In all, new cases are averaging about 170,000 a day in the U.S. after peaking at almost 250,000 on Jan. 11. The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients has fallen to about 110,000 from a high of 132,000 on Jan. 7. The new briefings are meant as an explicit rejection of President Donald Trump's approach to the outbreak. The briefings also are part of Biden's attempt to rebuild public confidence in institutions, particularly the federal government. MLB Hall of Famer Hank Aaron to be buried in AtlantaBaseball Hall of Famer Hank Aaron, who battled racial prejudice and hatred on his way to breaking the major leagues' career home run record, will be remembered at a private funeral service on Wednesday.

The vaccine rollout is a freakin’ mess, and President Biden owns it now. But as the president continued to proclaim his goal of 100 million shots in his first 100 days, the media weren’t buying it. That was the question that prompted Biden to snap "give me a break" at an AP reporter who asked about it last week. BIDEN NEEDS A QUICK WIN ON COVID, WITH OR WITHOUT REPUBLICANSEveryone knows why Biden set the goal at 100 million. No one would suggest that Biden and his top spokeswoman are being grilled by the press the way that Trump and his press secretaries were.

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - China’s ByteDance is cutting the size of its 2,000-plus India team and is unsure when it will make a comeback, the company told employees in an internal memo on Wednesday, months after its popular TikTok video app was banned. The ban dates from last year when political tension between the neighbours rose over their disputed border. “We initially hoped that this situation would be short-lived...we find that has not been the case,” ByteDance wrote in the memo which was seen by Reuters. Before the ban, India had been one of TikTok’s largest markets and ByteDance in 2019 had laid out plans to invest $1 billion in India. At the time of last year’s ban, the Indian government described the apps as prejudicial to the “sovereignty and integrity of India”.

French drug maker Sanofi said Wednesday it will help manufacture 125 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine developed by rivals Pfizer and BioNTech, while its own vaccine candidate faces delays. French drug maker Sanofi said Wednesday it will help manufacture 125 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine developed by rivals Pfizer and BioNTech, while its own vaccine candidate faces delays. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File)PARIS — French drug maker Sanofi says it will help manufacture 125 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine developed by rivals Pfizer and BioNTech, while its own vaccine candidate faces delays. Germany-based BioNTech will initially produce the vaccines at Sanofi facilities in Frankfurt, starting in the summer, according to a Sanofi statement Wednesday. ADVERTISEMENTSanofi and British partner GlaxoSmithKline will start a new phase-2 trial of their COVID-19 vaccine next month, Sanofi said.

In Phone Call, Biden Presses Putin Over Cyber Breach, NavalnyEnlarge this image toggle caption Alexei Nikolsky/Alexei Nikolsky/TASS Alexei Nikolsky/Alexei Nikolsky/TASSIn his first phone call with Vladimir Putin since taking office, President Biden pressed his Russian counterpart on the detention of a leading Kremlin-critic, the mass arrest of protesters, and Russia's suspected involvement in a massive cyber breach in the United States. Biden and Putin will have their teams work to complete an extension for the deal by Feb. 5. Navalny arrestThe White House said the phone call with Putin included a discussion over the near-fatal poisoning and the arrest of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. The White House didn't provide details on what exactly Biden said about Navalny, and the Kremlin's summary of the phone call didn't mention it at all. Navalny has blamed the Kremlin for the poisoning, which Putin has denied.

"When the locals see that, they believe in America," McRaven said of public service, in a podcast. "They don't have to look at a president, they don't have to look at Congress, they don't have to look at a Secretary of Defense — they've got to look at the people that are on the ground, meeting with them everyday. They don't have to look at a president, they don't have to look at Congress, they don't have to look at a Secretary of Defense - they've got to look at the people that are on the ground, meeting with them everyday. Emmitt Hawks/USNavy/Getty ImagesMcRaven's comments come as President Joe Biden prepares to usher in a new era of American foreign policy. In a past New York Times opinion column, titled "Our Republic Is Under Attack From the President," McRaven wrote that Trump's policies endangered the trust from America's allies.

REUTERS / Jonathan ErnstThe DOJ inspector general is investigating if any department officials tried to interfere with the 2020 election results. The New York Times reported earlier that Trump wanted to install a loyalist atop the DOJ to throw out Georgia's election results. The Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has launched an investigation into whether any current or former department officials "engaged in an improper attempt to have DOJ seek to alter the outcome" of the 2020 general election. According to The Times, Trump was incensed after Rosen refused to support his effort to cast doubt on then-President-elect Joe Biden's victory in Georgia. Trump forced out Attorney General William Barr after he publicly confirmed that the DOJ did not uncover evidence of widespread voter or election fraud.

By Makini Brice and Richard CowanWASHINGTON (Reuters) - Top U.S. Capitol security officials apologized on Tuesday for "failings" during the deadly attack on the building by followers of then-President Donald Trump in a bid to stop the certification of Joe Biden's election victory. About one dozen officials from agencies including the FBI, National Guard, Justice Department and U.S. Capitol Police briefed House appropriators who are looking into the events of Jan. 6. She and Timothy Blodgett, the acting U.S. House of Representatives' sergeant at arms, said security officials were working to do more to boost protection of the U.S. Capitol, the seat of government. In the weeks since the attack, security has been heightened around the Capitol and in Washington in general, with eight-foot-high fencing surrounding the Capitol's perimeter and National Guard troops brought in for Biden's inauguration on Jan. 20. Some 5,000 National Guard troops will remain in Washington through mid-March.

Top U.S. Capitol security officials formally apologized on Tuesday for what they called "failings" during the deadly attack on the Capitol building by supporters of then-President Donald Trump in a bid to stop the certification of Joe Biden's election victory. The Washington Post reported that the second officer died by suicide and had been on duty at the Capitol during the siege. The acting House sergeant at arms, Timothy Blodgett, said security officials were working to do more to boost protection of the U.S. Capitol. The Washington Post reported that the second officer died by suicide and had been on duty at the Capitol during the siege. The acting house sergeant at arms, Timothy Blodgett, said security officials were working to do more to boost protection of the US Capitol.

Yogananda Pittman, in prepared testimony before Congress, said that the Capitol Police “failed to meet its own high standards as well as yours." A law enforcement official told The Associated Press that authorities have detected ominous chatter about killing legislators or attacking them outside the Capitol. Five people died, including Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who was hit in the head with a fire extinguisher. The Defense Department has said it asked the Capitol Police if it needed the Guard, but the request was denied. A member of the Capitol Police Board denied Pittman's claim hours after her testimony was released.

But just a few weeks later, they're already singing a different tune as the Senate prepares for Trump's impeachment trial. Eight days after McCarthy said Trump "bears responsibility," he told reporters that Trump did not provoke the attack. On January 17, the South Carolina Republican called on President Joe Biden to oppose Trump's impeachment. "If you do not stand up against the impeachment of President Trump after he leaves office, you are an incredibly weak figure in American history. "President Trump has not always chosen the right words," Haley reportedly said.

When Pearl Bennett, now 69, came out as a transgender woman at a family dinner when she was 50, she wasn’t warmly embraced. Each video interview details how they fought the conventions of their time, stood up for their rights and paved the path for today’s generation of LGBT+ activists. As Ronnie explains in the video, he came out when he was in his 50s. “I refused to let people intimidate me.”The video details the struggles around gay marriage, which was legalized in the US in 2015, and the fight for gay troops to serve in the military. Bennett, for one, recalls the 1960s being a time when “queer” wasn’t a popular term, neither was being “gay”.

The makers of an experimental drug, now being trialled by the NHS, say it is 100 per cent effective in protecting against symptomatic cases of the virus. US-based Regeneron Pharmaceuticals says its two-antibody cocktail called REGEN-COV also reduces overall coronavirus infection rates by about 50 per cent. Regeneron analysed 400 participants in its trial, all of whom had a household member with COVID-19. REGEN-COV works by combining two antibodies which bind to a protein on the surface of the virus and blocks infections of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Oxford University's Randomised Evaluation of COVid-19 thERapY (RECOVERY) study - the world's largest clinical trial of hospitalised COBID-19 patients - is testing REGEN-COV.

Biden’s China-related appointments represent a Democratic Party dream team of consummate insiders with a Beltway accent, fluent in the business of politics and the politics of business. The new team includes many Obama administration retreads and Hillary Clinton loyalists who know how to play the game -— but what if the game is changing? Most of Biden’s China team, though competent, comprises partisan professionals who work in the orbit of Pentagon-friendly think tanks and lucrative consulting firms. U.S. China policy going forward will be more muscular than that of the timid Obama era, but it will also be miles away from the tantrum-a-day style of Trump’s leadership. Incoming Secretary of State Blinken has set the tone for Biden’s China policy by acknowledging that Trump’s decision to get tough on China was correct.

“Washington has realized the limitations of dealing with North Korea unilaterally, and would want to work together with other countries for future talks.”Noting that the North’s nuclear arsenals are now more advanced and sophisticated than the Obama and Trump era, Cheong stressed that both denuclearizing the North and bringing the regime back to the table would be very difficult without China.“Washington is well aware of this. The North withdrew from the talks in 2009, and though there have been attempts to revive the negotiations since, it has never happened.Many believe the four-party talks that took place in the late 1990s -- involving the two Koreas, the US and China -- is more feasible and preferred by Beijing than getting all six to the table.But such talks, or any other working-level dialogue, would not happen so soon, experts agreed. In the meantime, Washington will likely continue to mete out sanctions and take a hardline stance to gain leverage over Pyongyang.“The US will likely continue to toughen sanctions, as ways to manage the North Korea situation,” said Park Won-gon, professor of international politics at Handong Global University. “If the allies conduct exercises, there’s a high chance the North could retaliate, and that could change the whole scope of Washington’s approach to Pyongyang.”As it could take up to six months for Washington’s North Korea policy review to be completed, Seoul needs to consult closely with Washington to have some input into the new administration policies, others say.“South Korea can take the opportunity of Biden’s ‘alliances first’ approach to shore up Seoul’s relations with both Washington and Tokyo and have early input into the new administration’s policies,” said Easley. “It can seek sanctions exemptions for rebuilding the Mount Kumgang resort for humanitarian and environmental exchanges and suggest North Korea and climate change as areas for US-China cooperation.”At the same time, Seoul needs to mend ties with Tokyo, w

All but five US Senate Republicans have voted in favour of an effort to dismiss Donald Trump's historic second impeachment trial, making clear a conviction of the former president for "incitement of insurrection" is unlikely. The impeachment trial surrounds Mr Trump's role in the deadly siege at the US Capitol on January 6. The vote means the trial on Mr Trump's impeachment will begin as scheduled the week of February 8. The shift is said to be in keeping with protocol because Mr Trump is no longer in office. Instead, Senator Leahy, who serves in the largely ceremonial role of Senate president pro tempore, was sworn in on Tuesday.

More than 6 million American workers received wage increases, bonuses, and increased benefits thanks to the tax cuts. There are now 6 LNG export facilities operating in the United States, with 2 additional export projects under construction. Cross-trained United States Border Patrol agents to conduct credible fear screenings alongside USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) adjudication personnel to reduce massive backlogs. Issued directives requiring Federal agencies to hire United States workers first and prioritizing the hiring of United States workers wherever possible. Removed the United States from the United Nations Human Rights Council due to the group’s blatant anti-Israel bias.

Israeli military chief of staff’s remarks are rare and a clear warning to the Biden administration on its relations with Iran. Israel’s top general warned attack plans against Iran were being revised and said any US return to the 2015 nuclear accord with Tehran would be “wrong”. “A return to the 2015 nuclear agreement, or even if it is a similar accord with several improvements, is bad and wrong from an operational and strategic point of view,” Kohavi said. Targeting IranAfter Trump withdrew from the nuclear deal in 2018, tensions in the Middle East quickly escalated after a series of attacks and military incidents. Netanyahu had threatened possible Israeli strikes against Iran in the run-up to the landmark nuclear accord with world powers.

With a 35-year career in foreign service, Thomas-Greenfield would bring a different tone to the international body than her recent predecessors. Diplomacy is back,” Thomas-Greenfield said after Biden introduced her and other members of his foreign policy team in November. Nikki Haley, cut a high profile at the international body in championing Trump's "America First" foreign policy. Lawmakers are likely to grill Thomas-Greenfield on Biden's most contentious foreign policy priorities, including his push to revive the Iran nuclear agreement and his promise to confront an increasingly aggressive China. If confirmed, Thomas-Greenfield may face lingering skepticism and resentment on the job after the Trump administration's abrasive approach to the institution and its treatment of America's allies.

A supercut released by “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah” exposes the hypocrisy of Fox News’ attacks on rival news organizations’ coverage of Joe Biden’s presidency. The montage shows how personalities at the conservative network heaped praise and fawned over former President Donald Trump throughout his time in office, often to his face. But now Joe Biden is president, the same hosts claim other media is giving him a free pass. Fox host Jeanine Pirro sums up her network’s hypocrisy at the end of the video: “Wow. Double standard much?”Watch the video here:

(AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Tova Friedman hid among corpses at Auschwitz amid the chaos of the extermination camp’s final days. Many Holocaust survivors in the United States, Israel and elsewhere find themselves in a state of previously unimaginable isolation due to the pandemic. In 2005, the United Nations designated Jan. 27 as International Holocaust Remembrance Day, an acknowledgement of Auschwitz’s iconic status. Israel, which today counts 197,000 Holocaust survivors, officially marks its Holocaust remembrance day in the spring. Some insurrectionists wore clothes with anti-Semitic messages like “Camp Auschwitz” and ““6MWE,” which stands for “6 million wasn’t enough.”“It was utterly shocking and I couldn’t believe it.

President Biden’s approval rating in his first days in office is higher than Donald Trump ever achieved during his four years as president, two new polls have found. Trump, by contrast, reached an approval rating high of 52 percent in an April 2020 survey by the same pollster. As a result, their impact on a president’s approval rating can be short-lived. When Trump began his term as president in January 2017, Gallup measured his approval rating at 45 percent. But the week before he left office, his approval had fallen to just 34 percent, and Gallup noted that “his 41% average approval rating throughout his presidency is four points lower than for any of his predecessors.”Gallup has yet to release its first poll tracking Biden’s approval rating.

They don’t have a choice: Under the Former President Act , Trump is entitled to immediately begin collecting an annual pension — currently $221,400, increased yearly — plus hundreds of thousands of dollars in annual staff and travel allowances. If Trump locates his office in midtown Manhattan, taxpayers may be on the hook for millions. As you may have heard, things haven’t been going well for Donald Trump. AdvertisementBy a wide margin, Trump was the wealthiest president in US history. Does it make sense to lavish taxpayer money on retired presidents when they have so much of their own already?

In the middle of the Capitol siege on Jan. 6, I received a text message from a close friend in Colorado who’s been skeptical of my evangelical faith for years. But evangelical Christians are people who are called to live as though the truth is true, no matter the cost. As a religion reporter in the 1980s and ’90s, I tracked the rise of evangelical political engagement, interviewing leaders like Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, Kenneth Copeland and Ralph Reed. Trump found a power base among many marginalized and frightened evangelicals that most political leaders could only dream of owning. When Trump became president, a rapidly growing faith movement began stirring political uprising in the evangelical church.

BEIJING — The U.S.-Chinese trade war isn’t going away under President Joe Biden. Biden won’t confront Beijing right away, economists say, because he wants to focus on the coronavirus and the economy. But he looks set to renew pressure over trade and technology grievances that prompted President Donald Trump to hike tariffs on Chinese imports in 2017. Negotiators might tone down Trump’s focus on narrowing China’s multibillion-dollar trade surplus with the United States and push harder to open its state-dominated economy, which matters more in the long run, economists say. “I think Biden will focus more on trying to extract structural reforms,” said Louis Kuijs of Oxford Economics.

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden is set to announce a wide-ranging moratorium on new oil and gas leasing on U.S. lands, as his administration moves quickly to reverse Trump administration policies on energy and the environment and address climate change. They asked not to be identified because the plan has not been made been public; some details remain in flux. The move follows a 60-day suspension of new drilling permits for U.S. lands and waters announced last week and follows Biden’s campaign pledge to halt new drilling on federal lands and end the leasing of publicly owned energy reserves as part of his plan to address climate change. The moratorium is intended to allow time for officials to review the impact of oil and gas drilling on the environment and climate. Environmental groups hailed the expected moratorium as the kind of bold, urgent action needed to slow climate change.

Nixon understood the gravity of the situation and complied with the request. Trump understood this message and decided to make false claims of election fraud during and after the 2020 election. This included a deliberate attempt to overturn the certified election results in some states he lost in 2020. Regardless of the public explanations they give for their votes, they should understand by now that Donald Trump will only hear what he wants to hear. In a few weeks, we will see what message our Republican senators send.

Donald Trump may be out of office, but his legacy is likely to throw a spanner in the works for the Biden revolution. The Democrats control the White House, the House of Representatives and, with the aid of Kamala Harris’s casting vote, the Senate. But it took less than a week for a Trump-appointed judge to slam the brakes on a Biden immigration initiative. While Donald Trump was in power, the Democrats repeatedly – and often successfully - went to court to block immigration restrictions. It is hardly surprising that the Republicans will use the courts to delay – and if possible block - the Biden administration where it can.

Tuesday's vote signaled early, but firm, GOP resistance to pursuing impeachment, though Republicans can still change their minds on the final vote. If they remain unified, Democrats will need to win over 17 Republicans since a two-thirds majority is required to convict in an impeachment trial. Only three presidents, including Trump, have faced an impeachment trial though none was ultimately convicted. Typically, the chief justice of the United States presides over an impeachment trial of a sitting president, but John Roberts, who oversaw Trump's last trial in early 2020, declined to do so again. Trump's first impeachment trial lasted for 21 days, though others have spanned a few months.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) repeatedly supported disturbing conspiracy theories and liked social media posts that suggested executing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and FBI agents, among others, according to several media reports published Tuesday. CNN’s KFile later found other troubling activity on Greene’s personal Facebook page after reviewing hundreds of her posts and comments. “Many posts have been liked. Some did not represent my views.”“They want to take me out because I represent you,” she said. Prepare for the smears.”She did not address the specific posts CNN pointed out.

She’s reported from 49 states, covered white supremacy and white nationalism since the 1990s. But she says, even though individuals like her saw Trump coming, the news organizations they worked for had more trouble. There is what I call the call to whiteness, which is white nationalist, white supremacist mobilization. And then there’s what I call establishment whiteness, which is the idea that whiteness is neutral, the idea that whiteness is meritocratic and essentially invisible because it is the standard. And so when I interview a white supremacist, as I have for the past 25 years, I won’t be like, Oh, I’m objective about white supremacy.

Much like the Bernie mittens meme, the video and still images of Spencer’s punching were ubiquitous. Spencer, who claims to have coined the term “alt-right,” treated the inauguration as a victory lap for his brand of Third Reich–inspired reactionary politics aimed at creating a white ethno state. Spencer came to represent the larger white nationalist current in American politics that saw itself as ascendant alongside Trump. Today, many of those same people who protested Trump are now sharing memes of Bernie Sanders sitting masked and socially distanced at President Biden’s inauguration. Meanwhile, Bernie Sanders is the new chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, and, with both houses of Congress in Democratic control and Biden as president, he plans to be “aggressive” in pushing through a progressive agenda.

The Nation is reader supported: Chip in $10 or more to help us continue to write about the issues that matter. Still, a 2008 study by the Geneva Declaration Secretariat estimated that indirect deaths from war are at least four times as high as deaths sustained in combat. At the Costs of War Project, we’ve started to examine the effects of war on human health and mortality, particularly in America’s war zones. To me, what that bill truly represented was the massive and unseen costs of America’s post-9/11 wars at home and abroad. It seems that we Americans still care more about waging war in distant lands than about protecting our own people right here at home.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) used a vote on Tuesday to highlight Republican dissent on impeachment, and to argue that there isn’t sufficient GOP support to convict former President Trump in his upcoming Senate trial. As Vox’s Ian Millhiser has explained, a majority of legal scholars have concluded that holding an impeachment trial for a former president would be constitutional. Paul wanted to hold this vote to demonstrate how many Republicans opposed the trial, and to make a point about how Trump’s conviction would be unlikely without their support. “I think there will be enough support on it to show there’s no chance they can impeach the president,” Paul has previously said. “I think it’s pretty obvious from the vote today that it is extraordinarily unlikely that the president will be convicted.

President Joe Biden on Tuesday will announce new efforts to boost Covid-19 vaccine supply and distribution — addressing what’s likely the biggest challenge his administration faces in its first few weeks. First, the administration will increase vaccine supply to states to at least 10 million a week, up from 8.6 million, starting next week. And the feds will purchase 100 million doses of each of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, boosting the federal government’s total order from 400 million to 600 million — enough for 300 million Americans. As part of his Covid-19 and vaccine plans, Biden has promised to do everything within the federal government’s power to boost vaccine supply and distribution. But they also help states coordinate their efforts: By providing more guidance on how many vaccine doses states can expect to get weeks earlier, state officials can actually plan with those numbers of doses in mind.

He's been turned into a bobblehead by the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and his miniature likenesses are record-breaking bestsellers. The Fauci frenzyThe first Fauci bobblehead, which featured a blue tie, had a limited production of 42,020 figurines, Sklar explained. And then somebody from the organization where we're donating to suggested a Fauci bobblehead Christmas ornament, so we did that," Sklar said. Recently the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum released a seventh Fauci bobblehead that features him wearing his lab coat. "Today we've raised over just over $300,000," Sklar said, noting the bulk of the donated money came from Fauci bobbleheads.

He's been turned into a bobblehead by the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and his miniature likenesses are record-breaking bestsellers. The Fauci frenzyThe first Fauci bobblehead, which featured a blue tie, had a limited production of 42,020 figurines, Sklar explained. And then somebody from the organization where we're donating to suggested a Fauci bobblehead Christmas ornament, so we did that," Sklar said. Recently the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum released a seventh Fauci bobblehead that features him wearing his lab coat. "Today we've raised over just over $300,000," Sklar said, noting the bulk of the donated money came from Fauci bobbleheads.

He's been turned into a bobblehead by the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and his miniature likenesses are record-breaking bestsellers. The Fauci frenzyThe first Fauci bobblehead, which featured a blue tie, had a limited production of 42,020 figurines, Sklar explained. And then somebody from the organization where we're donating to suggested a Fauci bobblehead Christmas ornament, so we did that," Sklar said. Recently the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum released a seventh Fauci bobblehead that features him wearing his lab coat. "Today we've raised over just over US$300,000," Sklar said, noting the bulk of the donated money came from Fauci bobbleheads.

A federal judge in Texas temporarily blocked the Biden administration from moving forward with a 100-day pause on many deportations across the US, saying Tuesday that it was not adequately reasoned or explained to the public. The temporary restraining order represents an initial setback for the Biden administration, which has vowed to reform agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) by restricting who is arrested and deported. Judge Drew Tipton, who was appointed by former president Donald Trump, ordered the Biden administration to immediately stop enforcing its moratorium on many deportations, which had gone into effect on Friday before Texas sued. On Jan. 20, the Biden administration issued a pause on deportations for many undocumented immigrants who have final orders of removal. Kate Huddleston, an attorney for the ACLU of Texas, slammed the lawsuit on Tuesday, saying Paxton "is attempting to force the Biden administration to follow Trump's xenophobic policies."

Watkins, Siniff said, began 2020 hopeful about the bar she’d rechristened the Jolly Roger, but COVID put her business in a perilous state. Last summer, the small paramilitary group Watkins formed, the Ohio State Regular Militia, was patrolling Louisville amid protests over the police killing of Breonna Taylor. By the fall, she was answering a call from the Oath Keepers to travel to Washington, DC, in support of Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the election. It was there that she saw an interview with Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the Oath Keepers, who has been a regular guest on Infowars for years. Rhodes, a former paratrooper who later went to Yale Law School, founded the Oath Keepers in 2009.

The Justice Department on Tuesday rescinded the Trump administration's "zero tolerance" policy that led to the systematic separation of immigrant families at the border. “While policies may change, our mission always remains the same: to seek justice under the law,” Wilkinson said. In a statement, the Justice Department said the zero tolerance policy went against the long-standing principle that federal prosecutors exercise judgment and make individual assessments in criminal cases. The Trump administration's 2018 zero tolerance policy called for prosecuting everyone who was caught crossing the border illegally. Immigrants caught at the border are quickly sent back to Mexico — and in some cases their home countries via plane — without so much as a court hearing.

In his first week in office, President Joe Biden has reimposed a host of COVID-19 travel restrictions, while also repealing Donald Trump's discriminatory Muslim ban. Starting on Jan. 30, Biden's presidential proclamation bans entry for most non-US citizens who have recently been to South Africa, where a new COVID-19 variant has been identified. Those exempt from the COVID-19 travel ban include lawful permanent residents of the US, noncitizen nationals of the US, and noncitizens who are married to a US citizen or a permanent resident, among others. In the US, the CDC has identified nearly 300 cases of the UK variant in more than 20 states. However, those subject to Biden's COVID-19 travel ban cannot enter the US even if they present a negative test result, the CDC noted.

Paul forced a vote arguing that Trump’s second impeachment trial is unconstitutional because he is no longer in office. The 55–45 vote means Trump’s impeachment trial will go ahead. Though Paul’s attempt failed, he succeeded in showing that there are more than enough Republicans loyal to Trump to acquit him in the trial. Before the vote, Paul correctly predicted that north of 40 Republicans would object to the trial. Republican Sen. Ron Johnson went even further than Paul, urging senators to declare Trump’s impeachment unconstitutional whether or not that is true.

The president also announced a plan to give states at least 10 million doses of vaccines a week, up from 8.6 million, for the next three weeks. Purchase of the additional doses — 100 million from Pfizer and 100 million from Moderna — will bring total assured purchases of authorized doses to 600 million. If authorized by the FDA in February, its one-dose vaccine would also significantly increase the supply in the US, with the company projecting 100 million doses available by June. "100 million shots in 100 days is not the end point — it’s just the start," Biden said on Tuesday. The way we do that is to get more people vaccinated, which means we have to be ready after we hit the goal of 100 million shots in 100 days."

Biden and his allies say they want to undo the diplomatic harm caused by former president Donald Trump’s unilateral reimposition of sanctions on Iran, which happened over the objections of European partners. Along with rejoining the Paris climate accords, salvaging the 2015 Iran nuclear deal that Trump abrogated would demonstrate the Biden administration’s commitment to multilateral diplomacy with long-standing allies. While Biden is committed to re-engagement with Iran, his aides have yet to indicate clearly when and how, suggesting that the ball is in Iran’s court. ADADAs the Trump administration fired off a final salvo of punitive actions against Tehran, the regime responded by stepping up enrichment of uranium at five times the rate permitted under the nuclear deal. “We have weeks.”This standoff between Biden and Zarif’s boss, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, is made more fraught by domestic pressures within both countries.

Coal is more than just a volume story, with prices moving in favour of Australia and against China. China imposed an 80.5% tariff on imports of Australian barley in May last, collapsing the trade between the two nations. China also has an unofficial ban on imports of copper ores and concentrates from Australia, which had been its fifth biggest supplier. It has imposed costs on itself and no penalty on Australian copper miners, who can sell easily to other buyers. Since China started its trade actions against Australia, the numbers seem to be tilting heavily in favour of Canberra.

ADVERTISEMENTThe AP this week cited witnesses who fled the Tigray region as saying Eritrean soldiers were looting, going house-to-house killing young men and even acting as local authorities. The Eritreans have been fighting on the side of Ethiopian forces as they pursue the fugitive leaders of the Tigray region, though Ethiopia’s government has denied their presence. “It remains unclear how many Eritrean soldiers are in Tigray, or precisely where,” it says. It was not immediately clear whether the U.S. has addressed its demand directly to Eritrean officials. Witnesses have estimated that the Eritrean soldiers number in the thousands.

On Monday, Mike Pence’s former homeland security advisor and lead staffer on the White House coronavirus task force, Olivia Troye, appeared on All In With Chris Hayes. Troye revealed that she was asked to spy on Dr. Deborah Birx, who was the coronavirus task force coordinator. “I'm the person that actually was brought into a room at some point when she first started,” said Troye. “I remember that day because Dr. Birx was really angry and she actually confronted me and said, ‘Do you know who created those graphs? Watch as Former deputy press secretary recalls Trump’s farewell ceremony was ‘like a funeral’:Read more from Yahoo Entertainment:Tell us what you think!

Marjorie Taylor Greene indicated support for executing Democrats before her election, report says (SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene indicated her support for the execution of leading Democrats in 2018 and 2019 Facebook posts before winning election to Congress, it has been reported. pic.twitter.com/K3JuvqrDGS — Marjorie Taylor Greene ?? (@mtgreenee) January 26, 2021“They are coming after me because, like President Trump, I will always defend our values." Story continuesMs Taylor Greene last week, as a stunt, filed an article of impeachment against Joe Biden the day after his inauguration. Ms Taylor Greene has also been accused of posting false flag conspiracy theories about the Parkland high school shooting. Mr Trump campaigned on her behalf and called her a “future Republican star.”Read MoreMarjorie Taylor Greene files articles of impeachment against Joe BidenMarjorie Taylor Greene faces calls to resign over ‘false flag’ commentMarjorie Taylor Greene suspended from TwitterMarjorie Taylor Greene says she will reject Biden electors

A former adviser to Mike Pence says she was told to "spy" on Dr Deborah Birx, the White House's coronavirus taskforce coordinator during the Trump administration. In response to Ms Birx speaking out publically this week, Ms Troye said she saw first hand the "very challenging situations" the administration placed on its health expert. Mr Pottinger was Donald Trump's deputy national security adviser who resigned following the riot at the US Capitol. Ms Birx was also heavily criticized for not publicly speaking out against, or pushing back harder on Mr Trump, during her time on the coronavirus taskforce. And I said, well, you know that there has been an effort to manipulate the data to downplay this virus," Ms Troye said.

Fauci earned $417,608 in 2019, according to OpenTheBooks – a rise of $18,000 from the year before. A spokeswoman for the National Institutes of Health told Insider in December his current salary was $434,312 per year. Dr. Anthony Fauci has the highest salary of all federal government employees in the US. According to the data from OpenTheBooks, three federal employees, including Fauci, earned higher salaries than President Donald Trump in 2019. A spokeswoman for the National Institutes of Health told Insider in December his salary was $434,312 per year.

“I just said, 'Oh my goodness gracious,’” he recalled in a CNN interview about that day in April, when Mr Trump suggested bleach could act as a therapeutic to the novel virus from behind the White House podium. “I could just see what’s going to happen,” Dr Fauci added. "Sending me an envelope with powder that explodes in my face to scare me and my family, boy that tells you the depth of the divisiveness,” says Dr. Fauci of death threats he received during the Trump administration. Even leading disinfectant companies like Lysol and Clorox released urgent warnings to customers against using their products as potential therapeutics for the novel virus. Read MoreDr Fauci urges Americans to not ‘get complacent’ as cases declineTrump reportedly furious he can't lash out at Dr Fauci on TwitterFauci opens up on what working for Trump was really like

GettyDr. Anthony Fauci said he was worried that people would do "dangerous and foolish things" after former President Donald Trump suggested injecting disinfectants could be a treatment for COVID-19. I could just see what's going to happen," Fauci said when asked during a CNN interview on Monday. Top US infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci said he was that people would do "dangerous and foolish things" after former President Donald Trump suggested injecting disinfectant could treat coronavirus infections. In April of last year, the former president made a comment during a press briefing suggesting scientists should research the effects of possibly injecting disinfectant to treat or cure COVID-19. In an interview on Monday with CNN's Erin Burnett, Fauci reflected on his thoughts during that moment, saying he was worried that the remark would make people do "dangerous and stupid things."

Mar-a-Lago is 10 minutes away from Trump Plaza in West Palm Beach, which voted to remove the ex-president’s name. The board of Trump Plaza in Florida has voted to remove the ex-president's branding from its twin-buildings following the riots at the US Capitol. Trump Plaza’s condo board voted on 19 January to rename the complex after two attempts in 2020. But the US Capitol riots were the "last straw" for residents, according to The Palm Beach Post. “It’s been a long time in coming," one Trump Plaza resident told the Post.

Brian Gundersen, a former football player, faces charges in connection with the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. (Photo: FBI)Brian Gundersen, a former varsity football player for Byram Hills High School in North Castle Township, New York, is facing charges after the FBI received tips about a man seen storming the Capitol while wearing a letterman’s jacket. The jacket included the name of his high school and his former jersey number. Gundersen is reportedly 26 years old and reportedly graduated high school nearly nine years ago, in 2012. Brian Gundersen wore his high school varsity jacket to the attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Let's bring in Congressman Tom Malinowski, Democratic Congressman Tom Malinowski from New Jersey. And I think something similar to what President Biden proposed will be put on the floor of the United States Senate. TOM MALINOWSKI: Yeah, It's not either or. TOM MALINOWSKI: Yeah, well, look, I think that there's broad consensus that the Chinese Communist Party poses a threat to democracies around the world. But Congressman Tom Malinowski from the state of New Jersey, appreciate you coming on here to chat with us today.

By Sarah N. Lynch and David ShepardsonWASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department's internal watchdog on Monday said his office was launching an investigation on whether current or former department officials made an "improper attempt" to seek to alter the results of the 2020 presidential election. “Throughout the past four years, I worked with Assistant Attorney General Clark on various legislative matters. In a meeting at the White House later that evening, senior Justice Department officials met with Trump and other White House lawyers and convinced Trump not to appoint Clark. Clark has since left the Justice Department and has not responded to multiple requests for comment. His office, he added, does not have jurisdiction to investigate other government officials outside of the Justice Department.

Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesSchumer said Democrats were gearing up to pass a relief package without GOP votes if necessary. But GOP resistance to the plan is intensifying, and many Republicans say the level of spending Biden is seeking isn't necessary to address the crisis. Story continuesSenate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said during a floor speech on Monday that the Biden plan "misses the mark." Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois said Democrats should spend a "very limited amount of time" trying to draw Republican votes. That's been a major factor pushing Democrats to immediately set the wheels in motion for passing Biden's rescue package.

Biden spoke by phone on Tuesday with Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to convey that Washington intended to work with Nato allies on shared security concerns such as in Afghanistan, Iraq and Russia. Biden said the United States was committed to collective defence under the North Atlantic Treaty and "underscored his commitment to strengthening transatlantic security", the White House said in a statement. During his presidency, Trump repeatedly accused Nato allies, including Germany, of not "paying their fair share", and threatened to withdraw the US from the alliance. More from South China Morning Post:Read the original article on South China Morning Post. For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app.

Please abandon this rhetoricI opened my email today to see another fundraising request from Sen. John Cornyn. It is a pitiful sight to see these senators finding ways not to hold Trump accountable for high crimes and misdemeanors. Tony Torres, GarlandHolocaust Remembrance DayOn Jan. 27, 1945, the Soviet army entered Auschwitz. To that extent, on Jan. 27, 2005, the United Nations General Assembly designated Jan. 27 as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Many are working 12- to 14-hour days six days a week to make this happen.

The mainstream media, they say, has been “gushing” over Joe Biden, offering “nauseating” coverage of the new president and “not hiding their excitement”. “You were very strong at the end of that press conference,” Hannity assured Trump during a Fox News interview in July 2018. “Well get ready, it’s gonna be four years of nauseating, gauzy coverage,” thundered Laura Ingraham on Fox News this week. Well, they’re just lapdogs.”Ingraham, host of the Ingraham Angle Fox News show, is something of an expert in this field. “Are you having fun in this job?” Ingraham asked Trump, later asking the president: “Look at the economy.

