PoliticsThe IndependentJill Biden spent her first week as First Lady reshaping the role. Melania Trump spent hers isolated in a tower
Dr Biden tapped former US Ambassador to Uruguay Julissa Reynoso Pantaleon to serve as her chief of staff before Inauguration Day could even arrive. The political strategist and prominent attorney who previously worked under former President Barack Obama would help the new first lady roll out her agenda, which included the relaunch of Joining Forces, an initiative she co-founded with former First Lady Michelle Obama providing support for military families. Whereas the national gaze is typically cast on the new president during their first days in office, the first lady's presence could be felt in a recently unfamiliar way.
U.S.ReutersOn eve of Auschwitz anniversary, survivor saddened by U.S. Capitol attack
As the 76th anniversary on Wednesday of the liberation of Auschwitz draws closer, Bill Harvey, who survived the concentration camp, said he was shocked by displays of anti-Semitism during the U.S. Capitol riot. Some of the supporters of former President Donald Trump who broke into and ransacked the seat of Congress on Jan. 6 wore clothes bearing anti-Semitic messages, or displayed Nazi symbols. Harvey, interviewed by Zoom from his Los Angeles home on Monday, expressed concern that the lessons that should have been learned from World War Two's Nazi Holocaust are fading.
U.S.Associated PressFeds withheld info on virus cases following executions
At least two journalists tested positive for coronavirus after witnessing the Trump administration's final three federal executions, but the Bureau of Prisons knowingly withheld the diagnoses from other media witnesses and did not perform any contact tracing, The Associated Press has learned. The AP is not identifying the journalists, but has confirmed they both received positive coronavirus tests following the executions earlier this month at the Federal Correctional Complex in Terre Haute, Indiana. The Bureau of Prisons just completed a record number of executions under former President Donald Trump, more than any previous administration.
PoliticsYahoo NewsQAnon-aligned Rep. Marjorie Greene's support for 'a bullet to the head' for Pelosi draws rebuke from House GOP leader
Newly uncovered Facebook posts by Georgia freshman Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene expressing support for the murder of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi were called “deeply disturbing” by the top Republican in the House, whose office said he planned to “have a conversation with her” about it. On Tuesday, CNN reported that Greene had shown support for executing prominent Democrats before she ran for Congress in 2020. Greene, a supporter of the QAnon conspiracy theory who has a long history of racist comments, was elected to the House in November after winning the Republican primary in a heavily conservative district.
WorldThe TelegraphJoe Biden presses Vladimir Putin on poisoning of opposition leader Alexei Navalny
Joe Biden challenged Vladimir Putin over the poisoning of Alexei Navalny, and reports of Russian bounties on the heads of US soldiers in Afghanistan, in their first presidential phone call. Mr Biden also raised concerns about Russian "aggression" against Ukraine, and reaffirmed Washington's "strong support for Ukraine's sovereignty." Kremlin officials said documents had been exchanged to extend the pact.
WorldThe WeekCharity aims to help Holocaust survivors in Israel make it through the pandemic
Haifa is home to Israel's largest population of Holocaust survivors, and Yad Rosa is working around the clock to help them make it through the coronavirus pandemic. Shimon Sabag started Yad Rosa 20 years ago, and over the last 10 months, has had to completely change the way the charity helps these elderly survivors. "This is the moment of truth," Sabag told The Washington Post. "Holocaust survivors see the finish line, but emotionally they are collapsing."
WorldBBCCoronavirus: Why South Africa has yet to roll out vaccines
South Africa has been seeking to source vaccines in three ways: via the World Health Organization-backed Covax scheme via arrangements made by the African Union through bilateral contracts with vaccine manufacturers Covax is a global initiative in which countries pool their resources to support the development of vaccines with a view to ensure that all countries receive a fair supply of effective vaccines. South Africa expects to acquire doses for around 10% of the population through Covax and has been told it will receive them from April through to June. The African Union established the African vaccine acquisition task team last year to source vaccine doses for the continent.
