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  • Republicans built up QAnon backer Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, but now are they afraid of what they created?

    On the eve of President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration, freshman Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, the combative Georgia Republican known for her association with QAnon, was back on Twitter after a 12-hour suspension, and back to making waves. 

  • Kamala Harris won't be moving into vice president's residence immediately

    Vice presidents since Vice President Walter Mondale have been living in the residence at the Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C.

  • Commanding Officer of Navy Reserve Center Fired After Investigation

    Capt. Scott Moss, who led the NOSC in Knoxville, was relieved of command by Capt. Dale Maxey.

  • Joe Biden's inaugural address gives hope to the millions who stutter

    Joe Biden delivering his inaugural address on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on January 20, 2021. Alex Wong/Getty ImagesPresident Joe Biden called for American unity after four years of political divisiveness and the “raging fire” it provoked. He promised to be a president for all Americans. “I will fight as hard for those who did not support me as for those who did,” he said. It was a message of hope and optimism. And while his intent was clearly to speak to all of America, his speech spoke in a different way to a particular community. The new president stutters, and his speech, made with the whole world watching, was a powerful example to those millions of Americans who, like me, stutter. When I was 11 years old, my speech-language pathologist told me: “Look, John Stossel (the television personality) stutters, and he speaks beautifully. You will be able to do that, too.” My therapist was trying to motivate me, but the message was that my goal should be to speak perfectly. For me, that was not the case. By age 14, I already knew my stuttering was not going anywhere. Although I’m a fairly strong communicator, I continue to experience stuttering – a neurological condition that impacts the fluent, forward flowing production of speech. Like me, roughly 1% of the world’s population stutters. That translates to more than 70 million people worldwide and over 3 million people in the United States, including Biden. Biden’s experience with stuttering is a compelling one. What inspires me is the way he talks about his experience as a person who stutters. For people who stutter, the presidential campaign, Biden’s election and his inauguration mark an important change in how we discuss stuttering. A need for understanding People who stutter often suffer discrimination at work, as students and in social relationships. Several studies show that the general population knows very little about stuttering. Many Americans also believe that people who stutter are less intelligent, less competent and more anxious. Although I was surrounded by good friends, it felt very lonely to be a child who stutters. I was bullied and teased by my peers. People imitated how I spoke, interrupted when I was talking and even laughed when I stuttered. Unfortunately, most role models were not helpful. Mel Tillis, the American country singer who used his stuttering as part of his stage persona, and Porky Pig, a cartoon character who stuttered, were the targets of jokes. My goal became clear around my fifth birthday: I must find a way not to stutter. Today, many children who stutter receive this message, although there is no “cure” for stuttering. Therapy and group support can help. But for many, stuttering requires attention for their entire lives. Joe Biden speaks at the 10th Annual American Institute for Stuttering gala in New York on June 6, 2016. Mike Pont/WireImage via Getty Images Biden stands up to bullies Biden has spoken about his struggles with stuttering during speeches for the National Stuttering Association and the American Institute for Stuttering. But he had spoken sparingly about his stuttering in the mainstream media until his campaign for president began in 2019. Throughout the campaign season, President Donald Trump and his surrogates began seizing on hesitations and other characteristics of Biden’s speech. During the campaign trail, Trump called Biden “Sleepy Joe” and said he was out of touch. He said Biden suffers from dementia. These insults were due partially to Biden’s age but also to the differences in his speech. Biden responded to former White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders, who mocked his stuttering during a 2019 Democratic presidential debate. “I’ve worked my whole life to overcome a stutter. And it’s my great honor to mentor kids who have experienced the same. It’s called empathy. Look it up,” Biden said via Twitter. During a CNN town hall in February 2020, he said he continues to stutter when he is tired. This was good for me to hear, and I believe good for other people who stutter. Talking about stuttering, instead of trying to hide it, is an important part of coping. Biden also chose Brayden Harrington to speak at the virtual Democratic National Convention. Harrington, a teenager who stutters, shared how Biden had helped him in 2019 by telling him it was OK to stutter. He also shared how the former vice president continued to stay in touch. “Joe Biden cares,” Harrington said during his speech. To me, it felt as if stuttering was finally being discussed in public and in a positive manner. The first president who stutters Certainly, Biden’s election as president matters for many reasons. I suspect there have been more news articles and opinion pieces about stuttering published in major newspapers in the past 18 months than in the prior 18 years. This is important because it raises awareness of stuttering and helps those in the stuttering community feel connected with others who also stutter, thus helping all of us understand their struggles. Biden is an important role model because he has begun to talk openly about stuttering and because he has demonstrated that one can still stutter while communicating well and achieving astonishing goals.This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. It was written by: Rodney Gabel, Binghamton University, State University of New York. Read more:From Biden’s giant Bible to Christian flags waved by rioters, ‘religion’ means different things to different people and different erasNew studies show discrimination widely reported by women, people of color and LGBTQ adults Rodney Gabel is a member of the National Stuttering Association and a member of the Board of Directors for the International Stuttering Association.

