PoliticsThe IndependentBidens left stuck outside White House on Inauguration Day after ‘petty’ final Trump act
The Bidens were momentarily left to wait outside the White House in an awkward moment on Inauguration Day, possibly as a result of a final “petty” act by the Trump administration. Later, as the Bidens walked up the steps to enter the executive mansion, pausing to wave before turning to enter, the much anticipated moment fell flat as the doors failed to open and the couple was left on the doorstep. According to The National Journal, a well-placed official not associated with the incoming Biden team told the newspaper: "The Trumps sent the butlers home when they left so there would be no one to help the Bidens when they arrived."
PoliticsThe WeekMcConnell threatens to block Senate's power-sharing agreement if it doesn't preserve the filibuster
The evenly split Senate is having a hard time agreeing who's in charge. Georgia's two new Democratic senators were sworn in Wednesday, giving Republicans and Democrats 50 senators each, with Vice President Kamala Harris as a Democratic tiebreaker. The two parties are now working out a power-sharing agreement, but Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's (R-Ky.) commitment to the filibuster is standing in the way.
PoliticsMiami HeraldSorry, President Biden, unity is impossible until Americans confront what ails us | Opinion
It's been said of Abraham Lincoln that he had a “mystical” devotion to the idea of Union. His conviction that the American states were united in an indissoluble bond is what braced him through the monstrous burdens he bore. It's not too much to say that the very existence of this country owes in large part to the stubborn faith of that sorrowful man.
WorldReutersGermany rejects Argentina's claim on Falklands recognition
Germany on Friday rejected a claim by Argentina that a request by airline Lufthansa to fly over Argentina en route to the Falkland Islands implied a recognition of them as Argentine territory. Argentina and Britain have long disputed ownership of the Falklands, with Argentina claiming sovereignty over the British-run islands it calls the Malvinas. The dispute led to a brief war in 1982.
U.S.NBC NewsRoommate charged with murder after body of missing Oklahoma woman found in freezer
A woman has been arrested and charged with the murder of her missing roommate Talina Galloway after the 53-year-old's dismembered remains were found in a freezer in Arkansas last week, the Wagoner County Sheriff's Office in Oklahoma announced Friday. Authorities had been searching for Talina since April 17, 2020, when her roommate, Kore Bommeli, reported her missing from their Oklahoma home. Talina had allegedly posted to Facebook earlier that month stating she believed she had COVID-19, but would not go to the hospital.
PoliticsThe WeekMajority of House GOP reportedly supports removing Liz Cheney from leadership after impeachment vote
House Republican Conference Chair Liz Cheney is facing an internal resistance after splitting from her party on former President Donald Trump's impeachment. Cheney, the No. 3 Republican in the House, was one of only a handful of Republicans who voted to impeach Trump over his role in inciting the Capitol riot. More than a majority of GOP House members have since indicated they'd support ousting Cheney from her leadership spot, while at least two other Republicans have lined up to replace her, Politico reports.
PoliticsThe IndependentSean Hannity denounces Biden’s first week as ‘disastrous’ before the president completed a full day of work
Fox News opinions host Sean Hannity has already reviewed the Biden administration's first week as “disastrous”, less than two days after President Joe Biden entered office. On Thursday evening, Mr Hannity opened his show eager to give a review of what the new administration has done in the first week. This included a Fox News chyron declaring “Biden's disastrous first week”.
U.S.NBC NewsFamily of 12-year-old boy swept out to sea in California offers $50,000 reward
The family of a 12-year-old boy who was swept out to sea in northern California is offering a $50,000 reward to anyone who locates him after a multiagency search was suspended. The boy, identified by family as Arunay Pruthi, was pulled into the ocean at Cowell Ranch Beach in the city of Half Moon Bay, about 25 miles south of San Francisco, on Monday. Arunay's father and 8-year-old brother were also pulled in by a "sneaker wave," the boy's uncle Arvind Pruthi said.
WorldAssociated PressSri Lanka approves vaccine amid warnings of virus spread
Sri Lanka on Friday approved the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine for COVID-19 amid warnings from doctors that front-line health workers should be quickly inoculated to prevent the medical system from collapsing. Minister for Pharmaceutical Production and Regulation Channa Jayasumana said the vaccine is the first to be approved for emergency use in Sri Lanka, while several other candidates are in the pipeline at the National Medicines Regulatory Authority. It is unknown when Sri Lanka will be getting the vaccine.
PoliticsThe WeekTrump's team fired the White House chief usher right before Biden took office, maybe at Biden's request
When President Biden and first lady Dr. Jill Biden arrived at the White House on Wednesday afternoon, there was no chief usher to greet them. Former first lady Melania Trump had hired the chief usher, Timothy Harleth, from the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C., in 2017, after the previous chief usher, Angella Reid, was dismissed a few months into Donald Trump's term.
- WorldReuters
Croats caught between fear and funding woes after 2020 earthquakes
Besides fighting COVID-19, Croats learnt last year how nature could show its brutal face as two devastating earthquakes left them struggling to repair their homes and living in fear of further shakes. In March, one person was killed in a 5.3 magnitude quake that rattled Zagreb. Seven people lost their lives in a 6.4 magnitude quake that hit Croatia in December with the epicentre some 50 km (30 miles) southeast of the capital.