The second wife of former President Donald Trump, Marla Maples, was seen out and about shopping and eating lunch with a group of friends in Miami on Tuesday. 'I think he's going to set up shop with Palm Beach as the headquarters of his post-presidency Maga movement,' Dave Aronberg, state attorney for Palm Beach county, told The Guardian. Supporters of President Donald Trump cheer for the president in his final moments as POTUS. 'It's just the latest chapter in the ongoing saga between Donald Trump and the town of Palm Beach. Supporters of President Donald Trump cheer for the president in his final moments as POTUS.

AdvertisementDr Anthony Fauci says he's ready to put his rocky relationship with Donald Trump 'behind' him, despite giving several interviews this past week criticizing the former president after he left the White House. Speaking alongside Perino on Tuesday, co-host Bill Hemmer chimed in saying he had noticed an 'aggressiveness towards the Trump administration' in recent interviews with Fauci. Fauci confirmed the president's goal could be feasible once vaccine doses become available to the general population in April, which he referred to as 'open season.' Calling the push a 'wartime effort,' Biden said the administration was working to buy an additional 100 million doses each from drugmakers Pfizer and Moderna. Fauci told Perino on Tuesday that people requiring their second dose would also be prioritized when the next batch of vaccines come in.

"He took a big risk by not wearing a face mask and going here and there," said Juan Rojo, a newspaper vendor in Mexico City. Unless Lopez Obrador takes the necessary measures "nobody's going to listen to what he's telling us. No one's going to take it seriously," said Priscila Blanco, a student from Baja California in northern Mexico. - 'Recovering very well' -Lopez Obrador, who has a history of heart problems and hypertension, announced Sunday that he was undergoing treatment for Covid-19 but said his symptoms were mild. As the human cost mounted, Lopez Obrador recognized the seriousness of the pandemic, which he has described as the biggest challenge he faces.

After completing calls with his American and European counterparts, he is expected to call leaders of his Asian allies, including South Korea and Japan, in the coming days.The phone call between Moon and Xi was the first in almost eight months, with the Chinese president’s trip to Seoul that was supposed to be made last year delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Cheong Wa Dae declined to confirm news reports claiming Beijing was the first to reach out.The call fueled speculations that China may be seeking to ramp up pressure on South Korea as the US-China rivalry enters a new chapter with the US presidential transition.At the World Economic Forum on Monday, Xi called for leaders to cooperate more with China in his speech. The Chinese leader added that North Korea seems to have not ruled out diplomacy with the South and the US, citing its statement during a recent party congress.Ahead of celebrating the 30th anniversary of their bilateral ties next year, the two leaders also agreed to establish a future committee consisting of experts from both countries to work together on a blueprint for renewed partnership for the next 30 years.A statement from Beijing on the call also referred to the future committee and its expectations about partnership in trade. But it did not mention Xi’s comments on his Seoul trip or North Korea.When asked about the discrepancies, a Cheong Wa Dae official said, “The two leaders had a friendly conversation. We disclosed all of the details as much as possible.”In the meantime, some analysts predicted China could adjust their pressure against South Korea considering smooth bilateral ties are needed to pave the way for several major events this year, including the annual “two sessions” parliamentary meetings in March, the 100th anniversary of the founding of the China Communist Party and the Beijing Winter Olympics in February next year.By Lee Ji-yoon ( jylee@heraldcorp.comRelated Stories

A phone call between President Moon Jae-in and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping underscored again South Korea’s tough job of striking a delicate balance between the US and China whose relations enter a new phase under the new Biden administration.The South Korean and Chinese presidents held the phone conversation Tuesday night to discuss a slew of topics ranging from Xi’s delayed visit to Seoul to Moon’s role in the frosty US-North Korea diplomacy and coronavirus response.There was nothing unusual in the president’s phone call with the Chinese leader, but the timing drew keen attention as it comes ahead of Moon’s first dialogue with US President Joe Biden.Biden, who took office last week, is holding a series of phone calls with world leaders. After completing calls with his American and European counterparts, he is expected to call leaders of his Asian allies, including South Korea and Japan, in the coming days.The phone call between Moon and Xi was the first in almost eight months, with the Chinese president’s trip to Seoul that was supposed to be made last year delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Cheong Wa Dae declined to confirm news reports claiming Beijing was the first to reach out.The call fueled speculations that China may be seeking to ramp up pressure on South Korea as the US-China rivalry enters a new chapter with the US presidential transition.At the World Economic Forum on Monday, Xi called for leaders to cooperate more with China in his speech. But it did not mention Xi’s comments on his Seoul trip or North Korea.When asked about the discrepancies, a Cheong Wa Dae official said, “The two leaders had a friendly conversation. We disclosed all of the details as much as possible.”In the meantime, some analysts predicted China could adjust their pressure against South Korea considering smooth bilateral ties are needed to pave the way for several major events this year, including the annual “two sessions” parliamentary meetings in March, the 100th ann

In effect, the President is putting a date on a return of a semblance of normal life -- with no guarantee that he can deliver. The White House argues however that its aggressive strategy is a huge improvement on the Trump team's more hands-off approach that left the states to fix issues on their own. "Day Seven: we have found a way to secure vaccine supply adequate to provide a dose for EVERY adult by summer," White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain tweeted on Tuesday. To back up the President's promise to deploy science and not to hide bad news, the CDC and other experts are due to relaunch briefings at the White House on Wednesday. Should numbers of cases continue to fall, governors -- especially those in Republican-run states -- may prematurely reopen businesses at normal levels and trigger new waves of disease before Biden's virus gambit fully delivers.

Rep. Katie Porter said she isn't sure if Sen. Ted Cruz thinks at all. "I struggle to understand how he thinks, if [thinking] is what goes on in his head at all," she told Vanity Fair. I'm not going to put myself in the shoes of people like Ted Cruz," Porter told Vanity Fair of impeachment. "I struggle to understand how he thinks, if [thinking] is what goes on in his head at all." She is even getting an "OVRSITE" vanity plate on her minivan, she told Vanity Fair.

But as the Senate prepares for an impeachment trial for Trump's incitement of the riot, few seem willing to hold the former president accountable. "The political winds within the Republican Party have blown in the opposite direction," said Ralph Reed, chair of the Faith and Freedom Coalition and a Trump ally. After Michigan Rep. Peter Meijer backed impeachment, Republican Tom Norton announced a primary challenge. "We're getting ready for an impeachment trial -- that's really the focus," said Trump adviser Jason Miller. And that his political activism or whatever role he would play going forward would be with the Republican Party, not as a third party," Cramer said.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has launched an investigation to determine whether Illinois has violated federal law by enacting and enforcing the 2019 Reproductive Health Act which, among other things, requires certain health insurance plans to cover abortion services. The coverage mandate does not apply to private, large-group insurance plans that are regulated under the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act, also known as ERISA. The letter specifically referred to a federal law known as the Weldon Amendment, which has been attached to every HHS appropriations bill since 2005. “The law is the law, regardless of who holds office,” McHale said in a separate email statement to Capitol News Illinois. Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government and distributed to more than 400 newspapers statewide.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is promoting a "miracle" medication that he said neutralizes COVID-19 with no side effects, a claim doctors said was not backed by science. "Ten drops under the tongue every four hours and the miracle is done," Maduro said in a televised appearance on Sunday. On the sick, on the very sick, on people who have been intubated, and we recovered them," Maduro said. Maduro said the treatment, which he called carvativir, had been under testing for nine months among Venezuelans ill with the coronavirus. In October, he notified the Pan American Health Organization that Venezuelan scientists discovered a molecule that nullifies the replication capacity of the new coronavirus.

Holocaust denial content remains on Facebook three months after pledging to ban all content that “denies or distorts the Holocaust.”That's according to a new report from the ADL (Anti-Defamation League), which gave Facebook a “D” for its efforts. "We are reviewing the content mentioned in this report and will continue working to keep Holocaust denial off of our platform." "Anyone who searches on Facebook for terms associated with either the Holocaust or Holocaust denial, will see a message from Facebook encouraging them to connect with credible information about the Holocaust off Facebook," Guy Rosen, vice president of integrity, said in a blog post. When Facebook began restricting more content, some Holocaust deniers, who use hashtags such as #HolocaustNeverHappened and #HolocaustIsALie, moved to less restrictive social media platforms. "Reddit's site-wide policies prohibit any content that incites violence or promotes hate based on identity or vulnerability, including Holocaust denial content," the company said.

A California man sent threatening text messages to the families of a New York congressman and a journalist on the same day pro-Donald Trump rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol, federal authorities said Tuesday. Robert Lemke, 35, was arrested in California on Tuesday on a charge of making threatening interstate communications, according to the Justice Department. To the congressman’s brother, Lemke sent, “Your brother is putting your entire family at risk with his lies and other words. Lemke's texts also included a picture of a home in the same neighborhood as Jeffries’ brother’s house, according to the complaint. That's how we do it.”More than 400 suspects have been identified in relation to the riot that left five people dead.

Former White House coronavirus adviser Dr. Scott Atlas joined "The Ingraham Angle" Tuesday to respond to former White House coronavirus response coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx's claim that he provided former President Trump with "parallel data streams" about the pandemic. Birx told CBS News' "Face the Nation" Sunday that Trump was "presenting graphs that I never made ... I know what I sent up and I know that what was in his hands was different from that." DR. SCOTT ATLAS: I'm shocked to hear anyone that thinks that they own a monopoly or should be the sole purveyor of information to the president. EX-SURGEON GENERAL DEFENDS FAUCI, BIRX FOR STAYING ON TRUMP CORONAVIRUS TASK FORCEAnd then I come in in August and I say, "Well, what about this?

Congressional Democrats' push to convicted former President Donald Trump of impeachable offenses is "driven by the partisan rage and the partisan anger that the Democrats feel," Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, told "Hannity" Tuesday. Cruz told "Hannity" he heard the 46th president call for unity in his inaugural address, but Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., must not have gotten the message. "Unfortunately, congressional Democrats weren't listening to a word he said," Cruz said of Biden. Turning to the impeachment itself, Cruz argued the House's action "doesn't meet the constitutional standard. "I feel like I'm kind of trapped in 'Groundhog Day' where, apparently, every January, we're gonna be doing another impeachment."

U.S. Sen. Rand Paul declared former President Trump’s Senate impeachment trial "dead on arrival" on Tuesday after 45 Senate Republicans voted against holding the proceeding, viewing it as unconstitutional. FORTY-FIVE REPUBLICANS VOTE AGAINST PROCEEDING WITH SENATE IMPEACHMENT TRIALIf a trial were to proceed, Trump would become the first former president to face an impeachment trial. In floor marks ahead of the vote, Paul also claimed that the absence of the chief justice of the Supreme Court also made a Senate impeachment trial unconstitutional. RAND PAUL TO TRIGGER SENATE VOTE ON WHETHER TRUMP IMPEACHMENT TRIAL IS CONSTITUTIONAL"Impeachment is for removal from office and the accused here has already left office," Paul had argued prior to the procedural vote. He also claimed a Senate impeachment trial would be "the antithesis of unity" in a nation seeking healing after years of partisan division.

She said for now they were advocating for a political boycott, rather than a total boycott, for the sake of the athletes. Individual athletes could still boycott the 2022 Games, although this would mean compromising years of training and lucrative sponsorships. 'The power of sport'An Olympics can still be heavily political even if there's no boycotts, and the 2022 Beijing Games are likely to be no exception. Human Rights Watch is currently not calling for any boycott of the 2022 Games. CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story incorrectly named Munich as the host city of the 1936 Olympic Games.

It is intended to complement rising international ambition to make the aggressive emissions cuts scientists say are necessary to avoid the worst effects of climate change. Companies in the agreement represent seven global industries - steel, cement, chemicals, aluminum, shipping, aviation, and trucking – that together account for nearly one-third of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. The partnership aims to accelerate global efforts to combat climate change under the Paris climate agreement. We Mean Business is co-organizing the partnership with the Energy Transitions Commission, Rocky Mountain Institute and the World Economic Forum. The organizers say they hope the partnership will create momentum for the next round of international climate talks in Glasgow in November.

Coal is more than just a volume story, with prices moving in favour of Australia and against China. China imposed an 80.5% tariff on imports of Australian barley in May last, collapsing the trade between the two nations. China also has an unofficial ban on imports of copper ores and concentrates from Australia, which had been its fifth biggest supplier. It has imposed costs on itself and no penalty on Australian copper miners, who can sell easily to other buyers. Since China started its trade actions against Australia, the numbers seem to be tilting heavily in favour of Canberra.

With Trump silenced with Twitter and completely out of sight, why are so many Capitol Hill Republicans staying fiercely loyal to Trump ahead of his second impeachment trial? MSNBC's Brian Williams talks to Steve Schmidt.

The moratorium is intended to allow time for officials to review the impact of oil and gas drilling on the environment and climate. Oil industry groups slammed the move, saying Biden had already eliminated thousands of oil and gas jobs by killing the Keystone XL oil pipeline on his first day in office. The pause in onshore drilling is limited to federal lands and does not affect drilling on private lands, which is largely regulated by states. Oil and gas extracted from public lands and waters account for about a quarter of annual U.S. production. Biden’s choice to lead the Interior Department, which oversees oil and gas leasing on public lands, is New Mexico Rep. Deb Haaland.

Rachel Maddow outlines how Mitch McConnell first stalled the Senate to keep it from dealing with the article of impeachment against Donald Trump while Trump was still in office, and then voted with most Senate Republicans to say that Trump shouldn't be impeached because he's already out of office.

Biden is dispatching the nation’s top scientists and public health experts to regularly brief the American public about the pandemic. Biden is dispatching the nation’s top scientists and public health experts to regularly brief the American public about the pandemic. Expect a sharp contrast from the last administration’s briefings, when public health officials were repeatedly undermined by a president who shared his unproven ideas without hesitation. ADVERTISEMENT“We’re bringing back the pros to talk about COVID in an unvarnished way,” Biden told reporters Tuesday. Even so, Trump restricted media appearances by his top scientists and public health officials and continued to spread misinformation.

A court-appointed committee has yet to find the parents of 628 children separated at the border early in the Trump administration. A court-appointed committee has yet to find the parents of 628 children separated at the border early in the Trump administration. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File)WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department rescinded a Trump-era memo that established a “zero tolerance” enforcement policy for migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally, which resulted in thousands of family separations. Most families have not been prosecuted under zero tolerance since 2018, when the separations were halted, though separations have continued on a smaller scale. The “zero tolerance” policy was one of several increasingly restrictive policies aimed at discouraging migrants from coming to the Southern border.

He acknowledged that states in recent weeks have been left guessing how much vaccine they will have from one week to the next. “Lives are at stake.”He promised a roughly 16% boost in deliveries to states over the next three weeks. The administration said it plans to buy another 100 million doses each from drugmakers Pfizer and Moderna to ensure it has enough vaccine for the long term. ADVERTISEMENTThe setup inherited from the Trump administration has been marked by miscommunication and unexplained bottlenecks, with shortages reported in some places even as vaccine doses remain on the shelf. As of Tuesday afternoon, the CDC reported that just over half of the 44 million doses distributed to states have been put in people’s arms.

Senators voted 78-22 to approve Blinken, a longtime Biden confidant, as the nation’s 71st secretary of state, succeeding Mike Pompeo. Blinken, 58, served as deputy secretary of state and deputy national security adviser during the Obama administration. Shortly after his confirmation, Blinken took the oath of office at a private ceremony at the State Department. Blinken inherits a deeply demoralized and depleted career workforce at the State Department. Blinken served on the National Security Council during the Clinton administration before becoming staff director for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee when Biden was chair of the panel.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) repeatedly supported disturbing conspiracy theories and liked social media posts that suggested executing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and FBI agents, among others, according to several media reports published Tuesday. CNN’s KFile later found other troubling activity on Greene’s personal Facebook page after reviewing hundreds of her posts and comments. “Stage is being set,” Greene replied, according to the archives obtained by CNN. “Many posts have been liked. Fake News CNN is writing yet another hit piece on me focused on my time before running for political office.

Expect a sharp contrast from the last administration's briefings, when public health officials were repeatedly undermined by a president who shared his unproven ideas without hesitation. “We’re bringing back the pros to talk about COVID in an unvarnished way,” Biden told reporters Tuesday. Those messages found few champions in the former administration, as Trump openly flouted science-based guidance from his own administration. Even so, Trump restricted media appearances by his top scientists and public health officials and continued to spread misinformation. Trump later told journalist Bob Woodward that he had been “playing it down” to avoid creating panic about the virus.

AxiosThe Biden administration today laid out its policies on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and stressed its intention to renew ties with the Palestinian Authority.Why it matters: The Trump administration dramatically changed U.S. policy on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. * Mills said the Biden administration will support a two-state solution, which it sees as "the best way to ensure Israel stays a democratic and Jewish state." * He added that the new administration will base its policies on consultations with both sides — by contrast, the Trump administration hardly spoke to the Palestinians for three years. * He said the Biden administration would renew ties with the Palestinian Authority, which boycotted Trump's administration after he moved the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem. * He added that the Biden administration would oppose one-sided or biased resolutions that single out Israel in international forums.What’s next: Mills said Biden welcomes the normalization agreements between Israel and Arab countries but doesn't see them as a substitute for Israeli-Palestinian peace.

Rock musician Nick Mason (Pink Floyd) is 77. Country singer Cheryl White is 66. Rock musician Janick Gers (Iron Maiden) is 64. Rock singer Margo Timmins (Cowboy Junkies) is 60. Rock musician Michael Kulas (James) is 52.

Dave KolpackAssociated PressFargo, N.D. – A federal appeals court on Tuesday upheld a district judge’s order for a full environmental impact review of the Dakota Access pipeline, but declined to shut the line down while the review is completed. Following a complaint by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg said in April 2020 that a more extensive review was necessary than the environmental assessment conducted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The $3.8 billion, 1,172-mile (1,886 kilometer) pipeline crosses beneath the Missouri River, just north of the the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation that straddles the North Dakota-South Dakota border. The group said President Joe Biden has the discretion to shut the pipeline down; last week, the leaders of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, Oglala Sioux Tribe, and Yankton Sioux Tribe wrote to the president asking him to do so. The Obama administration originally rejected permits for the project, and the Corps prepared to conduct a full environmental review.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Fulfilling a campaign promise, President Joe Biden plans to reopen the HealthCare.gov insurance markets for a special sign-up opportunity geared to people needing coverage in the coronavirus pandemic. Biden is expected to sign an executive order Thursday, said two people familiar with the plan, whose details were still being finalized. Failure to repeal and replace “Obamacare” as he repeatedly vowed to do was one of former President Donald Trump's most bitter disappointments. The White House had no comment on Biden's expected order, but the two individuals familiar with the plan said the new enrollment period would not go into effect immediately. Instead, the White House wants to provide time for the Department of Health and Human Services to mount a marketing campaign, and for insurers to get ready for an influx of new customers.

Copyright © 2021 Albuquerque JournalSANTA FE – For years, minor party candidates in New Mexico have been largely relegated to afterthought status, only rarely affecting high-profile state races. But that could change under a legislative proposal to bring back “fusion voting,” which would allow minor parties – there are five such parties in New Mexico – to nominate a major party’s nominee for the general election ballot. Of that amount, 293,151 – or 21.6% of all voters – were independent voters who declined to state a party affiliation. The five minor parties in New Mexico are the Green Party, the Better for America Party, the Constitution Party, the New Mexico Working Families Party and the Party for Socialism and Liberation. The three major parties for the 2020 election cycle were the Republican Party, Democratic Party and Libertarian Party, which was elevated to major party status in 2018.

.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........WASHINGTON — The Justice Department rescinded a Trump-era memo that established a “zero tolerance” enforcement policy for migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally, which resulted in thousands of family separations. “Consistent with this longstanding principle of making individualized assessments in criminal cases, I am rescinding — effective immediately — the policy directive,” Wilkinson wrote. The “zero tolerance” policy meant that any adult caught crossing the border illegally would be prosecuted for illegal entry. Most families have not been prosecuted under zero tolerance since 2018, when the separations were halted, though separations have continued on a smaller scale. The “zero tolerance” policy was one of several increasingly restrictive policies aimed at discouraging migrants from coming to the Southern border.

Biden, calling the push a “wartime effort,” said Tuesday the administration was working to buy an additional 100 million doses of each of the two approved coronavirus vaccines. He acknowledged that states in recent weeks have been left guessing how much vaccine they will have from one week to the next. The administration said it plans to buy another 100 million doses each from drugmakers Pfizer and Moderna to ensure it has enough vaccine for the long term. The setup inherited from the Trump administration has been marked by miscommunication and unexplained bottlenecks, with shortages reported in some places even as vaccine doses remain on the shelf. As of Tuesday afternoon, the CDC reported that just over half of the 44 million doses distributed to states have been put in people’s arms.

“My lightbulb moment came on a work trip to New York, where I noticed nail bars offering quick, cheap manicures for busy professionals. It highlighted, once again, that things born from black culture are rarely deemed acceptable unless repackaged in whiteness. But it was black women who would be at the helm of nail art’s modern cultural resurgence. Nail bars are an easy way to hide victims in plain sight, because the nail industry is completely unregulated. A change.org petition lobbying the prime minister to reopen the beauty industry was signed by nearly 30,000 people.

Senators voted 78-22 to approve Blinken, a longtime Biden confidant, as the nation’s 71st secretary of state, succeeding Mike Pompeo. Blinken, 58, served as deputy secretary of state and deputy national security advisor during the Obama administration. He is expected to start work on Wednesday after being sworn in, according to State Department officials. Opposition to Blinken centred on Iran policy and concerns among conservatives that he will abandon Trump’s "maximum pressure" campaign against Iran. Blinken inherits a deeply demoralised and depleted career workforce at the State Department.

Twenty-three minutes after assuming the presidency, Joe Biden demanded the resignation of Peter Robb, the notoriously anti-union general counsel of the National Labor Relations Board appointed by Donald Trump. Alice Stock, another anti-union Trump appointee, then assumed the role of acting general counsel—and Biden demanded her resignation the next day. Both Robb and Stock, who relentlessly undermined unions’ ability to organize and bargain, are now complaining that Biden fired them without just cause. And Alice Stock, whom Trump installed as deputy general counsel at the NLRB, complained about the “dubious legality” of Biden’s move. No matter: Stock, another management-side lawyer who helped Robb shred unions, served less than one full day as acting general counsel before Biden sacked her.

Expect a sharp contrast from the last administration's briefings, when public health officials were repeatedly undermined by a president who shared his unproven ideas without hesitation. “We’re bringing back the pros to talk about COVID in an unvarnished way,” Biden told reporters Tuesday. Those messages found few champions in the former administration, as Trump openly flouted science-based guidance from his own administration. Even so, Trump restricted media appearances by his top scientists and public health officials and continued to spread misinformation. Trump later told journalist Bob Woodward that he had been “playing it down” to avoid creating panic about the virus.

But as the Senate prepares for an impeachment trial for Trump’s incitement of the riot, few seem willing to hold the former president accountable. “The political winds within the Republican Party have blown in the opposite direction,” said Ralph Reed, chair of the Faith and Freedom Coalition and a Trump ally. After Michigan Rep. Peter Meijer backed impeachment, Republican Tom Norton announced a primary challenge. “We’re getting ready for an impeachment trial — that’s really the focus,” said Trump adviser Jason Miller. And that his political activism or whatever role he would play going forward would be with the Republican Party, not as a third party,” Cramer said.

Europe’s bungled rollout of coronavirus vaccines makes it likely that the United States will be the first big Western nation to eliminate the Covid-19 pandemic, German immunologists told Asia Times in interviews this week. The only country acting faster is the United Kingdom, with a daily vaccination rate of 0.5 doses per 100 people. That should be sufficient to give America “herd immunity,” slowing the future spread of the virus to very low levels. Virologists believe that “herd immunity” will be achieved when somewhere between 43% and 60% of the population becomes resistant to COVID-19. The United States is acting aggressively to source the RNA-messenger vaccine that appears most effective in reducing the spread of the virus.

Read @Oceana’s latest analysis: https://t.co/4e70v6piJ2 #ProtectOurCoast pic.twitter.com/ZBH65iR8jp — Oceana (@oceana) January 26, 2021SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT Never Miss a Beat. "By permanently protecting our coasts from dirty offshore drilling and advancing clean energy sources like offshore wind, we can simultaneously combat climate change and safeguard our clean coast economy." A drilling moratorium would go a long way toward this goal, argues Oceana campaign director Diane Hoskins. "By permanently protecting our coasts from dirty offshore drilling and advancing clean energy sources like offshore wind, we can simultaneously combat climate change and safeguard our clean coast economy," she said. "President Biden has an incredible opportunity to act on climate change and protect our coasts once and for all by closing the chapter on future offshore oil leasing," Hoskins added.

Stinnett also said that nearly 7,000 environmental voters who cast ballots in the Senate runoff did not vote in the presidential election. Regan became the nominee after environmental justice activists resisted the possible appointment of California air regulator Mary Nichols. For too long, the voice of environmental justice has waxed and waned with the political winds. That, to me, has the potential to be transformative.”Transformation would mean that the once lonely voice of environmental justice is no longer in the wilderness. To borrow from Vidaurre, it’s very validating when the environmental justice community need not yell out to the wind.

House impeachment managers delivered the article to the Senate on Monday. While senators were sworn in on Tuesday for Trump's second impeachment trial, arguments aren't set to start until February 9. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) on Tuesday claimed that the trial is unconstitutional and forced a procedural vote on the matter. The 55-45 vote signals that the necessary two-thirds of senators do not support a conviction. That polling results also showed that 52% of the U.S. public wants the Senate to convict Trump on the impeachment charge.

President Biden: "We've never fully lived up to the founding principles of this nation." It does not apply to other federal agencies that contract with private prisons, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the U.S. Kudos to @JoeBiden for swiftly ending DOJ contracts with private prisons. Private prisons and private detention centers should NOT exist. https://t.co/3Fsk3E2Twr — Pramila Jayapal (@PramilaJayapal) January 26, 2021The order on prisons was one of a set of racial equity measures enacted by Biden on Tuesday.

The virality of these shares has inspired clickbait titles like “Joe Biden Invades Syria with Convoy of U.S. Another inaccurate narrative that’s gone completely viral is the claim that Biden is sending more troops to Iraq. Trump may not have started any “new wars,” but he kept the old ones going and inflamed some of them. Rather than a throwback to “new wars” and the old-school ground invasions of the Bush era, the warmongering we’ll be seeing from the Biden administration is more likely to look like this. It appears clear that this would be the Biden administration’s preferred method of warmongering if given the choice.

BREAKING: Judge Tipton blocks the Biden administration's 100 day deportation moratorium. Big initial loss for the Biden administration as it moves forward with its immigration policies. "The court's order shows the uphill battle President Biden has in trying to reverse the prior administration's immigration restrictions." #FamiliesBelongTogetherhttps://t.co/oKN8Nw3uIb — Human Rights First (@humanrights1st) January 26, 2021"This action is a good start, but doesn't impact already separated families. Biden must reunite separated families in the U.S. and provide them citizenship, resources, and care," tweeted the ACLU, which is working to reunite families.

Josh HawleyWhat do major corporations mean when they say they’re cutting off campaign contributions to the congressional Republicans who tried to overturn the election in order to keep Donald Trump in power? It depends which company you’re talking about, because they’re all over the map. Others are somehow bothsidesing this, cutting off all federal campaign contributions. Still others are talking big but leaving the door open to resume contributions in time for the 2022 elections. Which makes the effort to undermine democracy perhaps the biggest thing Republicans have done to get corporate money out of politics in the past decade.

His type of questioning in that hearing is a small part of what I have dealt with white people in the rural areas in the state senate district. That didn't happen because the state legislative, and the state executive branches are controlled by the Ohio Republican Party. What makes this crazy is he is heading the state Senate Health Committee and his cousin, Ohio State Senator Matt Huffman, is helping him. And yes, I also wouldn't be surprised if Republican county sheriffs, Nino Vitale, LarryHouseholder, or any other Ohio Republican state representatives or state senators decide to run for this seat. Jesus, please take the wheel.

Remember, as president, Trump had some extra-special-presidential-ways of staving off prosecutions. Led by Democratic Attorney General Letitia James, the office is conducting a civil-fraud probe into Mr. Trump's financial dealings." And others questions you have about presidential immunity, and what will happen after DJT heads to Florida. Presidential immunity is a thing, but it’s not as all-encompassing as it sounds. In the two years she’s been in office, James’ office has filed 76 lawsuits against the Trump administration, of which it has won over 80%.

To the contrary, Fox News has actually made an even sharper turn to the right since the November election. No one on Fox News is more guilty of toxic, dishonest politics than Tucker Carlson. "Once politicians attempt to tell you what to believe," Carlson warned, "they are no longer politicians. In other words, No reasonable viewer would believe Carlson's BS. And as Carlson said above, "If they succeed in controlling what you believe you are no longer a citizen.

The WeekWith former President Donald Trump's Senate impeachment trial looming, several Republicans in the upper chamber are reportedly rallying around the argument that impeaching a president who is already out of office is unconstitutional. As The Dispatch and Politico note, scholars in legal circles that span the political spectrum generally disagree, and Trump himself suggested ex-presidents could be tried a year ago. Per The Washington Post, when Trump was impeached for the first time, he complained that Congress should be going after former President Barack Obama instead over comments he made about health care. "We should impeach him for that," Trump said. Gaetz didn't change his mind this time around, though he made the case Trump's actions aren't impeachment-worthy.

There’s a lot of pillow talk in the Twitterverse now that My Pillow guy Mike Lindell has been permanently suspended from the social media platform for spreading election conspiracy lies. x Twitter, to Mike Lindell. pic.twitter.com/XEsPmZIHPp — Blue Hog Report (@BlueHogReport) January 26, 2021x Twitter just smothered the MyPillow guy's Twitter account with his own crappy pillow. x Retweet if you’ll be able to sleep easier now that Twitter permanently banned My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell for his blatant election lies. x My Pillow Guy Deflated pic.twitter.com/Q9f4x3B2lQ — Christine Pelosi (@sfpelosi) January 26, 2021x Now we know why My Pillow stinks!

There were record 4k + record deaths after the freaking lull… MORONS!! ”Siegel is board-certified in internal medicine and a coordinator of the NYU Langone Medical Center’s partnership with Sirius-XM Satellite RWNJ Radio . Marc Siegel is a Doctor and a Fox “news” SHILL spreading disinformation. Marc Siegal is the Doc that BLOTUS heard comparing Covid-19 to the flu… cementing RW false consensus bias. Marc Siegel is the Doc who interviewed the moron -in -chief in the ""Person, woman, man camera TV,” interview )parodied by Colbert) nodding agreement letting tRUMP lie and say how difficult his simple cognitive test really was… “I watch you.

“Biden introduced a bold and sweeping immigration bill on day one,” campaign steering committee member America’s Voice said. “The new administration has already rolled out eight major executive actions on immigration policy. Biden’s initial actions on immigration policy are a welcome departure from the racism and xenophobia of the Trump era. Now it will be crucial for the administration to continue to take action to undo the criminalization and punitive nature of the immigration detention system.”The groups introduced the campaign in a moving video. “We are on the cusp of dismantling a dysfunctional, unjust, and inhumane immigration system, and winning laws and policies that respect the dignity and rights of immigrants.

As Matt Gertz, writing for Media Matters, notes, its coverage and fealty to the Trump administration provided record viewership for Fox News. The following will hopefully help describe that person, as based on my own observations (with help from highlighted sources):Unsurprisingly, the typical Fox News viewer is white and male. Our Fox News viewer believes that the Black Lives Matter movement is as violent or more violent than the Ku Klux Klan. At the same time he believes Democrats are plotting to outlaw the possession of firearms. Fox viewers are taught over and over to believe they’re under constant assault and must therefore continue tuning in, for the good of themselves and the nation.

Many people thought she was drunk. When I first saw her, I thought she was drunk—and I was more baked than a batch of Toll House cookies at the time. Anyway, whether or not she was drunk, Rudy was unable to stop her from embarrassing herself, even with a headful of squid ink pointed right at her, poised to addle her into acquiescence. So now she’s doing what many in the Trumpian mook menagerie are doing these days—greatly overestimating her importance. Thanks to Goodbye, Asshat: 101 Farewell Letters to Donald Trump, Dear F*cking Lunatic: 101 Obscenely Rude Letters to Donald Trump, Dear Pr*sident A**clown and Dear F*cking Moron, you can purge the Trump years from your soul sans the existential dread.

There was a republican effort to dismiss the impeachment trial of a president who is out of office as unconstitutional. The vote was 55 to 45 meaning only five republican senators voted that it was constitutional. 52 % of the public sees Trump as wholly or primarily responsible for the insurrection. .Only a dismal 29 percent of Americans approved of Trump’s job performance according to Pew, with two-thirds disapproving. They are going down the no funding from big business and let’s have almost two thirds of voters think we’re insane path.

How the hell can you be a person who's very life could have been taken that day just let that go unanswered for? Only 5 Republican Senators Voted that its constitutional to move forward to Impeachment trial. Also Republicans are already trying to block everything good for us ,so we need to fight them and keep on them. They gonna block everything we need to hit back harder, use all the tools to get what need to be passed done. We can try unity first ,but the Republicans block everything bullshit, has begun so ,Democrats are gonna have to move past them, if they wanna play that game again.

: At the instigation of Donald Trump, insurrectionists assaulted the Capitol and put the survival of U.S. Democracy on a knife’s edge. Wednesday, January 13th: Impeachment : A week after seditious Donald incited insurrection, Trump became the first President to be impeached twice. : A week after seditious Donald incited insurrection, Trump became the first President to be impeached twice. : With a huge security presence to dissuade and deter another Cult 45 assault on the U.S. government, President Biden was sworn in as the 46th President. Notes:+ Okay, striving to stay with “I” is a bit of a stretch for Wednesday’s anticipated climate executive orders.

The fact that Rand Paul has not faced an investigation into his ties to Russia tells you all you need to know about American politics. The letter highlighted how the U.S. wants to continue to work together with Russia on "countering terrorism, enhancing legislative dialogue and resuming cultural exchanges," Paul said. As an outspoken non-interventionist, Paul praised Trump's willingness to engage with Putin and said at the time that he would travel to Russia in early August to play shuttle diplomacy for Trump. On Wednesday, White House deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley said in a statement that it was Paul who had requested Trump to provide "a letter of introduction." "In the letter, the President mentioned topics of interest that Senator Paul wanted to discuss with President Putin," Gidley said.

Black celebrities with huge social media followings need to step-up and speak out to get our folks vaccinated. https://t.co/9JaxqoyeCm via @NBCNewsTHINK — Beyoncé’s adopted daughter (@KJbabi) January 23, 2021Dr. Ala Stanford wrote:I reflected on this complex relationship between racism and mistrust as I considered whether to take the Covid-19 vaccine. At this point, as more and more of us die, we need to get more people who Black folks trust (not talking about politicians) to help change minds, and we need to accelerate our debunk, block and report game. Trump was, as Ta-Nehisi Coates explained in 2017, the first American president to exist purely because of his whiteness. He brought no credentials or qualifications to the position outside of his role as a shamelessly racist retort to the political success of the disciplined and highly qualified first Black president.

And I think their party voters would see that as acceptable. Now — think about why Republicans stand united against all those things. The real reason is because those are the things that would cause Americans to trust their government more. That’s why I can be so certain that they would support Putin still, even in the face of open military action. I think that point needs to be pressed more, since it’s so consistent in their actions.

