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.
PoliticsThe WeekChief Justice John Roberts reportedly wants no part of Trump's impeachment trial
Constitutionally-speaking, Chief Justice John Roberts is meant to preside over President Trump's impeachment trial, but he apparently wants out, Politico reports. Multiple Republican and Democratic sources have reportedly told Politico that Roberts is seeking a way to avoid the job because of how things played out when he oversaw Trump's first impeachment trial last year. Roberts, Politico notes, has worked hard to keep the Supreme Court apolitical during his tenure, so he was reportedly displeased that he "became a top target of the left" during the proceedings.
U.S.NBC NewsGeorgia lawyer said he kicked in Pelosi's door, she could've been 'torn into little pieces'
A Georgia lawyer boasted that he and fellow rioters "kicked in Nancy Pelosi's office door" and the House speaker dodged being "torn into little pieces," according to a criminal complaint. William McCall Calhoun Jr., an attorney from Americus, Georgia, has been charged with entering a restricted building, violent or disorderly conduct and obstructing official proceedings of government, according to an FBI affidavit seeking his arrest. The FBI's National Threat operation Center received a tip that Calhoun documented — in words and video on social media — his role in the deadly Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol Building, according to the affidavit.
PoliticsNBC NewsMyPillow CEO Mike Lindell says products were dropped from major retailers after voter fraud claims
MyPillow CEO and ardent Trump supporter Mike Lindell says his products have been dropped by major retailers like Bed Bath & Beyond and Kohl's after his repeated false claims of voter fraud in the presidential election. Lindell told NBC Minnesota affiliate KARE on Monday that HEB Stores, Wayfair and Canada's Today's Shopping Choice channel had also stopped selling his products. MyPillow, the bedding company with commercials starring Lindell, is based in Chaska, Minnesota.
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.
PoliticsNational ReviewHawley Blocks Quick Vote on Biden’s DHS Secretary Nominee, Citing Lax Immigration Stance
Senator Josh Hawley (R., Mo.) blocked a quick confirmation of Alejandro Mayorkas as Joe Biden's Department of Homeland Security secretary, citing Mayorkas's immigration policy stance. Mayorkas is a former Obama administration official considered the architect of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which allowed illegal immigrants brought to the U.S. as children a renewable deportation deferment, without providing a path to citizenship. The confirmation hearings for Mayorkas come as Biden has pledged to undue many of the Trump administration's restrictions on immigration, although it is unclear how quickly the Biden administration can act on those promises.
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".
WorldThe TelegraphIsraeli Covid czar says first Pfizer jab not as effective as hoped and blames spike in cases on British strain
Israel's coronavirus czar has warned that the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine offers less protection than expected, as he blamed the country's surge in Covid cases partly on the new British variant. Nachman Ash said many Israelis had caught Covid in between their first and second doses of the Pfizer vaccine, suggesting that the first jab is “less effective than we thought,” according to Army Radio. His remarks underline the importance of receiving a second vaccine dose, which according to recent studies is more than 90 per cent effective in protecting against coronavirus.
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
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.”
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.
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.
WorldReutersNorway says advice on use of Pfizer vaccine is unchanged
Norway said on Monday it was not changing its policy on the use of Pfizer and BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine following reports of deaths in highly frail recipients after the inoculation was given. BioNTech had earlier say that "Norwegian Health Authorities have now changed (their) recommendation in relation to vaccination of the terminally ill". As of Jan. 14, 23 reports of suspected deaths associated with COVID-19 vaccines have been submitted to the Norwegian health registry.
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.
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.
PoliticsReutersIn farewell address, Trump wishes luck to next administration without mentioning Biden
U.S. President Donald Trump, in a farewell address released on Tuesday, touted his legacy and wished luck to the new administration of President-elect Joe Biden but without acknowledging his successor by name. Trump has refused to offer a full concession to Democrat Biden, who won the Nov. 3 election with 306 Electoral College votes to Trump's 232. Biden will be inaugurated at 12:00 p.m. EST (1700 GMT) on Wednesday and Trump is not meeting with Biden beforehand or attending the swearing in as is customary in the handover of power to the White House.
- NewsYahoo News Video
Biden's pick for assistant health secretary is transgender woman who could make history
President-elect Joe Biden has tapped Pennsylvania Health Secretary Rachel Levine to be his assistant secretary of health, leaving her poised to become the first openly transgender federal official to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
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.
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.
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.
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 IndependentWhite Evangelical pastors turn their back on Trump after capitol riots
Parts of the conservative Christian right are caving in as some within the community turn on President Trump after the storming of the Capitol. The vast majority of Christian conservatives are still very supportive or Mr Trump, causing those within the community who choose to speak out to be cast aside amid threats and other kinds of abuse. Conservative preacher Jeremiah Johnson issued a public apology on January 7 "to repent for inaccurately prophesying that Donald Trump would win a second term".
HealthBusiness InsiderA Black scientist who approved the coronavirus vaccine says it is 'nothing like Tuskegee' and people of color will not be 'guinea pigs'
Black Americans are less likely to get the coronavirus vaccine than white people, but are more likely to get sick and die from COVID-19. Dr. James E. K. Hildreth, a Black immunologist, explained how the process was safely expedited. As the coronavirus vaccine is haphazardly distributed across the country, Black Americans are being left behind.
LifestyleINSIDERA photographer lives full-time in a 66-square-foot van that has a king-size bed, roof deck, and secret compartments that disappear into the walls
Schrock has lived on the road full-time for about six years in various vehicles. Quin Schrock is a photographer who travels the US and the world on assignment - and he gets to bring his home with him. Schrock has lived and worked out of various camper vans in the last six years since he left a career in accounting to become a professional photographer.
“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.”