PoliticsThe IndependentClinton and Pelosi suggest Trump may have been on phone with Putin during Capitol siege
Former secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, and House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, have suggested that Donald Trump might have been in contact with Russian president Vladimir Putin on the day of the deadly riots at the US Capitol, and called for a “9/11-type commission” to investigate the events of 6 January. Speaker Pelosi was in conversation with Ms Clinton for the podcast 'You and Me Both' on Monday, when the former secretary of state said she would love to see Mr Trump's phone to see if he had been talking to Mr Putin on 6 January — the day of the riots. Ms Pelosi responded by saying “Putin wants to undermine democracy” of America and with Mr Trump “all roads lead to Putin”.
WorldThe TelegraphBrussels gives tentative backing to EU coronavirus 'passports' to boost travel
It is unlikely that Britain would accept the certificates from EU citizens hoping to travel to the UK. Brussels said that using the vaccination certificates to allow greater travel and tourism in the EU was “premature” at this stage but left the door open for the plans to be picked up in the future. We feel that now this is the time for these vaccine certificates to be recognised across the European Union, and even beyond the European Union.
WorldAssociated PressPakistan PM angry over reports TV anchor knew about strike
Pakistan's prime minister reacted angrily Monday to media reports of a text exchange between an Indian TV anchor and a former media industry executive that suggests a 2019 Indian airstrike inside Pakistan was designed to boost Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's chances for reelection. Imran Khan took to Twitter to respond to Indian media reports of an exchange on the WhatsApp messaging service between popular Indian TV anchor Arnab Goswami and Partho Dasgupta, the former head of a TV rating company.
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.
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 IndependentInauguration Day 2021 - live: Joe Biden tears up during emotional speech remembering son Beau
As preparations continue for Joe Biden's inauguration ceremony on Wednesday, concern reigns in Washington, DC, over rumours that QAnon believers plan to disguise themselves as National Guardsmen to infiltrate the event in the hope of promoting further unrest like that seen in the Capitol riot of 6 January. Those concerns led to the screening of almost 25,000 National Guard on deployment in the country's capital, with two troops on Tuesday being removed after they were found to have links to far-right militia groups.
WorldAssociated PressAP Photos: Snow fills Kashmir resort with tourists again
Snow lies knee-deep in the pastoral town of Gulmarg, or “meadow of flowers,” on Indian-controlled Kashmir's high plateau. With its blanket of white, the idyllic hill station is seeing tourists again fill its hotels and ski, sledge and trek its Himalayan landscape. The heavy influx of tourists is a dramatic change for the tourism industry in disputed Kashmir, which faced the double whammy of the coronavirus pandemic and harsh curbs on civil rights India imposed in the region in August 2019.
PoliticsReutersTrump fraud claims open Republican rift in Texas and other red states
Many Republican candidates in solidly conservative states like Texas face intense pressure to perpetuate Trump's false election-fraud narrative as voters make loyalty to Trump a litmus test for their support in future elections. That loyalty was on display last week in the Texas state legislature as several Republicans introduced bills to restrict voting access, including limits on mail-in voting and early voting, citing a need to prevent fraud. In Georgia, turmoil wracked the party during two ultimately failed campaigns by Republican candidates for the U.S. Senate as Trump attacked Republican Governor Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger over their refusal to help him overtu...
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.
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FBI vetting National Guard troops ahead of Biden inauguration
Defense officials say they are worried about an insider attack or other threat from service members involved in securing President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration, prompting the FBI to vet all of the 25,000 National Guard troops coming into Washington for the event.
WorldAssociated PressIran kicks off ground forces drill on coast of Gulf of Oman
Iran's military kicked off a ground forces drill on Tuesday along the coast of the Gulf of Oman, state TV reported, the latest in a series of snap exercises that the country is holding amid escalating tensions over its nuclear program and Washington's pressure campaign against Tehran. According to the report, commando units and airborne infantry were participating in the annual exercise, along with fighter jets, helicopters and military transport aircraft. Iran's National Army chief Abdolrahim Mousavi was overseeing the drill.
WorldReutersBrussels targets vaccinating at least 70% of EU adults by summer
European Union states should aim to vaccinate at least 70% of their adult populations against COVID-19 by the summer, the European Commission recommended on Tuesday. Each of the EU's 27 governments are managing their own vaccination campaigns, including their pace and which groups get priority. The Commission's recommendations are not binding.
