Work underway to complete temporary overnight homeless shelter in downtown OKC

Work underway to complete temporary overnight homeless shelter in downtown OKC

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  • NBA player turned conspiracy theorist stages one-man pro-Trump protest amid inaugural security prepared for thousands

    The extra security measures appeared to have kept many protesters away from the Capitol and inaugural activities, but not one man.

  • Florida residents camp out to buy guns fearing Biden crackdown

    Incoming president has long been a gun control advocate, but doesn’t plan on taking back anyone’s guns

  • China hits Trump officials with sanctions on their way out

    China imposed sanctions on nearly 30 former Trump administration officials moments after they left office on Wednesday. In a statement released just minutes after President Joe Biden was inaugurated, Beijing slapped travel bans and business restrictions on Trump’s secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, national security adviser Robert O’Brien and U.N. ambassador, Kelly Craft. Others covered by the sanctions include Trump’s economic adviser Peter Navarro; his top diplomat for Asia, David Stilwell; health and human services secretary, Alex Azar; along with former national security adviser John Bolton and strategist Stephen Bannon.

  • Trump issues last-minute order attempting to free his appointees from ethics commitments

    President Trump's last big batch of pardons will get most of the attention, but he also issued an executive order in his last few hours in office that seeks to free all current and former hires from the ethics agreements they signed to work in his administration. Trump revoked his January 2017 "Ethics Commitments by Executive Branch Appointees" order, the White House announced early Wednesday, so "employees and former employees subject to the commitments in Executive Order 13770 will not be subject to those commitments after noon January 20, 2021."Those commitments included not lobbying the federal agencies they served under for five years after leaving government. The executive order, Yashar Ali notes, was the backbone of Trump's "drain the swamp" pledge.> Forget about draining the swamp...President Trump just filled it up.> > He has revoked his own executive order (13770) which had the following provisions (among others). > > The drain the swamp stuff was all smoke and mirrors anyway but here's Trump walking back his own EO... pic.twitter.com/ZvuW0CwszQ> > — Yashar Ali (@yashar) January 20, 2021President-elect Joe Biden takes office at noon on Wednesday, and presumably he could just issue a new executive order reversing Trump's.Norm Eisen, "ethics czar" to former President Barack Obama, said in a Politico column Tuesday that Obama's clear ethics rules led to "arguably the most scandal-free presidency in memory," but "Trump greatly watered down the standards with scandalous results" and "Biden has done the opposite, restoring the Obama rules and expanding them."Biden's planned executive order, Eisen wrote, "restores the fundamentals of the Obama plan, closing loopholes Trump opened—but going further, including new crackdowns on special interest influence. If implemented rigorously (always a big if) Biden's plan promises to go further to 'drain the swamp' than either of his predecessors."More stories from theweek.com A lone man knelt at Beau Biden's grave as President Biden gave his inauguration speech Bernie Sanders steals the inauguration with his grumpy chic outfit Cheap, 'generic' drug reduces COVID-19 death risk by 75 percent, trials suggest

  • By the numbers: The impact of the $15 minimum wage

    Reproduced from Pew Research Center; Map: Axios VisualsPresident-elect Joe Biden is calling to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour, which is nearly double the current $7.25. The move would be the first change to the federal minimum wage since 2009. Why it matters: The pandemic exposed the ugly ways in which America treats low-wage employees — even when they're doing essential jobs. Raising the federal minimum wage would put more money into the pockets of many of these same essential workers who have been on the front lines throughout the pandemic. Get smarter, faster with the news CEOs, entrepreneurs and top politicians read. Sign up for Axios Newsletters here.What to watch: $15 an hour would have a massive impact in smaller cities and in the middle of the country. * Lots of larger metros, including San Francisco and New York, already have $15 or higher minimum hourly wages. In those places, the cost of living is so high that $15 feels more like $12 (see map above). * But in smaller cities, where the minimum wage is much closer to $7.25 and the median wage is closer to $15, the federal bump would make a huge difference.All told, "hiking the national minimum to $15 an hour by 2025 would lift 1.3 million workers above wages that put them below the poverty line," CBS reports, citing an analysis from the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office. * Yes, but: The CBO also estimates that the hike could cost $1.3 million jobs, as small businesses unable to pay their workers $15 an hour lay people off or go out of business.Go deeper: Government minimum wage hikes pay off for low-wage workersBe smart: sign up FREE for the most influential newsletter in America.

  • 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

  • Trump Pardons Vietnam Ace, TOPGUN Navy Legend Who Took Bribes

    Former California Rep. Randall "Duke" Cunningham was convicted of taking bribes from defense contractors.

