris Stirewalt out in company restructuring
Chris Stirewalt, the Fox News digital politics editor, is leaving the network as part of a company restructuring that eliminated more than a dozen jobs. Fox News declined to comment, citing employee confidentiality. While Fox News executives cited the job reductions as part of an ongoing streamlining of its operations, Stirewalt was likely targeted due to his role in the network's decision to call Arizona for President-elect Joe Biden on election night.
EntertainmentArchitectural Digest19 Stylish Bar Cabinets to Elevate Your Space in 2021
Store your stemware and sauvignon blanc in style Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
U.S.Business InsiderWisconsin pharmacist accused of removing vaccine doses from clinic fridge charged with a misdemeanor
According to new court filings, Steven Brandenburg was charged with a Class A misdemeanor at his hearing at the Ozaukee County Circuit Court on Tuesday. Brandenburg had intentionally removed 550 doses of the Moderna vaccine from a clinic refrigerator where he worked in Wisconsin. Ozaukee County District Attorney Adam Gerol elaborated that the nature of the charges against Brandenburg may change, depending on whether the vaccines removed are deemed to be ineffective.
PoliticsReutersBiden's choice for U.S. homeland security chief pledges to confront 'domestic extremism'
President-elect Joe Biden's nominee to lead the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, said on Tuesday he would empower intelligence staff at the agency to gather information on extremist threats in "an apolitical, nonpartisan way" following a violent attack on the U.S. Congress. "The threat of domestic extremism is one of the greatest challenges that the Department of Homeland Security confronts," Mayorkas told the Senate Homeland Security Committee in a confirmation hearing before Biden is set to take office on Wednesday. If confirmed, Mayorkas, who served as deputy secretary at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) under President Barack Obama, will start the job days after the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol staged by supporters of outgoing Republican President Donald Trump.
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.
SportsAssociated Press3 more COVID-19 cases linked to Australian Open, total is 10
Three more people linked to the Australian Open have tested positive for COVID-19 in Melbourne, increasing to 10 those associated with the Grand Slam tennis tournament which begins Feb. 8. Victoria state Emergency Services Minister Lisa Neville confirmed the new cases had been detected on Wednesday, adding that authorities are “very confident” one of the cases is a tennis player who is shedding the virus and is not infectious. The player is already in hard lockdown as they were on board a flight into Melbourne with another positive case.
BusinessBusiness InsiderRoyal Caribbean to sell its Azamara brand including 3 ships for $201 million as the company continues to push back 2021 sail dates
Royal Caribbean is selling its Azamara cruise line for $201 million while cruises in the US remain docked during the COVID-19 pandemic, the company announced Tuesday. Sycamore Partners, the private equity firm purchasing Azamara in cash, will own the cruising brand and its fleet of three ships after the purchase is completed by the end of the quarter. Carol Cabezas, Azamara's COO, will serve as president of the cruise line.
“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.”