  • Inauguration Day 2021: Obama, Bush and Clinton give message to Biden as Oval Office gets a revamp

    Live news and updates

  • The 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 headsOriginally Appeared on Architectural Digest

  • Indian village cheers for Harris during swearing-in as US VP

    With chants of “Long live Kamala Harris,” fireworks and prayers, residents of a tiny Indian village celebrated her inauguration as U.S. vice president. People flocked to the village and its Hindu temple in southern India, to watch Harris, who has ancestral roots in the village, take her oath of office on Wednesday in Washington. The villagers chanted “Long live Kamala Harris” while holding portraits of her and blasted off fireworks the moment she took the oath.

  • Fox News' Chris Wallace calls Biden's speech the 'best inaugural address I ever heard'

    President Biden's inaugural address has won some high praise on Fox News.Fox News anchor Chris Wallace on Wednesday praised Biden's "great" inaugural address, going as far as to deem it the best he's ever watched in his life."I thought it was a great speech," Wallace said. "I've been listening to these inaugural addresses since 1961 -- John F. Kennedy, 'ask not.' I thought this was the best inaugural address I ever heard."Biden during his first address as president declared that "democracy has prevailed" and urged unity, saying politics "doesn't have to be a raging fire destroying everything in its path." Wallace noted the speech and the ceremony itself was especially meaningful coming exactly two weeks after a mob of former President Donald Trump's supporters stormed the Capitol building in an attempt to disrupt Congress' certification of the election results."It was a less an inaugural address and more part sermon, part pep talk," Wallace said.The Fox News anchor also called for those in the media to particularly take note of Biden's comment that "there is truth and there are lies, lies told for power and for profit, and each of us has a duty and a responsibility ... to defend the truth and defeat the lies.""Now he's gotta turn words, rhetoric into reality and action," Wallace added. "But I thought it was a great start." > Fox News's Chris Wallace: "This was the best inaugural address I ever heard." pic.twitter.com/W2tauGp5g5> > -- Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) January 20, 2021More stories from theweek.com Cheap, 'generic' drug reduces COVID-19 death risk by 75 percent, trials suggest Michael Flynn's brother was in a key Pentagon meeting during Jan. 6 Capitol siege, despite earlier denials Bernie Sanders steals the inauguration with his grumpy chic outfit

  • Trump spends first night as a private citizen 'looking for lawyers for his impeachment trial'

    Donald Trump spent his first night as a private citizen settling into his new home at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, where he has reportedly already begun preparing for his upcoming impeachment hearing. Mr Trump’s final engagement in Washington DC as president was attending his farewell at Joint Base Andrews in DC, which was attended only by some 250 of his most loyal aides and supporters. Notably absent were close White House aides and his own vice president Mike Pence. The former president then left for Florida as President Joe Biden was being sworn in, where he received a much warmer welcome. Supporters lined Mr Trump’s route to Mar-a-Lago, waving “Trump 2020” flags and signs reading “welcome home!”, while others screamed “I love you” as his motorcade drove past. Some still refused to accept the results of the election.

  • Biden tells appointees 'I will fire you on the spot' for showing disrespect to colleagues

    President Joe Biden issued a warning Wednesday to his appointees that a hostile workplace will not be allowed in his administration. 

  • Pence moves out and Harris moves in: This is the official home of the Vice President

    Ms Harris is expected to move into the 128-year-old residence once a number of repairs have been made

  • British lawyer declines HK case after being subjected to 'disgraceful' comment

    A British prosecutor hired by the Hong Kong government to lead a case against democracy activists has pulled out after coming under pressure in Britain including 'disgraceful' comments by its foreign minister, city authorities said on Wednesday. David Perry, a Queen's Counsel, was due to lead the case against tabloid media magnate Jimmy Lai and several others, including veteran democracy activists Martin Lee and Margaret Ng. But Hong Kong's Department of Justice noted "growing pressure and criticism" of Perry in Britain for taking the case, adding in a statement that he had "concerns about such pressures and the exemption of quarantine" and "indicated that the trial should proceed without him".