It was worse on TV, as news anchors read Trump’s lies with a straight face. Too often, coverage still quoted the ... [Trump]'s lies without explaining that they were wrong. No matter how often Daniel Dale pointed out Trump’s lies, Trump kept on lying. Some thirty years ago, Biden lied about his educational credentials, and he was fact-checked the very next day by journalists like Sam Donaldson. Surely there are older as well as more recent examples of Biden lying.

Dear John Roberts, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, your presence is required in the Senate for the trial of Donald John Trump when it commences next month. When the President of the United States is tried, the Chief Justice shall preside: And no Person shall be convicted without the Concurrence of two thirds of the Members present. [Article I, Section 3, Paragraph 6]This passage is intended to distinguish trials for the President from trials for the Vice President and from trials for civil Officers of the United States. He is being tried as President of the United States. Therefore, the Chief Justice shall preside.

Greta on Capitol Hill in 2019www.alternet.org/…Alternet reports that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has called on President Biden to declare a Climate Emergency. "I think it might be a good idea for President Biden to call a climate emergency," said Schumer [in an interview with Rachel Maddow]. But if ever there was an emergency, climate is one," Schumer [added]. "When we shift the zeitgeist, we shift what's politically possible, and what's politically necessary. Further, “Democrats could pass climate legislation through reconciliation” according to climatologist Michael E Mann, who was citing Schumer.

After four years of Trump who did whatever he could to exacerbate the climate crisis, now both President Joe Biden and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo are committed to a green economy. But Biden may need to declare the climate crisis a national emergency to get around Republican obstruction. But declaring the existential climate crisis a national emergency – a tactic Trump abused to divert Defense funding to build his Border Wall - would be another way to get over McConnell’s likely obstruction. Trump demonstrated that the Defense Budget doesn’t really need $740 billion budgeted, so Biden should allocate some of that to address the national security threat the climate crisis poses. Significantly, Biden is issuing a memorandum elevating climate change to a national security priority, but practically, politically, he needs to go further and designate the climate crisis the national emergency that it is.

I have served as a juror on a federal trial and I have watched the selection of jurors. I have seen the disqualification of some. I believe that some of the Senate jurors should be disqualified. I really believe that any Senator who supported and defended Trump in his lies about a stolen election should be disqualified. The impeachment managers should go for the jugular and hold Trump and every Republican Senator who has enable him accountable for what happen on January 6th.

American exceptionalism/exceptionally stupidAmerican exceptionalism is a saying and a term propagated over the decades with pride and bull headedness. However, in the face of it all we have never fulfilled the American dream for blacks, other minorities, women, the poor, and the vanishing middle class, despite our rhetoric to the contrary. We have a dysfunctional and racist judicial system led by a corporatist oriented, vote suppressing right wing Supreme Court. I want to be clear there are exceptional people in America, but to call the country exceptional as a whole is both ignorant of reality, and flies in the face of the facts. As I write this Trump supporters are storming the Capitol.

Americans’ appetite for pusillanimous silver-spoon ninnies being as insatiable as it is, Tucker Carlson’s Fox News show is surprisingly highly rated. Which is where MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell comes in. And now this cruelly and unjustly censored tribune of the people is going to take his freshly muzzled mug over to, you know, the aforementioned highly rated Fox News show. x Mike Lindell will be on @TuckerCarlson tonight in the 7pm CT hour! Thanks to Goodbye, Asshat: 101 Farewell Letters to Donald Trump, Dear F*cking Lunatic: 101 Obscenely Rude Letters to Donald Trump, Dear Pr*sident A**clown and Dear F*cking Moron, you can purge the Trump years from your soul sans the existential dread.

Sneed's East Tennessee base remained loyal to the Union during the conflict, though he temporarily left Congress in 1863 when he was appointed state attorney general by military governor Andrew Johnson. Sneed returned in 1866 when Tennessee was readmitted to the Union after Johnson was elevated to the presidency after Abraham Lincoln's assassination, this time as a full-fledged member of the Republican Party. After the federal government abandoned Reconstruction, however, Republicans throughout the South quickly found themselves with little influence. Democrats hung on in Tennessee longer than in other corners of the South, but those days are long gone. Republicans gained control of the redistricting in 2010 for the first time since Reconstruction, and they’ll once again decide the new congressional map.

The complaint filed by advocates last month alleged a pattern of retaliation against immigrants who dared to speak out Amin’s abuse, including the use of deportation. That moratorium, along with an order rescinding the previous president’s deportation priorities, should’ve been protecting many immigrants who shouldn’t have been a target for ICE in the first place. But the out-of-control agency defied those orders and targeted a young immigrant formerly protected by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. ICE operates with impunity, and unless we come down hard on it, it’ll continue operating with impunity. This is why we have to remain vigilant when it comes to ensuring the women released from Irwin are able to safely fight for justice.

? Nov. 06—Trump campaign seeks volunteers to engage in election fraud in Pennsylvania by submitting late ballots. ? Nov. 10—William Barr authorizes U.S. attorneys to pursue false claims of election fraud, triggering resignation of DOJ’s Election Crimes Branch, Richard Pilger. Trump calls for MAGA revolt. Brian Kemp reminds Trump that election fraud is illegal after Trump posts series of tweets attempting to get Kemp to overturn election results. ? January 067:30 AM—Lauren Boebert tweets “Today is 1776.”8:17 AM— Trump once again tweets lies about election fraud.

Later, the video shows a crowd at the door of the Capitol building chanting “We want Pence,” over and over again. It’s not a bunch of people calling for Mike Pence to speak—that’s something that’s never happened in America, frankly. Video inside of the Capitol building hallways shows big bearded faketriots screaming at D.C. and Capitol police, telling them that “You’re outnumbered. You can argue that the people who believe the things that Donald Trump says are being conned. You can say all of those things because Donald Trump, the president of the United States, told them exactly that.

First today, there is quite a bit of news out of both the White House and the Senate. These efforts are very real, and may well work, even in states which currently have Democratic Governors. "You've got a 50/50 body and yet, those 50 Democratic Senators are representing about 41.5 MILLION MORE PEOPLE. And then there's the need to get rid of the undemocratic filibuster in the already wildly undemocratic Senate if Democrats hope, as they are now promising, to quickly accomplish "big, bold things" done. Constituents of Democratic Senators Kyrsten Sinema in Arizona and Joe Manchin in West Virginia may wish to mention that to them.

“We want lone wolves, we want local cells without online recruitment,” a popular “accelerationist” account on Telegram recently urged its readers. A more dispersed and deliberately discreet approach is hard for law enforcement and monitoring groups to observe their activities and prepare accordingly. (It was largely inspired by the real-life serial-killing spree of white supremacist Joseph Paul Franklin.) The white supremacist website Stormfront and the jihadist website Azzam.com both appeared in the early days of the internet. Unlike older white supremacist websites such as Stormfront and even Vanguard News Network, these websites are totally unfiltered.

Meghan McCain just about lost it on The View as she described the degeneracy of the Republican Party. Meghan McCain laments the state of the GOPSee full episodes here. One had to feel somewhat sorry for Meghan McCain. The life-long Republican has watched the Republican Party as she knew it under her dad's guides and others disappear. "I'll die fighting for it," Meghan McCain said.

White residents, even as a minority, often vote as a bloc and drown out the voices of Black and brown voters. “There’s no shot against anybody because they’re a white man or a white woman. Houston Chronicle: Harris County rolls out 'Ready Harris' COVID-19 vaccine portal by Alison MedleyIt can be a confusing, frustrating challenge for many Houstonians trying to register for the COVID-19 vaccine in Harris County. Getting a COVID-19 vaccine shouldn’t be like the Hunger Games. The process will no longer be implemented on a first-come, first-serve basis, a Harris County Health press release stated.

“It has been a week since Joe Biden has been elected, and I am disappointed in the lack of progress”“What’s the point of having a Democratic majority in Congress, and Democrat in the Whitehouse? it feels like nothing is changed!”These are some of the comments I am hearing from some of my son’s high school classmates, neighbors, and even some local Democrats who were actively involved during the election season. At first, I tried to explain how much Biden has already done within his first week. But before talking about Biden’s first week in office, we should be grateful that Trump is not in the office and causing damage to us domestically and internationally. We should also celebrate the fact that we have a team focused on building the nation with competency instead of actively destroying our country with deliberate incompetence like we have seen under DJT.

Trump's White House press office was a hostile work environment for journalists who strived to bring truthful information to the public. As reported by Politico:"White House officials promise a sea change from how the Trump White House interacted with the press. "'We expect reporters covering the White House to operate in good faith and tell their audience the truth, and this White House will do the same. We are moving forward with that mutual understanding,' said T.J. Ducklo, the deputy White House press secretary. If the Biden Press team sticks to those principles, they will have to ban to Fox News from the White House Press Room.

The entire Republican Party will be on trial. As Boot emphasizes, Trump’s guilt here is crystal clear and becoming even clearer than that with each passing day. Many of the participants in the event itself have directly characterized their actions as responsive to Trump’s siren call. All 10 of the House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump are now facing a backlash at home, with local party organizations scolding them for disloyalty and primary challengers lining up against them. Call some witnesses in from those state legislatures who met with Trump as he hemmed, hawed and threatened them.

That constitutional scholar Tommy Tuberville claims he wasn’t at a meeting with Trump the night before. “Lawmakers ‘perturbed’ when House Sergeant-at-Arms told them at least none of them died in Capitol attack.”As GOP defends Trump's impeachment on 'political speech' grounds, don't accept that framing. The proper framing is around the elements of his behavior: 1. Gave the charge to march on the Capitol. The newspaper also reported that Herbster ‘also met Tuesday in Trump’s private residence in his Washington, D.C., hotel with Trump’s sons, Donald Jr. and Eric, and other campaign advisers.’”

Trump and Biden's unfavorable ratings are about the inverse of their favorable ratings. Both receive higher unfavorable than favorable ratings, although the balance of opinion is more negative for Trump. Trump now earns a -16 net-favorable rating (percentage favorable minus percentage unfavorable) while Biden has a -4 net-favorable rating. Melania Trump and Jill Biden are each viewed favorably by just under half of Americans -- 49% for Biden and 47% for Trump. However, one thing that can be said for 2020 is that the candidates' favorability ratings are better on average the candidates' ratings were in 2016.

The most direct approach is an annual wealth tax on the biggest fortunes, proposed by Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, among others. THREE OTHER ARTICLES WORTH READINGTOP COMMENTS • RESCUED DIARIES • THE BRIEFTWEET OF THE DAYx Some Republicans in Congress seem confused about what “unity” means. They seem to think that if you don’t give them what they want, you’re not for unity. — Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) January 27, 2021QUOTATION“The same rule of self-destructive financial calculation governs every walk of life. We destroy the beauty of the countryside because the un-appropriated splendors of nature have no economic value.

Unlike Obama and Clinton, he’s too old to be dreaming of years lived high in the economic oligarchy as the payoff for serving Wall Street while in the White House. Biden will be lucky to outlive his time in the White House and, who knows, might be more prone to care about his legacy to humanity? Second, he’s not super-bright like Clinton and Obama and smarts can be overrated when they are developed within a ruling class world view. Fourth, and this is amateur psychologizing, but Biden seems less plagued by narcissism than Clinton and Obama, both of whom were heavily caught up in that common politico affliction. America is in deeper shit as Biden moves into the White House than it was when Clinton and Obama took up the reins of power.

During the past two decades, Pew has used multiple indicators to gauge voters’ interest and intensity as the presidential election approaches. Prior to the 2000 election, 51% of the voters believed that the major party candidates were articulating differing positions on the issues, compared to 33% who saw them as taking similar positions. What the data from 2020 tells us is that there is every reason to expect a record turnout in 2020. If McDonald is correct and turnout reaches the 1908 level, votes cast in 2020 could total more than 145 million, up from 133 million in 2016. In addition to massive turnout, Republicans and Democrats will be voting in very different ways.

Private campaign contributions drive electoral outcomes, while neoliberal political economy structures the political process. The pandemic is excluded from the graph to capture the state of the pre-pandemic economy. One answer: Wall Street wants to control both the demand for and supply of credit. The third is the permanent crisis economy that began in 2008, and that now represents an epoch of its own. The implied premise that motivated Barack Obama in 2009 was that restoring Wall Street would restore the economy that preceded the economic collapse.

“They’re turning the court into an arm of their PR effort,” complained one GOP staffer closely tracking the lawsuits. “There’s probably been a couple hundred stories reprinting the AP” article summing up the lawsuits, the source added. Trump and his Republican backers have already beaten a similar Democratic lawsuit in federal district court in Arizona. Both Democratic and Republican sources tracking the litigation said they had their doubts a Supreme Court appeal would be very effective. While the Democrat vs. Republican litigation has a distinct partisan flair, it also has some practical effects, too.

Yesterday’s invasion of the Capitol by a Trump-supporting mob has certainly generated intense political passion and pervasive rage. ShareOne is that striking at cherished national symbols — the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, the Capitol — ensures rage and terror far beyond body counts or other concrete harms. Even those unarmed protesters who peacefully entered the Capitol should, many argued, be hunted by the FBI as domestic terrorists. Antifa advocates are working to expose the names of Capitol protesters to empower the FBI to arrest them on terrorism charges. As is true of every faction, there are right-wing activists filled with rage and who are willing to engage in violence.

It’s not public opinion, especially as it relates to Democrats’ votes. Instead, congressional Democrats’ votes appear to be heavily influenced by the campaign contributions of the same war profiteers for whom the NDAA is a corporate bailout. On average, House Democrats who voted for the NDAA accepted four times the amount of war industry cash as those who voted against it. The first is that recruiting “no” votes will come from the pool of Democrats who do not rely on war industry financing. The second is that the top recipients of war industry cash will not be swayed and must be replaced by a primary challenger.

I don’t see a role for me as a lawyer,” said Alan Dershowitz, the Trump-allied attorney who joined Trump’s impeachment defense team last January. Nikki Haley and Mark Sanford, and serves as a judge advocate general officer for the South Carolina National Guard. Trump’s push to bolster his defense team comes one week after House Democrats impeached him for a second time on charges of inciting an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. During that rally, Trump encouraged protesters “to walk down to the Capitol” — a phrase likely to become a focal point of his impeachment trial. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has asked for Trump to receive two weeks to prepare his legal case for trial.

The violent takeover of the Capitol Building was designed to stop the election certification. Only after the mob was cleared from the Capitol Building was Congress able to reconvene to do this. (Washington Post, Jan. 14)Why was the mob chanting “Find Mike Pence, Hang Mike Pence” when they marched through the Capitol Building? Given the level of awareness that an attack was coming, it is shocking that Capitol Police and other law enforcement bodies did not prepare more robust defenses around the Capitol Building. How did the attackers have such detailed knowledge of the notoriously difficult to navigate Capitol Building?

Ever since the first dismal days after President Donald Trump’s election, the Democratic Party has been falling for the FBI. Shortly after Comey was fired, the former FBI chief Robert Mueller was appointed special prosecutor and Democrats had found their vaunted hero and darling. Now he brings us the swashbucklingly titled The Threat: How the FBI Protects America in the Age of Terror and Trump. McCabe, who declares, “I love the FBI” during media interviews and book talks, is not at all apologetic about any of this. The FBI after 9/11 picked up one, then another, and then yet another suspect and put them all in detention.

astead herndonAnd Joe Biden runs for Senate in 1971 as a new type of Democrat —archived recording (joe biden) I’m Joe Biden, and I’m a candidate for the United States Senate. archived recording (joe biden) Politicians have done such a job on the people that the people don’t believe them anymore. And at the exact same time, that’s when the young Joe Biden makes his way to Capitol Hill. archived recording (joe biden) In a nutshell, the president’s plan doesn’t include enough police officers to catch the violent thugs. archived recording (joe biden) Before I start, I’d like to say something about the debate we had last night.

“Our board has thus made the decision to exercise our right to terminate the contract to hold the 2022 PGA Championship at Trump Bedminster. His New Jersey course hosted the 2017 U.S. Women’s Open, and his course in Loudoun County, Va., hosted the Senior PGA Championship that same summer. As an organization we have invested many, many millions of dollars in the 2022 PGA Championship at Trump National Golf Club, Bedminster. ADThe e-commerce firm Shopify said it would no longer host the Trump Organization’s online retail store, which sold T-shirts, hats, scented candles and bath bombs with the Trump name. ADThe 2022 PGA Championship was supposed to be the high point of Trump’s relationship with the game, bringing one of golf’s most high-profile events to a course that Trump treats as a second home.

So who is John Sullivan, and what was his connection, if any, to Black Lives Matter and the wider left-wing activist community? Among the pro-Trump activists leading the charge against John Sullivan in Utah is his own brother, James Sullivan. James Sullivan is a Black Republican, inheriting the rigidly conservative political line of the white Mormon parents that adopted him. Like so many other right-wing activists, James Sullivan has been determined to pin the violence on leftist Antifa infiltrators. I learned about the unusual meeting between Cisneros and Sullivan from local BLM activists tracking John Sullivan’s movements in DC.

Liberals posed as Trump Supporters and stormed the Capitol to agitate real Trump supporters! They have coordinated a break in and staged a false flag inside the Capitol Building and blamed it on the Patriots. Trust me, if the Patriots were going to rush the Capitol they would do that in a different way. President Trump knew his people would come to DC on the sixth. He knew ANTIFA would show up.

Extremism experts have focused on Jan. 17, as well as Inauguration Day and the days surrounding it, as potential flashpoints for violence. So far, however, public online discussions of the purported Jan. 17 protests have been much less visible than the wave of talk in pro-Trump forums that preceded the Jan. 6 riot. A Minnesota group that has recently organized “Stop The Steal” events at the state’s capital issued a Facebook warning to followers about the Jan. 17 event. On Facebook, the group shared posters for the Jan. 17 event, and suggested that they were an “anarchist” plot. Still, the days surrounding Jan. 17 are also potential tinderboxes across the country.

Waving Trump flags, they easily pushed past the unusually light security, climbed the steps and began throwing chairs through windows. Inside, the Secret Service evacuated the vice president, who Trump had been threatening all week. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2021The mayor of Washington and Speaker Nancy Pelosi requested the Pentagon send in the National Guard to protect them. When I wrote my reporting cables back to headquarters, I called these things what they were: an attempt to overthrow the legitimate government—an insurrection—a coup attempt. What will the Pentagon choose?

Both the fascist movement and their representatives were defeated that day—which is extremely important. It was and is extremely important that the Democrats immediately pushed forward the demand for impeachment and won the vote on this. The fascist Republican Party and its media mouthpieces, with way too few exceptions, still not only oppose punishing Trump in any way but act as if they (and he!) A section of the fascist party and fascist apparatus may have thought it wiser to not contest this particular election. As you do that, the place to begin is with the synthesized understanding brought forward by Bob Avakian (BA).

He demanded she “change the course” of the Socialist Party (PSOE)-Podemos government. Leaked WhatsApp messages of some of the former officers discussed shooting “26 million” people and imitating General Francisco Franco’s fascist coup that provoked the 1936-1939 Spanish Civil War. Amid mass deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic, millions view the Spanish officers’ threats with outrage and alarm. Trump’s plotting, culminating in the fascist coup to overrun the Capitol in Washington, is only the sharpest expression of a broad disintegration of democratic forms of rule, amid the pandemic and unsustainable levels of social inequality. The cowardly response of the Democratic Party to Trump’s coup attempt will, moreover, only bolster the Spanish fascist officers in their view that they might be able to carry out a far-right putsch.

The five people who died during the US Capitol invasion included a military vet who was shot, a cop who collapsed while fending off rioters, and three protesters who perished from medical emergencies, officials said. A US Capitol Police officer also died after “physically engaging with protesters,” according to a report. One of the people who died from a medical emergency includes Kevin Greeson, 55, of Athens, Ala., according to AL.com. Philips — a computer programmer who founded a social media site for Trump supporters, Trumparoo.com — died of a stroke, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. Boyland was “a really happy, wonderful person,” a sister told Atlanta’s 11Alive.

President Trump wrote (October 9, 2019):“The United States has spent EIGHT TRILLION DOLLARS fighting and policing in the Middle East. President Trump pointed out that Democrats used the concocted Russia collusion story to rationalize their embarrassing 2016 election defeat. It was nothing short of treasonous.”At that July 16, 2018 press conference with President Putin, a reporter questioned President Trump: “President Putin denied having anything to do with the election interference in 2016. President Trump not only was the first US president to meet with a North Korean leader of state, but, unlike his predecessors, Trump displayed respect for its leader, Kim Jong Un. In a presidential debate, Trump defended his actions:“We have a good relationship with North Korea, we’re not in a war.

After condemning the pro-Trump invasion of the Capitol, the incoming Biden administration invited Carlos Vecchio – a coup leader charged in the 2014 torching of the Venezuelan Attorney General’s office – to its inaugural ceremony. Among those dignitaries is Carlos Vecchio, a former Exxon lawyer who currently serves as US-recognized “Interim President” Juan Guaidó’s envoy in Washington. The Biden team’s decision to invite Vecchio was a disappointing sign to those hoping the new administration would break from Trump’s failed and destructive policy of recognizing Guaidó as Venezuela’s leader. After condemning Trump for inspiring the Capitol riot, Biden sent inaugural invite to @carlosvecchio – Venezuelan coup leader charged with inciting insurrectionist 2014 attack on gov't building. The violent actions of Vecchio and his allies were hardly limited to the events of February 12, 2014.

Only then could the party leader’s rhetorical violence be transformed into mass violence, the suppression of all opposition, the nullification of civil rights and the vicious persecution of vulnerable minorities. Trump’s speeches may sometimes recall the rhetoric of fascist leaders in his praise of violence, his demands for obedience and his disregard for constitutional restraints. From the start, the history of modern democratic republics has been inseparable from that of charismatic political leaders who can forge intense emotional connections with committed cadres of followers. Simón Bolívar, who seized dictatorial powers several times in the history of the South American revolutions, was not a fascist. Most American voters outside the progressive left do not think of fascism as in any way an American phenomenon.

According to an email from Marissa Astor, Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook’s assistant, to Clinton campaign chair John Podesta, the campaign knew Trump was going to run, and pushed his legitimacy as a candidate. The memo, sent to the Democratic National Committee (DNC) also reveals the DNC and Clinton campaign were strategizing on behalf of their candidate at the very beginning of the primaries. Expecting Clinton to be the nominee, the DNC and Clinton campaign developed strategies for the general election. It was in the best interest of Clinton, and therefore the Democratic Party, that Trump was the Republican presidential nominee. “Clinton, Trump trade insults as rhetoric heats up between front-runners,” read the headline from a CNN article in September 2015.

Even in victory the Democrats are rearing the ugly head of Russiagate to further vanquish the vanquished and protect their power, writes Joe Lauria. And now Russiagate is poised to be used again against Russia, Trump and Trump voters. Russiagate is also too useful to discard because it is a tool for politicians to get out of sticky situations. Beyond that, Russiagate has been a convenient and successful strategy of deflection from one’s own responsibility for America’s social and political crises. Despite this, the Russiagate saga is still believed by millions of Americans, bolstered by Congressional studies that relied on intelligence briefings.

The real estate magnate got $4.96 billion in free earned media in the year leading up to the presidential election, according to data from tracking firm mediaQuant. Over the past 12 months, the president-elect received more than $800 million in free earned broadcast media, compared to $666 million for Clinton, and $2.6 billion in free earned online news attention, compared to $1.6 billion for his rival. According to mediaQuant's estimates, as much as 23% of free earned media attention given to Trump during the election was negative, compared to about 12% for Clinton. During the election, Trump got about 50% more coverage than Clinton across all media but outdid her by 150% on Twitter. What remains uncertain moving forward is whether Trump's free earned media ride can be replicated by other candidates, or if we'll see 2018 and 2020 return to business as usual in terms of advertising and media.

In this episode of Intelligence Matters, host Michael Morell speaks with Antony "Tony" Blinken, former deputy Secretary of State and current foreign policy adviser for the Joe Biden for President campaign. RELATIONSHIPS WITH U.S. INTELLIGENCE: "[A] President Biden will not politicize intelligence, will insist that truth always be spoken to power. Antony "Tony" Blinken, former deputy Secretary of State and current foreign policy adviser for the Joe Biden for President campaign. Which also sums up the profound differences between President Trump and Vice President Biden. Last question: You know the Vice President better than anyone else when it comes to foreign policy and national security.

“Our industry knows Joe Biden really well, and he knows our industry really well,” said Arnold Punaro, a retired Marine Corps major general and Democratic Senate staffer who works as a defense consultant. Stock prices of major defense contractors increased Wednesday, as Republicans appeared poised to hold on to the Senate, and held steady throughout the week. Major defense contractors benefited from well-funded weapons technology initiatives, including numerous hypersonic-weapons programs and accelerated purchases of new fighter jets. Some major defense contractors saw record sales as a result. Defense analysts have expected for years that the current defense budget would probably not increase further even under a second Trump administration.

Biden’s position on a fracking banBiden would not allow new fracking on federal lands. He would allow existing fracking to continue on federal property and existing and new fracking to continue on private land. ADADMost of these examples the Trump campaign uses conflate Biden’s decades-long vision for a clean-energy economy with his immediate plans now for how to do that. The Trump campaign is taking advantage of the fact that Biden wants to move away from fossil fuels, including fracking, to imply Biden wants to ban fracking now. (It’s no coincidence that Biden restated his position on not wanting to ban fracking Monday while in Pittsburgh.)

Donald Trump’s narcissistic personality is as much a political problem as his dismal performance. In our hyper-charged environment, ideologues forget that personality is as much a factor in voting decisions as issues are. But they are just as likely to fault the president for his personal failings and credit his Democratic challenger for having a more positive personality. But Biden’s personality is just as potent as his performance. In the wake of the pandemic, Americans lost their taste for exciting candidates and looked for a presidential hopeful who would bring peace to a restive nation.

It's called The Leadership Institute and since it was set up in 1979 "has trained," according to its website, "more than 200,000 conservative activists, leaders and students." .leadershipinstitute.org/training/schools.cfm?school=21The "Morton" he is referring to is Morton C. Blackwell, who founded The Leadership Institute, and remains its president and runs it. As The Leadership Institute says on a page about its "Mission" on its website: "The Leadership Institute's mission is to increase the number and effectiveness of conservative activists and leaders in the public policy process. The Leadership Institute is the center of conservative activist training. Describing under "Headquarters" The Leadership Institute's "facility" in Arlington, Virginia, the website says it includes "a training center, professional multimedia studies, dormitories."

My objective is to remind progressives we're going to have to push Biden to do what needs to be done. Dear President Biden, Vice President Harris, DNC, DCCC:Congratulations on your winning both houses and your offices, though with an embarrassingly narrow margin, considering how destructive Trump and his often violent minions have been to our country and democracy. This narrow margin is a result of the Democratic Party - YOU - abandoning the working class. Without the progressive vote for you in this past election, Trump would have been re-elected and you would likely have lost both houses of Congress. Yes, we have no other party, but progressives can stay home or vote third party, which is a big part of why Hillary lost in 2016.

Local National Guard commanders usually have the ability to take responsive actions when lives are at risk or significant property damage is possible in certain scenarios, particularly when it isn’t possible to obtain approval quickly. “All military commanders normally have immediate response authority to protect property, life, and in my case, federal functions — federal property and life. A detailed timeline of the day’s events shows that the Pentagon took about an hour and a half to approve requests for the National Guard to respond to the Capitol breach, according to reporting from The Hill. “We all know that’s true — and it’s unacceptable.”The D.C. National Guard wasn’t the only agency that didn’t prepare enough for the Capitol breach that took place on January 6, which resulted in the death of five individuals. Many believe Trump is to blame for having instigated his loyalists to attack the Capitol.

The American Exceptionalism Of Secretary Of State Antony Blinken“American leadership still matters. The reality is the world simply does not organize itself,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken proclaimed at his confirmation hearing. During President Barack Obama’s second term, Blinken was deputy secretary of state. Asked about the intense humanitarian crisis in Yemen, Blinken drew a false equivalency between the actions of the Houthis and the Saudis. Antony Blinken sworn in as Secretary of State (Photo: State Department)US Return To Iran Nuclear Deal Not Happening SoonIt was the United States under Trump that ditched the Iran nuclear deal, not Iran.

This is the first of a two-part analysis of the Biden climate plan. The second part will detail the international geopolitical implications of Biden’s climate plan. The Biden climate plan, like all such plans put forward by major capitalist governments, is a fraud and a political trap. These examples illustrate the modest ambitions and wishful thinking that underlie the proposed Biden climate plan. The Biden climate plan illustrates the impossibility of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, even in a single country, at the rate required to prevent dangerous levels of warming.

The WSWS had an opportunity to speak earlier this month on the COVID-19 pandemic with Dr. Arthur Caplan, the Drs. One, the pandemic revealed something that insiders already knew that the public does not seem to know, which is we destroyed our public health system. They are in little on what I call basic public health measures. Not public health. You need to have leaders who emphasize that public health requires different responses.

Former President Donald Trump has not been open about what his future may hold, including whether he intends to run for office again or not. However, Trump indicated this week that he will attempt to play a role of some kind in the future of U.S. politics. Trump established “The Office of the Former President” on Monday, which will be located in Palm Beach County, Florida, not far from his current residence at Mar-a-Lago. That number has dwindled down to 42 percent in a more recent poll — still a plurality of support from GOP respondents, but a significant drop nonetheless. Trump has already begun backing people he perceives to be loyal to him for future Republican primary elections.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) called on President Joe Biden to declare the climate crisis a national emergency, echoing calls that other Democratic lawmakers and activists have been making in past months and years. “I think it might be a good idea for President Biden to call a climate emergency,” said Schumer on MSNBC on Monday. But if there ever was an emergency, climate is one.”The emergency declaration would allow Biden to direct funds to clean energy projects and suspend activities like oil drilling and crude oil exports. He also joins over 380 climate groups that, in December, called on Biden to issue an executive order declaring an emergency over the climate crisis. Though, as Grist points out, Biden refers to the climate crisis as an emergency in speeches and documents, he has yet to formally declare one using his presidential powers.

Holocaust denial content remains on Facebook three months after pledging to ban all content that “denies or distorts the Holocaust.”That's according to a new report from the ADL (Anti-Defamation League), which gave Facebook a “D” for its efforts. "We are reviewing the content mentioned in this report and will continue working to keep Holocaust denial off of our platform." "Anyone who searches on Facebook for terms associated with either the Holocaust or Holocaust denial, will see a message from Facebook encouraging them to connect with credible information about the Holocaust off Facebook," Guy Rosen, vice president of integrity, said in a blog post. When Facebook began restricting more content, some Holocaust deniers, who use hashtags such as #HolocaustNeverHappened and #HolocaustIsALie, moved to less restrictive social media platforms. Twitter and Twitch were the only platforms in the study who took immediate action when Holocaust denial content was reported to them by anonymous users, the ADL said.

With Democrats preparing for the Senate impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., warned his colleagues that moving forward will only cause more damage to the nation. "I’d like to get this trial over sooner rather than later," Graham told "Hannity" on Tuesday. "To my Democratic colleagues, if you try to call one witness, you’re going to blow up the United States Senate. Graham encouraged the opposition to get the "travesty over with" as soon as possible, especially since Trump has already left office. Graham explained that on day one of the trial, there will be a motion to dismiss which he expects to occur.

President Biden "continued taking a wrecking ball to his unity goal" Tuesday by stating "that America, at her core, is racist," Laura Ingraham told viewers. "The Ingraham Angle" host asked rhetorically how Biden's decree that Americanism is at its roots racist and that its founders were men of unjust repute, can square with his own upbringing. His professors, who celebrated, for instance, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution as well as the men who sent them?" "The 1776 Commission understood that America is a great nation that nevertheless made some grave errors," Ingraham added. Ingraham later went on to say that Democrats "know all too well that Trump grew his political support among all minorities, especially Latinos and Asians.

In April, Donald Trump told the public injecting bleach could cure coronavirus and in an interview this week, Dr. Deborah Birx said Donald Trump “appreciated the gravity” of the coronavirus pandemic in March. Lawrence O’Donnell says we must never forget what those officials did say and did not say to stand up to Donald Trump’s lies.

President Joe Biden holds his face mask as he delivers remarks on COVID-19, in the State Dining Room of the White House, Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)President Joe Biden holds his face mask as he delivers remarks on COVID-19, in the State Dining Room of the White House, Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)WASHINGTON (AP) — Fulfilling a campaign promise, President Joe Biden plans to reopen the HealthCare.gov insurance markets for a special sign-up opportunity geared to people needing coverage in the coronavirus pandemic. Coverage is available to people who don’t have job-based health insurance, with the Medicaid expansion geared to those with low incomes. “President Biden does not believe, as a principle, it should be difficult ... for people to gain access to health care,” she said.

Rock musician Janick Gers (Iron Maiden) is 64. Rock singer Margo Timmins (Cowboy Junkies) is 60. Rock musician Michael Kulas (James) is 52. Country singer Kevin Denney is 43. Rock musician Matt Sanchez (American Authors) is 35.

The multimillion-dollar #WeAreHome campaign was launched Monday by national groups including United We Dream and the United Farm Workers Foundation. Immigration remains a third rail dividing Republicans and Democrats in the U.S., and opponents of the measure have pledged to fight it. “The movement has matured,” said Lorella Praeli, the Peruvian-born co-president of Community Change, among the national groups leading the campaign. Praeli honed her skills as Latino communities outreach director for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign before addressing the 2016 Democratic National Convention. The five groups chairing the campaign are paying for the effort with their own fundraising,“We need an early breakthrough on immigration,” said Praeli.

Lindell, who says he “welcomes” a lawsuit, also personally visited the White House during Trump’s final days in office to sell him on his latest election fraud theory. “People the public recognizes cannot step out of line because you might convince others to do the same. With this particular thing that’s going on now, I’ve been all in trying to find the machine fraud and we found it, we have the evidence,” Lindell exclaimed. They don’t want that!”“No, they don’t,” Carlson muttered in response.“They’re not making conspiracy theories go away by doing that,” he continued, before adding: “You don’t make people calm down and get reasonable and moderate by censoring them, you make them crazier. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you.

WASHINGTON - All but five Republican senators backed former president Donald Trump on Tuesday in a key test vote ahead of his impeachment trial, signaling that the proceedings are likely to end with Trump’s acquittal on the charge that he incited the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. After the vote, Paul declared that "the impeachment trial is dead on arrival." A few senators who voted with Paul disputed that Tuesday's vote was a foolproof indication of the trial's outcome. McConnell did not speak before Tuesday's vote or release any statement squaring his vote with his previous statements critical of Trump's behavior. The former president's aides also have started putting GOP senators on notice about the impending trial vote asserting that Trump will continue to be in a force within the Republican Party.

The Kremlin, meanwhile, focused on Putin’s response to Biden’s proposal to extend the last remaining U.S.-Russia arms control treaty. Former President Donald Trump’s administration had withdrawn from two arms control treaties with Russia and had been prepared to let New START lapse. Before he spoke to Putin, Biden also called NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg to pledge U.S. commitment to the decades-old alliance founded as a bulwark against Russian aggression. Biden’s team has already reacted strongly to the crackdown on the protests, in which more than 3,700 people were arrested across Russia, including more than 1,400 in Moscow. Just from the public accounts, Biden’s discussion with Putin appeared diametrically opposed to Trump’s relationship with the Russian president.