HealthThe ConversationWhy it takes 2 shots to make mRNA vaccines do their antibody-creating best – and what the data shows on delaying the booster dose
With the U.S. facing vaccination delays because of worker shortages and distribution problems, federal health officials now say it's OK to push back the second dose of the two-part vaccine by as much as six weeks. As an infectious disease doctor, I've been fielding a lot of questions from my patients as well as my friends and family about whether the COVID-19 vaccine will still work if people are late receiving their second dose. Two doses, separated by three to four weeks, is the tried-and-true approach to generate an effective immune response through vaccination, not just for COVID but for hepatitis A and B and other diseases as well.
WorldReutersSuga says he and Biden agree to strengthen U.S.-Japan alliance
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said on Thursday he had agreed with U.S. President Joe Biden in a phone call to strengthen their bilateral alliance, as China expands its economic and military might. They also agreed to arrange a U.S. visit for Suga as early as possible, Suga told reporters. The White House said the two affirmed the importance of the U.S.-Japan alliance "as the cornerstone of peace and prosperity in a free and open Indo-Pacific."
WorldAssociated PressExtradited teacher appears in Australia court on sex charges
A former teacher extradited from Israel after a six-year legal battle appeared in an Australian court Thursday to face child sex abuse charges. Malka Leifer, 54, appeared in Melbourne Magistrates Court by video link from a police station where she is in COVID-19 quarantine. Wearing a headscarf, she sat with her head in her hands during the 20-minute hearing where the 74 charges against her were read in court for the first time.
LifestyleArchitectural DigestHere Are The Brightest Decor Buys of the Season
Let's get loud Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
WorldThe TelegraphGermany warns of 'ten tough weeks ahead' as Europe faces vaccine shortages
The European Union is facing severe shortages after vaccine companies were forced to cut planned deliveries because of production problems — an issue the manufacturers say was caused by the bloc ordering too late to allow them to ramp up production. Germany has been caught up in the shortages after Angela Merkel overruled an attempt by Mr Spahn to order sufficient stocks last summer and insisted the country entrust its vaccine orders to the European Commission. Making vaccines is very complex, and a lot of work is needed to increase capacity that leads to delays,” Mr Spahn told German radio.
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Journalist Pearl's convicted killer may walk free
The Islamist who was convicted of the murder and beheading of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl in 2002 may be released from prison in Pakistan. The country's supreme court on Thursday ordered the release of Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, a decision that lawyers representing Pearl's family branded a "travesty of justice" that has left his loved ones in "complete shock." Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh was the main suspect in the 2002 kidnapping and killing of Pearl, who was abducted in Karachi while investigating militants in the days after the 9/11 attacks on the United States.
PoliticsReutersBiden takes sweeping measures to curb climate change, vows job creation
President Joe Biden on Wednesday signed a new raft of executive actions to combat climate change, including pausing new oil and gas leases on federal land and cutting fossil fuel subsidies, as he pursues green policies he billed as a boon for job creation. The orders map out the direction for the Democratic president's climate change and environmental agenda and reverse the policies of his Republican predecessor, Donald Trump, who sought to maximize U.S. oil, gas and coal output by removing regulations and easing environmental reviews. "In my view, we've already waited too long to deal with this climate crisis," Biden told a White House ceremony, noting the threats the nation faces from intensifying storms, wildfires, floods and droughts linked to climate change as well as air pollution from burning fossil fuels.
WorldAssociated PressAuschwitz survivors mark anniversary online amid pandemic
A Jewish prayer for the souls of the people murdered in the Holocaust echoed Wednesday over where the Warsaw ghetto stood during World War II as a world paused by the coronavirus pandemic observed the 76th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. Most International Holocaust Remembrance Day commemorations were being held online this year due to the virus, including the annual ceremony at the site of the former Auschwitz death camp, where Nazi German forces killed 1.1 million people in occupied Poland. The memorial site is closed to visitors because of the pandemic.
WorldThe TelegraphCoronavirus latest news: Boris Johnson backs AstraZeneca vaccine after Germany says it shouldn't be given to over-65s
Boris Johnson has said he is not concerned by Germany ruling that the AstraZeneca vaccine should only be recommended for under 65s, as he argued the evidence shows it "provides a good immune response across all age groups". The Prime Minister joined Public Health England (PHE) in defending the use of the jab after a draft recommendation from Germany's vaccination advisory committee on Thursday said there was insufficient data to recommend it for those aged 65 and over. "Both the AstraZeneca and Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines are safe and provide high levels of protection against Covid-19, particularly against severe disease," she said.
