PoliticsThe WeekBiden did not, in fact, remove Trump's 'Diet Coke button' from the Resolute Desk, White House clarifies
The new Biden administration has yet not disclosed the secrets of Area 51 or explained what the Air Force really knows about UFOs, but it did clarify, at least, the mystery of the vanished "Diet Coke button" former President Donald Trump would use to summon refreshments in the Oval Office. The usher button, as it is formally known, is not gone, even if it is no longer used to summon Diet Cokes, a White House official tells Politico. The White House official "unfortunately wouldn't say what Biden will use the button for," Politico's Daniel Lippman writes, suggesting Biden might summon Orange Gatorade and not the obvious answer, ice cream — or, let's get real, coffee.
PoliticsAxiosBiden's latest executive order will require the federal government to "buy American"
President Joe Biden will continue his flurry of executive orders on Monday, signing a new directive to require the federal government to “buy American” for products and services. Why it matters: The executive action is yet another attempt by Biden to accomplish goals administratively without waiting for the backing of Congress. The new order echoes Biden's $400 billion campaign pledge to increase government purchases of American goods.
PoliticsThe WeekMSNBC's Rachel Maddow says McConnell 'caved' on his filibuster demand during her Schumer interview
In an interview with MSNBC's Rachel Maddow on Monday afternoon, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said his caucus won't allow Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to dictate the agenda in the Democratic-led 50-50 Senate or demand an end to the legislative filibuster as a precondition for a power-sharing pact. "While we were airing that right now, and you were watching it, Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell just put out a statement that he is folding on this" and willl "agree to go forward with what Sen. Schumer told him he must," she said.
U.S.Associated PressTeen held in Indiana killings of 5, including pregnant woman
Indianapolis police arrested a 17-year-old boy Monday in the killings of five people, including a pregnant woman, who were shot to death inside a home in what the city's mayor called a “devastating act of violence.” The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said in a statement that the name of the suspect in Sunday's killings was “not being released at this time since the suspect is a juvenile." As officers were investigating, police received information about 4:40 a.m. that led them to a nearby home, where they found multiple adults dead inside from apparent gunshot wounds, Sgt. Shane Foley said Sunday.
PoliticsReutersTrump opens Florida office to push his former administration's agenda
Donald Trump opened an office in Florida on Monday that will handle his duties as a former U.S. president and seek to further his administration's agenda. "The Office will be responsible for managing President Trump's correspondence, public statements, appearances, and official activities to advance the interests of the United States and to carry on the agenda of the Trump Administration through advocacy, organizing, and public activism," a statement said. The announcement came on the same day the House of Representatives delivered to the Senate an impeachment article charging Trump with inciting insurrection in a speech to supporters before the deadly attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderTed Cruz's 'Pittsburgh over Paris' campaign shows us just how dumb the Biden years are going to be
In response to Biden re-entering the US into the Paris climate agreement, GOP Sen. Ted Cruz has launched a "Pittsburgh over Paris" campaign. Cruz says that Biden rejoining the Paris agreement will cost the citizens of Pittsburgh jobs, but the idea makes no sense and is just another bad faith attempt at scoring political points. This is the norm for Republicans, and a sign of what's to come.
PoliticsThe IndependentSarah Huckabee Sanders: Trump press secretary comments on Capitol riots as she announces run for Arkansas governor
Former White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced her candidacy for governor of Arkansas on Monday. In a campaign announcement video released on Twitter, Ms Sanders, 38, says that “our freedom and the rule of law are under attack”. She claims she was the first White House Press Secretary to require Secret Service protection “because of a credible, violent threat against me”.
PoliticsNBC NewsMeet the other American who was impeached and tried after leaving office
At 7:00 p.m. ET tonight, House managers will present a single article of impeachment against former President Donald Trump for inciting the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol, kicking off a Senate trial whose arguments will start the week of Feb. 8. Several Republicans have coalesced around a defense of Trump — that, under the Constitution, you can't impeach and remove someone who's no longer in office. In 1876, as the U.S. House of Representatives was about to vote on articles of impeachment against Secretary of War William Belknap over corruption charges, Belknap walked over to the White House, submitted his resignation letter to President Ulysses S. Grant and burst into tears.