(AP Photo/Alan Diaz)The war on private-sector employment is in full gear as President Joe Biden begins his second week in the White House. Last week, Mr. Biden issued a flurry of executive orders, including one that revokes the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline. Not to be outdone, congressional Democrats on Tuesday announced that they have an even more ambitious plan to outlaw thousands of private-sector jobs. Sen. Sanders thunders that the current $7.25 hour is a “starvation wage.” Never mind that about 98 percent of minimum wage earners aren’t the sole family breadwinner. “The National Bureau of Economic Research surveyed the existing literature in search of a more concrete understanding” on the effects of minimum wage hikes, Reason’s Billy Binion reported this week.

But we and other democracies are at a decided disadvantage: our lack of continuity. Their policies (mostly driven by their hatred of America) do not change every four to eight years. Even when they change leadership, their policies do not change. When Donald Trump assumed the presidency, he did away with or reversed almost every policy of his predecessor. Meanwhile, our adversaries gleefully watch as we accomplish very little as we fight among ourselves and forget who the real enemy is.

Biden chastised Putin over the 2016 election interference and a reprise of that effort in 2020. Biden also told the Kremlin strongman that the United States was willing to defend itself and take action, which could include further sanctions, to ensure that Moscow does not act with impunity, according to Biden administration officials. On a positive note, Biden and Putin agreed on the need to maintain stability between the world's two biggest nuclear superpowers. Sign up to receive The 1600 Get our inside look at the White House and goings on in the Donald Trump administration. U.S. restores Palestinian relationsThe Biden administration announced Tuesday it was restoring relations with the Palestinians and renewing aid to Palestinian refugees, a reversal of the Trump administration’s cutoff.

GOP largely sides against holding Trump impeachment trialWASHINGTON (AP) — All but five Senate Republicans voted in favor of an effort to dismiss Donald Trump's historic second impeachment trial on Tuesday, making clear a conviction of the former president for “incitement of insurrection” after the deadly Capitol siege on Jan. 6 is unlikely. While the Republicans did not succeed in ending the trial before it began, the test vote made clear that Trump still has enormous sway over his party as he becomes the first former president to be tried for impeachment. Many Republicans have criticized Trump's role in the attack — before which he told his supporters to “fight like hell” to overturn his defeat — but most of them have rushed to defend him in the trial. “I think this was indicative of where a lot of people’s heads are," said South Dakota Sen. John Thune, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate, after the vote.

The moratorium is intended to allow time for officials to review the impact of oil and gas drilling on the environment and climate. Oil industry groups slammed the move, saying Biden had already eliminated thousands of oil and gas jobs by killing the Keystone XL oil pipeline on his first day in office. The pause in onshore drilling is limited to federal lands and does not affect drilling on private lands, which is largely regulated by states. Oil and gas extracted from public lands and waters account for about a quarter of annual U.S. production. Biden’s choice to lead the Interior Department, which oversees oil and gas leasing on public lands, is New Mexico Rep. Deb Haaland.

As U.S. President Joe Biden prepares Wednesday to open an ambitious effort to confront climate change, powerful and surprising forces are arrayed at his back. Already, scientists say the irreversible effects of climate change have started to sweep across the globe, from record wildfires in California and Australia to rising sea levels, widespread droughts and stronger storms. “President Biden has called climate change the No. On his first day in office, he rejoined the Paris Agreement on climate change. So will Manchin, who campaigned for his seat with a television advertisement that featured him using a hunting rifle to shoot a climate change bill that Obama had hoped to pass.

MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell blasted Twitter after he was permanently banned from the platform for continuing to spread misinformation about election fraud, saying that if Twitter can silence him, it can silence anyone. Twitter said Lindell had been banned 'due to repeated violations' of its Civic Integrity Policy. 'This time, about 17 days ago, when someone put up on the Internet actual new machine election fraud, I retweeted it, and they took my Twitter down. SOME OF LINDELL'S CLAIMS ELECTION FRAUD Lindell has repeatedly claimed on Twitter and in interviews that the election was rigged. Even before his Twitter ban, Lindell was among the Republicans raging at 'cancel culture' after companies cut ties with MyPillow.

As you said, up until the point where Bernie was no longer a threat, it was made to sound as if the public option would be just as good, if not better, than Medicare for All. Anyway, I think it’s going to be mostly little tweaks, and, if we’re really lucky, we’ll get some kind of public option. But the question that’s existed all along is how they would actually do the public option. But with the public option, there are actually a lot of different ways you can do it. How does the sliding scale for income work?

To achieve unity, we need the Trump impeachment trial: OPINION Failing to establish truth will could doom us to repeat past mistakes. The article of impeachment accusing former President Donald Trump of "incitement of insurrection" has now been sent from the House to the Senate. Johnson sought unity, but he neglected to understand that you can't have unity and healing without an examination of truth and ensuring accountability. The staircase to unity, healing and justice starts with the steps of truth and accountability. This pending trial in the Senate is a great opportunity to achieve the vision of our founders by pursuing the truth and holding the destructive forces in America accountable.

What exactly is this budget reconciliation thing I keep hearing about? It’s a process that allows the Senate to pass tax and spending legislation with a bare majority vote. Reconciliation bills cannot be filibustered, so Democrats can use it scoot around Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s tendency toward obstructionism. In order to write a reconciliation bill, Congress first has to enact an annual budget resolution. AdvertisementA reconciliation bill is allowed to increase the budget deficit over the years covered by the budget, which typically lasts a decade, but not in the period after it.

Our research finds that identification with QAnon, Christian nationalism, Trump and anti-Semitism are tightly linked. Christian nationalism and support for QAnon together appear to increase with anti-SemitismWe found that Christian nationalism, support for QAnon, and anti-Semitism are linked. On average, the most ardent Christian nationalists subscribed to four of the eight anti-Semitic tropes presented; those most opposed to Christian nationalism subscribed to an average of one. Christian nationalism and QAnon support work together to drive up anti-Semitism. Without QAnon belief, Christian nationalists adopted only somewhat more anti-Semitic beliefs as those who rejected Christian nationalism, as you can see in the figure below if you compare the yellow bars.

Sajjad Hussain / Getty Images Share on Facebook Share on Facebook Share on Pinterest Share on Pinterest Pinterest Pinterest Farmers stormed New Delhi's Red Fort, a historical national monument, to protest against the government's new agricultural reforms. Calls to "shoot" farmers protesting against controversial agricultural reforms in India trended for hours on Twitter on Tuesday, as thousands of tweets encouraging police brutality against them flooded the platform. Advertisementvia Twitter Share on Facebook Share on Facebook Share on Pinterest Share on Pinterest Pinterest Pinterest“Hit them with your batons, Delhi police,” the editor of a pro-government propaganda blog tweeted in Hindi. Via Twitter Share on Facebook Share on Facebook Share on Pinterest Share on Pinterest Pinterest PinterestAdvertisement"Shoot" stayed in the Trending section on Twitter in India for at least a couple of hours. Money Sharma / Getty Images Share on Facebook Share on Facebook Share on Pinterest Share on Pinterest Pinterest Pinterest Farmers on a tractor prepare to remove concrete barricades installed by police as they stormed into India's capital on Jan. 26, 2021.

(CNN) Sen. Patrick Leahy returned home Tuesday night from the hospital after seeking treatment out of an abundance of caution, according to a spokesman. Leahy had been hospitalized just hours after presiding over the opening of former President Donald Trump's second impeachment trial. "After getting test results back, and after a thorough examination, Senator Leahy now is home. As the Senate president pro tempore -- the longest-serving senator of the majority party -- the 80-year-old Vermont Democrat is presiding over Trump's impeachment trial in lieu of Chief Justice John Roberts. Roberts, who oversaw Trump's first impeachment trial, chose not to oversee the proceedings because Trump is no longer in office, according to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

WASHINGTON — Among the most urgent tasks a new president faces is assembling a core group of advisers to serve in the cabinet. In doing so, he created a cabinet of mostly wealthy, white men with limited experience in government, mirroring himself. President Biden has taken a different approach, turning to policymakers with government experience for most of his cabinet nominees, many of whom he has worked with for decades. He is on track to assemble the most diverse cabinet in American history. Mr. Biden has nominated far more women and more nonwhite cabinet members than Mr. Trump, and has chosen the first openly gay person to be a cabinet-level secretary.

WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans rallied on Tuesday against trying former President Donald J. Trump for “incitement of insurrection” at the Capitol, with only five members of his party joining Democrats in a vote to go forward with his impeachment trial. By a vote of 55-to-45, the Senate narrowly killed a Republican effort to dismiss the proceeding as unconstitutional because Mr. Trump is no longer in office. “I think it’s pretty obvious from the vote today that it is extraordinarily unlikely that the president will be convicted,” said Senator Susan Collins of Maine, one of the five Republicans who voted to proceed to trial. “Just do the math.”It would take two-thirds of senators — 67 votes — to attain a conviction, meaning 17 Republicans would have to cross party lines to side with Democrats in finding Mr. Trump guilty. If they did, an additional vote to disqualify him from ever holding office again would take a simple majority.

Officials in Oklahoma are reportedly trying to offload a $2 million stockpile of hydroxychloroquine — the malaria drug once touted by former President Donald Trump as a potential coronavirus treatment. Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt ordered the purchase of 1.2 million pills, or about 100,000 doses, from a California-based pharmaceutical wholesaler in April. At the time, Stitt was criticized by Democrats for the purchase but defended it by saying that the drug showed promise as a treatment in early March, and that he didn’t want his state to miss out on a chance to acquire it. Stitt’s spokeswoman Carly Atchison told The Frontier that: “Every decision the Governor makes is with the health and lives of Oklahomans in mind, including purchasing hydroxychloroquine, securing PPE, and now distributing vaccines as quickly and efficiently as possible to combat this COVID crisis.”With Post wires

Alongside the return to official skepticism from the top about Russian actions and motives, Biden made an expected offer to Putin to extend a key arms control agreement. “The two presidents agreed to maintain transparent and consistent communication going forward,” the White House statement said. On a number of occasions, the White House did not even acknowledge the calls until after an announcement by Moscow, and some reported by Moscow do not appear in archived public White House records. Asked in an interview with Axios whether he had raised the subject with Putin, Trump said it was “a phone call to discuss other things. They always bring up Russia, Russia, Russia.”

The impeachment managers moved though a room filled with the ghosts of our distant past and the fresh memories of our troubled present. The simple comity of now-Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell toward House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was greeted by observers like gladiatorial detente. We can’t simply step over it and put it in the past because the muck is too wide and deep. The impeachment of the former president forces us to wrestle with a past that allowed such poisonous thinking to flourish and to become a rallying cry. ADADA year ago, when Trump was impeached for the first time, the sight of the House managers striding through Statuary Hall had the air of high drama.

Detroit will dismiss most misdemeanor citations issued last spring during several days of protests against police brutality following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, a city official said Tuesday. Most of the tickets written from May 31 through June 2 were for curfew violations as hundreds of people demonstrated in downtown Detroit. The city expects to dismiss 238 of the 245 tickets issued on those three days, Detroit Corporation Counsel Lawrence Garcia said. Dozens of demonstrators received appearance citations for violating the city's 8 p.m. curfew, Garcia said in a statement. Prosecutors in Los Angeles also decided not to charge thousands of protesters arrested for violating curfew and other police orders.

The former drug kingpin and founder of Death Row Records shed tears and thanked former President Trump for pardoning him during a recent interview. His was one of 73 pardons and 70 sentence commutations issued by Trump during his finals days in office last week. Snoop Dogg, who rose to stardom while signed to the infamous rap label, lobbied for Harris' freedom along with other rappers and activists. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPWhile in prison, he helped get Death Roe Records up and running. "I would talk to Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and the whole family, everybody that was signed to Death Row," Harris said.

The Democrats' push to convict former President Trump in the Senate is dead on arrival, Sean Hannity declared Tuesday. Earlier in the day, the Senate voted 55-45 to end debate on Sen. Rand Paul’s point of order arguing that the impeachment trial is unconstitutional now that Trump is out of office. Most Republican senators found a post-presidency impeachment to be unconstitutional, but the "irrational psychotic rage" of the left continues to fuel Democrats' effort, the "Hannity" host said. "The Senate trial will be conducted as planned, but the Democrats do not have anywhere close to what would be the two-thirds supermajority that would be needed to convict." RUBIO SOUNDS OFF ON TRUMP IMPEACHMENT AFTER SENATE VOTE"They must appease this lunatic fringe that controls the entire Democratic Party establishment," he went on, before adding plainly, "the U.S. Senate cannot validate this insane snap impeachment.

California Labor Secretary Julie Su, President Biden’s reported pick to serve as deputy secretary in the US Department of Labor, could face tough scrutiny in the Senate regarding her handling of unemployment claims in the state during the coronavirus pandemic. Biden has pledged to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 and Su is a longtime advocate for workers’ rights, including increased wages. However, reports that a state agency under Su’s jurisdiction mistakenly paid out billions in false unemployment claims could complicate her candidacy. "California has not had sufficient security measures in place to prevent this level of fraud, and criminals took advantage of the situation." Aside from the fraud claims, state officials questioned the Su-led Employment Development Department’s preparedness to handle claims in the event of a crisis that led to an economic recession.

He will not be president,’” Jeffries told Hayes on Tuesday. “Words are putting you and your family at risk,” the message said, according to the complaint. He was charged with making threatening interstate communications, which can carry up to a five-year prison sentence. His Facebook profile and phone records indicated he was a former member of the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department, the complaint said. “There is very false information on social media that a Robert Lemke worked for the Alameda County Sheriff,” the department said.

The moratorium is intended to allow time for officials to review the impact of oil and gas drilling on the environment and climate. Oil industry groups slammed the move, saying Biden had already eliminated thousands of oil and gas jobs by killing the Keystone XL oil pipeline on his first day in office. The drilling moratorium is among several climate-related actions Biden will announce Wednesday. The pause in onshore drilling is limited to federal lands and does not affect drilling on private lands, which is largely regulated by states. The Biden administration has pledged to spend billions to assist in the transition away from fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal, and Biden has said creating thousands of clean-energy jobs is a top priority.

By Trevor Hunnicutt and Steve HollandWASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday for the first time since taking office and raised concerns about Russian activities including the treatment of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, the White House said. White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki announced the phone call between the two leaders at her daily briefing. It came as Biden adjusts U.S. policy in a more robust way toward Russia after his predecessor, Donald Trump refused to take on Putin directly. "President Biden reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to collective defense under Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty and underscored his commitment to strengthening transatlantic security," a White House statement said. The arms control treaty limits the United States and Russia to deploying no more than 1,550 strategic nuclear warheads each.

Huawei is still the Chinese Communist Party's tech puppet and a serious threat to national security. However, Raimondo repeatedly emphasised to Cruz and other senators questioning her a commitment to safeguarding against possible national security threats posed by the use of Chinese telecommunications equipment. Raimondo, he noted, is a relative newcomer in terms of foreign policy and will need to defer to Blinken and others in the Biden administration. "This is not a position of the Biden administration at this point, so I think we'll have to wait and see. Sullivan said in a CNN interview earlier this month that the Biden administration would recognise China as a serious strategic competitor to the US.

WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden on Wednesday plans to make tackling America’s persistent racial and economic disparities a central part of his plan to combat climate change, prioritizing environmental justice for the first time in a generation. AdvertisementBiden will sign an executive order establishing a White House interagency council on environmental justice, create an office of health and climate equity at the Health and Human Services Department and form a separate environmental justice office at the Department of Justice, the individuals said. "The executive order will help to lay out a clear path to implementing President Biden's climate and justice commitments," Kelly said. AdvertisementRobert Bullard, a professor at Texas State University and longtime environmental justice advocate, praised the notion of linking the environment and health by establishing a dedicated office at HHS. And he said creating an environmental justice office at the Justice Department underscores that the problem is both important and pervasive.

Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich is asking the federal government to rescind a 100-day moratorium on most deportations that was announced on President Joe Biden's first day in office. Brnovich said Tuesday's letter was intended to serve as notice to Homeland Security that they had violated the agreement with Arizona for not consulting with the state before announcing the moratorium or giving them the 180-notice. The Department of Homeland Security referred a request for comment to the White House, which did not immediately respond. Advocacy groups who supported the moratorium on deportations criticized Tipton's temporary restraining order that is pausing its implementation for 14 days. Brnovich attached the copy of Arizona's agreement with the letter he sent to DHS on Tuesday.

Ohio political junkies are having fun speculating about which Republicans and Democrats could run for U.S. Senate in the wake of Rob Portman's decision not to seek another term. I wrote last spring that Democrats should consider her for a Senate run, in part, because of her statewide popularity. "They have a shot at winning in response to unforced errors from the Republicans," Niven added. "It's not completely hopeless for Democrats," Niven said of the Ohio U.S. Senate race. They're never going to win against a well-run Republican candidate who's throwing 100 mph fastballs.

That’s the new account for former President Donald Trump. His first message states, in part, “Today, the 45th President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, formally opened the Office of the Former President.” The email is datelined Palm Beach, Fla. The email adds “The Office will be responsible for managing President Trump’s correspondence, public statements, appearances, and official activities to advance the interests of the United States and to carry on the agenda of the Trump Administration through advocacy, organizing, and public activism. “President Trump will always and forever be a champion for the American People,” it concludes. The message comes as Senate Republicans revealed Tuesday they are unlikely to convict Trump when a second impeachment kicks off again the week of Feb. 8.

The board of Trump Plaza in Florida has voted to remove the ex-president's branding from its twin-buildings following the riots at the US Capitol. Trump Plaza’s condo board voted on 19 January to rename the complex after two attempts in 2020. But the US Capitol riots were the "last straw" for residents, according to The Palm Beach Post. The board voted against officially renaming the building in February, and unofficially removed the last remaining physical signs in June, but it had remained Trump Plaza until the latest vote. “It’s been a long time in coming," one Trump Plaza resident told the Post.

The Democrats’ incumbency and demographic advantages, along with the riots and bitter fight for the Republican Party’s soul, strongly favours them to retain the presidency come 2024. When it comes to the Republicans, the nominee market would be the one to focus on. It appeared fairly simple last time I looked, when I divided the candidates into three categories: a Trump, another Republican, or an outsider, perhaps resident Fox News demagogue Tucker Carlson. A sensible Republican challenger would be good for America, but I don’t think it will get one. South Dakota’s Kristi Noem or even Ron DeSantis in Florida, who are both 33/1 with Paddy Power look like live candidates.

Giuliani, the lawsuit alleges, knowingly spread falsehoods about the company to bolster Trump’s failing attempts to overturn the reality of his election loss. ADADThe suit outlines how Giuliani often aligned his “direct-to-camera advertisements” with the falsehoods of the day. But Jones, like Giuliani, had also regularly advertised nutritional supplements during his videos, which attracted massive audiences. ADAD“Jones was able to hype up his supplement sales with this fantastical misinformation, these fantasies he would spin,” Bankston said. The Jones and Giuliani cases focus on specific harms from misinformation, “but what do we do when someone shares misinformation about the coronavirus that hurts us all?” he said.

"The View" co-host Meghan McCain said Monday that liberals like Katie Couric and others who had called for the "deprogramming" of some Donald Trump supporters could "go to hell." Couric and several others, including McCain's "The View" colleague Sunny Hostin, have referred to Trump backers as "brainwashed" or in need of "deprogramming" in the past two weeks. KATIE COURIC'S 'CONDESCENDING, ELITIST' REMARKS CALLING TO 'DEPROGRAM' GOP RETIRES JOURNO LABEL, CRITICS SAYCornell Law School professor and media critic William A. Jacobson told Fox News that "threats of 'deprogramming' Trump supporters have become "common among liberal journalists," calling Couric part of a "media complex" that deliberately stifled negative news about Biden during his 2020 campaign against Trump. McCain supported Biden, a close friend of her family, in the 2020 election, but the show's token conservative host has expressed sympathy for how Trump supporters are being portrayed by the media. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP"That 74 million Americans are basically irredeemable people ...

Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy has returned home from a brief hospital stay after undergoing a thorough examination, his spokesman announced Tuesday night. Leahy, 80, who will preside over President Trump’s impeachment trial, was hospitalized earlier Tuesday after he complained of not feeling well. “After getting test results back, and after a thorough examination, Senator Leahy now is home. He looks forward to getting back to work,” Leahy spokesman David Carle said in a statement. The constitutional role makes Leahy responsible for presiding over the new Democrat-controlled Senate, including the upcoming impeachment trial.

ADADSmith, who died Jan. 15, was the second officer who had been at the Capitol on Jan. 6 to take his life. Capitol Police Officer Howard Liebengood died Jan. 9. ADADContee sent D.C. officers to help overwhelmed Capitol officers retake control of the building. It took up to eight hours to clear the building and grounds, and by then Contee said 850 D.C. officers had been deployed to the Capitol and an additional 250 to the area around the federal complex. “This assault on the Capitol has exposed weaknesses in the security of the most secure city in the country,” Contee told lawmakers.

The 2022 PGA Championship was set to be held at Trump Bedminster, but the PGA of America canceled that arrangement several days after a pro-Trump mob stormed the U.S. Capitol this month. “As an organization we have invested many, many millions of dollars in the 2022 PGA Championship at Trump National Golf Club, Bedminster. In 2017, the year Trump took office, the PGA of America held the Senior PGA Championship at Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Va., and the USGA staged the U.S. Women’s Open at Bedminster. It was scheduled to host the PGA Championship again in 2030, but that arrangement was moved up eight years. “Many of us were there in 2007 [when Tiger Woods won the PGA Championship].

Biden will sign an executive order establishing a White House interagency council on environmental justice, create an office of health and climate equity at the Health and Human Services Department and form a separate environmental justice office at the Department of Justice, the individuals said. Robert Bullard, a professor at Texas State University and longtime environmental justice advocate, praised the notion of linking the environment and health by establishing a dedicated office at HHS. And he said creating an environmental justice office at the Justice Department underscores that the problem is both important and pervasive. ADThe president also has ordered federal agencies to review scores of climate and environmental policies enacted during the Trump years and, if possible, to quickly reverse them. The oil and gas industry already has begun to assail key Biden policy changes, including his decisions on the Keystone XL pipeline.

The Palestinian foreign minister on Tuesday urged the Biden administration to reverse what it described as the prior administration’s "unlawful and hostile measures" in the region -- as the U.S. pledged to renew relations with the Palestinians. The Biden administration has indicated it wants to strengthen relations with the Palestinians, while keeping close ties to Israel. "In order to advance these objectives, the Biden Administration will restore credible U.S. engagement with Palestinians as well as Israelis," he said. It is likely that, among those steps, the Biden administration will renew funding to the U.N. Palestianian refugee agency (UNRWA) -- from which the Trump administration withdrew funding over concerns it promotes an anti-Israel agenda. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPThe Biden administration has indicated it wishes to take a less hostile approach to the body as seen under the Trump administration.

The Chinese Communist Party is looking for the "soft underbelly" of the Biden administration in the hope of achieving a series of endeavors Donald Trump stymied as president, according to former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. It's the right thing for the American people, it's how you put America First and something that the Chinese Communist Party will understand the most." We know that the Chinese Communist Party covered that up. These are things the State Department was talking about while I was secretary of state ...""These are important things," he added. They matter for our health, for our safety, for economic prosperity and for our security, and I hope and I'm counting on this next administration to do what the American people demand of them and continue to confront the Chinese Communist Party."

President Biden has taken steps to reverse Trump-era policies in the Middle East by throwing the administration’s support behind finding a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine. ISRAEL TEMPORARILY BANS ALL INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS IN RESPONSE TO NEW COVID-19 STRAINSThe Trump administration closed the Palestine Liberation Organization office in Washington, D.C., froze all federal contributions to the U.N. Mills recognized the challenge that lies ahead for the Biden administration as they attempt bridge a divide that has yet to be accomplished since Israel’s inception in 1948. But the acting U.S. ambassador also said that the Biden administration believes "the best way to ensure Israel's future as a democratic and Jewish state," is by securing their relationship with Palestine. Despite the Biden administration’s clear intent to reverse most Trump-era policies in how the U.S. works with Israel, Mills did not say they U.S. would remove the U.S. embassy from Jerusalem.

House impeachment managers led by Cheryl Johnson, clerk of the House of Representatives; and Timothy Blodgett, acting sergeant at arms of the House, return to the House side after delivering the article of impeachment against former President Donald...moreHouse impeachment managers led by Cheryl Johnson, clerk of the House of Representatives; and Timothy Blodgett, acting sergeant at arms of the House, return to the House side after delivering the article of impeachment against former President Donald Trump to the Senate for trial on accusations of inciting the deadly January 6 attack on the Capitol, at the Capitol building in Washington. REUTERS/Carlos BarriaClose

“It’s a totally different issue as far as I’m concerned,” Republican Senator Rob Portman told reporters. The senators voted after being sworn in as jurors for the impeachment trial. ‘MATTER OF POLITICAL CONSEQUENCE’Fellow Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski, who has been critical of Trump, rejected Paul’s move. But no Senate Republicans have said definitively that they plan to vote to convict him. First elected to the chamber in 1974, Leahy is the most senior Democrat in the chamber and holds the title of Senate president pro tempore.

Biden administration officials say the executive orders are but one of several steps the president plans to take to battle racial disparities. It’s why both Biden and racial justice advocates demanding change view the executives orders the same way: as a good first step. Led by former Obama national security adviser Susan Rice, the council will focus its efforts largely on racial equity. When he signed the executive orders, Biden also called for restoration and expansion of the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, which would protect voter access. Organizers with the Movement for Black Lives say the Biden-Harris administration has warmed up to them — to a point.

The international community considers both areas to be occupied territory, and the Palestinians seek them as parts of a future independent state. Story continuesMills said peace can’t be imposed on either side and stressed that progress and an ultimate solution require the participation and agreement of Israelis and Palestinians. “In order to advance these objectives, the Biden administration will restore credible U.S. engagement with Palestinians as well as Israelis,” he said. “This will involve renewing U.S. relations with the Palestinian leadership and Palestinian people,” Mills said. The Trump administration closed the office of the Palestine Liberation Organization in Washington in September 2018, effectively shutting down the Palestinians’ diplomatic mission to the United States.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene on January 3. Erin Scott-Pool/GettyGOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene repeatedly expressed support for assassinating powerful Democrats, CNN reported Tuesday. In 2018, Greene wrote on Facebook that "the stage is being set" to hang Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia repeatedly expressed support for assassinating leading Democrats, CNN's KFile reported Tuesday. Greene also expressed support for other Facebook comments that called for the execution of FBI agents, CNN said.

Donald Trump left Washington DC almost a week ago, but he continues to cast a long shadow over the Republican Party in Congress. After the vote Rand Paul, who pushed for the dismissal, crowed that the impeachment article delivered by the House on Monday was "dead on arrival". The rest contend that presidents can't face impeachment trials once they've left office. They'll also point out that while there is no historical precedent for such proceedings on the presidential level, a cabinet secretary in the 19th Century faced a Senate impeachment trial on corruption charges even after he resigned from office. During the impeachment debate in the House of Representatives two weeks ago, McCarthy said Trump "bears responsibility for Wednesday's attack by mob rioters" and recommended that he be formally censured by the chamber.

The Kremlin, meanwhile, focused on Putin’s response to Biden’s proposal to extend the last remaining U.S.-Russia arms control treaty. Former President Donald Trump's administration had withdrawn from two arms control treaties with Russia and had been prepared to let New START lapse. Before he spoke to Putin, Biden also called NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg to pledge U.S. commitment to the decades-old alliance founded as a bulwark against Russian aggression. Biden’s team has already reacted strongly to the crackdown on the protests, in which more than 3,700 people were arrested across Russia, including more than 1,400 in Moscow. Just from the public accounts, Biden's discussion with Putin appeared diametrically opposed to Trump's relationship with the Russian president.

Vladimir Putin and Joe BidenUS President Joe Biden has warned Russian leader Vladimir Putin about election meddling in their first call as counterparts, the White House says. Mr Biden later appeared at the White House to sign four executive orders aimed at addressing what he called US systemic racism. I believe the vast majority of Democrats, Republicans and Independents share these values and want us to act as well," said Mr Biden. Mr Biden also directed the Department of Housing and Urban Development to take steps to eradicate racism from housing policy. Mr Biden also signed a directive rejecting coronavirus-related discrimination against the Asian-American and Pacific Islander communities.

The usher button, as it is formally known, is not gone, even if it is no longer used to summon Diet Cokes, a White House official tells Politico. The White House official "unfortunately wouldn't say what Biden will use the button for," Politico's Daniel Lippman writes, suggesting Biden might summon Orange Gatorade and not the obvious answer, ice cream — or, let's get real, coffee. In any case, it is not the placement of the button that matters, of course, but how you use it. And Biden will presumably know better than to order ice cream treats during a top-secret national security briefing. More stories from theweek.comSarah Huckabee Sanders' shameless campaign for governorChuck Schumer tried to unseat Susan Collins, and now it's personalDemocrats are getting Chuck Grassleyed

Members of the National Guard resting in the visitor center of the U.S. Capitol, Jan. 13, 2021. Story continues“I felt like I got a lot of support from friends and mentors for protecting democracy,” the guardsman said. “As people of color, we’ve had a long history of servicing the country and protecting this country. Members of the National Guard at the Capitol Building on Jan. 11, 2021. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)“I really felt that I was there to protect democracy,” the guardsman said.

At least six members of the organization have now been charged in connection with the riot, including one of its top-ranking leaders, Joseph Biggs. Several members of both organizations have already been charged in connection with the Capitol attack, including three defendants who stand accused of the most severe conspiracy allegations leveled so far. Investigators involved in the Capitol attack have also focused their attention on the chairman of the Proud Boys, Enrique Tarrio. On the day of the attack, Tarrio took to Parler, calling members of the Proud Boys who took part in it “revolutionaries” and urging them not to leave. House Democrats have accused the former president of inciting the riot, which led to the deaths of five people, including one Capitol Police officer.

MADISON, Wis. — A priest who livestreamed exorcisms aimed at rooting out what he, former President Donald Trump and some Trump supporters have falsely claimed was widespread voting fraud in the presidential election has left a Roman Catholic diocese in Wisconsin. The Diocese of Madison said it and the Rev. Zuhlsdorf will relocate from the diocese ”to pursue other opportunities,” the diocese said in a statement earlier this month. Zuhlsdorf claimed he had permission from Madison Bishop Donald Hying to conduct the exorcisms. Hying said, however, that he didn’t give Zuhlsdorf permission to conduct exorcisms related to “partisan political activity,” but rather approved an exorcism for “alleviation from the scourge of the coronavirus pandemic.”Recordings of Zuhlsdorf’s exorcisms have since been removed from YouTube, the Wisconsin State Journal reported.

The board of the Trump Plaza condominium voted unanimously last week to change the legal name of the 32-story, twin-tower complex in West Palm Beach, the Palm Beach Post reported. Units at Trump Plaza start around $1 million and top out at over $4 million. “The Trump brand is damaged, so rebranding the complex is a wise move,” said Burt Minkoff, a Palm Beach real estate agent with Douglas Elliman Real Estate. Trump Plaza signs on the roofs were removed in 2017 as part of a renovation, and residents voted last February not to replace them. Trump Plaza signs at street level were removed in June in the wake of protests against police violence following the death of George Floyd in Minnesota.

Biden’s COVID-19 aid package includes money for vaccine distribution, school reopenings and $1,400 direct payments to households and gradually boosts the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour over five years. The bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus of more than 50 House lawmakers met virtually Tuesday with top administration officials on the virus aid and economic recovery package. The bipartisan senators assembled privately again Monday evening. White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters earlier Tuesday that Biden is still looking to negotiate on an aid package, while putting a priority on acting swiftly before aid lapses in March. Collins said Tuesday that the White House made good on its commitment to deliver a more detailed accounting of the proposed expenditure.

CLAIM: Troops in Washington turned their backs on President Joe Biden’s motorcade as it passed on its way to his inauguration at the U.S. Capitol. “Many in the military turned their backs to Biden’s motorcade,” claimed one tweet with more than 3,000 likes that shared the footage. More than 26,000 Guard members from around the country were brought in to beef up security for the inauguration in the wake of the violent riots at the Capitol. The AP confirmed with the National Guard Bureau that Guard members had their backs turned to monitor all possible threats, in keeping with safety protocol. Some are facing out to ensure the safety of all,” said Darla Torres, a spokeswoman for the National Guard Bureau.

WASHINGTON (AP) — All but five Senate Republicans voted in favor of an effort to dismiss Donald Trump's historic second impeachment trial on Tuesday, making clear a conviction of the former president for “incitement of insurrection” after the deadly Capitol siege on Jan. 6 is unlikely. While the Republicans did not succeed in ending the trial before it began, the test vote made clear that Trump still has enormous sway over his party as he becomes the first former president to be tried for impeachment. Many Republicans have criticized Trump's role in the attack — before which he told his supporters to “fight like hell” to overturn his defeat — but most of them have rushed to defend him in the trial. “I think this was indicative of where a lot of people’s heads are," said South Dakota Sen. John Thune, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate, after the vote.

Forty-five Senate Republicans backed a failed effort on Tuesday to halt former U.S. President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial, in a show of party unity that some cited as a clear sign he will not be convicted of inciting insurrection at the Capitol. The vote came after the senators had been sworn in as jurors for the impeachment trial. There is a debate among scholars over whether the Senate can hold a trial for Trump now that he has left office. But no Senate Republicans have said definitively that they plan to vote to convict him. First elected to the chamber in 1974, Leahy, 80, is the most senior Democrat in the chamber and holds the title of Senate president pro tempore.

As an impeachment trial clanks into gear in Washington, the ex-president is making clear to Republican senators that they need to remember he is a major force. “President Trump will always and forever be a champion for the American People,” the statement said. Responding to reports that Trump was considering founding a breakaway right-wing party, adviser Jason Miller told Axios that the ex-president is fully supportive of the Republican Party — for now. “It’s completely up to Republican senators if this is something that becomes more serious,” he was quoted as saying. He is loyally attacking the impeachment trial as a “waste of time” and “vengeance from the radical left.”But is this enough?

Schilling, Clemens and Bonds will be joined on next year's ballot by sluggers Alex Rodriguez and David Ortiz. On Twitter, admitted steroids user Jose Canseco said inducting Schilling would be a 'disgrace' to the Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame, meanwhile, has sought to clarify the role of its plaque gallery and its museum. So it remains up to the voters to decide how they'll weigh off-field issues when evaluating Hall of Fame candidates. If too many of the top players are left out — particularly if it's for non-baseball reasons — could the Hall lose credibility as a baseball shrine?

Donald Trump was cultivated as a Russian asset more than 40 years ago which exploded into a decades-long 'relationship' of mutual benefit to both Russia and Trump, a shocking new book claims. A new book claims Donald Trump was cultivated as a Russian asset more than 40 years ago and that exploded into a decades long 'relationship' of mutual benefit to both Russia and Trump. Donald Trump and Tamir Sapir at the Trump Soho Launch on September 19, 2007 in New York City. It was a world of unimaginable decadence – gorgeous young women, private planes, spectacular residences – and sex with young girls. Trump and Putin pictured in 2017Enraged, Epstein never spoke to Trump again but showed around photos of Trump with topless young girls and one photo with semen stained pants.

(CNN) A federal judge's action Tuesday preventing President Joe Biden's 100-day pause in deportations demonstrated the land mines that await the new administration in the nation's courts. Trump Justice Department lawyers routinely were able to convince the Supreme Court to lift those injunctions, although that sometimes took months. The conservative Supreme Court majority may not be as sympathetic to Biden's ventures as it was to Trump's. Dispute over pause in deportationsThe pause on deportations, announced immediately after Biden's inauguration, reflects the desire to dismantle Trump's anti-immigrant practices. Regarding his imposition of a nationwide order, he wrote that the "100-day pause plainly affects national immigration policy, which demands uniformity."