  • Melania Trump reportedly didn't write her own thank-you notes for the White House staff

    Melania Trump was reportedly "emotionally checked out" long before boarding Air Force One to leave D.C. on Wednesday, going as far as to outsource writing her "thank you" notes to the White House residence staff, The New York Times and CNN report.Traditionally, the first family of the United States will write short cards to their household staff, thanking them for taking care of them over the past four to eight years. The cards tend to be intimate and "much of the correspondence includes personal anecdotes and the letters become 'cherished keepsakes' for the residence staff," such as the butlers, cooks, and housekeepers, who do not tend to turn-over between administrations, CNN writes.Melania Trump, however, reportedly did not personally write the cards for the approximately 80 staff members charged with caring for her, her husband, and her teenage son, Barron, while they lived in the White House. Instead, she is said to have instructed a "lower-level East Wing staffer" to write the type-written notes "in her voice," and then signed her name."I think she was a reluctant first lady and she did it for her husband," society publicist R. Couri Hay, who knows Trump from New York, told The New York Times. He added that after she departs Washington, "I think that you will find that she will be even less visible, and less available."More stories from theweek.com A lone man knelt at Beau Biden's grave as President Biden gave his inauguration speech Bernie Sanders steals the inauguration with his grumpy chic outfit Cheap, 'generic' drug reduces COVID-19 death risk by 75 percent, trials suggest

  • ‘What happened?’: QAnon followers left upset and angry as conspiracy theory’s ‘storm’ fails to materialise

    Followers of QAnon have been left upset and angry in the wake of the apparent collapse of the conspiracy theory. Followers had hoped for mass arrests of their enemies and the final proof that their faith in the unknown person named Q and Donald Trump had not been misplaced. The baseless QAnon theory suggests, without any evidence, that argued that a group of powerful, Satan-worshipping people running a cannibalistic child sexual abuse ring.

  • Biden delivers a message of unity on inauguration night

    President Biden offered a message of unity to a fatigued and divided nation on Wednesday night.

  • China sanctions top Trump alumni one day after Uyghur genocide determination

    China's foreign ministry announced Wednesday it would sanction 28 "anti-China" U.S. politicians, including a slew of top officials from the outgoing Trump administration such as former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, former national security adviser John Bolton and former chief strategist Steve Bannon. Between the lines, via Axios China expert Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian: Chinese government officials have traditionally decried the use of unilateral sanctions by Western countries, even though China regularly blocks foreign companies and individuals from its markets for perceived political slights.Get smarter, faster with the news CEOs, entrepreneurs and top politicians read. Sign up for Axios Newsletters here. * But as its tit-for-tat battle with Washington has drawn on, Beijing has adopted the use of traditional sanctions in direct response to U.S. sanctions of Chinese government officials. * The sanctions also come one day after Pompeo announced the U.S. government has determined China's repression of Uyghur Muslims in the Xinjiang region amounts to genocide, a decision that has infuriated Beijing.What they're saying: "[S]ome anti-China politicians in the United States, out of their selfish political interests and prejudice and hatred against China and showing no regard for the interests of the Chinese and American people, have planned, promoted and executed a series of crazy moves which have gravely interfered in China's internal affairs, undermined China's interests, offended the Chinese people, and seriously disrupted China-U.S. relations," the foreign ministry said in a statement. * "The Chinese government is firmly resolved to defend China's national sovereignty, security and development interests. China has decided to sanction 28 persons who have seriously violated China's sovereignty and who have been mainly responsible for such U.S. moves on China-related issues."Details: The sanctions will restrict the named individuals from entering the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macao. The officials and companies they are "associated" with will also be restricted from doing business with China, though whether and to what extent this prohibition will be enforced isn't clear.Other noteworthy names in the sanctions list include: * Trump economic adviser Peter Navarro * National security adviser Robert O'Brien * Former deputy national security adviser Matthew Pottinger * Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar * United Nations ambassador Kelly Craft * Assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs David Stilwell * Under secretary of state for economic growth, energy, and the environment Keith KrachThe big picture: This is not the first time Beijing has targeted China hawks in the U.S., whom they accuse of meddling in domestic affairs. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) were among those sanctioned last year for their criticisms of China's human rights abuses.Go deeper ... Special report: Trump's U.S.-China transformationSupport safe, smart, sane journalism. Sign up for Axios Newsletters here.

  • 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 A lone man knelt at Beau Biden's grave as President Biden gave his inauguration speech Bernie Sanders steals the inauguration with his grumpy chic outfit Cheap, 'generic' drug reduces COVID-19 death risk by 75 percent, trials suggest

  • US, UK Sign Agreement to Merge Forces for Historic Joint Carrier Deployment

    Marine F-35B Joint Strike Fighter aircraft and the Navy destroyer The Sullivans will deploy as part of the strike group.