U.S.Business InsiderThe man accused of breaking the window Ashli Babbitt tried to climb through when she was shot during the Capitol insurrection has been arrested
Chad Barrett Jones, 42, of Coxs Creek, Kentucky, was arrested in Louisville on Saturday, the FBI said in a news release. Jones is accused of breaking a window of the Capitol building moments before Ashli Babbitt was fatally shot during the insurrection earlier this month. He's facing multiple charges, including assault on a federal officer, destruction of government property, obstruction of justice, unlawful entry on restricted building or grounds, and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
PoliticsReutersAnalysis - Trump's legacy: A more divided America, a more unsettled world
When President Donald Trump delivered his inaugural speech on Jan. 20, 2017, he promised an end to “American carnage,” a bleak and dysfunctional nation he had promised that he alone could fix. Closing out his presidency exactly four years later, Trump leaves behind an even more polarized America, where thousands are dying daily from the COVID-19 pandemic, the economy is badly damaged and political violence has surged. Trump didn't create the bitter differences that have come to define American life.
U.S.Business InsiderWhat we know about the laptop that was stolen from Nancy Pelosi's aide during the Capitol siege
Since the deadly siege on the US Capitol, lawmakers have reported various items stolen from their offices. A laptop that belonged to an aide to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was one of the items reported stolen. On Monday, the FBI arrested a 22-year-old woman accused of stealing the laptop and planning to sell it to Russia.
EntertainmentArchitectural Digest19 Stylish Bar Cabinets to Elevate Your Space in 2021
Store your stemware and sauvignon blanc in style Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
PoliticsThe IndependentLawyer for Donald Trump’s niece planning to depose outgoing president in three cases
An attorney for Donald Trump's niece will bring three cases against the outgoing president, who is due to leave the White House on Wednesday. The cases will allege defamation and fraud against him on behalf of his niece, Mary Trump, author E. Jean Carroll, and ACN, a marketing company. Roberta Kaplan, the 54-year-old attorney, told the Washington Post that she had become “the go-to person to sue the president”.
WorldBBCMigrant caravan: Mexico presses US to reform immigration policies
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has urged the US to make major reforms to its immigration policy as thousands of migrants were blocked by police in neighbouring Guatemala. Mr Lopez Obrador said he was hopeful that President-elect Joe Biden would agree to work with Mexico and other countries on the issue. About 7,000 migrants, mostly from Honduras, have entered Guatemala.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderCuomo asks Pfizer to sell its COVID-19 vaccine directly to New York as the head of WHO warns of mounting inequities in vaccine distribution
On Monday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo called on Pfizer to sell doses of its coronavirus vaccine directly to New York. The proposal would require Pfizer to bypass the federal government's Operation Warp Speed campaign to vaccinate hundreds of millions of Americans. "The distribution of any doses obtained directly from Pfizer will follow the rigorous guidance the State has established, while enabling us to fill the dosage gap created this week by the outgoing federal administration," Cuomo wrote in a letter to Pfizer.
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.
U.S.Business InsiderFox News required its settlement with the family of killed DNC staffer Seth Rich remain undisclosed until after the 2020 election
In settling a lawsuit with the parents of Seth Rich, the DNC staffer murdered in 2016, Fox News stipulated the settlement remain private until after the 2020 election, The New York Times reported. The multi-million dollar settlement was announced at the end of November, more than a month after it was reached on October 12, according to the report. Seth Rich was shot and killed in July 2016 in Washington, DC, and his death prompted numerous, baseless conspiracy right-wing conspiracy theories related to Wikileaks publishing of internal DNC emails.
CelebrityINSIDERDoug Emhoff's kids describe his relationship with Kamala Harris as 'almost vomit-inducingly cute and coupley'
Cole and Ella Emhoff spoke to the New York Times about their stepmom, Kamala Harris. Ella said it's like their father, Doug Emhoff, and Harris are in "the honeymoon phase forever." Emhoff, who married Harris in 2014, will be the country's first-ever second gentleman.
HealthBusiness InsiderHow to persuade your vaccine-skeptic friends to get the COVID-19 shot, according to a Nobel prize-winner who studies vaccine hesitancy
Nobel laureate Abhijit Banerjee has studied what motivates vaccine-hesitant people to change their minds. "My worry, actually, is that people eventually will be persuaded to take the first dose, but then they'll think they're immune and forget to take the second dose," Banerjee told Insider. Nobel laureate Abhijit Banerjee has heard all the dismal poll numbers, suggesting roughly a third of Americans aren't ready to take a COVID-19 vaccine.
SportsBBCCovid: Australian Open player tests positive as event controversy grows
An Australian Open tennis player has tested positive for Covid-19 amid controversy over cases tied to the event. At least six infected people are in quarantine in Melbourne, officials say. The staging of the international event has been debated in Australia given the country's very low virus numbers and strict entry rules.
- PoliticsReuters Videos
Biden to end Keystone XL pipeline early on
U.S. President-elect Joe Biden may end the Keystone XL pipeline project as one of his first acts in office, a source familiar with his thinking told Reuters it could happen as early as day one. Biden, who will be inaugurated on Wednesday, was vice president when Barack Obama rejected the $9 billion project in 2015. Then two years later, Donald Trump issued a presidential permit that allowed the line to move forward.
“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.”