Ron Klain Ron KlainSkepticism reigns as Biden, McConnell begin new era Sunday shows preview: All eyes on Biden administration to tackle coronavirus Presidential Twitter account follows Chrissy Teigen MORE, President Biden’s chief of staff, said schools should get more federal aid before they reopen amid a debate over starting in-class learning. When asked on CNN what schools would need to reopen safely, Klain simply responded, “Money.”“That’s why the president of the United States sent a plan to Congress even before he took office, to make the investments you need to make the schools safe,” he said. ADVERTISEMENT“President Biden has sent a plan to Congress that would make sure that a majority of our schools can be open within 100 days. Sadly, it costs money.”White House chief of staff Ron Klain says “out of 40 days” the Trump administration had “one day with a million” Covid-19 vaccinations. The remarks come as states across the country explore ways to safely reopen classrooms amid a national spike in coronavirus cases.

"Today, I'm directing federal agencies to combat the resurgence of xenophobia, particularly against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, that we've seen skyrocket during this pandemic. "I've asked the Department of Justice to strengthen its partnership with the Asian American Pacific Islander community to prevent those hate crimes. According to a United Nations report released in October, hate crimes against Asian Americans in the U.S. have reached an "alarming" level. The report cites more than 1,800 racist incidents against Asian Americans from March to May 2020The executive action is one of several signed by the president this week addressing systemic racism. CAA is based in the heart of San Francisco's Chinatown, where there's a large concentration of Asian Americans.

She was the first COVID-19 vaccine trial subject. During the Zika experiment, Moderna had developed a vaccine 10 times more potent than the DNA vaccine Graham himself had created. The research is now being used to develop an RSV vaccine, the vaccine Graham had thought might be his legacy. With the COVID-19 vaccine, Graham and his colleagues are not yet household names. She pulled out a small, blue-lined box marked in red type: “Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine.” She’d start with 100 doses.

Chris Christie and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani all received monoclonal antibodies shortly after they were diagnosed with COVID-19. In future trials, Lilly will compare its proposed treatments against this combination, Skovronsky said, rather than against a placebo. At an early stage of the disease, people are particularly contagious, and hospitals, overrun with COVID-19 patients, have had a hard time making the time and space to deliver monoclonal antibodies. Skovronsky said he hopes the new data will be enough to convince doctors to recommend monoclonal antibodies to their high-risk COVID-19 patients. The company's future studies will focus on testing whether smaller doses can help extend the predicted supply of the two monoclonal antibodies.

Dive into the background of the nine impeachment managers Speaker Nancy Pelosi chose to present the case to the Senate in the second impeachment trial of former President Donald J. Trump, and a common thread will emerge: deep experience in the law. All equipped with law degrees, the nine managers include Democrats who served as notable characters in Mr. Trump’s first impeachment trial and some who have spoken out forcefully against Mr. Trump in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Previous impeachment trials have shown that the role of impeachment manager can bring valuable recognition to representatives and elevate their political profile. Lindsey Graham, now the senior senator from South Carolina, served as an impeachment manager in the Senate trial of President Bill Clinton. Representative Adam Schiff of California served as the lead manager in Mr. Trump’s first impeachment trial.

For decades, it was a commonplace sentiment among journalists that freedom of the press was one of the glories of our system. In a 2018 essay in The Atlantic representing the bygone conventional wisdom, titled “Why a Free Press Matters,” the longtime newscaster Dan Rather noted, “As a working journalist, I know I have a stake in this concept.”One would think so. They’ve become the thing they profess to hate — closed-minded censors who want to stifle free expression, First Amendment be damned. Still, it would be private action undertaken in the service of a profoundly illiberal goal, running counter to the country’s culture of free speech. And where truth cannot drive out lies, we must add new guardrails.”And so its erstwhile champions are ready to retreat from strict adherence to the First Amendment to a new rule of “free speech for me but not for thee.”Twitter: @RichLowry

Maxwell, 59, has British and French citizenship and is the daughter of late media mogul Robert Maxwell. ADUnder the law, juries and grand juries must represent a fair cross-section of the community where the alleged crime occurred. The grand jury process is secret, but the Sixth Amendment protection still firmly applies. ADADThe Southern District of New York, where Maxwell’s case is pending, encompasses parts of New York City and six upstate counties, with jurors and grand jurors often having to commute into the city. In White Plains, where the grand jury in Maxwell’s case was impaneled, jurors come from six upstate counties, including Westchester — a region with significantly smaller minority populations than those in or closer to the city.

California state officials have said that at least $11.4 billion in unemployment benefits have been mistakenly paid out to fraudulent cases since March 2020, with some estimates ranging as high as $31 billion. Continue Reading BelowRoughly 10 percent of all unemployment claims paid out in California during the coronavirus pandemic -- which forced statewide shutdowns and unemployment increases -- have involved fraud. Another 17 percent of the total unemployment claims are under investigation, reported the Los Angeles Times. California has paid $114 billion in 19 million unemployment claims, since the onslaught of the pandemic. The state’s unemployment claims system, the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program -- which allows for unemployment benefits for those who would not normally qualify, such as independent contractors – has reportedly shown previous indications of fraud, including as recently as last week.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Top U.S. Capitol security officials apologized on Tuesday for “failings” during the deadly attack on the building by followers of then-President Donald Trump in a bid to stop the certification of Joe Biden’s election victory. About one dozen officials from agencies including the FBI, National Guard, Justice Department and U.S. Capitol Police briefed House appropriators who are looking into the events of Jan. 6. She and Timothy Blodgett, the acting U.S. House of Representatives’ sergeant at arms, said security officials were working to do more to boost protection of the U.S. Capitol, the seat of government. In the weeks since the attack, security has been heightened around the Capitol and in Washington in general, with eight-foot-high fencing surrounding the Capitol’s perimeter and National Guard troops brought in for Biden’s inauguration on Jan. 20. Some 5,000 National Guard troops will remain in Washington through mid-March.

FILE PHOTO: Pump jacks operate in front of a drilling rig in an oil field in Midland, Texas U.S. August 22, 2018. Tribal lands, which host significant reserves of oil and gas, were not included in the Interior Department order, and will not be included in Biden’s executive order either, according to the sources. Biden’s other climate-related executive orders on Wednesday will include beefing up the use of climate science in policy decisions and setting up an international summit on climate change for April, according to a memo seen by Reuters last week. Advocates for the pause say the federal leasing system is in need of reforms to address its impact on climate change and ensure that taxpayers get fair returns. Of the 26 million acres of federal lands under lease, about half are currently producing oil and gas, according to Bureau of Land Management data from fiscal year 2019.

“It’s a totally different issue as far as I’m concerned,” Republican Senator Rob Portman told reporters. The senators voted after being sworn in as jurors for the impeachment trial. ‘MATTER OF POLITICAL CONSEQUENCE’Fellow Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski, who has been critical of Trump, rejected Paul’s move. But no Senate Republicans have said definitively that they plan to vote to convict him. First elected to the chamber in 1974, Leahy is the most senior Democrat in the chamber and holds the title of Senate president pro tempore.

Biden and other critics accused Trump of pursuing policies built around “white grievance” in a nation where the white population is declining by percentage. Black voters proved essential to Biden first in winning his party’s presidential nomination and then in defeating Trump in the Nov. 3 election. Trump condemned those protests and attempted to use them to stoke fear and unease among voters during the presidential campaign. On the day he took office last week, Biden signed an executive order establishing a government-wide initiative to address racial inequity and systemic racism in federal policies, laws and programs. “Housing is a right in America and home ownership is an essential tool to wealth creation and to be passed down to generations,” Biden said.

New York Times Justice Department reporter Katie Benner joins Chris Hayes to discuss her reporting that Trump weighed ousting the acting attorney general to install a loyalist in his place instead.

Police in Antioch, Ill., on Monday released four hours of video taken after Kyle Rittenhouse turned himself in hours after the Aug. 25 protest in Kenosha, the Chicago Tribune reported. The protest was part of a series of chaotic demonstrations that ensued after a white Kenosha officer shot Jacob Blake, who is Black, in the back seven times during a domestic dispute. Rittenhouse is white. joseph prezioso/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesIn the audible portions of the video, Rittenhouse didn’t ask about the men he shot. The legal drinking age in Wisconsin is 21, but Rittenhouse could legally drink alcohol because he was with his mother.

White House coronavirus adviser Scott Atlas says he does not endorse herd immunity. He helped shape the public health efforts of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. “This will go down as a colossal failure of the public health system of this country,” Foege wrote. “The White House has had no hesitation to blame and disgrace CDC, you and state governors,” he wrote. “At the moment, they feel you accepted the White House orders without sufficient resistance,” he wrote.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) and 45 members of his caucus backed an effort to declare the impeachment trial of former President Trump “unconstitutional” on Tuesday. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer then moved to table Paul’s point of order, blocking the effort to preemptively invalidate the impeachment trial. At the close of the impeachment trial itself, at least 17 Republican senators would need to join Democrats in order to convict Trump. Editor’s Note: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that McConnell voted to declare Trump’s impeachment trial unconstitutional. In fact, the minority leader voted against a motion to table Senator Paul’s point of order, which deems the trial unconstitutional.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy was taken to a hospital Tuesday evening after not feeling well and later sent home after tests, a spokesman said, hours after the 80-year-old Democrat began presiding over the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump. Leahy, who'd been in his Capitol office, was taken to George Washington University Hospital “out of an abundance of caution" after being examined by Congress' attending physician, Leahy spokesman David Carle said. The senator underwent an evaluation before his release from the hospital and looks forward to returning to work, Carle said. Leahy had commenced his role of overseeing Trump's latest impeachment trial by swearing in his fellow lawmakers. Chief Justice John Roberts presided over Trump's first impeachment trial a year ago when Trump was still president.

There is a new and exhaustive regimen to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the White House complex. AdvertisementAnd in place of a president who relished political combat is one who wants Washington to eliminate the vitriol. During the Trump administration, only a small group of on-site reporters was tested daily — and those tests took place inside the White House. AdvertisementIf the White House seemed quiet, the Biden administration’s effort to restore America’s global image — and erase Trump’s legacy on climate — was already in full swing. “Right now,” he added, “boring is a good thing.”Another novelty in the post-Trump world soon followed: A daily press briefing.

By Aamer Madhani | Associated PressPresident Joe Biden on Tuesday ordered the Department of Justice to end its reliance on private prisons and acknowledge the central role government has played in implementing discriminatory housing policies. Biden directed the Department of Housing and Urban Development in a memorandum to take steps to promote equitable housing policy. The order to end the reliance on privately-run prisons directs the attorney general not to renew Justice Department contracts with privately operated criminal detention facilities. The move will effectively revert the Justice Department to the same posture it held at the end of the Obama administration. GEO Group, a private company that operates federal prisons, called the Biden order “a solution in search of a problem.

… “What many Americans didn’t see, or had simply refused to see, couldn’t be ignored any longer,” Biden said. Biden, in abolishing the 1776 Commission, called it “offensive” and “counter-factual.”Equity is to be a centerpiece of the Biden administration, with the drive led by Domestic Policy Council chief Susan Rice. The Department of Housing and Urban Development will look at Trump policies “that undermined fair housing policies and laws.”Combat Trump-generated “xenophobia” targeting Asian American and Pacific Islanders pushed by the Trump administration. Biden within the federal government can address systemic racism where it exists — in training, hiring, procurement and policies where congressional action is not needed. The reality when dealing with systemic racism and equality is that the federal government is a limited entity.

The new president has been under pressure from state and local elected officials for more COVID vaccines. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)WASHINGTON — Under pressure from state and local elected officials for more COVID vaccines, President Joe Biden said he’s topping his plan to deliver 100 million vaccines to the American public in his first 100 days with an additional 500 million doses by the end of summer. Before Tuesday’s announcement, the Biden administration had planned to deploy 400 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine by the end of the summer in total. But today, the administration added 200 million more doses to that figure, for a total of 600 million. On Monday, Biden said that he would like to surpass his goal of overseeing 1 million vaccine shots per day to 1.5 million per day.

While the Republicans did not succeed in ending the trial before it began, the test vote made clear that Trump still has enormous sway over his party as he becomes the first former president to be tried for impeachment. Many Republicans have criticized Trump’s role in the attack — before which he told his supporters to “fight like hell” to overturn his defeat — but most of them have rushed to defend him in the trial.

Updated 4 times AlertMePresident Joe Biden on Tuesday ordered the Department of Justice to end its reliance on private prisons and acknowledge the central role government has played in implementing discriminatory housing policies. In remarks before signing the order, Biden said the U.S. government needs to change “its whole approach” on the issue of racial equity. The order to end the reliance on privately-run prisons directs the attorney general not to renew Justice Department contracts with privately operated criminal detention facilities. The move will effectively revert the Justice Department to the same posture it held at the end of the Obama administration. GEO Group, a private company that operates federal prisons, called the Biden order “a solution in search of a problem.

National ReviewSenate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) and 45 members of his caucus backed an effort to declare the impeachment trial of former President Trump “unconstitutional” on Tuesday. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer then moved to table Paul’s point of order, blocking the effort to preemptively invalidate the impeachment trial. At the close of the impeachment trial itself, at least 17 Republican senators would need to join Democrats in order to convict Trump. Editor’s Note: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that McConnell voted to declare Trump’s impeachment trial unconstitutional. In fact, the minority leader voted against a motion to table Senator Paul’s point of order, which deems the trial unconstitutional.

President Joe Biden signalled a tougher US stance on Russia Tuesday in his first phone call with President Vladimir Putin, raising concerns over human rights and "aggression" against Ukraine, but welcoming cooperation on a new nuclear weapons accord. The Kremlin said that in their call Putin and Biden "expressed satisfaction" over talks and the Russian leader later submitted a bill to parliament on the five-year extension. Story continues- Human rights -However, Biden also diverged strongly with Trump on his approach to Russia's human rights record and Ukraine. Biden confronted Putin on both issues. The Kremlin made no mention of these complaints in its readout of the call, saying instead that Putin urged "normalization of relations."

Pamela Anderson announced Tuesday that she’s quitting social media for good. “This will be my last post on Instagram Twitter or Facebook,” the former Playboy model wrote in her final Instagram post. Anderson boasts millions of followers across Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. The former model is hardly the first celebrity to speak out against social media and Big Tech companies. Last month, Selena Gomez slammed Facebook for spreading misinformation about vaccines and the coronavirus on its platform.

A relative of a coronavirus victim in China is demanding to meet a visiting World Health Organization team, saying it should speak to affected families who say their voices are being stifled by the Chinese government. China approved the visit by researchers under the auspices of the UN agency only after months of negotiations. It has not indicated whether the experts will be allowed to gather evidence or talk to families, saying only that the team can exchange views with Chinese scientists. Zhang, a Wuhan native living in the southern city of Shenzhen, has been organising relatives of coronavirus victims in China to demand accountability from officials. Many are angry that the state played down the virus at the beginning of the outbreak, and have attempted to file lawsuits against the Wuhan government.

U.S. President Joe Biden and President Vladimir Putin of Russia avoided a renewed arms race Tuesday when they formally agreed to extend the last remaining nuclear arms treaty between their countries. Biden, in contrast, had repeatedly called Putin a “KGB thug” and mocked Trump as “Putin’s puppy.” Putin, for his part, had chastised Biden for his “sharp anti-Russian” language. But there was an immediate need: The New START agreement, which limited the size of the two countries’ strategic nuclear arsenals, expires Feb. 5. U.S. President Joe Biden and President Vladimir Putin of Russia, pictured in 2011, formally agreed to extend the last remaining nuclear arms treaty between their countries on Tuesday. Putin and Biden “voiced their satisfaction” about diplomatic steps taken earlier in the day to exercise the extension, the Kremlin said.

President Joe Biden has phoned Russian President Vladimir Putin for the first time in office – and raised a series of sensitive issues that stand between the U.S. and Russia. President Joe Biden called Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, the White House said. 'He called President Putin this afternoon with the intent of discussing our willingness to extent New START for five years. President Trump made his infamous July 25 call to Ukrainian President Volodym Zelensky seeking an investigation of the Bidens. 'President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. spoke today with President Vladimir Putin of Russia.

In response, Greene did not denounce the suggestion of execution and instead wrote, “Stage is being set. The offices of Pelosi and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) did not respond to requests for comment about Greene’s Facebook activity or the campaign for her removal. Instead, Greene wrote that she has had “teams of people manage my pages.”“Many posts have been liked," she said. It’s unclear whether Greene changed her privacy settings or Facebook removed the posts. Before she ran for office, Greene circulated a petition to have Pelosi impeached.

The Biden administration has resumed regular press briefings, and no journalist so far has made more of an impression in the Brady Briefing Room than Fox News’s Peter Doocy. One early indication that a more open dialogue was coming back could be found in Doocy’s exchange with White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki over coronavirus travel bans. As Mr Biden was walking away, after signing executive orders aimed at addressing racial inequity, Doocy shouted out, "Mr President, what did you talk to Vladimir Putin about?" Doocy was named White House correspondent for the network earlier this month. He’s the son of Steve Doocy, co-host of Fox News’s Fox and Friends, perhaps President Trump’s favourite show on the network before he eventually disavowed Fox for reporting that Mr Biden was winning the election.

The White House will include an ASL interpreter at all press briefings moving forward. Last August, the National Association of the Deaf sued the Trump Administration for failing to provide an ASL interpreter. White House press secretary Jen Psaki announced Monday that the Biden Administration's daily press briefings will include an American Sign Language interpreter as part of the team's accessibility and inclusion efforts. "Their willingness to provide ASL interpreters at all press briefings should now be the standard for accessibility going forward for all presidential administrations." As of Tuesday, the White House had added captioning in addition to the interpreter, according to Rosenblum.

While Russian government officials and Kremlin-controlled state media condemned domestic protests, pro-Trump rioting in the United States was met with their total approval. Russian state media dutifully repeated Trump’s lies about a “stolen election” and disseminated information about the planned “Stop the Steal” rally on January 6th. Inspired by Trump’s false claims and rhetoric, generously amplified by the Russian state media, Russian speakers in the United States took part in the unsuccessful uprising that deeply wounded U.S. democracy—and subsequently delivered an infusion of fresh disinformation right back to Moscow, as “eyewitnesses” and first-hand participants. While domestic protests were widely condemned, events in the United States were viewed and portrayed through an entirely different lens, especially in light of the backchannel between the pro-Trump rioters and the Russian state media. Is it possible for us to expel those U.S. officials who maintain contacts with the organizers of the protests?” Zakharova coyly replied: “I’d rather not answer, we’re only getting started.”

Schilling narrowly missed election to the Hall of Fame on Tuesday evening, getting named on 71.1% of 301 ballots, just 16 votes shy of the 75% required for induction. Schilling was fired from his role on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball in 2016 after posting an anti-transgender meme to his Facebook page. “Having said all that the media has created a Curt Schilling that does not and has never existed. The Board has received Curt Schilling's request for removal from the 2022 ballot, and will consider the request at our next meeting." Schilling's request is not unprecedented.

I often watched Dr. Anthony Fauci and wished that his message were more positive, but I trusted the message, while I never at any time believed anything President Donald Trump spun about turning corners or unproven miracle cures. One man exuded integrity and calm, the other willful dishonesty and a focus on maintaining his own political power. Yes, Dr. Fauci could have been more forceful in countering Mr. Trump’s lies. Susan WunderOberwil, SwitzerlandTo the Editor:Anthony Fauci is a shining example of patriotism, civility and courage under pressure. And no, Dr. Fauci, even jokingly, you were never “the skunk at the picnic”; you were the rose at the skunk convention.

ET Covid-19 Live Updates: Biden Administration Nears Deal with Pfizer and Moderna for 200 Million More Doses The deal may not accelerate the current pace of vaccination. Biden said his administration was nearing a deal with Pfizer and Moderna for 200 million more doses by summer’s end. That’s 100 million more doses of Pfizer and 100 million more doses of Moderna — 200 million more doses than the federal government had previously secured. The deal would provide the federal government with 100 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine and 100 million doses of the Moderna vaccine, Mr. Biden said. Pfizer had agreed last summer to provide an initial 100 million doses to the United States by the end of March.

Clarke was an easy pick for Biden to join the Department of Justice along with attorney-general-nominee Judge Merrick Garland. As president of the Harvard Black Students Association, she invited author Tony Martin to speak on campus, despite his rabid anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial. In recent years, we’ve seen that Republican nominees for office haven’t been given a pass for allegations about their youth. But her radical past and belief that anti-Semites who are black women deserve a pass mean she doesn’t deserve the job. More important, if Joe Biden means what he says about opposing hate, there should be no room in his administration for her.

Americans scrambling to get vaccinated have a right to know how sharing doses with poor countries will affect their own ability to get vaccinated. The vaccine-sharing project, with the acronym COVAX, raises money to buy vaccines for poor countries but also asks wealthier countries to donate actual doses. Duke University public-health experts also argue that high-risk groups in poor countries should get the vaccine before the US public. Thursday’s White House statement on vaccine sharing says the United States will comply once there is “sufficient” supply here. In the last two weeks, both the European Union and the United States have been hit with unexpected news about manufacturing setbacks.

President Joe Biden: The First 100 DaysThe latestBiden issuing pandemic plan that aims to expand access to testing and vaccines, reopen schoolsBiden administration to pause deportations, curtail arrestsOn his first day, Biden signs executive orders to reverse Trump’s policiesThe Biden White House: A look inside Biden’s Oval OfficeThe inaugurationJoseph R. Biden Jr. is sworn in as the 46th President of the United States | Read his speechAmerica’s first Youth Poet Laureate: Amanda Gorman reads poem ‘The Hill We Climb’ at inaugurationWorld reaction: The world is watching as Biden assumes office, Trump era endsThe administrationThe Biden Cabinet: Who has been selected and who is in the runningBiden appointees: Who is filling key rolesThe Biden AgendaRead more about his plans on: Immigration | Foreign policy | Health care | Climate change | Social and Criminal Justice | Economic policy | Tech policyShow More

A determination in favor of the Yemeni petitioners by the commission, an independent body affiliated with the Organization of American States, would not necessarily force changes in U.S. military operations or policy. But it could have symbolic importance in highlighting the unintended outcome of counterterrorism operations. ADAD“A decision from the [commission] concluding that the U.S. is responsible for a particular human rights violation carries legal and moral weight internationally. The other six actions occurred during the Trump administration, when the pace of counterterrorism operations accelerated in Yemen as the new president loosened operational rules and new intelligence fueled additional operations. From 2017 to 2019, the military reported more than 160 strikes, the majority of which Reprieve said were carried out in Bayda.

So he said he did not hesitate to defend Trump, a job that lawyers at big, high-profile law firms apparently did not want. It’s all about the rule of law in the Constitution,” Bowers told The Washington Post in his first interview since Trump picked him. ADHe declined to discuss his legal strategy, whether Trump might appear at the trial, or whether he would call witnesses. Bowers said he is, as a Trump aide described him, the “anchor tenant” of the legal team. Bowers was described by associates as a serious-minded, taciturn lawyer who bears little resemblance to the bombastic, publicity-seeking lawyers who have sometimes represented Trump.

Some Republicans think unity is something they can weaponize against Biden as they willfully misinterpret his meaning. “A radical leftist agenda in a divided country will not help unify our country,” protested Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.). That’s a kind of unity the left doesn’t love. “Unity” cropped up early on, remember, in those “Unity Task Forces” convened to bring the left and the somewhat-less-left together as the Democrats wrote their platform. There is less room for an ode to something called unity, which is, when you think about it, just a word after all.

But more cynical sources think Portman scanned the Ohio political landscape and didn’t like the view. Portman, said one operative, “is a George Bush, Mitt Romney Republican, and he understands that’s not where the Ohio GOP is.”According to more than one observer, the Ohio GOP is now Jordan country. Among those competing for Trump’s base could be Rep. Warren Davidson and state Republican Chair Jane Timken. Meanwhile, Republicans staking out more moderate ground might include Rep. Steve Stivers, state Sen. Matt Dolan and Lt. Gov. The Ohio Democratic bench isn’t deep.

ADDon’t get me wrong, there’s nothing really wrong with Biden’s covid-19 plan. But without more ambitious targets and an aggressive implementation schedule, Biden’s plan is still basically replacement-level. The administration began by touting its bold plan to get 100 million doses injected in its first 100 days. Which sounds magnificent, except that this broke down to 1 million shots a day, and America was already basically doing that. And so we have to demand that the Biden administration aim stronger, higher, faster.

Their theory — that impeachment applies only to sitting officials — is not beyond the pale. There have been so few impeachments over the course of U.S. history that major issues such as this remain unsettled. But the Congressional Research Service notes that the nation’s Founders appeared to accept that former officials could be impeached for their conduct in office, as they could be in the British tradition. Both the House and Senate debated whether Mr. Belknap could be impeached and tried, and both chambers agreed he could be. Some might conclude that barring Mr. Trump from office could make him a martyr and do more harm than good.

The serious risks associated with COVID-19 far exceed the side effects of the "very effective, very safe" vaccine, Fox News medical contributor Dr. Marc Siegel said Tuesday. Siegel addressed vaccine hesitancy in an appearance on "Special Report," taking aim at those who spread misinformation on a basis of "fear and lack of science." "This is a very effective, very safe vaccine, and Dr. Fauci's right, it's the way out of this pandemic," Siegel said. The vaccine hesitancy, the anti-vaxxers, is an antiscientific movement." WHAT'S DRIVING CORONAVIRUS VACCINE HESITANCY IN THE US?

President Biden called Russia President Vladimir Putin Tuesday, to address a wide range of topics on national security, including the renewal of a nuclear arms treaty, bounties placed on U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan and interference in the 2020 election. The White House confirmed Tuesday that both the U.S. and Russia will "work urgently" to complete the extension by the Feb. 5 deadline. But Biden hit other tough topics in his first phone call with Putin since entering the White House last week. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPBiden also addressed concerns regarding reports by the intelligence community of a repeat in Russian interference in the 2020 general election. The president’s decision to address election interference with Putin is a direct contrast to Trump’s response of reports of election interference in 2016 -- at one point suggesting he trusted Putin's word over U.S. intelligence officials.

President Biden said Tuesday that masks are "the best defense against COVID-19" in the coming months as his administration acquires a sufficient supply of vaccine to innoculate the majority of Americans. Biden revealed the federal government will purchase an additional 100 million doses of vaccine each from Pfizer and Moderna as part of its effort to ramp up the unprecedented vaccination drive. "The brutal truth is, it’s going to take months before we can the majority of Americans vaccinated – months," Biden said. "In the next few months, masks, not vaccines, are the best defense against COVID-19. Biden issued an executive order on his first day in office requiring masks to be worn on federal land.

VIVEK RAMASWAMY: BIG TECH'S RISE THREATENS COUNTRY'S FUTURE – BEWARE THE WOKE-INDUSTRIAL COMPLEXThe Dems crow "oh, oh, oh, oh, these are private companies." The claim that private companies can do whatever they want is based on the idea that they’re private. Instead, it’s really about a new fascist mob out to silence all dissent, using the "private business" as another excuse. But protect speech? Instead the left claims "we're just silencing lies" -- because, you know, they’re the experts in truth!

Washington Post fact-checker Glenn Kessler responded Tuesday to criticism of his intended coverage of the Biden administration after his paper intensely monitored President Trump's claims. "We welcome all suggestions for fact checks. Now that it's a Democrat president, they are fact checking Senators and saying they have no plans to fact check a President," Miller accused the Post. We base fact checks on actual policy statements, not headlines." He also shared a Washington Post headline that quoted Biden saying, "I will not ban fracking.

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailFmr. deputy assistant attorney general on whether a Trump can still be impeachedTom Dupree, former deputy assistant attorney general, joins Shep Smith to talk about whether the Senate will convict former President Trump. He says the fact that Sen. Leahy is presiding over the impeachment trial instead of a Supreme Court justice makes the process more difficult.

Former President Donald Trump slammed Section 230 during a speech in Dalton, Georgia on Jan 4. "We have to get rid of Section 230, we have to get rid of Section 230, or you are not going to have a country very long," Trump said. One side includes free speech advocates who believe "that all social media sites and all protections should only apply essentially if there's no content moderation." Then there are those who believe the opposite, that Section 230 "should cover any form of content moderation, regardless of who originated those policies and who are putting those policies in effect." The adtech expert explained that reforming Section 230 will likely be focused on bridging the gap between content moderation and the First Amendment.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The United Nations is still hearing concerns that companies are planning to cancel or suspend business with Yemen despite a U.S. decision to allow all transactions with the Houthi movement “given this move does not resolve underlying uncertainties,” U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said on Tuesday. The United States on Monday approved all transactions involving Yemen’s Houthi movement for the next month as Washington reviews a Trump administration designation of the Iran-aligned group as a foreign terrorist organization. The United Nations describes Yemen as the world’s biggest humanitarian crisis, with 80% of its people in need. Another 5 million are just one step behind them,” U.N. aid chief Mark Lowcock told the Security Council earlier this month. U.N. officials are trying to revive peace talks to end the war as Yemen’s suffering is also worsened by an economic collapse and the COVID-19 pandemic.

(Reuters) - 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. Harvey said he lost 37 members of his family at Auschwitz, including his mother and his father. The images also shocked people like Michele Gold, who runs the Holocaust Museum L.A. and whose mother was a Holocaust survivor. After the war, Harvey said, he never expected to see a swastika again. “We never want the history of the Holocaust to be a footnote in the history books,” said Gold.

Goya’s board of directors has reportedly voted to censure CEO Robert Unanue after he made unfounded public claims about voter fraud during the 2020 presidential election. On Inauguration Day on Wednesday, Unanue appeared on Fox Business and said that President Joe Biden’s win was “unverified” and spoke of a coming war. "I think this is mission accomplished, by the union, the partnership, the conglomerate of social media, big tech, big media and big government for ushering in the dawn of a new world order,” Unanue said on air. Goya doesn’t publicly disclose financial earnings so it’s unclear what impact Unanue’s comments had on the company. But a source who spoke with CNN Business said the comments “imperiled the future of the company” and that “sales growth is less than it was” before his comments.

But several sources close to the White House confirmed that the document — even though clearly a draft — was authentic. But it also shows a White House making a gamble of sorts: that it can apply traditional communication methods to a nontraditional media climate. President Joe Biden signs executives orders related to his racial equity agenda in the State Dining Room of the White House. And that’s precisely what makes this strategy a rather complex one for Biden’s team. In turn, the White House press corps became intoxicated — and, perhaps, overdosed a few times — on his quick-change programming.

Some 81 percent of detained immigrants in ICE’s custody were held in for-profit detention centers as of January 2020, prior to the coronavirus pandemic, according to an ACLU report. Progressive groups have long fought the use of private facilities, arguing that the companies that run them are able to evade accountability and leave immigrants in terrible and deteriorating conditions. “This is great development & important step,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) tweeted after Biden signed the executive order on private prisons. We must include ending for-profit immigrant detention & examine the use of for-profit services that squeeze families of the incarcerated in public prisons, too.”The question of phasing out for-profit facilities detaining migrants came up at the end of former President Barack Obama’s administration. The report also found that ICE should look for ways to “reduce reliance on detention in county jails.”

Federal Judge Blocks Biden's 100-Day Deportation MoratoriumEnlarge this image toggle caption Lynne Sladky/AP Lynne Sladky/APTexas Attorney General Ken Paxton requested a temporary restraining order against the Department of Homeland Security last Friday. A federal judge granted the request Tuesday, suspending President Biden's 100-day deportation ban. Judge Drew Tipton agreed with Paxton that there was a chance the state would "suffer imminent and irreparable harm" if a temporary restraining order wasn't granted. It declared a review of policies and practices throughout the department and its components — including a 100-day pause on the removal of certain noncitizens. "The moratorium indicated a very clear understanding of the impact the Trump Administration has had on immigration over the last four years," Loweree said.

PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona Republicans voted Saturday to censure Cindy McCain and two prominent GOP members who have found themselves crosswise with former President Donald Trump. The censures of Sen. John McCain’s widow, former Sen. Jeff Flake and Gov. From the archives (October 2017): Saying ‘enough,’ Arizona Republican Jeff Flake announces he’s not running for Senate re-electionDucey is being targeted for his restrictions on individuals and businesses to contain the spread of COVID-19. John McCain was censured by the state GOP in 2014 and went on to comfortably win a Republican primary over Ward and a general election. The self-described maverick, known best for his willingness to buck his party, had strained relations with the state party for much of his career but was consistently re-elected by wide margins.

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department on Tuesday rescinded a Trump-era memo that established a “zero tolerance” enforcement policy for migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally, which resulted in thousands of family separations. While the rescinding of “zero tolerance” is in part symbolic, it undoes the Trump administration’s massively unpopular policy responsible for the separation of more than 5,500 children from their parents at the U.S-Mexico border. Most families have not been prosecuted under zero tolerance since 2018, when the separations were halted, though separations have continued on a smaller scale. Then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions, along with Trump and other top leaders in his administration, were bent on curbing immigration. The “zero tolerance” policy was one of several increasingly restrictive policies aimed at discouraging migrants from coming to the Southern border.

Rep. Katie Porter said she isn't sure if Sen. Ted Cruz thinks at all. "I struggle to understand how he thinks, if [thinking] is what goes on in his head at all," she told Vanity Fair. I'm not going to put myself in the shoes of people like Ted Cruz," Porter told Vanity Fair of impeachment. "I struggle to understand how he thinks, if [thinking] is what goes on in his head at all." She is even getting an "OVRSITE" vanity plate on her minivan, she told Vanity Fair.

The firings follow the forced resignation of former President Donald Trump’s handpicked choice to lead USAGM only two hours after Joe Biden took office on Wednesday. Trump’s USAGM chief Michael Pack had been accused by Democrats and others of trying to turn VOA and its sister networks into pro-Trump propaganda machines. Pack had appointed all of those who were fired on Thursday and Friday to their posts only in December. Pack had not been required to submit his resignation as his three-year position was created by Congress and not limited by the length of a particular administration. VOA was founded during World War II and its congressional charter requires it to present independent news and information to international audiences.

Republicans have been arguing against having a trial altogether, saying that it’s too late to convict Trump since he is no longer in office. On Monday, members of the House formally delivered articles of impeachment to their fellow lawmakers in the Senate, officially kicking off the Senate’s impeachment process. Though several Senate Republicans have condemned Trump’s actions, it is not clear how many would actually vote to convict him in a trial. On Monday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) gave a rebuttal to his Republican colleagues, noting that ignoring Trump’s impeachment would set a dangerous precedent. The Precedent For Trump's Senate TrialThis article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.

Biden says Trump impeachment ‘has to happen’ although he admits it could affect his agenda (Samuel Corum/Getty Image)President Joe Biden has reportedly indicated he does not believe Democrats in the US Senate will have enough votes to convict Donald Trump during the former president’s second impeachment trial. “I think it has to happen,” Mr Biden said about the impeachment trial on Monday, suggesting there could be “a worse effect if it didn’t happen” in the weeks ahead. At least 17 Republican senators would have to join the 50 Democrats in the Senate for a conviction against Mr Trump. Mr Biden added: “The Senate has changed since I was there, but it hasn’t changed that much." "We all want to put this awful chapter in our nation’s history behind us,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D—NY) said on Friday while announcing the Senate impeachment trial schedule.