  • Joe Biden's popularity in charts: How the new president compares to Donald Trump

    As Joe Biden is sworn in as the 46th President of the United States he starts his term in office with a better standing both at home and abroad than his predecessor. Though he may be inheriting a bitterly divided and tense country in the wake of the storming of the Capitol and Donald Trump's insistence that he won the 2020 election, President Biden can at least count on popularity as he faces the the difficult task of uniting all Americans behind his vision for the future. However, while the early signs in the data are positive for the new president, the polarisation of American politics could be a thorn in his leadership and polling suggests he will not enjoy the same popularity as President Barack Obama. So far 58 per cent of Americans approve of the job Biden has done during the transition in explaining his plans and policies for the future as President-elect, according to surveys conducted in the week before inauguration day, while 39 per cent have disapproved.

  • Fox News contributors choke up talking about the importance of Kamala Harris being the first Black woman VP

    Liberal Fox News contributor Richard Fowler choked up during an appearance on the network as he marveled at the numerous glass ceilings broken by Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday."One part [of the inauguration] that caused me to get real emotional was, we've been a country for 243 years, and in all those 243 years, we have had women citizens but we have never had a woman hold national office," Fowler said, his voice breaking as he went on. "So to see Kamala Harris put her hand on the Bible today -- also being her and I are of Jamaican descent, and I just think about my grandmother and my mom and so many other women who saw this, and so many young girls who can finally believe that they can be president, too, because of what we did as a country back in November."> Fox News contributor Richard Fowler gets emotional when talking about Kamala Harris being the first woman VP, and how it makes him think about his grandmother and mom, who like Harris are of Jamaican descent pic.twitter.com/Wdlo8Ca3uh> > -- Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 20, 2021Fowler was not the only contributor on Fox News on Wednesday to be audibly moved by the significance of Harris' oath. Political analyst Juan Williams also emotionally explained, "It's visceral, and I'll tell you why. I have granddaughters, I'm the son of a Black mother -- you think about American history, you think about the status of Black women in this country for most of our history. And the idea that a Black woman would assume such power in this moment as a national leader -- truly inspiring." > Fox News' Juan Williams gets choked up talking about Kamala Harris:> > "You think about the status of Black women in this country for most of our history. And the idea that a Black woman would assume such power in this moment as a national leader, truly inspiring." pic.twitter.com/K13K0Q1vVX> > -- Parker Molloy (@ParkerMolloy) January 20, 2021More stories from theweek.com Cheap, 'generic' drug reduces COVID-19 death risk by 75 percent, trials suggest Michael Flynn's brother was in a key Pentagon meeting during Jan. 6 Capitol siege, despite earlier denials Bernie Sanders steals the inauguration with his grumpy chic outfit

  • Netherlands proposes first curfew since World War Two, flight bans

    The Dutch government on Wednesday proposed the first nationwide curfew since World War Two and a ban on flights from South Africa and Britain in its toughest moves yet to limit the spread of coronavirus in the Netherlands. Prime Minister Mark Rutte said the curfew, which is largely intended to target new, more infectious variants of the disease, must be approved by parliament, which is set to debate measures against the coronavirus on Thursday. The flight ban, which Rutte said also will apply to all South American countries, will begin on Saturday.

  • Texas Governor Slams FBI Vetting of National Guard: ‘The Most Offensive Thing I’ve Ever Heard’

    Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Tuesday slammed the FBI’s vetting of National Guard members, including those from his state, who are being called to Washington, D.C. to provide security for President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration on Wednesday. “This is the most offensive thing I’ve ever heard. No one should ever question the loyalty or professionalism of the Texas National Guard,” Abbott wrote in a tweet. The Republican governor said he has authorized more than 1,000 Texas National Guard members to be deployed to the nation’s capital. “I’ll never do it again if they are disrespected like this,” Abbott said. About 25,000 National Guard troops from various states have been sent to Washington as officials in the city work to ensure the inauguration will be secure in the wake of the deadly riot at the Capitol earlier this month. The number of troops deployed in D.C. this week is more than triple the number of U.S. troops currently serving in Iraq and Afghanistan combined. The FBI is vetting service members who will be providing security for the inauguration due to defense officials’ concerns about a potential insider attack this week. Two Army National Guard members were removed Tuesday from the security operation to secure President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration after they were found to have ties to fringe right group militias, although no plot against Biden was uncovered. Representative Steve Cohen, a Tennessee Democrat, suggested Monday that National Guard members who support President Trump are “suspect” and “might want to do something” to Biden. He said that service members should be vetted to prevent potential security threats including assassination attempts. “You’ve got to figure that in the Guard, which is predominantly more conservative. Seventy-five percent are in the class that would be in the large class of folks who might want to do something,” Cohen said. “There were military people and police who took oaths to defend the Constitution…who didn’t do it and were in the insurrection.” Acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller said Monday that there is “no intelligence indicating an insider threat.” Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy said that members of the military were at President Trump’s rally in front of the White House just before the Capitol riot. He warned military officers to be aware of potential issues among service members but said that they have seen no evidence of threats so far. “Any type of activity that involves violence, civil disobedience, or a breach of peace may be punishable under the Uniform Code of Military Justice or under state or federal law,” the Army said in a statement. Meanwhile, an FBI memo sent last week to law enforcement agencies across the country warned of plans for armed protests at the capitals of all 50 states as well as Washington D.C. in the days leading up to Biden’s inauguration. Biden will be inaugurated on January 20, exactly two weeks after a group of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol, forcing their way past security and into the halls of Congress. The violence ended with five dead. The pro-Trump mob headed to the Capitol after attending a rally in front of the White House during which President Trump delivered remarks, encouraging his supporters to “fight much harder.”

  • India starts supplying COVID-19 shots to neighboring nations

    India began supplying coronavirus vaccines to its neighboring countries on Wednesday, as the world’s largest vaccine making nation strikes a balance between maintaining enough doses to inoculate its own people and helping developing countries without the capacity to produce their own shots. India's Foreign Ministry said the country would send 150,000 shots of the AstraZeneca/Oxford University vaccine, manufactured locally by Serum Institute of India, to Bhutan and 100,000 shots to the Maldives on Wednesday. India's ambassador to Nepal, Vinay Mohan Kwatra, said Wednesday that New Delhi would supply Nepal with 1 million doses free of charge, with the first to arrive as early as Thursday.

  • Iran, Turkey block rivals from joining U.N. disarmament talks

    Talks aimed at overcoming a years-long deadlock over disarmament at the United Nations began in acrimony on Tuesday with two countries blocking rivals from taking part in widely criticised manoeuvres that sparked concern about the forum's future. Iran blocked Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates from joining as observers, lashing out at the former's military record, while Turkey blocked Cyprus in a trend that marks a significant departure from normal U.N. protocol and might set a precedent for other bodies that operate on a consensus basis. Iran's delegate said that Saudi Arabia had used the forum as a platform for a "distraction and disinformation campaign" and called Riyadh "the largest military offender in the region".

  • Trump is reportedly just going up to people and asking if they want a pardon

    President Trump has spent the last few days asking his friends, aides, and associates if they would like pardons — even those who are not facing any charges, a senior administration official told The Washington Post.In one case, the official said, Trump offered a pardon to a person who declined the chance at clemency, saying they weren't in any legal trouble and hadn't committed any crimes. "Trump's response was, 'Yeah, well, but you never know. They're going to come after us all. Maybe it's not a bad idea. Just let me know,'" the official recounted.Trump has taken a great interest in pardoning people, the Post reports, even calling families to personally let them know he granted a pardon. A person familiar with the matter told the Post that Trump was talked out of pardoning himself, family members, and controversial figures like Rudy Giuliani. An aide said there was also a brief discussion about possibly issuing pardons related to the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, but that idea went nowhere.While Trump has held a few ceremonial events in recent weeks, journalists have been kept away from the White House, largely because the president is "just not in a place where they would go well," one official told the Post. Trump is constantly flip-flopping, another administration official said, talking about his future but uncertain of where he will be. "He goes between, 'Well, I'm going to go to Florida and play golf, and life is honestly better,' and then in the next moment, it's like, 'But don't you think there's a chance to stay?'" the official said. Read more at The Washington Post.More stories from theweek.com Bernie Sanders steals the inauguration with his grumpy chic outfit Only a sprinkling of Trump supporters showed up at state capitols to protest Biden's inauguration QAnon believers are realizing their entire conspiracy was a hoax as Biden is sworn in

  • Iran’s telecom minister appears before prosecutor, released

    Iran's judiciary released the country's telecom minister on bail Wednesday after he was summoned for prosecution by Iran's general prosecutor, state TV reported. The state media outlet quoted Jamal Hadian, a spokesman for the telecommunications ministry, as saying Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi appeared before a prosecutor Wednesday, was released and had already returned to his office. The office of the general prosecutor had summoned Jahromi for prosecution over his refusal to block Instagram and other foreign social media messaging systems, according to earlier reports.