  • 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.

  • Thousands of pro-Trump crowds have gathered since he took office. No state has had more than California

    Despite its reputation as a leader of resistance, California saw more pro-Trump crowds than any other state during the president's term in office.

  • Only a sprinkling of Trump supporters showed up at state capitols to protest Biden's inauguration

    In the wake of the deadly riot in the U.S. Capitol building earlier this month, the FBI had warned that armed protests were being planned in every state capital. But though it was still early in much of America as President Biden was sworn in just before noon Eastern time, the handful of pro-Trump demonstrators who actually showed up were largely disappointed by the turnout, to say the least:> Mark Leggiero is the one lone Trump supporter out in front of the NYS Capitol. He says he expected a few thousand ppl here and is disappointed. He said he drove 45 minutes for a peaceful protest pic.twitter.com/hDtCLYFpLq> > -- Morgan Mckay (@morganfmckay) January 20, 2021> So far, two protesters are here at the Kansas State Capitol to protest the election. pic.twitter.com/huii3mpjIS> > -- Nolan Roth KAKE (@NolanRothKAKE) January 20, 2021> At the State Capitol in Sacramento, a lone Trump supporter wearing a red MAGA hat protested as President Biden took the oath of office Wednesday. > > : @dustingardiner> > Live InaugurationDay updates >> https://t.co/WowWEMPI7l pic.twitter.com/QaSrlvomgd> > -- San Francisco Chronicle (@sfchronicle) January 20, 2021> Greetings from Concord, N.H. https://t.co/jD3k47cLIc pic.twitter.com/MxFe4bqROF> > -- Ruth Graham (@publicroad) January 20, 2021> At 12 Noon the scene outside of the Michigan State Capitol is a quiet one. Just a handful of demonstrators out along S. Capitol Avenue. @WWJ950 pic.twitter.com/JCedFflugr> > -- Jon Hewett (@JonHewettWWJ) January 20, 2021In other states, nobody showed up at all:> As ceremonies continue in DC, all quiet at the Washington state Capitol in Olympia. Zero demonstrators. InaugurationDay pic.twitter.com/fwxolDsLDt> > -- Drew Mikkelsen (@drewmikkelsenk5) January 20, 2021> There's a large presence of law enforcement and members of the Ky. National Guard at the Kentucky state Capitol in Frankfort - but so far, all is quiet. @heraldleader pic.twitter.com/EugXcLLKbO> > -- Ryan C. Hermens (@ryanhermens) January 20, 2021> All is quiet at the Utah State Capitol. No protesters that I've seen. The @UTNationalGuard is here again to respond, if needed. So far, I'm told no chatter of any local Inauguration related protests. @fox13 utpol Utah pic.twitter.com/ym9pCyFyuD> > -- Ben Winslow (@BenWinslow) January 20, 2021Meanwhile, in Montana, the only protester to show up ... was a counterprotester. > INAGURATION DAY: So far, a quiet morning at the Montana State Capitol. pic.twitter.com/KXsy7DdB2w> > -- KFBB (@KFBB) January 20, 2021More stories from theweek.com A lone man knelt at Beau Biden's grave as President Biden gave his inauguration speech Bernie Sanders steals the inauguration with his grumpy chic outfit Cheap, 'generic' drug reduces COVID-19 death risk by 75 percent, trials suggest

  • Connecticut man charged in attack on police officer who was trapped in doors at Capitol riot

    Patrick Edward McCaughey allegedly told the officer, “Come on man, you are going to get squished, just go home.”

  • Eric Trump says he will 'never forget Buckingham Palace' as family seen in tears at farewell ceremony

    Eric Trump said he will "never forget Buckingham Palace" as he looked back on his father's four years in office after a tearful farewell ceremony. The president's second eldest son said it had been the honour of his life to have had a "front row seat to the most remarkable and consequential presidencies in American history". He went on to enumerate his father's achievements in office, listing his tax cuts, support for the second Amendment and Middle East peace deals. He singled out his visit to the UK, which included a State banquet hosted by the Queen in 2019. "I will never forget Buckingham Palace and the beaches of Normandy," he said in a tweet. "It's truly a journey I will never forget," he said.

  • CBC Chair Rep. Joyce Beatty on attending inauguration: I won’t be ‘bullied’

    Inauguration Day is a time of great expectancy and transformation. There are reports of at least 12 National Guard members being removed from the inauguration patrol duties. There are 25,000 troops in D.C. to protect attendees at the inauguration after the deadly and unprecedented Jan. 6 Capitol Hill insurrection.

  • 19 Stylish Bar Cabinets to Elevate Your Space in 2021

    Store your stemware and sauvignon blanc in styleOriginally Appeared on Architectural Digest