DALLAS (AP) — A Texas man accused of taking part in the attack on the U.S. Capitol earlier this month while wearing a shirt with a message that stood for “murder the media” was arrested Tuesday, the FBI said. Investigators say DeCarlo, of Burleson, Texas, was seen in photos smoking a cigarette inside the Capitol on Jan. 6. He also claimed to work for MT Media News, which stands for Murder the Media News. In some photos, DeCarlo was seen with Nicholas Ochs, one of the founders of Hawaii's chapter of the Proud Boys, neofascist group. Another Texas man, Garret Miller from Richardson, who stormed the Capitol was ordered by U.S. Magistrate Judge Rebecca Rutherford on Monday to remain in federal custody without bond until his trial.

"Forty-five votes means the impeachment trial is dead on arrival." "It's a totally different issue as far as I'm concerned," Republican Senator Rob Portman told reporters. The senators voted after being sworn in as jurors for the impeachment trial. But no Senate Republicans have said definitively that they plan to vote to convict him. First elected to the chamber in 1974, Leahy is the most senior Democrat in the chamber and holds the title of Senate president pro tempore.

Engagement in public life in the U.S. has always carried risk, with public officials of both parties, journalists and even movie stars often the target of death threats and intimidation. Story continuesOver the past few years, scholars and experts have warned that the U.S. is at risk of widespread political violence and democratic instability. By the end of 2020, experts were raising the alarm that the country was spinning toward political violence. The Republican Party – with a few notable exceptions – embraced Donald Trump’s post-election rhetoric and the massive lie about election fraud. Republican Party members defend their actions by claiming they are legitimate efforts to protect democracy.

The Justice Department on Tuesday rescinded a Trump-era memo that established a “zero tolerance” enforcement policy for migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally, which resulted in thousands of family separations. Most families have not been prosecuted under zero tolerance since 2018, when the separations were halted, though separations have continued on a smaller scale. Gen. Jeff Sessions, along with Trump and other top leaders in his administration, were bent on curbing immigration. A report from the Justice Department’s inspector general, released this month, found that the policy led to a $227-million funding shortfall. The watchdog report also found that Sessions and other top officials knew the children would be separated under the policy and encouraged it.

AdvertisementThe purchases from drug makers Pfizer and Moderna come as the Biden administration is trying to ramp up vaccine production and the states’ capacities to inject the drugs. AdvertisementBiden’s team pledged to provide states with firm vaccine allocations three weeks ahead of delivery during the first virus-related call with the nation’s governors Tuesday. The CDC team reviewed data from studies in the United States and abroad and found schools differed from nursing homes and high-density work sites where rapid spread has occurred. Many other countries have been requiring negative test results for months, but the United States had been less strict. AdvertisementThe United States will accept results from rapid antigen tests, while other countries have been asking for what are known as polymerase chain reaction tests, or PCR tests.

No players were elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame Tuesday , which means Curt Schilling won’t be darkening the doorstop of Cooperstown next summer. This is the ninth time that the Baseball Writers Association of America failed to produce an inductee, the first time since 2013. will be part of Schilling’s résumé next winter when he gets his final shot on the writers’ ballot. Moments after the announcement, Schilling requested to be removed from next year’s ballot in a 1,200-word Facebook screed he submitted to the Hall of Fame. Falling short of making the Hall of Fame does not erase a player’s numbers.

Sen. Patrick Leahy was hospitalized out of an abundance of caution on Wednesday, just hours after presiding over the opening of former President Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial. Roberts, who oversaw Trump’s first impeachment trial, chose not to oversee the proceedings because Trump is no longer in office, according to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. Sen. Dick Durbin, the second highest-ranking Senate Democrat, told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer on Tuesday evening that Leahy could be back in the chamber Wednesday. She says things are going well, so we have all got our fingers crossed he will be back tomorrow.”Leahy’s hospitalization came soon after the impeachment trial began Tuesday afternoon with his swearing in. House impeachment managers, a group of Democratic lawmakers who will act as prosecutors presenting the case against Trump during the trial, delivered the single article of impeachment to the Senate on Monday, which typically triggers a quick start to an impeachment trial.

Biden, calling the push a “wartime effort,” said the administration was working to buy an additional 100 million doses of each of the two approved coronavirus vaccines. He acknowledged that states in recent weeks have been left guessing how much vaccine they will have from one week to the next. The administration said it plans to buy another 100 million doses each from drugmakers Pfizer and Moderna to ensure it has enough vaccine for the long term. The setup inherited from the Trump administration has been marked by miscommunication and unexplained bottlenecks, with shortages reported in some places even as vaccine doses remain on the shelf. As of Tuesday afternoon, the CDC reported that just over half of the 44 million doses distributed to states have been put in people’s arms.

Late Tuesday, the presiding officer at the trial, Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., was taken to the hospital for observation after not feeling well at his office, spokesman David Carle said in a statement. The vote means the trial on Trump’s impeachment will begin as scheduled the week of Feb. 8. The vote shows that “they’ve got a long ways to go to prove it,” Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst said of House Democrats’ charge. “You’re asking me to vote in a trial that by itself on its own is not constitutionally allowed?” he asked. Instead, Leahy, who serves in the largely ceremonial role of Senate president pro tempore, was sworn in on Tuesday.

Coming so soon in Biden’s administration, the action provides a first test of Republican opposition to the White House priorities as well as to the new president’s promise of a “unity” agenda. They have watched Republicans use similar procedural tools to advance their priorities, most recently the Trump administration’s GOP tax cuts. Biden’s COVID-19 aid package includes money for vaccine distribution, school reopenings and $1,400 direct payments to households and gradually boosts the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour over five years. White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters earlier Tuesday that Biden is still looking to negotiate on an aid package, while emphasizing that several components of the existing aid will lapse in March. Collins said Tuesday that the White House made good on its commitment to deliver a more detailed accounting of the proposed expenditure.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — The residents of a South Florida condo complex want former President Donald Trump's name officially removed from their home following the siege at the U.S. Capitol earlier this month. The board of the Trump Plaza condominium voted unanimously last week to change the legal name of the 32-story, twin-tower complex in West Palm Beach, the Palm Beach Post reported. Residents still have to vote on a new name, with submissions due at the end of February. The complex sits on the Intracoastal Waterway, just a few miles away from the Mar-a-Lago private club on Palm Beach, where Trump is now living. Units at Trump Plaza start around $1 million and top out at over $4 million.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy was taken to a hospital Tuesday evening after not feeling well, a spokesman said, hours after the 80-year-old Democrat began presiding over the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump. Leahy, who'd been in his Capitol office, was taken to the hospital “out of an abundance of caution" after being examined by Congress' attending physician, Leahy spokesman David Carle said. Leahy had commenced his role of overseeing Trump's latest impeachment trial by swearing in his fellow lawmakers. Leahy is presiding because he is the Senate's president pro tempore, a largely ceremonial post. Chief Justice John Roberts presided over Trump's first impeachment trial a year ago when Trump was still president.

China approved the visit by researchers under the auspices of the U.N. agency only after months of negotiations. The WHO team, which arrived in Wuhan on Jan. 14 to investigate the origins of the virus, is expected to begin field work later this week after a 14-day quarantine. Zhang, a Wuhan native now living in the southern city of Shenzhen, has been organizing relatives of coronavirus victims in China to demand accountability from officials. Many are angry that the state downplayed the virus at the beginning of the outbreak, and have attempted to file lawsuits against the Wuhan government. The arrival of the WHO mission has revived controversy over whether China allowed the virus to spread globally by reacting too slowly in the early days.

Updated 3 times AlertMeHOUSTON — A federal judge on Tuesday barred the U.S. government from enforcing a 100-day deportation moratorium that is a key immigration priority of President Joe Biden. U.S. District Judge Drew Tipton issued a temporary restraining order sought by Texas, which sued on Friday against a Department of Homeland Security memo that instructed immigration agencies to pause most deportations. While Tipton’s order bars enforcement of a moratorium for 14 days, it does not require deportations to resume at their previous pace. That was a reversal from Trump administration policy that made anyone in the U.S. illegally a priority for deportation. The 100-day moratorium went into effect Friday and applied to almost anyone who entered the U.S. without authorization before November.

Greene also liked comments that mentioned executing FBI agents because they were a part of the 'deep state' that was working against Trump. 'She's a traitor to our country, she's guilty of treason,' Greene declared in the clip. Greene has liked comments calling for the 'arrest' of Obama and former Secretary of State John Kerry. Greene has liked comments calling for the 'arrest' of Obama and former Secretary of State John Kerry. The ardent Trump supporter took to her own Twitter account after CNN reached out to her about the Facebook posts, comments and sentiments.

Oil industry groups, however, slammed the move, saying Biden had already eliminated thousands of oil and gas jobs by killing the Keystone XL oil pipeline on his first day in office. The policy is an abrupt about-face from his predecessor Donald Trump who sought to maximize the country's oil, gas and coal output. The pause in onshore drilling is limited to federal lands and does not affect drilling on private lands, which is largely regulated by states. Oil and gas extracted from public lands and waters account for about a quarter of annual U.S. production. Biden's choice to lead the Interior Department, which oversees oil and gas leasing on public lands, is New Mexico Rep. Deb Haaland.

The Justice Department on Tuesday rescinded a Trump-era memo that established a 'zero tolerance' enforcement policy for migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally, which resulted in thousands of family separations. The 'zero tolerance' policy meant that any adult caught crossing the border illegally would be prosecuted for illegal entry. Most families have not been prosecuted under zero tolerance since 2018, when the separations were halted, though separations have continued on a smaller scale. The 'zero tolerance' policy was one of several increasingly restrictive policies aimed at discouraging migrants from coming to the Southern border. The watchdog report also found that Sessions and other top officials knew the children would be separated under the policy and encouraged it.

A federal judge in Texas on Tuesday temporarily blocked a move by President Joe Biden to halt the deportation of certain immigrants for a 100-day period, a swift legal setback for his ambitious immigration agenda. The Biden administration is expected to appeal the ruling, which halts the policy while both parties submit briefs on the matter. Court blow: Joe Biden suffered his first defeat in the federal courts with his 100-day deportation moratorium being struck downTrump appointee: Drew Tipton is the federal judge who blocked deportationThe 100-day moratorium went into effect Friday and applied to almost anyone who entered the U.S. without authorization before November. Paxton also said it went against the terms of an enforcement agreement Texas brokered with the Trump administration less than two weeks before Biden took office. Paxton also said it went against the terms of an enforcement agreement Texas brokered with the Trump administration less than two weeks before Biden took office.

Schilling, Clemens and Bonds will be joined on next year's ballot by sluggers Alex Rodriguez and David Ortiz. On Twitter, admitted steroids user Jose Canseco said inducting Schilling would be a 'disgrace' to the Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame, meanwhile, has sought to clarify the role of its plaque gallery and its museum. So it remains up to the voters to decide how they'll weigh off-field issues when evaluating Hall of Fame candidates. If too many of the top players are left out — particularly if it's for non-baseball reasons — could the Hall lose credibility as a baseball shrine?

Vermont Democratic Sen. Pat Leahy was hospitalized Tuesday just hours after being sworn in to preside over the second impeachment of President Donald Trump. In this image from video, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, swears in Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., the president pro tempore of the Senate, who will preside over the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump, in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. A single Republican, Mitt Romney of Utah, voted for an impeachment article during Trump's first impeachment last year. He told reporters afterward the vote meant 'the impeachment trial is dead on arrival.' Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy is presiding instead of Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, who sat over Trump's first impeachment trial.

More than 100 million Covid-19 cases have now been recorded worldwide, according to an AFP tally on Tuesday, as newly-inaugurated President Joe Biden pledged to ramp up the United States's struggling vaccine program. The United States, which passed 25 million confirmed cases last weekend, remains the country with the largest outbreak -- and the largest death toll of over 420,000. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said it was "hard to compute" the loss felt by British families after his country became the first European country to surpass 100,000 Covid-19 deaths. With the global death toll at 2.1 million, the world has looked to vaccines to break the gloom, but bickering over access to doses has intensified. "Europe invested billions to help develop the world's first Covid-19 vaccines," EU chief Ursula von der Leyen told the virtual World Economic Forum (WEF).

Critics accused Trump of pursuing policies built around "white grievance" in a nation where the white population is declining by percentage. Black voters proved critical to Biden first in winning his party's presidential nomination and then in defeating Trump in the Nov. 3 election. On the day he took office last week, Biden signed an executive order establishing a government-wide initiative to address racial inequity and systemic racism in federal policies, laws and programs. "And the simple truth is: our soul will be troubled as long as systemic racism is allowed to persist. "Housing is a right in America and home ownership is an essential tool to wealth creation and to be passed down to generations," Biden said.

NATIONALFormer US President Donald Trump (AP-Yonhap)WASHINGTON -- Former US President Donald Trump's push to revise the Korea-US FTA may have hurt the countries' alliance, a congressional report said Tuesday, noting the issue may need to be addressed by the Biden administration. The renegotiated FTA went into effect at the start of 2019.The report, however, noted Trump's push for a revised Korea-US FTA may have been driven by an ill-informed objective -- to strike a trade balance. "The Trump administration made trade balances a key metric of the success of US FTAs, yet most economists argue other factors largely determine trade balance outcomes," said the report. "Congress has constitutional authority to regulate foreign commerce, implements FTAs through legislation, and sets US trade negotiating objectives, but the Trump Administration negotiated modifications to KORUS without legislative approval by Congress. "How should President Biden address the Trump Administration import restrictions, which affect trade with South Korea?"

The Korea-US FTA originally went into effect in 2012, but Seoul agreed to modify the Korea-US FTA in 2018 after Trump threatened to withdraw from the bilateral free trade pact altogether. The report, however, noted Trump's push for a revised Korea-US FTA may have been driven by an ill-informed objective -- to strike a trade balance. "Some analysts worry that trade tensions may influence South Korean views on the alliance and broader bilateral relations," it added. The report noted because such changes primarily required only South Korean regulatory changes, the Trump administration did not require action or approval by Congress. "How should President Biden address the Trump Administration import restrictions, which affect trade with South Korea?"

WORLDUS Secretary of State-designate Antony Blinken is seen speaking at a Senate confirmation hearing in Washington on Jan. 19, 2021, in this AP photo. "Together, we are far better positioned to counter threats posed by Russia, Iran and North Korea and to stand up for democracy and human rights," Blinken said earlier of US allies.He also said the new administration will review the country's "entire approach and policy" toward North Korea and find a way to bring the country back to the negotiating table. "But that starts with consulting closely with our allies and partners, particularly with South Korea and with Japan and others," he has said.North Korea has been staying away from denuclearization talks since leader Kim Jong-un's second meeting with former US President Donald Trump ended without a deal in February 2019. The first Trump-Kim summit was in June 2018.Blinken will likely be sworn in by Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday. Such ceremonies have so far taken place one day after a nominee is confirmed by the Senate.

US Secretary of State-designate Antony Blinken is seen speaking at a Senate confirmation hearing in Washington on Jan. 19, 2021, in this AP photo. (AP-Yonhap)WASHINGTON -- Antony Blinken was expected to take office as the new secretary of state on Tuesday after the Senate confirmed his nomination. The Senate voted 78 to 22 to confirm the former deputy secretary of state as the country's new top diplomat. Blinken underwent a Senate confirmation hearing last Tuesday, the day before Joe Biden took office as president. "But that starts with consulting closely with our allies and partners, particularly with South Korea and with Japan and others," he has said.

Joe Biden vowed on Tuesday to ramp up vaccination programs so that most of the US population is inoculated by the end of summer or early fall. “This will be enough vaccine to fully vaccinate 300m Americans by the end of the summer,” the US president said on Tuesday afternoon, later adding “end of summer, beginning of the fall”, in a briefing at the White House. “This will be one of the most difficult operational challenges we’ve ever undertaken,” said Joe Biden on Tuesday, announcing the plans. “When we arrived, the vaccine program was in worse shape than we expected or anticipated,” Biden said. As of Tuesday, 19 million people had received one vaccine shot, and 3.4 million received a second.

Elected officials may not be able to change the hearts and minds of Americans when it comes to racial equity. Racial equality was a key element in Biden's very decision to run in 2020, he has said. The growth of the Black Lives Matter movement after numerous cases of Black people dying in police custody has brought renewed attention to racial discrimination and inequity in criminal justice. But polling shows there are still deep divisions – along both party and racial lines – on matters involving racial justice. Derrick Johnson, president of the NAACP, called Biden's plan "a great initial start," telling MSNBC that Blacks "are taxpaying citizens.

Republicans close to former Vice President Mike Pence say they don't know where the former second couple is now living. In 1987, after a trip to see the local Republican kingmaker in Indianapolis, Mike and Karen Pence sold their modest single-family home near Butler University so they could move farther south into Indiana's then-Second Congressional District. Mike Pence and his wife Karen in their 2017 official holiday portrait taken at the vice president's residence. As vice president, Pence earned a salary of $230,700 a year. While in office, Karen Pence and their oldest daughter Charlotte Pence Bond, made a cottage industry out of publishing a series of children's books about their pet bunny through the conservative publishing house Regnery.

Axios first reported on Tuesday Kaine and Collins were pitching their colleagues on the idea of a censure resolution. That, like a censure resolution, could pass the Senate with only 60 votes compared to impeachment's two-thirds requirement. That means if every Democrat voted for a censure resolution they would need the support of at least 10 Senate Republicans. A group of House Republicans introduced a censure resolution earlier this month condemning Trump "for trying to unlawfully overturn the 2020 Presidential election and violating his oath of office on January 6, 2021." The House, instead, voted on a bipartisan basis to impeach Trump, making him the first president to be impeached twice.

Claudia Conway is rallying to her mother’s defense after she was accused of accidentally posting a topless photo of the teen on Twitter Monday. Kellyanne Conway, the former counselor to former President Donald Trump who lives in Alpine, allegedly shared the image of her 16-year-old daughter after finding it on Claudia’s phone. Claudia Conway responding to TikTok followers Monday about a topless photo of her they said they saw on her mother's Twitter account. Kellyanne, 54, an Atco native, shares the house with her family, including Claudia and her husband, George Conway, 57. As a censored version of what people purported to be the topless photo circulated on social media Monday, some implored authorities to investigate the matter at Claudia’s home.

Biden Administration Restores Aid To Palestinians, Reversing Trump PolicyEnlarge this image toggle caption Debbie Hill/AP Debbie Hill/APJust six days after taking office, the Biden administration took a sharp turn in U.S. policy in the Middle East, announcing it will resume contact with Palestinian leaders and restore U.S. contributions to the U.N. agency which provides aid to Palestinians. Mills also said the new administration is committed to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with a secure Israel alongside a "viable Palestinian state." The Trump administration closed the Washington, D.C., office of the Palestine Liberation Organization; halted contributions to the U.N. Palestinians had seen that as a betrayal of Arab pledges to make peace with Israel only after the Palestinians made peace. With Biden in the country, Netanyahu's government announced an increase in settlement construction, which Biden took as a personal insult.

NEW YORK — The Biden administration announced Tuesday it was renewing US relations with the Palestinian leadership, and restoring “credible engagement” with the Palestinians, as it works toward a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. “In order to advance these objectives, the Biden administration will restore credible US engagement with Palestinians as well as Israelis,” he said. In 2019, the Trump administration shuttered the US consulate in Jerusalem, which served as the de-facto embassy to the Palestinians in East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza. The Trump peace plan unveiled by the administration in early 2020 envisioned Israel annexing all of its settlements in the West Bank — a non-starter for Ramallah. US assistance benefits millions of ordinary Palestinians and helps to preserve a stable environment that benefits both Palestinians and Israelis,” Mills said.

In addition to directing the phase-out of private prisons, Biden recommitted the government to respecting tribal sovereignty, directed agencies to mitigate racial bias in federal housing policies and to address xenophobia and violence against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. The NAACP had called on Biden to create a policy "czar" position to put one person in charge of addressing racial justice and equity issues. The Racial Equity Anchor Collaborative, a coalition of racial justice and civil rights organizations, pushed Tuesday for Biden to establish a White House Office on Racial Equity and Inclusion to coordinate all actions. But administration officials emphasized what they said is an unprecedented move to embed racial equity throughout all agencies. In 2017, the Trump Justice Department rolled back an Obama administration directive to end the use of private prisons.

Hottest years in hottest decadeThe same kind of fact-based, science-based approach is also needed to tackle climate change, the other crisis threatening humanity. Although climate change is already a here-and-now problem, scientists say it's still possible to slow the rise in global temperatures and mitigate the most catastrophic effects. New oil, gas leasing moratoriumPresident Joe Biden was elected on a platform that included prioritizing the fight against climate change. On Wednesday, he's expected to announce a moratorium on new oil and gas leasing on federal land. Denying that the crisis even exists — as Trump did with the coronavirus, and many still do with human-caused climate change — kills debate and ensures nothing is accomplished until it's too late to avert calamity.

ALBANY – When Sen. Chuck Schumer talks about his new role as Senate majority leader, he weaves in how he will proceed with articles of impeachment against former President Donald Trump with how he hopes to bring more high-tech companies to Utica. He is New York's first Senate majority leader. More:'Buckle up': Sen. Chuck Schumer sees Senate majority leader role within reachMore:Schumer nears becoming first Senate majority leader from NY: 'It feels like a brand new day'Issues big and small for SchumerThen there are all the infrastructure projects that Schumer said he hopes to push through as majority leader. Second, he believes, is Trump should not be able to run for office again, which a Senate impeachment could ensure. And lastly for Schumer, he believes impeachment would actually unify the country, which opponents say would do just the opposite.

The past seven years, with 22 players voted into the Hall of Fame, the procedure works just fine. Curt Schilling (71.1%, 16 votes short) came the closest, followed by Barry Bonds (61.8%) and Roger Clemens (61.6%). It doesn’t mean that Schilling, Bonds, Clemens won't get in. It will also be the 10th and final year of eligibility for Schilling, Bonds and Clemens. Ultimately, the dialogue on the candidacy of Bonds, Clemens, Schilling, Rodriguez and Ortiz will be a complicated, convoluted, obfuscated mess.

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., made a motion that the impeachment trial against Trump is unconstitutional in the Senate, arguing that Trump couldn’t be tried as a private citizen. The motion was rejected by a 55-45 vote, which suggests a lack of support for convicting Trump on the charge of inciting insurrection. Essentially, 45 Senators voted that the trial was unconstitutional, signaling they're likely to vote against conviction. Politics live updates: Senate upholds constitutionality of Trump impeachment trial; senators take oathMore:Senate Republicans overwhelmingly back failed challenge to impeachment trial, hinting at Trump acquittalRomney voted to convict Trump last year during his first impeachment, becoming the first senator ever to vote against his own party's president in an impeachment trial. More:Trump impeachment trial to begin week of Feb. 8, Senate leaders announceContributing: Bart Jansen, Christal Hayes, Nicholas Wu

The Capitol Police knew of a “strong potential for violence” ahead of the Jan. 6 mob attack but failed to take adequate steps to prevent the riot, the department’s acting police chief said. In a closed-door briefing with lawmakers, Yogananda Pittman, who was not the acting chief at the time of the siege, apologized for the security failures, including a delay in approving pleas for National Guard assistance. She described the riot as a “terrorist attack.”The admission came the same day that senators were sworn in for former President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial, with proceedings set to begin on Feb. 9. Republican senators voted en masse against holding an impeachment trial, strongly suggesting Mr. Trump is likely to be acquitted. Here’s where each one stands on conviction.

WASHINGTON — As President Biden prepares on Wednesday to open an ambitious effort to confront climate change, powerful and surprising forces are arrayed at his back. But what may well stand in the president’s way is political intransigence from senators from fossil-fuel states in both parties. Without doubt, signals from the planet itself are lending urgency to the cause. Last year was the hottest year on record, capping the hottest decade on record. Already, scientists say the irreversible effects of climate change have started to sweep across the globe, from record wildfires in California and Australia to rising sea levels, widespread droughts and stronger storms.

Mr. Davidson, too, had ties to the Trump administration: His longtime lawyer was part of a team that represented Donald Trump Jr. in recent years. But the unexpected decision was likely the product of several forces, including the influential advocacy of a former pardon recipient who retained close ties to Mr. Trump.. Because Mr. Howard was killed during the commission of the robbery and in service of the drug ring, Mr. Davidson was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison. Mr. Davidson, who was not accused of being present at the scene of the shooting, has maintained his innocence. But in 2014, when a judge reduced the sentence of Robert Lawrence, the man who shot Mr. Howard, the officer’s mother and sister pleaded in court that it be reconsidered.

The order does not end all government contracts with private prisons — administration officials confirmed it would not apply to other agencies, like Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which contracts with private companies to detain thousands of undocumented immigrants. That includes asking the department to review actions under Mr. Trump that sought to weaken some of that enforcement. “This represents a clear change of direction that gets us back on track to fulfill the Fair Housing Act,” said Julián Castro, who served as secretary of housing and urban development under President Barack Obama. “It’s sending a very strong signal that it’s a new day when it comes to fair housing and that HUD is going to be aggressive again. But given that the action came on Day 6 of the new administration, he said, it served as a “clear repudiation of Trump’s fear-mongering” about low-income housing invading white suburbs.

The Issue: The Biden administration’s handling of the pandemic during his first week in office. Last week, President Biden stated that his goal was a million people vaccinated every day for 100 days (“Clueless,” Jan. 26). His new administration didn’t even have a clue as to how many doses of vaccine were available. The most important issue of this pandemic is producing enough vaccine for the people of the United States. Ronald AloisBrooklynLeave it to The Post to call Biden clueless on its front page.

“I think it has to happen” the president said in a brief tv interview about his party’s bid to try Donald Trump. That’s the only possible answer because only Democrats would revolt if Trump were not put in the dock. And if Trump isn’t convicted, he can’t be barred from future public office, which is the ultimate aim of the Trump haters in both parties. With his Tuesday vote, McConnell sealed those floodgates shut. Cuomo chastised President Trump for even considering granting a pardon to the ever corrupt Sheldon Silver.

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, swears in Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., the president pro tempore of the Senate, who will preside over the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump. Sen. Patrick Leahy presides over the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump in the Senate. WASHINGTON — Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, the lawmaker tapped to preside over President Trump’s impeachment trial, has been hospitalized, his spokesman said. “This evening, Senator Leahy was in his Capitol office and was not feeling well,” Leahy spokesman David Carle said in a statement. The constitutional role makes Leahy responsible for presiding over the new Democrat-controlled Senate, including the upcoming impeachment trial.

Listen To The Full Interview Below:On today's Guy Benson Show, Mo Elleithee, Executive Director of Georgetown University's Institute of Politics and Public Service & Fox News Contributor spoke about the constitutionally and politics of impeaching former President Donald Trump while he's out of office. Mo Elleithee said,"I think the constitutional question, frankly, was a bit of a. Hasn't happened often, but it has happened and most and most constitutional scholars argue that it is a legitimate right of the Congress to do a constitutional right for them to do. I think having said that, though, I think you're right. But, you know, I think it's going to I think it's going to be a heavy lift to get them there.

The principle holds that leaders must preserve and protect democracy whether it serves their personal interest or not. You can argue over how many years of returns — five seems reasonable — but no hiding behind claims of privacy or audits. Using the right to privacy to hide one’s history as a grifter seems like a protection we can no longer afford. It is counterintuitive to work to preserve democracy if that means putting on blinders about a potential commander in chief’s financial relationships overseas or at home. The 1939 Hatch Act, designed “to prevent pernicious political activities,” prohibits federal employees from engaging in political activities or using government property for political purposes.

Late on the night of Jan. 6, those Senate Republicans decided that, in essence, the violent mob had a point. to finagle a lawyerly way to bolster Trump’s effort to overturn the election. And, on Tuesday, 45 senators voted to simply sidestep the trial resulting from Trump’s impeachment. ADADOne can debate the utility of the impeachment trial. How Republican senators view Trump’s rhetoric and actionsWe’ve broken down the views of the senators into four categories:

At least $11 billion has been looted from California’s coffers in an unemployment fraud scheme run rampant across the state, while another $20 billion in possible losses is still being investigated. "California has not had sufficient security measures in place to prevent this level of fraud, and criminals took advantage of the situation." The California Employment Development Department (EDD) froze the accounts of 1.4 million relying on the assistance earlier this month while it investigated the fraud. Some 19 million claims have been processed by the department. "It should be no surprise that EDD was overwhelmed, just like the rest of the nation’s unemployment agencies," Su said.

Experts say Biden is quickly undoing Former President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, and some fear these reversals will have huge impacts on national security. CHAD WOLF: BIDEN IMMIGRATION ACTION 'ABSOLUTELY' GOES AGAINST THE LAWImmigration Attorney Rachel Self said this immigration bill is "pretty ambitious." While Bensman and other experts worry Biden’s immigration policy will have negative effects on national security, Self said the government will ensure people granted immigration benefits are not a security threat. With roughly 7,500 migrants making their way on foot to Mexico and the U.S. just last week, Homan reiterated the importance of border security and the national security threat that could arise from Biden’s immigration policies. In a narrowly divided Congress, it remains to be seen whether or not Biden’s proposed immigration bill will pass.

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., doubled down Tuesday on statements he made over the weekend calling next month's impeachment trial of former President Trump "stupid". "The automatic consequence of impeachment and trial, if you're convicted, the automatic consequence of it is you're removed from office," Rubio added. "That's the automatic consequence of this process. "How can you put someone through a process where the automatic consequence is impossible?" Later in the interview, Cavuto asked Rubio if Trump was still in office, "Do you think his language was incendiary enough" to warrant impeachment and removal.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department on Tuesday rescinded a Trump-era memo that established a "zero tolerance" enforcement policy for migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally, which resulted in thousands of family separations. "Consistent with this longstanding principle of making individualized assessments in criminal cases, I am rescinding — effective immediately — the policy directive," Wilkinson wrote. FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS BIDEN'S 100-DAY MORATORIUM ON DEPORTATIONSThe "zero tolerance" policy meant that any adult caught crossing the border illegally would be prosecuted for illegal entry. Most families have not been prosecuted under zero tolerance since 2018, when the separations were halted, though separations have continued on a smaller scale. The "zero tolerance" policy was one of several increasingly restrictive policies aimed at discouraging migrants from coming to the Southern border.

Dare we call it unity? Presented byWith help from Allie BiceWelcome to POLITICO’s 2021 Transition Playbook, your guide to the first 100 days of the Biden administration. Before the Blinken vote, 10 Republican senators also switched their votes on JANET YELLEN. Where's KamalaOn the East Landing in front of the Treasury Department, where she swore in Treasury Secretary JANET YELLEN. Janet Yellen, this year’s valedictorian, was preparing her graduation speech.”“‘I’m the editor of The Pilot,’ I said, ‘and I’ve…’”“‘Just a minute,’ said Janet abruptly, ‘I’m thinking.’”So meta.

It bothers me as a citizen.”In 2016, the hard-right turn of the state GOP was a boon for the party: Trump became the first Republican to win the presidential election in Pennsylvania in nearly 30 years. After clinging to Trump, the GOP nominees for governor and senator in 2018 lost by double digits. Democrats also picked up House seats that year in part thanks to the Philadelphia suburbs, a former GOP stronghold. And in the fall, Biden took back Pennsylvania, again fueled by a Trump backlash in the populous suburbs of the state’s largest city. “It certainly lessened the influence of moderate Republicans.”Christopher Nicholas, a GOP consultant based in Pennsylvania, also pointed to population trends in central Pennsylvania as playing a role.

Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) expresses the need to convict former President Donald Trump of inciting an insurrection and speaks to how his Republican colleagues "participated in the lies" that led to the Capitol siege

Video sharing giant YouTube extended its suspension of former President Donald Trump’s channel indefinitely on Tuesday and restricted Trump adviser Rudy Giuliani’s ability to make money off the platform. The latest clampdowns: The Google-owned company announced that for the second time in two weeks, it would extend restrictions that block Trump from posting on the platform. The company initially blocked him on Jan. 12 amid fears of additional violence in the wake of the insurrection at the Capitol by Trump’s supporters. YouTube initially said it was giving Trump his first of three strikes before it would permanently ban him from the site under its content policies, suspending him for a minimum of one week. But the company offered no timetable for the latest extension, making his suspension effectively indefinite.

Governor of New York Andrew Cuomo calls the Biden administration’s rigorous and realistic approach to covid-19 “a welcome relief,” compared to the actions of the Trump administration

Brandon Straka, a gay Trump supporter who launched the #WalkAway social media campaign encouraging voters to leave the Democratic Party, has been arrested in connection with the assault on the U.S. Capitol this month. The affidavit says a video posted to YouTube by a witness shows Straka at the Capitol doors saying: "We're going in. Patriots began exiting shortly after saying Congress had been cleared." Straka is alleged to have tweeted after the assault that he was "confused'' by conservatives who disavowed the rioters. I will not," he wrote on Twitter, according to the complaint.

In a message to the department’s 84,000 employees, Yellen said they would play a major role in addressing the country’s biggest economic challenges. Two people with knowledge of Biden’s plans outlined the proposed moratorium, which will be announced Wednesday. Lindell, a Trump supporter, has continued to insist the presidential election was rigged even after U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration has begun. But the coffee titan says it’s confident its U.S. business will fully recover by March. Starbucks said its business has fully recovered in China, but its U.S. business is still impacted by lower store traffic.

Vermont Sen. Leahy taken to hospital for observationSen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., walks with reporters, Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021, as he leaves the Senate floor on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate’s longest-serving current member, 80-year-old Vermont Democrat Patrick Leahy, was taken to a hospital Tuesday evening for observation after not feeling well, a spokesman said. Leahy was taken there for observation “out of an abundance of caution” after being examined by Congress’ attending physician, said Leahy spokesman David Carle. Leahy is presiding because he is the Senate’s president pro tempore, a largely ceremonial post. Carle’s statement did not name the hospital to which Leahy was taken or provide further detail about his condition.

(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, Pool)NEW YORK (AP) — The first inaugurations of Presidents Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama were the only ones to exceed Joe Biden’s in popularity among television viewers over the past 40 years. Reagan’s festivities in 1981 drew 41.8 million viewers, and Obama’s 2009 inaugural reached 37.8 million, Nielsen said. ADVERTISEMENTCNN was the most popular network for inaugural viewers, Nielsen said. ABC had 3.4 million, Fox had 2.7 million, NBC had 2.5 million, Univision had 1.2 million, while Ion Television and Telemundo each averaged 1.1 million viewers. MSNBC had 2.67 million, Fox News Channel had 2.56 million, TNT had 1.19 million and HGTV had 1.1 million.

'Time For Us To See Action': A Call To Carry Out Biden's Order On Trans TroopsEnlarge this image toggle caption Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images Tasos Katopodis/Getty ImagesPresident Joe Biden on Monday reversed a Trump-era ban on transgender people serving in the U.S. military on Monday. There is an estimated 15,000 transgender troops serving in the U.S. military, according to the National Center for Transgender Equality. King says it is now up to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who was confirmed into the position last Friday, to work with his staff to carry out Biden's reversal. The process to implement Biden's order should take around 60 days, according to a statement from Austin on Monday. You can also hear her on Morning Edition in 2019 when the Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to enforce its ban on transgender military personnel.

Sen. Patrick Leahy, set to preside over the impeachment trial of former president Donald Trump beginning Feb. 9 as the chamber's president pro tempore, was taken to a hospital for evaluation Tuesday afternoon after feeling ill in his Senate office. CNN's Manu Raju quoted a spokesperson for the 80-year-old Democrat as saying Leahy had been examined at the Capitol by the attending physician and was then taken to an area hospital "out of an abundance of caution." Majority Whip Dick Durbin of Illinois, speaking to CNN, quoted Leahy's wife, a registered nurse, as saying that "things [were] going well" at the hospital. Leahy was first elected to the Senate from Vermont in 1974.

