U.S.The IndependentFlorida man arrested while attempting to go to Biden’s inauguration after ‘storming Capitol’
A Florida man who participated in the deadly pro-Trump mob attacks on the US Capitol was arrested after returning to Washington to attend President Joe Biden's inauguration ceremonies, prosecutors said at a Thursday bail hearing. Samuel Camargo, 26, was wanted by the FBI after one of his former classmates reportedly tipped the agency off to his involvement in the riots on 6 January, as Congress convened to certify former President Donald Trump's defeat in the 2020 elections. The apparent supporter of the former president posted several videos to his social media accounts that showed him “at one of the doorways to the U.S. Capitol Building, using his mobile phone to video tape his struggle with the U.S. Capitol Police over opening a door to the U.S. Capitol Building,” according to a criminal complaint.
PoliticsReutersFauci credits Biden for letting 'the science speak' as new administration puts focus on virus
President Joe Biden unveiled sweeping measures to battle COVID-19 on his first full day in office on Thursday, with his chief medical adviser, Anthony Fauci, praising his new boss' willingness to "let the science speak" in contrast to the Trump administration. Biden said he was stepping up the federal response to the virus including by taking steps to expand testing and vaccinations and increase mask-wearing. "This is a wartime undertaking," the Democratic president said at a White House event where he signed executive orders to establish a COVID-19 testing board to ramp up testing, address supply shortfalls, establish protocols for international travelers and direct resources to hard-hit minority communities.
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.
U.S.The IndependentAOC offers National Guard her office to sleep in after they were sent to garage following riots
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez offered National Guard troops her office to sleep in after US Capitol police moved their rest area to a nearby car park. Politico reported on Wednesday evening that National Guard troops drafted in to protect the Capitol after the Pro-Trump riots on 6 January had been asked to move their rest area away from the buildings and into a garage. Thousands of guardsmen were called up following the riots to help secure President Joe Biden's inauguration ceremony, and have continued patrolling the Capitol amid ongoing fears of violence.
PoliticsReutersAppealing to 'kind angels' China strikes optimistic tone with Biden administration
China struck an optimistic tone toward President Joe Biden's new administration on Thursday, saying "kind angels can triumph over evil forces" and playing down early irritants as the result of an atmosphere poisoned by Donald Trump's term in office. Bilateral relations worsened dramatically during Trump's tenure. Biden, who took office on Wednesday, is expected to maintain pressure on Beijing but with a more traditional and multilateral approach.
WorldAssociated PressMaduro sent letter to Iran's leader accrediting US fugitive
A Colombian businessman was carrying a letter from Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro accrediting him to Iran's supreme leader when he was arrested on a U.S. warrant last year, according to a new court filing in a politically charged corruption case ratcheting up tensions with the South American nation. Attorneys for Alex Saab made the filing in Miami federal court Thursday just hours after prosecutors in the African nation of Cape Verde said they granted the 49-year-old Colombian house arrest as he fights extradition to the U.S. to face money laundering charges. U.S. officials believe Saab holds numerous secrets about how Maduro, his family and top aides allegedly siphoned off millions of dollars in government contracts amid widespread hunger in the oil-rich nation.
WorldAssociated PressStrong earthquake shakes southern Philippines; no tsunami
A powerful earthquake shook parts of the southern Philippines on Thursday night, but authorities said it was too deep to cause major damage and no tsunami warning was issued. The quake measured magnitude 7.0 and was located 95.8 kilometers (60 miles) below the sea and about 210 kilometers (130 miles) southeast of Pondaguitan in Davao Occidental province, the U.S. Geological Survey said. In Davao city, President Rodrigo Duterte's hometown, some residents ran out of their houses as the ground shook and power cables and business signs swayed, but there were no reports of damage or injuries.
PoliticsReutersTrump hires South Carolina lawyer Bowers for impeachment defense
Former President Donald Trump has hired South Carolina-based lawyer Butch Bowers to represent him in his Senate impeachment trial over a charge that he incited insurrection, a source familiar with the matter said on Thursday. Bowers did not respond to requests for comment. While relatively unknown on the national stage, Bowers has represented former Republican governors in South Carolina and served in the U.S. Justice Department under Republican former President George W. Bush, according to his website.
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
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.
HealthAssociated PressCan COVID-19 vaccines be mixed and matched?
Health officials say both doses should be of the same vaccine. The COVID-19 vaccines rolling out in the United States, the United Kingdom and other parts of the world so far require two shots given a few weeks apart. In the U.S. where Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are being distributed, health officials say the vaccines are not interchangeable.
- WorldReuters
China authorises coast guard to fire on foreign vessels if needed
China passed a law on Friday that for the first time explicitly allows its coast guard to fire on foreign vessels, a move that could make the contested waters around China more choppy. China has maritime sovereignty disputes with Japan in the East China Sea and with several Southeast Asian countries in the South China Sea. It has sent its coast guard to chase away fishing vessels from other countries, sometimes resulting in the sinking of these vessels.