U.S.The Daily BeastWest Virginia Mom Killed Five Kids Before Turning Gun on Herself: Sheriff
A West Virginia mom allegedly upset over her husband's recent absence fatally shot her five children and set their house on fire before turning the gun on herself, authorities said this week. The Greenbrier County Sheriff's Department on Thursday revealed 25-year-old Oreanna Antoinette Myers killed her three kids and two stepchildren on Dec. 8, then set their two-story house near Williamsburg, West Virginia, ablaze. The children have been identified as Shaun Dawson Bumgarner, 7; Riley James Bumgarner, 6; Kian Myers, 4; Aarikyle Nova Myers, 3; and Haiken Jirachi Myers, 1.
LifestyleArchitectural DigestAD100 Designer Monique Gibson Designs a Tribeca Aerie with High-Impact Views
800 feet up in the sky, the Dreamy 6,000 square foot space offers panoramic views from the East River to the Hudson Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
U.S.The IndependentIvanka Trump’s rented DC home goes back on the market, for $18,000 a month
Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner's former Washington DC home is now back on the rental market for $18,000 a month. The former first daughter and her husband have moved to Florida after their time in the White House and have reportedly rented a $40,000 a month condo in Miami's Arte building. The couple's colonial-style Washington DC rental was located around the corner from Barack Obama's home in the upscale Kalorama neighbourhood.
PoliticsThe WeekBiden's next executive order will let people stay on unemployment if they quit an unsafe job
President Biden has issued another two executive orders aimed at the coronavirus pandemic's economic fallout. Millions of Americans have claimed unemployment insurance as they lost their jobs amid the pandemic, not to mention thousands of noncitizen workers who haven't been eligible for the benefits. Biden is pushing Congress to pass another $1.9 trillion stimulus program, but took initial and immediate relief steps Friday with another round of executive orders.
WorldBBCWhat's the best way to prevent flooding?
The Environment Agency uses a range of temporary or "demountable" flood barriers to provide protection in flood-prone areas. Temporary barriers can also be added to permanent flood defences, such as raised embankments, increasing the level of protection. Natural flood management consists of small measures to reduce the flow of water before it reaches larger rivers.
- PoliticsYahoo News Video
Former presidents deliver message to Biden on inauguration night
Former Presidents George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama delivered a recorded message to President Biden on Wednesday night.
U.S.Business InsiderA Texas doctor has been charged with stealing 9 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine 'for friends and family'
A Texas doctor was fired and charged after being accused of stealing a vial of the COVID-19 vaccine. The District Attorney said the vial contained nine doses of the vaccine. Gokal's attorney told CNN that the vile was due to expire and would have gone to waste.
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.
PoliticsThe IndependentSenior Republicans quietly lobbying for Trump’s conviction in impeachment trial, reports say
Senior Republicans in Washington have been quietly lobbying GOP lawmakers to impeach and convict Donald Trump, a report says. The effort against the former president, which includes former top Trump administration officials, started in the wake of the 6 January attack on Congress, according to CNN. Mr Trump was impeached for an unprecedented second time by the House for inciting the deadly Capitol riot, and now Nancy Pelosi will transmit the articles to the Senate on Monday for a trial.
PoliticsThe IndependentBiden: Why everyone is talking about the new president’s watch
Joe Biden's inauguration watch caused a stir online after it was pointed out the new president wore a $7,000 Rolex to get sworn in. Mr Biden picked a stainless steel Rolex Datejust with a blue dial to wear on his first day in the White House on Wednesday. The watch was a departure from some previous presidents, such as Bill Clinton, George W Bush and Barack Obama, who chose less expensive timepieces, according to the New York Times.
U.S.Business InsiderLawyer for the 22-year-old accused of stealing Pelosi's laptop blamed Trump for the Capitol riot, saying her client 'took the president's bait'
The lawyer of the woman accused of stealing Pelosi's laptop blamed Trump for the January 6 riot. Riley June Williams "took the president's bait," Lori Ulrich told a Thursday court hearing. Trump had told supporters to "fight like hell" moments before a mob stormed the Capitol.
PoliticsPoliticoPfizer ships fewer Covid vaccine vials to U.S. after Trump FDA label change
Pfizer is counting extra coronavirus vaccine it uses to top off each of its vials toward its commitment to deliver 200 million shots for the U.S. pandemic response — even though there aren't enough syringes capable of squeezing out the extra fluid. The Trump administration Food and Drug Administration on Jan. 6 approved a Pfizer request to update its vaccine label to clarify that six doses, instead of five, can be drawn from each vial. The new label came several weeks after the agency said pharmacists could administer any surplus they could successfully extract from the vials.
HealthThe New York TimesCDC Says Virus Patients Can Be Switched to Another Vaccine for Second Dose
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has quietly changed its recommendations for coronavirus immunizations to allow patients to switch the authorized vaccines between the first and second doses in “exceptional situations,” and to extend the interval between doses to six weeks, even though such changes have not been studied in large clinical trials. With the possibility of vaccine shortages on the horizon and little expectation that supply can be increased before April, the changes may offer a way to vaccinate more people — a high priority for President Joe Biden, who outlined his national COVID-19 strategy Thursday. A CDC spokeswoman, Kristen Nordlund, said the agency's “intention is not to suggest people do anything different but provide clinicians with flexibility for exceptional circumstances.”
PoliticsThe IndependentDonald Trump Jr attacking Biden less than 24 hours into his presidency – with misleading tweets
Permanently deprived of his Twitter presence, Donald Trump has left the presidency relatively quietly – but his most belligerent child has no intention of leaving his father's successor alone. Even with the Biden administration less than 24 hours old, Donald Trump Jr is rolling out accusations and mockery directed at the new president and the Democrats in general. Having worked hard over the last four years to elevate himself as a scourge of the liberal left, Mr Trump clearly intends to continue playing the role despite his father's loss.
“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.”