Similar to those intercepted by investigators before Biden’s inauguration, the threats law enforcement agents are tracking vary in specificity and credibility, said the official, who had been briefed on the matter. Mainly posted online and in chat groups, the messages have included plots to attack members of Congress during travel to and from the Capitol complex during the impeachment trial that begins Feb. 8, according to the official. said Linskey, who referenced the Jan. 6 Capitol assault that left five dead and jeopardized members of Congress. Others were arrested after posting threats against members of Congress. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump impeachment may bring new attacks on Congress, officials fear

Don Lemon mocked Sen. Josh Hawley’s (R-Mo.) Josh Hawley. Oh wait a minute, he’s on the TV, he’s so canceled that he’s on your television. “No one has muzzled Josh Hawley. What happened to Josh Hawley isn’t cancel culture.

"Forty-five votes means the impeachment trial is dead on arrival," Paul said after the vote. Roberts has reportedly signaled he does not want to be involved, and Senate President Pro Tempore Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) will preside over Trump's trial instead. Democrats and several legal experts say there is a precedent for the Senate to conduct an impeachment trial after an official has left office. In 1876, the Senate held an impeachment trial of a war secretary who resigned immediately before he was impeached by the House. Instead Republicans are focusing on the precedent of holding an impeachment trial for a former president.

The FBI on Monday charged a man accused of participating in the Capitol riots after they received multiple tips from people who recognized his varsity jacket and number in footage of the mayhem. Brian Gundersen, of Armonk, N.Y., was identified as a Capitol rioter by his varsity jacket. Other people had also sent tips to the FBI identifying Gundersen as the man wearing the letterman jacket. Brian Gundersen, of Armonk, N.Y., was identified as a Capitol rioter by his varsity jacket. Still, when he was interviewed by the FBI on Jan. 19, Gundersen denied being a part of the Capitol riots.

A man who faces five federal charges for his alleged involvement in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol building has a brother in the Secret Service who once led former First Lady Michelle Obama's security detail. Scott Fairlamb is the brother of Preston Fairlamb III, a Secret Service agent who led the former first lady's detail while she was in office. Watch: Man who punched cop during Capitol riot has brother in Secret Service who is friends with Michelle Obama"All of us grew close to our agents over time. Scott Fairlamb was charged last Thursday amid a wave of arrests this month following the riot at the Capitol building. Story continuesSpokespersons for the Obamas and the Secret Service did not respond to PEOPLE's request for comment on Monday.

It’s not the first time suspicions have fallen on a Chinese-born scientist – Chen is a naturalized U.S. citizen – for work they conduct openly in the United States. For six decades, the United States has been the mecca for smart people interested in conducting research. AP Photo/Mark Lennihan Chinese students studying in the United States in 2017 numbered about 141,000 undergraduates and 125,000 graduate students. What happens when scientists migrate The “mosaic theory” has been borrowed from finance to apply to Chinese students, visitors and emigres in the United States. In the earliest days of the pandemic, Chinese researchers galvanized world research by publishing the genome sequence of the novel coronavirus.

Late Tuesday, the presiding officer at the trial, Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., was taken to the hospital for observation after not feeling well at his office, spokesman David Carle said in a statement. The vote means the trial on Trump's impeachment will begin as scheduled the week of Feb. 8. The vote shows that “they've got a long ways to go to prove it,” Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst said of House Democrats' charge. “You’re asking me to vote in a trial that by itself on its own is not constitutionally allowed?” he asked. Instead, Leahy, who serves in the largely ceremonial role of Senate president pro tempore, was sworn in on Tuesday.

The Kremlin readout of a phone call between U.S. President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin said they voiced satisfaction with the move. Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy asked Mr Biden what he discussed with Mr Putin on a recent call between the leaders. According to the White House, Mr Biden told Mr Putin that the US would defend itself from "malign actions by Russia". Mr Biden reportedly wanted to call other European leaders prior to his call with Mr Putin to gauge their concerns. Mr Putin was one of the last world leaders to congratulate Mr Biden on his electoral victory.

Pittman said her department knew that Jan. 6 would be unlike previous protests. She said her department knew that militia groups and white supremacists organizations would descend on Washington. “He also lobbied the board for authorization to bring in the National Guard, but he was not granted authorization for over an hour,” Pittman said. During the hearing, the commander of the District of Columbia National Guard told committee members that his authority to quickly deploy the guard was removed before the riot. Walker testified that Sund called him as the threat to the Capitol increased Jan. 6 and that he immediately notified the Army.

But government has to change as well.’'In remarks before signing the order, Biden said the US government needs to change “its whole approach” on the issue of racial equity. President Biden on Tuesday ordered the Department of Justice to end its reliance on private prisons and acknowledge the central role government has played in implementing discriminatory housing policies. The order to end the reliance on privately-run prisons directs the attorney general not to renew Justice Department contracts with privately operated criminal detention facilities. The move will effectively revert the Justice Department to the same posture it held at the end of the Obama administration. GEO Group, a private company that operates federal prisons, called the Biden order “a solution in search of a problem. "

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate’s longest-serving member, 80-year-old Vermont Democrat Patrick Leahy, was taken to a hospital Tuesday evening for observation after not feeling well, a spokesman said. Leahy was taken there for observation “out of an abundance of caution" after being examined by Congress' attending physician, said Leahy spokesman David Carle. Hours earlier, Leahy commenced his role of presiding over the Senate impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump by swearing in his fellow lawmakers. The actual trial will begin next month.

We are armed and nearby your house,” Lemke allegedly wrote in a text message to the brother of a Congressman on Jan. 11. We are not white supremacists,” Lemke also allegedly wrote to the Congressman’s brother. Don’t risk their safety with your words and lies.”On Jan. 6, Lemke allegedly texted a relative of the journalist a similar threat. We are nearby armed and ready,” he allegedly wrote, according to the complaint. Evidence shows fraud occurred and the Supreme Court cases will be successful,” Lemke allegedly posted.

Kyrsten Sinema and Mark Kelly cast their first votes Tuesday related to the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump, joining with Democrats and five Republicans to reject a vote on the constitutionality of the trial. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., forced the vote shortly after the senators were sworn in as jurors. He questioned the constitutionality for the impeachment trial, arguing that Trump, now a private citizen, has already left office, although scholars disagree. Sinema and Kelly voted to proceed with a trial, set for the week of Feb. 8. It charges Trump with “incitement of insurrection.”Neither Sinema nor Kelly said specifically how they are approaching the looming impeachment trial, despite pressure from state Democratic lawmakers to do so.

Every member of Congress from Colorado asked President Joe Biden‘s administration Tuesday to reconsider moving U.S. Space Command headquarters from Colorado Springs to Alabama. Just two weeks ago, President Donald Trump said the agency’s headquarters would move to Huntsville, Alabama, drawing bipartisan rebukes here. Jared Polis, members of Congress and business interests in the state had worked to convince the outgoing Trump administration that Colorado was best. Last week, the Colorado Economic Development Commission set aside $30,000 in additional marketing dollars with the goal of reversing the federal government’s decision. “In view of the effects on national security and the irregularities of the selection process, we request you pause all actions related to moving U.S. Space Command and immediately review the manner in which the Trump administration conducted this process,” Colorado’s members of Congress wrote.

Associated PressMADISON, Wis. – A priest who livestreamed exorcisms aimed at rooting out what he, former President Donald Trump and some Trump supporters have claimed was widespread voting fraud in the presidential election has left a Roman Catholic diocese in Wisconsin. The Diocese of Madison said it and the Rev. Zuhlsdorf will relocate from the diocese ”to pursue other opportunities,” the diocese said in a statement earlier this month. Tech:Twitter permanently bans MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell after he continues to claim Trump won the electionZuhlsdorf claimed he had permission from Madison Bishop Donald Hying to conduct the exorcisms. Unity:President Biden and Republicans don't agree what that looks likeNew COVID-19 test requirement for international flights to the US begins:Are travelers (and airlines) ready?

Wide-spread logistical problems hindering the rollout have spurred the Nevada congressional delegation to pressure the Biden administration to streamline the process. The CDC ranked Nevada and South Carolina as the two worst states for administering doses, or “shots in arms,” following distribution. She signed onto a recent letter to the Trump administration urging it to actively engage with states’ vaccine distribution efforts. The coronavirus relief package passed by Congress in December included $9 billion for the CDC and the states for vaccine distribution. Alex Azar, former health and human service secretary under Trump, blamed states for distribution and administration of doses of vaccines.

It’s disturbing, but perhaps not surprising, that such anti-Semitism was so out in the open in the nation’s capital 76 years after the liberation of Auschwitz, commemorated Wednesday. But anti-Semitism and hate continue even here on Long Island, most recently when hackers filled a Great Neck Jewish day school’s website with swastikas and slurs last month. Now there is a greater effort by social media platforms to stop the spread of lies and false conspiracies and that could help, but it also may make such hate more insidiously hidden and more difficult to fight. The Museum of Jewish Heritage focuses on education with now-virtual programs addressing the Holocaust, but also hate and anti-Semitism more broadly. And even as haters use social media to gather and plan, the same tools can be used to challenge those voices.

He acknowledged that states in recent weeks have been left guessing how much vaccine they will have from one week to the next. “Lives are at stake.”He promised a roughly 16% boost in deliveries to states over the next three weeks. The administration said it plans to buy another 100 million doses each from drugmakers Pfizer and Moderna to ensure it has enough vaccine for the long term. The setup inherited from the Trump administration has been marked by miscommunication and unexplained bottlenecks, with shortages reported in some places even as vaccine doses remain on the shelf. As of Tuesday afternoon, the CDC reported that just over half of the 44 million doses distributed to states have been put in people’s arms.

It is the first time in a decade the party has held the full sweep of power in Washington, and Democrats say they have no time to waste trying to broker compromises with Republicans that may, or may not, happen. They have watched Republicans use similar procedural tools to advance their priorities, most recently the Trump administration’s GOP tax cuts.

Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., the president pro tempore of the Senate, pauses in the Rotunda of the Capitol before the article of impeachment against former President Donald Trump is delivered, alleging incitement of insurrection, in Washington, Monday, Jan. 25, 2021. Leahy will preside over the impeachment trial. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)

The past seven years, with 22 players voted into the Hall of Fame, the procedure works just fine. Curt Schilling (71.1%, 16 votes short) came the closest, followed by Barry Bonds (61.8%) and Roger Clemens (61.6%). It doesn’t mean that Schilling, Bonds, Clemens won't get in. It will also be the 10th and final year of eligibility for Schilling, Bonds and Clemens. Ultimately, the dialogue on the candidacy of Bonds, Clemens, Schilling, Rodriguez and Ortiz will be a complicated, convoluted, obfuscated mess.

WASHINGTON (AP) — All but five Senate Republicans voted in favor of an effort to dismiss Donald Trump's historic second impeachment trial on Tuesday, making clear a conviction of the former president for “incitement of insurrection” after the deadly Capitol siege on Jan. 6 is unlikely. While the Republicans did not succeed in ending the trial before it began, the test vote made clear that Trump still has enormous sway over his party as he becomes the first former president to be tried for impeachment. “I think this was indicative of where a lot of people’s heads are," said South Dakota Sen. John Thune, the No. Late Tuesday, the presiding officer at the trial, Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., was taken to the hospital for observation after not feeling well at his office, spokesman David Carle said in a statement. The 80-year-old senator was examined by the Capitol's attending physician, who recommended he be taken to the hospital out of an abundance of caution, he said.

The 80-year-old senator from Vermont, set to preside over the second impeachment trial of former president Donald Trump, was “not feeling well” at his office at the US Capitol on Tuesday, according to a statement. The senator is third in the presidential line of succession behind Vice President Kamala Harris and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Senator Rand Paul failed to pass a motion to rule the former president’s trial as unconstitutional because he is no longer in office. The Senate president pro tempore has typically presided over impeachment proceedings for non-presidents. Mr Trump is the first president to face an impeachment trial after leaving office.

On Tuesday, by and large, Senate Republicans took it. (The House impeached Mr Trump on 13 January, a week before he was replaced by Joe Biden on 20 January.) Conviction appears increasingly remote since it would require support from at least 12 GOP senators who are now on record as fundamentally opposed to the impeachment trial itself. The Republican leader’s relationship with Mr Trump is reportedly in the gutter. Mr McConnell’s and other GOP senators’ votes to dismiss the impeachment trial does not necessarily spell doom for the House impeachment managers’ prosecution of Mr Trump.

Trump was said to have considered installing Clark as acting attorney general to carry out the scheme. “Throughout the past four years, I worked with Assistant Attorney General Clark on various legislative matters,” Perry said. Still, their assessment did not stop Trump from pressuring the Justice Department to fight harder to find a way to help him. Then-President Donald Trump and former Attorney General William Barr exit Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, in September 2020. William Barr stated publicly early last month that the Justice Department had found no voting fraud on a scale that would affect the election results.

“Secretary Yellen’s confirmation shatters another glass ceiling,” Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein said in a statement. The White House had no immediate comment on when Yellen would be sworn in, or by whom. The Treasury on Monday announced more members of Yellen’s team, bringing back some Obama administration veterans who served at the agency. Earnest served as assistant secretary for public affairs at Treasury under former Secretary Jack Lew and in various communications roles under former Secretary Tim Geithner. Mark Mazur, director of the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center and a former Treasury assistant secretary for tax policy, was named as deputy assistant secretary for tax policy in Treasury’s Office of Legislative Affairs.

Vermont Democratic Sen. Pat Leahy was hospitalized Tuesday just hours after being sworn in to preside over the second impeachment of President Donald Trump. He took up his role presiding as other senators were sworn in as the court of impeachment Tuesday. 'This evening, Sen. Leahy was in his Capitol office and was not feeling well. Beyond his mostly ceremonial role at the trial, Leahy, like every other Senate Democrat, helps ensure the party's control of the 50-50 Senate. A single Republican, Mitt Romney of Utah, voted for an impeachment article during Trump's first impeachment last year.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki has said 'all violence' will be reviewed as part of the Biden administration's efforts to tackle domestic violent extremism of all political stripes in the wake of the January 6 riot on the US Capitol as well as recent unrest in Portland, Seattle and Denver. 'All violence happening around the country will be reviewed by the national security team,' Psaki said. Psaki condemned the riots in Monday's White House press conference, saying smashing windows and looting is 'totally unacceptable' and not a peaceful protest. The review will be used as a foundation to develop policy, the White House said. Haines was confirmed on inauguration day to the nation’s top intelligence job as the new Director of National Intelligence.

Trump Avenue on the Canadian capital's west side is lined with brick homes, each with two-car garages and kids playing hockey in driveways. The Central Park neighborhood, known for New York City-themed street names, was built in the late 1990s -- long before a certain Big Apple real estate mogul entered politics. "Trump doesn't deserve the honor and I think it's inappropriate to have a street named after him in Canada's capital." Ottawa city councilor Riley Brockington started gathering support for the name change from people who live on the street this week. Most other New York names are already taken in Ottawa, and numbered street names such as Fifth Avenue won't do.

Former White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany is apparently in talks to sign with Fox News, according to reports. McEnany did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but according to journalist Yashar Ali, the network claims McEnany is not yet employed there. McEnany previously worked at Fox News early in her media career, as a producer for Mike Huckabee’s show and making regular appearances on shows like Red Eye. Following the president’s electoral defeat, she made near-nightly appearances on pro-Trump Fox host Sean Hannity’s primetime program to boost her boss’ baseless election-fraud conspiracy theories. In reality, Biden improved his margin of victory over Clinton in 31 out of 36 urban counties.

The Justice Department on Tuesday rescinded the Trump administration's "zero tolerance" policy that led to the systemic separation of immigrant families at the border. “While policies may change, our mission always remains the same: to seek justice under the law,” Wilkinson said. In a statement, the Justice Department said the zero tolerance policy was inconsistent with the longstanding principle that federal prosecutors exercise judgment and make individual assessments in criminal cases. The Trump administration's 2018 zero tolerance policy called for prosecuting everyone who was caught crossing the border illegally. Immigrants caught at the border are quickly sent back to Mexico, and in some cases their home countries via plane, without so much as a court hearing.

), after 44 GOP senators sided with Paul. Sen. Mike Rounds Mike RoundsThe Hill's Morning Report - Biden: Focus on vaccine, virus, travel Senators spar over validity of Trump impeachment trial Sunday shows - Biden agenda, Trump impeachment trial dominate MORE (R-S.D.) said the Tuesday vote was a “pretty good indication” that most Republicans don’t believe the trial is constitutional. Sen. John Thune John Randolph ThuneTrump, allies raise pressure on Senate GOP ahead of impeachment The Hill's Morning Report - Biden's crisis agenda hits headwinds Senate chaos threatens to slow Biden's agenda MORE (R-S.D.) The GOP strategy is a sharp shift from 2020 when Republicans were pledging publicly that they would acquit Trump and defended him publicly throughout the trial.

Photo : Drew Angerer ( Getty Images )In 1993, Joe Biden took to the Senate floor to warn of predators in society that needed to be taken out. “We have predators on our streets that society has in fact, in part because of its neglect, created,” Biden said. We have no choice but to take them out of society.”In 1994, Joe Biden helped craft the federal crime bill, which would lead to the mass incarceration of Black folks. On Tuesday, President Joe Biden is slated to sign a series of executive actions around “equity” that will focus on “policing reform, prison reform and public housing,” according to CNN. From CNN:Another order Biden will sign will reinstate an Obama-era policy barring the transfer of military equipment to local police departments.

Coming so soon in Biden’s administration, the action provides a first test of Republican opposition to the White House priorities as well as to the new president’s promise of a “unity” agenda. Biden’s COVID-19 aid package includes money for vaccine distribution, school reopenings and $1,400 direct payments to households and gradually boosts the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour over five years. The bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus of more than 50 House lawmakers met virtually Tuesday with top administration officials on the virus aid and economic recovery package. White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters earlier Tuesday that Biden is still looking to negotiate on an aid package, while emphasizing that several components of the existing aid will lapse in March. Collins said Tuesday that the White House made good on its commitment to deliver a more detailed accounting of the proposed expenditure.

The 55 to 45 vote cleared the way for Mr. Trump’s second impeachment trial, by narrowly killing a Republican effort to dismiss the charge as unconstitutional. But it strongly suggested that the Senate did not have the votes to convict the former president. But for now, the vote signaled the likelihood that Mr. Trump would for the second time in a year be acquitted by the Senate in an impeachment trial, spared by loyal Republicans who were reluctant to break with him. It would take two thirds of senators — 67 votes — to attain a conviction, meaning 17 Republicans would have to cross party lines to side with Democrats in finding him guilty. Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky and the minority leader, is said to believe Mr. Trump committed impeachable offenses surrounding the deadly Capitol siege, had asserted that the former president “provoked” the mob, and had said he was undecided on the charge.

James McCarten, The Canadian PressDISTRICT OF COLUMBIA - If Canada was able to navigate Donald Trump's four years of bilateral bluster, it can surely find safe harbour from the protectionist measures of his Democratic successor, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau suggested Tuesday. Joe Biden's White House has more in common with Canadians than Trump ever did, Trudeau said when asked if he expects stronger headwinds from the latest version of Buy American than the Conservatives fought through a decade ago. “Over the past four years, we faced an American administration that was both unpredictable and extremely protectionist, and we were able every step of the way to stand up for Canadian interests,” Trudeau said. But on Monday, Biden didn't sound like someone who's backing down now that he's in the White House. “If Ontario were a country, we would be the United States' third-largest trading partner,” said Economic Development Minister Vic Fedeli.

(CNN) President Joe Biden held his first call Tuesday with his Russian counterpart, according to the White House, confronting President Vladimir Putin over a range of issues from a recent massive cyberattack to the suspected poisoning of the country's leading opposition figure. The call, which occurred midday, amounted to Biden's opening bid at diplomacy with one of his chief adversaries, whom he has met previously but not dealt with as an equal. Biden's press secretary Jen Psaki said he entered the phone call with the intention of discussing the New START nuclear treaty, which the Biden administration hopes to extend; Russian aggression in Ukraine; the Solarwinds cyber hack, the extent of which is still being determined; reports Russia placed bounties on American troops serving in Afghanistan; Moscow's interference in US presidential elections; and the poisoning of Alexei Navalny"His intention was also to make clear that the United States will act firmly in defense of our national interests in response to malign actions by Russia," Psaki said, noting the call had taken place during her briefing and that a more fulsome summary would come later. The lengthy list of topics for Biden's first conversation with Putin illustrates the troubled state of affairs between Washington and Moscow that he inherited from the previous administration. Biden has accused his predecessor, President Donald Trump , of being too weak on Russia, accusing him of being "Putin's puppy" during one of their general election debates.

The US and Russia have agreed to extend an arms control treaty limiting their deployed nuclear warheads after Joe Biden’s first phone call as president with Vladimir Putin. Biden challenged Putin on US intelligence reports that Russia had offered bounties to the Taliban and other extremist groups in Afghanistan for the killing of US soldiers. Biden and Putin discussed the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, which Trump left but Biden has said he is willing to rejoin, and the conflict in Ukraine between the government there and Russian-backed separatists. The Biden team has said its first foreign policy goal would be to repair relations with allies and global institutions ruptured by Trump. “The United States shares the goals of the ICC in promoting accountability for the worst crimes known to humanity.

REUTERS/Kevin LamarqueNEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration supports a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians and will overturn several Trump administration decisions, the acting U.S. envoy to the United Nations assured the Security Council on Tuesday. The Palestinians want a state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip with east Jerusalem as its capital, all territory captured by Israel in 1967. However, under a failed peace proposal by former President Donald Trump, Washington would have recognized Jewish settlements in occupied territory as part of Israel. He said the Biden administration intended to restore Palestinian aid and take steps to re-open the Palestinian diplomatic mission in Washington. Under Trump, Washington cut some $360 million in annual funding for the U.N. agency supporting Palestinian refugees (UNRWA).

Sen. Patrick Leahy, the Vermont Democrat set to preside over the upcoming impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump, was taken to a Washington hospital for evaluation Tuesday, his spokesman said. "This evening, Senator Leahy was in his Capitol office and was not feeling well," his spokesman David Carle said in a written statement. Leahy, 80, is the president pro tempore of the Senate, which makes him responsible for presiding over that chamber in the absence of Vice President Kamala Harris. The House impeached Trump earlier this month for inciting the riot by his supporters at the Capitol complex on Jan. 6. Five people, including a Capitol police office, died as a result of the riot.

Mitch McConnell on Monday finally backed down from his demand to protect the tactic, allowing an organizing agreement giving Chuck Schumer and his razor-thin majority control of the Senate to go through. Schumer, who had called for his Republican counterpart to agree to the power-sharing rules of the last split Senate, in 2001, claimed victory in the standoff. “I’m glad that two Senate Democrats confirmed today they will not vote to end the legislative filibuster,” the Senate Minority Leader said. We need immediate bold change,” the Senate Majority Leader told Rachel Maddow in an interview that aired Monday night. Speaking to Maddow Monday, Schumer suggested Biden should use his executive powers to deal with climate change.

The MyPillow CEO and staunch Donald Trump supporter got his account on the social media platform shut down in perpetuity on Monday. Dominion has also threatened to sue Lindell, but he told The New York Times, he has no intention of backing down. In the filing obtained by Vanity Fair, Lindell claims the story caused “personal harm and emotional distress,” specifically because of the claims he sent Krakowski alcohol. When news of this alleged romance first made headlines, a representative for Krakowski told Vanity Fair, “Jane has never met Mr. Lindell. Join Vanity Fair to receive full access to VF.com and the complete online archive now.

Sean Spicer’s application to join the White House Correspondents’ Association was rescinded by his own employer, as Newsmax, the right-wing cable network where the former White House press secretary now hosts an evening show, reportedly decided they already have enough people on the job. Spicer’s pending request for credentials was thus “considered an unwanted headache at the WHCA,” Politico reports. Other members of the pro-Trump media are, however, still pursuing access to Joe Biden's White House. Rion kept showing up, however, thanks to Trump officials who had her to the White House as a guest—sway OAN surely won't have with Biden's team. Already, one White House reporter observed Rion “has been MIA since Biden took office,” according to CNN’s Oliver Darcy, who reports that the White House has not revoked access, despite Rion’s curious absence.

Starting with the unanimous “No” vote of the town council when Trump appeared before it, in April 1992. Hearing the gilded story of the biggest house in the richest town, Trump ordered an immediate detour. “I know people who moved to Palm Beach, got blackballed at the B&T, and left town,” says one observer. “It was quite contentious,” recalls Lesly Smith, who, as president, presided over the meeting of the Town Council. “The tent wasn’t a good noise container,” says Leslie Shaw, a former member of the Town Council.

Just gotta update the ole résumé and I’ll be juggling more offers than I can shake a stick at. Mental note: Call Brooks Brothers and ask them to set aside a couple pairs of their finest chinos. And as it turns out, would-be employers don’t love the idea of hiring people in any way associated with all that. A second former White House official said they knew of “people who got jobs rescinded because of January 6.” A Republican strategist was blunter. “They are really fucked,” the strategist said, pointing to some top officials who stuck with Trump until the bitter end.

Jane Fonda will receive the Cecil B. DeMille Award at this year’s Golden Globes, adding yet another statuette to her packed mantle. “The Hollywood Foreign Press Association takes great pride in bestowing the 2021 Cecil B. DeMille Award to Jane Fonda,” said HFPA president Ali Sar. We are honored to celebrate her achievements at the 2021 Golden Globe Awards.”Fonda has won seven Golden Globes over the last six decades, picking up her first statuette in 1962 for most promising newcomer (a now defunct category) for the film Tall Story. The 2020 Cecil B. DeMille recipient was Tom Hanks, who delivered a warm speech about his family and his love of acting, getting choked up at numerous points. This year’s Golden Globes will air on NBC on February 28.

While some Fox News personalities have condemned QAnon, the network’s top host went to bat Monday night for the deranged right-wing cult. Instead, the segment pivoted to Carlson directing his ire at the supposed real top threat that Americans are facing: private companies curbing extremist content from movements like QAnon. The segment tied into a running obsession on Fox News and in right-wing media and politics that elites in media and tech are trying to silence conservatives. Later in the segment, Carlson interpreted the recent and all-too-late attempts by the “entrenched powers” to stop QAnon from spreading on their platforms as a potential assault on conservative media outlets like the one that employs him. — Trump Makes an Exit With His Brand in Tatters— From the Archive: How Donald Trump Turned Palm Beach Against Him— Not a subscriber?

Tell us what you really think about Donald Trump. All of us as true Americans have to really think about what’s important," said Lee. "This president, President Agent Orange, will go down in history with the likes of Hitler. Is it totally insane to compare Donald Trump to Adolf Hitler? For even one second, if he believed he could have gotten away with it, do you think Trump would have hesitated at all about any loss of life in exchange for his victory?

Former President Donald Trump's YouTube channel will remain suspended, the online video platform said Tuesday. YouTube suspended Trump's official channel on Jan. 12 from uploading new content for at least a week, at the time citing the potential for violence following the deadly Jan. 6 siege of the U.S. Capitol. "In light of concerns about the ongoing potential for violence, the Donald J. Trump channel will remain suspended," YouTube said in a statement to USA TODAY. Before YouTube suspended Trump's channel, Facebook and Instagram, along with Twitter and Snap had already blocked Trump in the aftermath of the Capitol riots. Last week, Facebook sent to its Oversight Board the issue to restore former President Trump's access to his accounts.

Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Tom Llamas, the weekend anchor of ABC’s World News Tonight, has dramatically quit the network to move to rival NBC. Llamas, 41, is being lined up for a wide-ranging role across NBC News that involves work across the network’s news shows, streaming services and MSNBC. Tom is a big talent and he could do lots of things across streaming, across the network, and even cable. “He started his career at NBC, he will be welcomed back.”Miami-born Llamas began his career in 2000 with the NBC News Specials Unit and moved to MSNBC as a reporter. In 2014 he moved to ABC News and substituted for Muir on ABC World News Tonight over the Christmas holiday period.

ADADCase in point: Nikki Haley, the former governor of South Carolina and ambassador to the United Nations under Trump. And it highlights what looks like a bizarre retreat from holding Trump accountable, even just rhetorically, that’s underway among many Republicans, including establishment-oriented ones. Absolutely not.”AD“I don’t even think there’s a basis for impeachment,” Haley said, adding: “They beat him up before he got into office. Worse still, Haley is supposed to be a rising star who might run in 2024 as a non-Trumpist Republican. ADAnd on Tuesday, all but five Senate Republicans voted for a doomed effort to kill the impeachment effort before Trump has to face a Senate trial.

What if the mob that stormed the Capitol had encountered members of Congress or Vice President Mike Pence unimpeded? What if they’d used their numbers to overwhelm security protecting the legislators? What if the armaments and explosives found on some protesters and in the city had been deployed in the building? Had he not riled up the crowd that morning and encouraged them to head to the Capitol, far fewer probably would have. But all of those things happened, and there was a critical mass of fury that poured over the Capitol Police and into the building.

When Schumer was minority leader, he vigorously used the filibuster to do just that. Under his leadership, Democrats used the filibuster to block funding for construction of Trump’s border wall in 2019. ADADAnd those are just the bills Democrats killed with actual filibuster votes. And Democrats have used the filibuster to force Republicans to reduce the scope of some of their biggest legislative achievements. The filibuster allowed Democrats to constrain Republicans from enacting what the Democrats consider a radical agenda under a populist right-wing president.

Google is the latest tech company to halt political donations to members of Congress who voted against certifying the results of the presidential election. Eight Republican senators and more than 100 House Republicans still voted against certifying Biden's win. The lawmakers refused to forfeit the debunked claims President Trump peddled weeks after the November election, insisting that there was widespread voter fraud, which caused him to lose the race to Biden. Other tech giants, including Facebook and Microsoft, have said they have halted political donations and are reviewing their policies before making a final decision. CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX BUSINESS APPIf the pause on PAC donations from these companies continues to hold, Republican Sens.

Iran has "no leverage left" over the U.S. that would enable them to pressure the Biden administration to rejoin the 2015 nuclear deal, former Deputy National Security Adviser K.T. McFarland told "The Story" Tuesday. "The Arab countries, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, they're as upset about the prospect of Iran getting nuclear weapons as Israel is," she said. Whether the Biden administration approved of what Trump did or not, Trump has given them a golden opportunity. "So if the Biden administration really wants success, I think they should push for a very different deal, if one at all."

YouTube said Tuesday it had suspended Rudy Giuliani, former President Donald Trump's lawyer, from a program that allows partners to make money from ads on their videos, after Giuliani broke YouTube's rules by repeatedly sharing election misinformation. The suspension will last at least 30 days and has been in effect since last week, YouTube said in an email. YouTube's Partner Program allows video creators to share ad revenue as well as receive support from a company team, but channels that violate company policies can be removed. Giuliani, a former New York City mayor, has been a vocal proponent of baseless allegations of widespread fraud in the presidential election. Giuliani could appeal his suspension with YouTube or reapply to the Partner Program in 30 days if he addresses the underlying issues, the company said.

Right off the bat, Birx said she was the only person in the White House working full-time on the Covid-19 response. A pandemic was raging, killing more Americans than any war in more than 150 years, and the Trump administration was fighting it with a dedicated team of one. And she disclosed that there was "parallel data" coming into the White House that Trump relied on. But even in this latest interview, she was hesitant to be too critical of the Trump administration. Join us on Twitter and FacebookAt the very least, there should be a thorough investigation into how the Covid-19 response was so bungled.

The Biden administration is purchasing an additional 200 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, a move that could provide enough doses for nearly every American to get fully inoculated by the end of the summer, a senior administration official said Tuesday. The new purchase of 100 million doses from Pfizer and 100 million from Moderna will be made available over the summer and are in addition to the 400 million combined doses the companies had already committed to providing to the U.S., the official said. The agreement will lessen the country's reliance on getting additional vaccines on the market from other manufacturers. The Trump administration had passed up on purchasing more vaccine doses from Pfizer and Moderna and was instead relying on additional vaccines from Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca coming to market. As of Jan. 26, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 23.5 million doses were administered and more than 3.4 million were people fully vaccinated.

And if they lose, those extreme candidates still tend to define how the Republican Party is perceived. But two congressional candidates, both unsuccessful, planted the seed that Republican candidates were increasingly outlandish in their performance and beliefs. In Delaware, Christine O'Donnell, a Tea Party-backed Republican Senate candidate, was forced to go on the defensive in an effort to explain her earlier remarks about "dabbl[ing] into witchcraft." It's possible Republicans might nominate Trump loyalists Rep. Jim Jordan to replace Portman and Lara Trump , Trump's daughter-in-law, to replace Burr. Indeed, by attacking fellow Republicans, party officials in places like Arizona Oregon and Virginia scare away potential moderate Republican voters who do not subscribe to Trumpism.

That includes the surprise retirement announcement by Ohio Republican Sen. Portman's retirement is rightly understood as simply the latest piece of evidence that being a so-called establishment Republican -- or, really -- anything but a die-hard Trump Republican -- is no fun at all. And that series of retirement decisions follows several years of House Republicans walking away from Washington. He just spent four years under a Republican president with whom he disagreed on, well, a whole lot. A party that is barely recognizable from the one Portman has served in for much of the past three decades.

Experts are urging Biden administration officials to better understand the source behind Covid-19 vaccine skepticism across different Latino communities to improve vaccine rollout strategies nationwide. At least 28 percent of all Latinos surveyed by the Latino advocacy nonprofit UnidosUS in October reported that they were unlikely to get vaccinated for Covid-19. Over a third of all Latinas surveyed by UnidosUS stated they will likely not get vaccinated, compared to 22 percent of Latino men. The researchers are calling for officials to commission an in-depth study that identifies the most effective messaging strategies for different Latino subgroups. They also urge an aggressive use of fact-based information to counter the overwhelming amount of bilingual vaccine disinformation Latinos have been exposed to over the past months.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Sinclair Oil Corporation confirmed on Tuesday it secured biofuel blending waivers for its refineries from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency shortly before the departure of the administration of President Donald Trump last week. The company made the statement in a court filing defending the waivers against a challenge from the biofuel industry, which wants to prevent the EPA from processing them. The company said the administration granted the waivers on Jan. 14. The Trump administration vastly expanded the number of exemptions granted annually to refiners. Reuters reported the two 2019 waivers went to the 85,000 bpd Sinclair Wyoming refinery and the 30,000 bpd Sinclair Casper refinery, also in Wyoming.

“It’s a totally different issue as far as I’m concerned,” Republican Senator Rob Portman told reporters. The vote came after the senators had been sworn in as jurors for the impeachment trial. ‘MATTER OF POLITICAL CONSEQUENCE’Fellow Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski, who has been critical of Trump, rejected Paul’s move. But no Senate Republicans have said definitively that they plan to vote to convict him. First elected to the chamber in 1974, Leahy, 80, is the most senior Democrat in the chamber and holds the title of Senate president pro tempore.