- WorldYahoo News Video
Woman wanted on 74 charges of child sex abuse extradited to Australia
Israeli authorities on Monday extradited a former teacher accused of sexually abusing her former students in Australia, capping a six-year legal battle that had strained relations between the two governments and antagonized Australia's Jewish community.
BusinessReutersMerck ends COVID vaccine program, cites inferior immune responses
Merck was late to join the race to develop a vaccine to protect against the coronavirus, which has so far killed more than 2 million people and continues to surge in many parts of the world including the United States. The company will record a pre-tax discontinuation charge in the fourth quarter for vaccine candidate V591, which it acquired with the purchase of Austrian vaccine maker Themis Bioscience, and V590, developed with nonprofit research organization IAVI, Merck said in a statement. In early trials, both vaccines generated immune responses that were inferior to those seen in people who had recovered from COVID-19 as well as those reported for other COVID-19 vaccines, the company said.
PoliticsUSA TODAYFact check: National Guard members didn't turn away from Biden's Inauguration Day motorcade in dissent
The claim: Video shows National Guard members turned away from Biden's motorcade History will remember President Joe Biden's inauguration for its many irregularities, including the 26,000 National Guard members who descended upon Washington to provide additional security after pro-Trump rioters breached the U.S. Capitol two weeks earlier. While tensions were high on Inauguration Day, a viral video does not show guard members insulting Biden, as online opponents claim. A 21-second video titled “Troops Turn Backs on Biden as Motorcade Drives By” shows guard members standing along a road, with some backs turned from the presidential motorcade.
LifestyleMiami HeraldYou want a COVID vaccine appointment today or tomorrow? Here’s where and when to check
Jackson Health System doesn't know how many COVID-19 vaccine appointment slots it will have available each day. And it's common sense that Jackson's online sign-up system or any online sign-up system can be a well of vexation for some senior citizens. But if you're a Miami-Dade resident 65 or over and want to make a COVID vaccine appointment that's not a week or two in the future (and seems even longer), circling like a hawk on Jackson's appointments offers two advantages: You have a general idea of when the slots will open up and, if you get one, it will be for the same day or the next day.
U.S.CBS NewsCouple forced to adopt biological babies born through surrogacy
A Michigan couple is being forced to adopt their biological babies after they were born through surrogacy because of a decades-old anti-surrogacy law in the state. Jordan and Tammy Myers' twins were born two weeks ago, but two judges denied them the legal rights to the infants, citing the law. Jordan and Tammy hoped for a sibling for their 2-year-old daughter when Tammy was diagnosed with breast cancer nearly six years ago.
PoliticsThe IndependentTrump opens his ‘Office of the Former President’ in Florida
Donald Trump has established his “Office of the Former President” in Palm Beach, Florida, where he has opened a headquarters for his post-presidential public affairs. A statement on executive letterhead from the office said Mr Trump “will always and forever be a champion for the American people.” Prohibited from most social media networks following his supporters' deadly attack on the US Capitol on 6 January inspired by his dangerously false election fraud claims, the former president has largely been silent after the inauguration of Joe Biden on 20 January.
U.S.NBC NewsSearch intensifies for missing California woman as police serve search warrant at her Chula Vista home
It's been over two weeks since a California mother vanished from her Chula Vista home without a trace, and her family is worried. “It was odd -- she was always the first to answer, and this trip was for her daughter's birthday,” Maricris said. Throughout the day, the family tried to get in touch with May, her husband Larry, and even the couple's three children, but were unsuccessful.
- WorldReuters
China-Taiwan tensions rise days into Biden presidency
Chinese air force planes including 12 fighter jets entered Taiwan's air defence identification zone for a second day on Sunday, Taiwan said, as tensions rise near the island just days into U.S. President Joe Biden's new administration. China views democratically ruled Taiwan as its own territory, and has in the past few months increased military activity near the island. But China's activities over the weekend mark a ratcheting up with fighters and bombers being dispatched rather than reconnaissance aircraft as had generally been the case in recent weeks.