PoliticsThe IndependentLincoln Project co-founder says committee will go after Cruz now Trump has left office
The Lincoln Project co-founder Rick Wilson has suggested that the political action committee will turn its attention to Texas senator Ted Cruz and other Republicans now that Donald Trump has left office. The Republican super PAC that was set up in 2019 to prevent the reelection of Mr Trump, released several videos on social media during the 2020 presidential campaign relentlessly criticising the then president and his administration. Mr Trump left the White House on Wednesday after losing November's presidential election to President Joe Biden, who was then inaugurated shortly after.
WorldAssociated PressRelatives of plane's victims cast flowers into Indonesia sea
Relatives of crash victims on Friday prayed and threw flowers into the Java Sea where a Sriwijaya Air jet plunged into the water almost two weeks ago, killing all 62 people on board. An Indonesian navy vessel took dozens of grieving relatives to the site. Many people wept as they prayed and cast flower petals into the water, and officials from the navy, search and rescue agency, and Sriwijaya Air employees threw wreaths into the sea.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderDemocrats may have regained the Senate, but McConnell is blocking them from taking up Biden's agenda
It's left the Senate at an impasse at the start of Joe Biden's presidency. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. The Kentucky senator, who's been relegated to minority leader, has not reached a power-sharing deal with Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, which is required for the Senate to reorganize and move forward after Democrats took the majority on Wednesday.
- PoliticsFOX News Videos
Graham on Amazon offering vaccine help to Biden: 'It's disgusting' if they refused to help Trump
Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. reacted to Amazon offering President Biden help to distribute the vaccine after President Trump left office.
WorldAssociated PressTens of thousands protest against Nepal's prime minister
Tens of thousands of people protested in Nepal's capital on Friday against the prime minister for dissolving Parliament and ordering new elections in an escalating feud within the governing party. The supporters of a splinter group in the Nepal Communist Party marched peacefully in the center of Kathmandu as they demanded that Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli reinstate Parliament. Security was tight in the capital, with barbed wire barriers and police in riot gear blocking the area around the main government offices.
WorldReutersLong queues as China's capital launches mass virus tests
Beijing launched mass COVID-19 testing in some areas on Friday and Shanghai was testing all hospital staff as China battles its worst outbreak of the disease since March, with families fretting over Lunar New Year reunion plans amid new curbs. Mainland China reported a slight decline in new daily COVID-19 cases on Friday - 103 from 144 infections a day earlier. Of the new cases, 94 were local transmissions, Heilongjiang province in the northeast reported 47 new cases, while Shanghai reported six new cases and the capital, Beijing, reported three new cases.
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.
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 InsiderBiden plans a 3rd wave of executive actions for Friday, including increased food stamps and pushing the Treasury to hand out stimulus checks faster
President Biden is planning a series of moves to increase payments to combat hunger and poverty. An official says they include larger food-stamp payments and pressure to issue more relief checks. Biden has proposed a $1.9 trillion relief package to Congress that includes far bolder moves.
HealthAssociated PressTimeline: China's COVID-19 outbreak and lockdown of Wuhan
The Chinese city of Wuhan is looking back on a year since it was placed under a 76-day lockdown beginning Jan. 23, 2020. China presents the lockdown as a huge sacrifice that bought the rest of the world time to prepare for the pandemic. Critics say earlier, more decisive measures would have prevented more people from leaving the city and spreading the virus around China and globally.
U.S.USA TODAYAuthorities found sniper rifle, handcuffs in home of accused 'zip tie guy' in Capitol riot
Federal agents recovered a sniper rifle and more than a dozen high-powered weapons from the home of Eric Munchel, a Nashville man charged in connection with this month's U.S. Capitol riot and storming in Washington D.C., new court documents show. They also found a tactical vest covered in patches and a set of plastic restraints that match those that caught the attention of social media users in the aftermath of the riot and led to the nickname "zip tie guy." The items, discovered when federal agents searched his home, are among several reasons why federal prosecutors plan to argue Munchel should remain in custody as his case proceeds, according to a a motion filed Wednesday in Middle Tenness...
PoliticsBusiness InsiderSen. Bernie Sanders says Democrats don't need GOP support to approve $2,000 stimulus checks and cancel student debt
Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont wrote an opinion column this week pushing for Democrats to implement a bold economic agenda. Now that the Democratic Party has full control over Congress, Sanders argues they can use a tool called reconciliation, which requires only a simple majority in the Senate to pass bills. Among the key measures Sanders urges the Senate to pass are $2,000 direct payments to Americans and raising the minimum wage to $15.
StyleINSIDER9 of Vice President Kamala Harris' best style moments
Kamala Harris was just sworn in as the first female, Black, and Asian American vice president in US history. While the California native is an undeniable trailblazer in politics, she's also cemented herself as an expert in statement-making style. From the all-white pantsuit she wore to address the nation after being confirmed as vice president-elect to her nods to American designers at the inauguration, Kamala Harris has proven that thoughtful style choices can make powerful words even more impactful.
“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.”