PoliticsReutersSecretary of State Blinken says U.S. committed to Israel's security
The United States reaffirms its firm commitment to Israel's security and will continue to work closely with it to advance peace in the region, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said. Blinken, in a call with Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi, applauded recent progress made with the "Abraham Accords" and affirmed U.S. interest in building further on that progress, the U.S. State Department said in a statement. "Foreign Minister Ashkenazi and Secretary Blinken acknowledged the steadfast partnership between the United States and Israel, and that the two countries would work closely together on challenges ahead," it said.
PoliticsAssociated PressBroken by Trump, US refugee program aims to return stronger
They're gearing up to handle 125,000 refugees this year and possibly more after that if President Joe Biden makes good on his promise to restore the number of people able to create new lives in America after fleeing persecution or war. Agencies say they welcome the challenge after being pushed to the brink. But the last four years illustrates the need to make the 41-year-old program that's long enjoyed bipartisan support less vulnerable to political whims if America is to regain its position as a leader in providing sanctuary for the world's oppressed.
BusinessReutersEU contract did not leave time to fix vaccine hiccups: AstraZeneca CEO
AstraZeneca's Chief Executive on Tuesday said the European Union's late decision to strike a contract with the drugmaker to supply COVID-19 vaccines, months after Britain, meant the company did not have enough time to iron out glitches in setting up production lines with external partners. "We are basically two months behind where we wanted to be," Pascal Soriot told German daily Die Welt in an interview, when asked about delayed deliveries in Europe. "And the issue here is we've had also teething issues like this in the UK supply chain," he added.
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'Outrageous' rhetoric from AOC exposes hypocrisy of the 'radical' Democrat Party: Rep. Budd
North Carolina Congressman Ted Budd reacts to statement made by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez claiming the GOP caucus is made up of 'white supremacist sympathizers.
PoliticsThe IndependentGiuliani election witness who went viral after testimony says she’s running for office
A conservative activist who was widely mocked after she was called to testify by Rudy Giuliani during a hearing on election fraud in December says she is running for office. Melissa Carone, who was an IT contractor for Dominion Voting Systems on election day, testified before a Michigan House panel in December 2020 that she had witnessed electoral fraud take place in favour of the Democrats on 3 November's presidential election. In testimony that went viral, Ms Carone claimed that tens of thousands of votes had been counted twice, but offered no proof to back up her claims.
WorldAssociated PressEXPLAINER: Why India's farmers are revolting against PM Modi
Most of the protesters are farmers from northern Punjab and Haryana states, the two biggest agricultural producers. They are demanding the repeal of laws passed by Parliament in September that they say will favor large corporate farms, devastate the earnings of many farmers and leave those who hold small plots behind as big corporations win out. Modi has billed the laws as necessary to modernize Indian farming.
EntertainmentArchitectural DigestHave a Drink in Style with These 9 Cocktail Tables
The best occasional tables keep your cocktail at arm's reach Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
U.S.USA TODAYReturn letter from Biden again shows Texas kindergarten students 'their voice matters,' teacher says
EL PASO, Texas – An El Paso teacher received a letter from President Joe Biden after her kindergarten class wrote to congratulate him for winning the 2020 election. Barron Elementary teacher Martha Tavarez and her class wrote to the then president-elect and Jill Biden after she gave a lesson to her students about the presidential election, including hosting a mock election, according to a news release on the El Paso Independent School District's website. The letter her class received in response bore the official seal of the Office of the President-Elect and some words of appreciation from the man elected as America's 46th president.
WorldReutersChina sharpens language, warns Taiwan that independence 'means war'
China toughened its language towards Taiwan on Thursday, warning after recent stepped up military activities near the island that "independence means war" and that its armed forces were acting in response to provocation and foreign interference. Taiwan, claimed by China as its own territory, reported multiple Chinese fighter jets and bombers entering its southwestern air defence identification zone last weekend, prompting Washington to urge Beijing to stop pressuring Taiwan. China believes that Taiwan's democratically-elected government is moving the island towards a declaration of formal independence, though Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen has repeatedly said it is already an independent country called the Republic of China, its formal name.
“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.”