PoliticsThe IndependentIvanka Trump stays silent on social media as Rubio warns she’ll have ‘tough’ fight if she goes for his seat
Over the weekend Republican senator for Florida Marco Rubio shrugged off rumours that Ms Trump could challenge him to a primary in the 2022 midterm elections. Ms Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, who was also an adviser to the 45th president, recently acquired a $30m (£22m) lot of land on Indian Creek Island in Miami. They are planning to build a new home for themselves there, indicating their intention to stay on in the Sunshine State, where Mr Trump himself now resides at his Mar-a-Lago resort.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderBiden's $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill is in trouble, and Democrats might not be able to pass the next round of stimulus until March
President Joe Biden is already confronting political and logistical hurdles to his $1.9 trillion stimulus plan. The new round of coronavirus relief might not get a vote until mid-March, when the $300 weekly unemployment benefit expires, Punchbowl News reported. Last week, Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the House would be ready to vote on the bill by the first week of February.
BusinessReutersSaudi sovereign fund to double assets in next five years to $1.07 trillion: Crown Prince
Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund plans to double its assets to 4 trillion riyals ($1.07 trillion) by 2025, Prince Mohammed bin Salman said on Sunday, a move that would make it one of the world's biggest sovereign wealth funds. The fund would invest 3 trillion riyals in new sectors over the next 10 years, said the prince, who is Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler and chairs the fund's board. A new five-year plan would make the fund "the leading catalyst for Saudi Arabia's economic transformation and diversification," the prince added in a speech on state TV.
U.S.The IndependentCapitol rioter apologises to AOC for assassination threat, says he attacked Congress on Trump’s orders
A Capitol rioter has apologised for threatening Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and says he was following ex-president Donald Trump's instructions when he stormed Congress. Garret Miller said he was “ashamed of his comments” after writing “Assassinate AOC” on Twitter and for also threatening to hang the Capitol Police officer who shot a female rioter Miller, 34, spoke as a federal judge in Dallas, Texas, detained him without bail after the US attorney for the Northern District of Texas labelled him a danger to the community and a flight risk.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderJoe Biden says he is willing to adjust income thresholds for a fresh wave of stimulus payments in new relief package
Biden said he is willing to adjust the income thresholds for stimulus checks as part of negotiations over the latest coronavirus relief package. President Joe Biden said on Monday he is open to altering the income thresholds for a fresh wave of stimulus checks for Americans, a key demand among some moderate senators reluctant to back his rescue package.
- NewsFOX News Videos
Female student athletes speak out against Biden executive order on transgender competition
Three Connecticut female student athletes who filed a discrimination complaint over transgender competition argue that the president's new executive order is not fair.
U.S.Miami HeraldHe was alone on a homemade raft with no food, and the Coast Guard came to the rescue
A U.S. Coast Guard crew over the weekend rescued a man who was floating on a makeshift raft off Key West. The small boat crew found the 41-year-old man near Fort Zachary Taylor State Park at about 3 p.m. Saturday. The Coast Guard said they didn't take a formal report and released what they had on the incident on Saturday via Twitter and Facebook.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderRudy Giuliani admits Biden is president hours after being sued for $1.3 billion by voting machine company
Rudy Giuliani acknowledged Monday that Joe Biden is the president and Kamala Harris is vice president. The statement came hours after Dominion Voting Systems sued Giuliani for $1.3 billion. Giuliani spent months peddling conspiracy theories about the company's role in the 2020 election.
CelebrityMiami HeraldAfter swimming with tigers, Larsa Pippen is now catching some major heat
Larsa Pippen can't seem to stay away from controversy these days. After posting a picture last week with tigers at Doc Antle's Myrtle Beach Safari in South Carolina, Pippen now has PETA on her back, TMZ first reported. The animal rights organization sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture requesting an investigation into the wildlife preserve owned by Mahamayavi Bhagavan, one of the stars of the Netflix pandemic fave “Tiger King.”
“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.”