The town of Palm Beach, Florida, is reviewing Donald Trump’s use of his Mar-a-Lago Club as a residence, even as the former president is set to once again violate a length-of-stay provision he himself agreed to three decades ago. Palm Beach Mayor Kirk Blouin told HuffPost that Trump’s apparent decision to live there permanently is being examined by the town’s lawyer. “This matter is under legal review by our Town Attorney, John ‘Skip’ Randolph,” Blouin said, adding that the matter may come before the town council at its Feb. 8 meeting. It’s his club.”Nevertheless, Trump violated the seven-day limit three times during his four years in office, according to a HuffPost review of his travel schedule. Precisely why Trump insists on living at Mar-a-Lago in violation of his agreement is also unclear.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department on Tuesday rescinded a Trump-era memo that established a “zero tolerance” enforcement policy for migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally, which resulted in thousands of family separations. “Consistent with this longstanding principle of making individualized assessments in criminal cases, I am rescinding — effective immediately — the policy directive,” Wilkinson wrote. While the rescinding of “zero tolerance” is in part symbolic, it undoes the Trump administration’s massively unpopular policy responsible for the separation of more than 5,500 children from their parents at the U.S-Mexico border. Most families have not been prosecuted under zero tolerance since 2018, when the separations were halted, though separations have continued on a smaller scale. The “zero tolerance” policy was one of several increasingly restrictive policies aimed at discouraging migrants from coming to the Southern border.

At least five people are believed to have died in connection with the riot. Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who was injured in the riot, died the following day. The officials insisted that the massive probe is not overwhelming investigators, prosecutors or the courts. And we do complex,” D’Antuono said, while acknowledging that in terms of the sheer number of suspects, the Capitol riot case stands alone. “If a crime was committed, whether it was inside or outside the Capitol, we are charging you,” Sherwin said.

Co-founder of the Lincoln Project Steve Schmidt remarks on the tough hand President Biden has been dealt by the Trump administration and its bungled coronavirus response

The Davos Agenda from Jan. 25 to Jan. 29, 2021 is an online edition due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak. The Davos Agenda from Jan. 25 to Jan. 29, 2021 is an online edition due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak. “We want the platforms to be transparent about how their algorithms work,” von der Leyen said. Last week, Varga claimed that tech companies “limit the visibility of Christian, conservative, right-wing opinions,” and that “power groups behind global tech giants” were capable of deciding elections. She alleged that she had personally been “shadow banned” by Facebook, a term referring to social media platforms restricting the visibility of users’ profiles or posts without their knowledge.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro speaks during a ceremony marking the start of the judicial year at the Supreme Court in Caracas, Venezuela, Friday, Jan. 22, 2021. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro appears to be counting on yet another “miracle” to save his citizens from COVID-19, promoting a secretive solution with no published scientific evidence he claims will conquer the new coronavirus. “Ten drops under the tongue every four hours and the miracle is done,” Maduro said in a televised appearance on Sunday. Maduro said the treatment, which he called carvativir, has been under testing for nine months among Venezuelans ill with the coronavirus. Venezuela signed a contract in December with Russia to buy the vaccine, but inoculations aren’t scheduled to start until April.

Biden, calling the push a “wartime effort,” said the administration was working to buy an additional 100 million doses of each of the two approved coronavirus vaccines. He acknowledged that states in recent weeks have been left guessing how much vaccine they will have from one week to the next. “Lives are at stake.”He promised a roughly 16% boost in deliveries to states over the next three weeks. The administration said it plans to buy another 100 million doses each from drugmakers Pfizer and Moderna to ensure it has enough vaccine for the long term. The setup inherited from the Trump administration has been marked by miscommunication and unexplained bottlenecks, with shortages reported in some places even as vaccine doses remain on the shelf.

In a noteworthy reordering of the relative statuses of the world’s two largest economies, U.S. investment inflows shrank notably last year while China’s inched upward. That made China the world’s leading destination for foreign direct investment. “ Worldwide foreign direct investment collapsed by 42% to roughly $860 billion, from $1.5 trillion in 2019, according to a United Nations report. 1 in total foreign investment. Foreign direct investment captures things like foreign companies’ building new factories or expanding existing operations in a country or their acquisitions of local companies.

WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans voted overwhelmingly Tuesday against moving forward with Donald Trump’s historic second impeachment trial, making clear a conviction of the former president for “incitement of insurrection” is unlikely. That means the trial on Trump’s impeachment, the first ever of a former president, will begin as scheduled the week of Feb. 8. Not only are there legal concerns, but senators are wary of crossing the former president and his legions of followers. Chief Justice John Roberts is not presiding at the trial, as he did during Trump’s first impeachment, potentially affecting the gravitas of the proceedings. Instead, Sen. Patrick Leahy, D- Vt., who serves in the largely ceremonial role of Senate president pro tempore, was sworn in on Tuesday.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer then moved to table Paul’s point of order, blocking the effort to preemptively invalidate the impeachment trial. The resolution failed after a majority of senators voted against it, meaning the impeachment trial will go ahead as planned. At the close of the impeachment trial itself, at least 17 Republican senators would need to join Democrats in order to convict Trump. Editor’s Note: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that McConnell voted to declare Trump’s impeachment trial unconstitutional. In fact, the minority leader voted against a motion to table Senator Paul’s point of order, which deems the trial unconstitutional.

The moratorium is intended to allow time for officials to review the impact of oil and gas drilling on the environment and climate. Oil industry groups slammed the move, saying Biden had already eliminated thousands of oil and gas jobs by killing the Keystone XL oil pipeline on his first day in office. The pause in drilling is limited to federal lands and does not affect drilling on private lands, which is largely regulated by states. Oil and gas extracted from public lands and waters account for about a quarter of annual US production. Biden’s choice to lead the Interior Department, which oversees oil and gas leasing on public lands, is New Mexico Represenative Deb Haaland.

Even The Wall Street Journal’s editorial page, a conservative bastion, suggested Bannon’s pardon was unseemly and egregious, asserting that, if the charges were true, “Mr. AdvertisementBut the pardon also left three other men who were indicted with Bannon in an unusual and unenviable predicament. What’s more, legal experts said, Bannon could now be called as a government witness to testify against them, potentially increasing their legal jeopardy. “You would want to pardon all of them so that the trial doesn’t go forward,” Barkow said. “How, as a judge, do you get comfortable around the idea of imprisoning the remaining co-conspirators because the president left them hanging?”

Advertisement’'The violence at the Capitol was a ‘false flag’ operation designed to discredit President Trump, his supporters, and all conservative Republicans; this provided the sham motivation to impeach President Trump in order to advance the Democratic goal of seizing total power,’' the resolution says. State Republican Parties nationwide have been castigating members for opposing Trump, voting to impeach him, and certifying Biden’s victory. Hours after Representative Tom Rice, Republican of South Carolina, voted to impeach Trump, the chairman of that state’s GOP released a scathing statement, blasting the congressman’s decision. Washington PostDonald Trump opens office to continue his agendaFormer president Donald Trump has opened an office to “advance the interests of the United States and to carry on the agenda” of his administration, according to a statement released Monday night. Bloomberg NewsTwitter bans account of MyPillow CEOTwitter has banned MyPillow chief executive Mike Lindell for amplifying misinformation, the latest blow to the ally of former president Donald Trump.

The Kremlin, meanwhile, focused on Putin’s response to Biden’s proposal to extend the last remaining US-Russia arms control treaty. Former president Donald Trump’s administration had withdrawn from two arms control treaties with Russia and had been prepared to let New START lapse. Before he spoke to Putin, Biden also called NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg to pledge US commitment to the decades-old alliance founded as a bulwark against Russian aggression. It also said Putin congratulated Biden on becoming president and “noted that normalization of ties between Russia and the United States would serve the interests of both countries." Biden’s team has already reacted strongly to the crackdown on the protests, in which more than 3,700 people were arrested across Russia, including more than 1,400 in Moscow.

AdvertisementThe purchases from drugmakers Pfizer and Moderna come as the Biden administration is trying to ramp up vaccine production and states’ capacities to inject them into arms. “Until now, we’ve had to guess how much vaccine” each week,” Biden said. The setup inherited from the Trump administration has been marked by miscommunication and unexplained bottlenecks, with shortages reported in some places even as vaccine doses remain on the shelf. As of Tuesday afternoon, the CDC reported that just over half of the 44 million doses distributed to states have been put in people’s arms. The vaccine rollout across the 27-nation European Union has also run into roadblocks and has likewise been criticized as too slow.

Martin Baron, a newsroom giant who led The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, and The Miami Herald to numerous Pulitzer Prizes in a storied journalism career, said Tuesday that he would retire Feb. 28 after eight years as the Post’s executive editor. Trump frequently denigrated the Post, calling it “fake news,” “the enemy of the people,” and “crazed and dishonest,” among other insults. Baron took charge of the newsroom when the Post was owned by the Graham family, the caretakers of the paper for three generations. “The high bar for an executive editor of The Washington Post is to fill Ben Bradlee’s shoes. He described Baron as “both swashbuckling and careful,” saying he had led the paper with integrity, “even when it was exhausting.”During Baron’s time as executive editor, the Post won 10 Pulitzer Prizes.

“Those in sanctuary have suffered enough,” read the letter to Biden led by Representative Joaquin Castro of Texas and Senators Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and signed by 27 other lawmakers. It also asks Biden to lift deportations against all people living in sanctuary within the first 100 days of his presidency, and to sign any legislation on behalf of people living in sanctuary. He had sued over a federal law that requires the Department of Homeland Security to consult with states before making changes to its policies. “The [deportation] moratorium is legally sound, morally necessary, and we are confident that this enormous miscarriage of justice will be rectified,” García said. Read the full letter:Reach Jazmine Ulloa at jazmine.ulloa@globe.com or on Twitter: @jazmineulloa.

On Dec. 19, 2016, presidential electors across the nation, including Colorado, cast their ballots in their respective states. The Colorado electors were to vote in the Colorado capitol building. The vote of the Colorado electors was delayed due to the faithless elector controversy. Staff in the capitol building told us we could come inside to warm up if we left our signs outside. We went outside, picked up our signs and went home.

WASHINGTON – Wisconsin Republican Ron Johnson joined the vast majority of his GOP Senate colleagues in objecting Tuesday to the coming impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump, a sign that Democrats are well short of the votes to convict Trump. A Republican motion to dismiss the impeachment case as unconstitutional failed 45-55. The trial of Trump, for "incitement of insurrection," is scheduled to begin Feb. 9. The Senate has in the past tried a former Cabinet official and former judges after leaving office. Mitt Romney of Utah, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Ben Sasse of Nebraska and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania joined Democrats in killing Paul's motion.

As those examples reflect, Trump’s acts of clemency mixed favors to cronies with relief for genuinely deserving federal prisoners hit with grossly disproportionate penalties. The controversy over his choices highlights longstanding problems with a clemency system that is a woefully inadequate remedy for the injustices routinely inflicted by rigid and draconian federal sentences. Trump’s final batch of 70 commutations brought his total to 94, which included dozens of nonviolent drug offenders, 18 of whom had received life sentences. That amounts to less than 5% of federal prisoners, nearly half of whom are serving time for drug offenses. But the law still helped four times as many prisoners in one year than even Obama managed through commutations in eight.

While the rescinding of “zero tolerance” is in part symbolic, it undoes the Trump administration’s massively unpopular policy responsible for the separation of more than 5,500 children from their parents at the U.S-Mexico border. Most families have not been prosecuted under zero tolerance since 2018, when the separations were halted, though separations have continued on a smaller scale. Practically, the ending of the policy will affect mostly single men who have entered the country illegally. Prosecutions had dropped sharply after the Trump administration declared a pandemic-related health emergency that allows them to immediately expel Mexicans and many Central Americans without applying immigration laws.

President Joe Biden announced the surge in deliveries to states Tuesday, along with the news that the federal government is purchasing an additional 100 million doses each of the two approved coronavirus vaccines. “Until now, we’ve had to guess how much vaccine” each week,” Biden said. The setup inherited from the Trump administration has been marked by miscommunication and unexplained bottlenecks, with shortages reported in some places even as vaccine doses remain on the shelf. As of Tuesday afternoon, the CDC reported that just over half of the 44 million doses distributed to states have been put in people’s arms. The vaccine rollout across the 27-nation European Union has also run into roadblocks and has likewise been criticized as too slow.

Michael Balsamo and Colleen LongAssociated PressWashington — The Justice Department on Tuesday rescinded a Trump-era memo that established a “zero tolerance” enforcement policy for migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally, which resulted in thousands of family separations. “Consistent with this longstanding principle of making individualized assessments in criminal cases, I am rescinding — effective immediately — the policy directive,” Wilkinson wrote. While the rescinding of “zero tolerance” is in part symbolic, it undoes the Trump administration’s massively unpopular policy responsible for the separation of more than 5,500 children from their parents at the U.S-Mexico border. Most families have not been prosecuted under zero tolerance since 2018, when the separations were halted, though separations have continued on a smaller scale. The “zero tolerance” policy was one of several increasingly restrictive policies aimed at discouraging migrants from coming to the Southern border.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The interim chief of the Capitol Police apologized Tuesday for failing to prepare for what became a violent insurrection despite having warnings that white supremacists and far-right groups would target Congress. Yogananda Pittman, in prepared testimony before Congress, said that the Capitol Police “failed to meet its own high standards as well as yours." “We knew that militia groups and white supremacists organizations would be attending,” Pittman wrote. “We also knew that some of these participants were intending to bring firearms and other weapons to the event. A law enforcement official told The Associated Press that authorities have detected ominous chatter about killing legislators or attacking them outside the Capitol.

The setup inherited from the Trump administration has been marked by miscommunication and unexplained bottlenecks, with shortages reported in some places even as vaccine doses remain on the shelf. Officials in West Virginia, which has had one of the best rates of administering vaccine, said they have fewer than 11,000 first doses on hand even after this week’s shipment. California, which has faced criticism over a slow vaccine rollout, announced Tuesday that it is centralizing its hodgepodge of county systems and streamlining appointment sign-up, notification and eligibility. Jared Polis said that the limited supply of vaccine from the federal government is prompting the state to repurpose second doses as first doses, though he expects that people scheduled for their second shot will still be able to keep their appointments. The weekly allocation cycle for first doses begins on Monday nights, when federal officials review data on vaccine availability from manufacturers to determine how much each state can have.

The international community considers both areas to be occupied territory, and the Palestinians seek them as parts of a future independent state. Mills said peace can’t be imposed on either side and stressed that progress and an ultimate solution require the participation and agreement of Israelis and Palestinians. “In order to advance these objectives, the Biden administration will restore credible U.S. engagement with Palestinians as well as Israelis,” he said. “This will involve renewing U.S. relations with the Palestinian leadership and Palestinian people,” Mills said. The Trump administration closed the office of the Palestine Liberation Organization in Washington in September 2018, effectively shutting down the Palestinians’ diplomatic mission to the United States.

WASHINGTON — The C.I.A.’s counterintelligence chief sent a note to retired officers this week warning against working for foreign governments either directly or indirectly. Across the government, there has been a push to raise awareness of foreign governments trying to get information from former officials. The warnings against working for foreign governments and disclosing sensitive material to the public were not touched off by any single incident or disclosure. More broadly, former intelligence officers consulting for foreign governments and companies have drawn scrutiny and criticism in recent years. Warns Former Officers About Working for Foreign Governments appeared first on New York Times.

In the headlines:?The global total of coronavirus cases surpassed 100 million Tuesday, according to the Johns Hopkins University dashboard. The global totals: More than 100 million cases and 2.15 million deaths. About 44.4 million vaccine doses have been distributed in the U.S. and 23.5 million have been administered, according to the CDC. Coronavirus deaths and cases per day in the U.S. dropped markedly over the past couple of weeks but remain alarmingly high. Biden has drawn some criticism that his plan for 100 million shots in 100 days was insufficiently ambitious.

The Biden administration will increase vaccine supplies to states, exercise an option to buy a total of 200m more vaccine doses from Pfizer and Moderna and said it would give states more lead time on the amount of vaccine it will deliver. A senior administration official said the new purchase order would allow the government to vaccinate 300 million Americans with a two-dose regimen of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. The official said the White House is working to increase capacity for both, by purchasing more vaccine, raw supplies and setting up federal vaccination sites. The Biden administration is also planning to exercise an option to purchase 200m more vaccine doses, 100m from Pfizer/BioNTech and 100m from Moderna, the two producers with US emergency use authorization so far, through contracts first established by the Trump administration. The senior official said the government expects to deliver states 10m vaccine doses per week for the next three weeks, and will give states at least three weeks notice of upcoming shipments.

Donald Trump is suspended from posting to YouTube indefinitely after the video platform’s parent company Google extended a ban put in place this month. “In light of concerns about the ongoing potential for violence, the Donald J Trump channel will remain suspended,” a YouTube spokesperson said. “Our teams are staying vigilant and closely monitoring for any new developments.”YouTube had announced on 12 January, following the insurrection at the Capitol, that it would suspend Trump’s account indefinitely. Under the suspension, Trump’s account will remain online but the former president will not be able to post new videos. YouTube is one of several major tech platforms that took action against Trump in early January, citing a risk his messages could incite violence.

Washington also withdrew 300 of its soldiers operating across Africa, before the Senate stalled further cuts to troop numbers. “All my experience tells me that in Africa, radicalisation and the [counter terrorism threat] are going in the wrong direction,” Mr Wallace told the Telegraph. “The spread of radicalisation on both sides of Africa often meets no barriers at all. "[In West Africa,] Boko Haram is gaining momentum, as are the Islamists in [the Sahel region, underneath the Sahara desert]. If radicalisation takes hold and if the states are not robust or resilient enough, it can spread really quickly."

The prospect of Donald Trump being convicted in his second impeachment trial receded after the overwhelming majority of Republican Senators voted that the move was unconstitutional. Only five Republicans joined forces with the Democrats in voting down a Republican attempt to stop the hearing even taking place. Although the move to head off the trial was voted down by 55 votes to 45, it demonstrated that the Democrats’ chances of securing the 17 votes needed to convict the former president are slim. The vote came 24 hours after Democrats in the House of Representatives delivered the article of impeachment, accusing Mr Trump of “incitement of insurrection” following the Capitol Hill riots on January 6 which claimed five lives. Mr Trump will be the only US president to be impeached twice and the first to face trial after he left office.

The Lincoln Project slammed Missouri Senator Josh Hawley in its latest ad, tweeting that he “knew what he was doing. It opens up on Mr Trump saying: "Josh Hawley will be one of the greatest champions," at a rally. Before they attacked the Capitol, Mr Hawley could be seen raising his fist to the crowd in apparent support. Larry Sabato, the director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, tweeted on 9 January that “many senators now despise" Mr Hawley. from the stage at the ellipse next to the National Mall where Mr Trump spoke before the riot.

President Joe Biden has revoked the “zero tolerance” policy of prosecuting immigrants who illegally crossed the US-Mexico border for illegal entry, separating thousands of children from their families, according to the Associated Press. Most families have not been prosecuted under the Donald Trump-era policy since 2018, when the administration halted the policy. But rescinding the policy is likely to prevent the prosecution of individuals who cross the border seeking asylum. Roughly 5,500 children were separated under the Trump administration; many of their parents and families were deported without them. Lawmakers have also urged the president to create a task force to begin reuniting children with their families.

Fox News host Tucker Carlson is once again courting controversy after he likened media criticism of the QAnon movement to government censorship of the mind. After playing a montage of news clips that featured reporters arguing that QAnon is dangerous, Carlson railed against the idea of government censorship of people's minds. Carlson has invited QAnon adherents onto his show in the past. Members of the QAnon conspiracy theory movement participated in the attack on the US Capitol on 6 January. Travis View, the host of Q Anon Anonymous, a podcast that has followed the Q movement since its early days, dismissed Carlson's complaint.

I mean at some point, I mean give the man a break,” she told Fox’s Laura Ingraham. Following the 6 January attack on the capitol, Ms Haley, a Republican who previously served as South Carolina’s governor, harshly condemned those involved in the riot. “There are no excuses or defense for this moment,” Ms Haley wrote on 9 January. “If we are the party of personal responsibility, we need to take personal responsibility,” Ms Haley reportedly told the Republican National Committee’s winter meeting. “I’m really proud of the successes of the Trump administration,” Ms Haley recently wrote on Twitter.

Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy asked Mr Biden what he discussed with Mr Putin on a recent call between the leaders. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki confirmed that Mr Biden called Mr Putin on Tuesday. According to the White House, Mr Biden told Mr Putin that the US would defend itself from "malign actions by Russia". The Kremlin had a different account of the call, stating that Mr Putin and Mr Biden discussed "topical issues" like the economy and the coronavirus. Mr Biden reportedly wanted to call other European leaders prior to his call with Mr Putin to gauge their concerns.

The head of Capitol Police has apologised for "failings" during the deadly rioting in Washington DC earlier this month. Acting chief Yogananda Pittman said her department "failed to meet its own high standards" when it failed to prevent Donald Trump supporters storming the Capitol on 6 January. The force admitted it inadequately prepared for Mr Trump's Save America Rally that day, and the chaos that might ensue. She added: "The insurrectionists' actions and the department's inability to immediately secure the US Capitol emboldened the insurrectionists and horrified millions of Americans. The chief of Capitol Police at the time, as well as and House sergeant at arms, have since stepped down from their roles.

The high-profile opposition figure, a vocal critic of the Russian president, was jailed after returning to Moscow from Germany, where he was recovering after being exposed to novichok. His arrest sparked protests across Russia and led to 3,700 arrests, and more demonstrations are planned for the coming weekend. Moscow had contacted the White House to request the call last week, with Mr Biden opting to speak to European allies first - including the UK, Germany and France. Image: Mr Putin's relationship with Mr Biden will likely be a lot different to the one he had with the last US president. File picOn the call, Mr Biden also warned that the US is willing to defend itself - and enforce further sanctions - if Moscow acts with impunity.

An experimental coronavirus drug which is now being trialled on the NHS has been found to be 100 per cent effective in protecting against symptomatic cases of the virus. Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc said on Tuesday that its two-antibody cocktail REGEN-COV caused a 100 per cent reduction in symptomatic infections among those who got the drug after being exposed to a household member with Covid-19. People who did get infected after receiving the antibody cocktail had lower viral loads and their infections lasted one week. By comparison, about 40 per cent of the infections in the placebo group lasted three or four weeks. The results come after it was revealed that Britain had missed its vaccination target for a second day running.

Donald Trump was cultivated as a Russian asset more than 40 years ago which exploded into a decades-long 'relationship' of mutual benefit to both Russia and Trump, a shocking new book claims. A new book claims Donald Trump was cultivated as a Russian asset more than 40 years ago and that exploded into a decades long 'relationship' of mutual benefit to both Russia and Trump. Donald Trump and Tamir Sapir at the Trump Soho Launch on September 19, 2007 in New York City. It was a world of unimaginable decadence – gorgeous young women, private planes, spectacular residences – and sex with young girls. Trump and Putin pictured in 2017Enraged, Epstein never spoke to Trump again but showed around photos of Trump with topless young girls and one photo with semen stained pants.

A man from upstate New York has been charged with storming the US Capitol after videos have emerged on social media showing him smoking a joint inside the government building and bragging about it. On January 6, another co-worker of Bonet’s sent a screen-recorded video to their colleagues in a group chat showing him at the Capitol. In the video that shows this screenshot, Bonet reportedly can be heard responding to the chant 'Whose house?' Another video from the screen recording is taken from inside the Crypt of the Capitol, where Bonet is filming rioters celebrating and chanting. A third video, titled 'Made it in,' captures Bonet saying: 'we made it in the building b****es!

Two Virginia police officers who took a selfie of themselves inside the US Capitol building during the January 6 riot have been fired. Rocky Mount Police Sergeant Thomas Robertson, 47, and Officer Jacob Fracker, 29, were fired on Tuesday following a town review. On Facebook Robertson, an Army veteran, wrote he was 'proud' of the selfie he and Fracker, a corporal in the Virginia National Guard, took inside the Capitol building. Robertson had told The Roanoke Times said he does not support the violence that happened inside the Capitol. 'The Capitol building is as big as our town,' he said.

Death Row Records co-founder and former drug kingpin Michael 'Harry O' Harris wept with remorse and pledged to devote his life to help kids avoid crime, in his first interview after Donald Trump granted his freedom. 'I would talk to Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg and the whole family, everybody that was signed to Death Row. 'Being on death row is weird, it's real quiet. There comes the name Death Row.' That's what Death Row Records was created for.'

The New York Times has a social media policy for its journalism and editorial staff that requires them to remain impartial in their posting online. Scandals that rocked the New York Times in 2020 June 7: New York Times' opinion editor, James Bennet, resigned following a controversial op-ed from Senator Tom Cotton. September: Trump repeatedly criticized the New York Times 1619 Project claiming it seeks to 'change our history'. 'The people I'm mad at are the people who put out the statement,' Wolfe said. And it follows on from the scandal after New York Times' opinion editor, James Bennet, resigned after a controversial op-ed from Senator Tom Cotton in June.

FILE PHOTO: Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin (R) shakes hands with U.S. Vice President Joe Biden during their meeting in Moscow March 10, 2011. But White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Biden also raised a raft of worries about the Russian authorities' treatment of opposition members, including the "poisoning of Alexei Navalny." The Kremlin said that in their call Putin and Biden "expressed satisfaction" over talks and the Russian leader later submitted a bill to parliament on the five-year extension. Biden confronted Putin on both issues. In addition to raising Navalny's case, Biden flagged the "treatment of peaceful protesters by Russian security forces."

The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Tuesday rescinded the Trump administration's “zero tolerance” border policy that led to separations of migrant families who entered the U.S. illegally. “Consistent with this longstanding principle of making individualized assessments in criminal cases, I am rescinding — effective immediately — the policy directive,” Wilkinson wrote in the memo obtained by The Hill. The rescission of the policy serves as one of the Biden’s administration’s first efforts to undo certain immigration restrictions during the Trump era. Under the zero tolerance policy, which was in effect from April 2018 to June 2018, all adults who illegally entered the U.S., including those with children, were referred for prosecution. Most cases prosecuted under the zero tolerance policy were done so in 2018, before the Trump administration stopped implementing family separations.

The move, though largely symbolic, officially removes the policy from the Justice Department's guidance to federal prosecutors and instructs prosecutors to use discretion when prosecuting misdemeanor border offenses. Though former President Trump ended the practice of separating migrant children when their parents were prosecuted through a June 20, 2018 executive order, the policy of zero tolerance, which directs U.S. Prior to zero tolerance, more serious border offenses, including violent offenses or illegal reentry at the border, were more commonly charged in federal court. "While the zero tolerance memo is a good start, what is really needed is for Congress to repeal provisions authorizing criminal penalties for illegal entry. In the meantime, we hope the Biden administration will not prosecute parents for illegal entry where doing so would mean family separation," Gelernt said.

When Donald J. Trump was a long-shot presidential candidate, regularly tweeting unexpected insults at people, places and things, Kevin Quealy started a list. Mr. Quealy is a deputy editor for The Upshot, the desk at The New York Times that tells stories through graphics and data analysis. Last week, Mr. Quealy and his colleagues published a collection of all the Twitter insults Mr. Trump posted from when he declared his candidacy in June 2015 to Jan. 8, when Twitter permanently barred him. The final tally, which the team monitored and updated for more than five years, features thousands of entries and about 850 individual targets of Mr. Trump’s scorn. What made you decide to collect all of Mr. Trump’s insults as a list?

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Biden administration will “thoroughly review” U.S. sanctions on International Criminal Court officials that the Trump administration applied over investigations into U.S forces in Afghanistan, a State Department spokesman said on Tuesday. “Much as we disagree with the ICC’s actions relating to the Afghanistan and Israeli/Palestinian situations, the sanctions will be thoroughly reviewed as we determine our next steps,” the spokesman said.

President Joe Biden had his first call with Russian President Vladimir Putin since taking office — and he immediately brought up several major points of contention between the US and Russia that his predecessor, former President Donald Trump, notoriously refused to address. Based on the litany of topics she relayed, it sounds like Biden took Putin to task in what was surely an uncomfortable conversation. If it seems like Biden was trying to stand his ground against Putin, it’s because he was, his staff told reporters. And in multiple meetings with Putin, Trump seemed to accept the Russian president’s denials that the Kremlin had meddled in America’s democratic process. In early 2018, Trump’s aides told him not to congratulate Putin on his reelection as Russia’s president during a call.

A court-appointed committee has yet to find the parents of 628 children separated at the border early in the Trump administration. A court-appointed committee has yet to find the parents of 628 children separated at the border early in the Trump administration. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File)WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department on Tuesday rescinded a Trump-era memo that established a “zero tolerance” enforcement policy for migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally, which resulted in thousands of family separations. Most families have not been prosecuted under zero tolerance since 2018, when the separations were halted, though separations have continued on a smaller scale. The “zero tolerance” policy was one of several increasingly restrictive policies aimed at discouraging migrants from coming to the Southern border.

Kellyanne Conway, ex-counselor to disgraced former President Trump, allegedly posted a topless picture of her daughter Claudia, 16, on on Monday. Kellyanne Conway could not be reached for comment. The Fleet was removed but not before Twitter users documented it. In the videos, a visibly upset Claudia Conway speculated that her mother may have accidentally posted the image. If you see it, report it.”In one of the TikTok videos, Claudia Conway said that “nobody would ever have any photo like that, ever.

The Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office has been tasked with attempting to return a $2 million stockpile of a malaria drug once touted by former President Donald Trump as a way to treat the coronavirus. Alex Gerszewski, a spokesman for Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter, told The Frontier this week that the AG’s office was working with the state health department “to try to figure out a solution.”Gerszewski said Hunter’s office had gotten involved at the request of the Oklahoma State Department of Health. Stitt wasn’t alone in his support of hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for the coronavirus. In August, Rep. Justin Humphrey, R-Lane, promoted hydroxychloroquine as a viable treatment after he had contracted COVID-19. FFF Enterprises did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

And on January 19th, the day before Biden was sworn in as President, McConnell shocked political circles by denouncing Trump even more directly. But John Yarmuth, a Democratic representative from Louisville, Kentucky, who has known McConnell since the late sixties, told me he’d long predicted that the alliance between Trump and McConnell would end once the President could no longer help McConnell. But any pretense that McConnell could maintain control over Trump or over the Party’s fate unravelled after the 2020 election. “Trump could have attacked” the two Republican Senate candidates, Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, or the National Republican Senate Campaign Committee. He has decided to cut his losses, and do what he can to make sure Trump is no longer a threat to the Republican Party.” McConnell and other Republican leaders, Manley suggested, “have gotten as much out of Trump as they can, and it’s now time to make sure Trump is damaged goods.”But the risks for McConnell and other Senate Republicans are high.

ET Covid-19 Live Updates: Biden Administration Nears Deal with Pfizer and Moderna for 200 Million More Doses The deal may not accelerate the current pace of vaccination. Biden said his administration was nearing a deal with Pfizer and Moderna for 200 million more doses by summer’s end. The deal would provide the federal government with 100 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine and 100 million doses of the Moderna vaccine, Mr. Biden said. Pfizer had agreed last summer to provide an initial 100 million doses to the United States by the end of March. The Brazilian variant is similar to one first found in South Africa, public health officials said.

ET Microsoft’s Profits Rise 33%, Driven by Cloud Computing and Xbox: Live UpdatesMicrosoft profits jump 33 percent as pandemic continues shift to cloud computing. Ms. Yellen is the nation’s 78th Treasury secretary and the first woman to head the institution in its 232-year history. Standing outside the White House, Ms. Yellen took the oath of office with her husband, the economist George Akerlof, and her son by her side. Video transcript Back bars 0:00 / 1:01 - 0:00 transcript Biden’s Commerce Secretary Nominee Testifies Before Senate Gov. In this time of overlapping crisis, the Commerce Department must be a partner to businesses and workers to help them innovate and grow.” Gov.

ET Covid-19 Live Updates: Biden Administration Nears Deal with Pfizer and Moderna for 200 Million More Doses The deal may not accelerate the current pace of vaccination. Biden said his administration was nearing a deal with Pfizer and Moderna for 200 million more doses by summer’s end. The deal would provide the federal government with 100 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine and 100 million doses of the Moderna vaccine, Mr. Biden said. Pfizer had agreed last summer to provide an initial 100 million doses to the United States by the end of March. The Brazilian variant is similar to one first found in South Africa, public health officials said.

But for now, the vote signaled the likelihood that Mr. Trump would for the second time in a year be acquitted by the Senate in an impeachment trial, spared by loyal Republicans who were reluctant to break with him. Immediately after taking office, Mr. Biden began dismantling some of his predecessor’s initiatives that were intended to curb both legal and illegal immigration to the United States. Mr. Blanton was nominated by Mr. Trump in December 2019 and confirmed by the Senate that same month. Mr. Biden also said the federal government’s weekly allocations of coronavirus vaccines would increase by about 1.4 million doses starting next week. In fact, it’s gotten worse.” All are departures from the foreign policies under Mr. Trump.

Last Thursday, seven Democratic lawmakers said that Hawley and Cruz's objection to the votes were grounds for an investigation by the Senate Ethics Committee. He closed his letter by writing that he would "not be intimidated" by attempts to blame him for inciting the riot. The dueling ethics complaints underscore the fallout from the attack, which forced lawmakers into hiding as throngs of Trump's supporters overwhelmed police and breached the Capitol. While both Hawley and Cruz have denounced the violence, they've also pushed back against criticism for their comments leading up to the insurrection. Representatives for Cruz and Hawley did not immediately respond to a request for further comment on Tuesday.

The three senior officials are the first Cabinet-level confirmations in a spate of history-making nominees in Joe Biden's administrationSeveral of President Joe Biden's Cabinet or Cabinet-level choices made history with their confirmations, days into his new administration. Janet Yellen was confirmed as the first female treasury secretary on Monday, days after the Senate confirmations of Avril Haines, the first woman to serve as director of national intelligence, and retired four-star Gen. Lloyd Austin as the first Black secretary of Defense. Monday's 84-to-15 vote marked the sixth time Yellen, 74, has been confirmed by the Senate. Former President Donald Trump also asked Congress to waive that same law for his first nominee for defense secretary: retired Marine Gen. James Mattis. His vice president, Kamala Harris, is the first woman and first Black and Asian person to hold her office.

"As a part of this administration's accessibility and inclusion efforts, starting today we will have an ASL, an American Sign Language interpreter, for our daily press briefings," Psaki said. "The White House's failure to provide ASL interpreters during Covid-19 related briefings, including press briefings, is against the law," the lawsuit argued, according to CNN. A court eventually ordered the White House to provide ASL interpreters at all COVID-19 briefings. Following the court order, the first interpreters began appearing White House briefings in November, according to NAD. NAD issued a statement this week lauding the decision by Joe Biden's administration to include ASL interpreters in all White House briefings.

GOP senators to question basis for Trump impeachment, signaling likely acquittalAdded: 26.01.2021 20:04 | 11 views | 0 commentsSen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) offered procedural objection to the forthcoming impeachment trial, prompting a test vote that showed deep support in the GOP ranks for a theory questioning the constitutionality of impeaching a former president.

Added: 29.07.2020 14:09 | 11 views | 0 commentsTrump's reelection campaign and campaign committee are accused of hiding nearly $170 million in spending to vendors and Trump relations by funneling money through firms led by Brad Parscale and campaign officials.

Added: 29.07.2020 16:29 | 4 views | 0 commentsMore chaos on the streets of Portland as peaceful protests turn violent overnight as federal agents unleash a massive response. President Trump is preparing to send at least 100 agents to Portland and other cities. Carter Evans has the latest.

Added: 29.07.2020 16:29 | 11 views | 0 commentsPresident Trump's national security adviser Robert O’Brien is in quarantine after testing positive for the coronavirus. This comes as Mr. Trump touts progress in the race for a vaccine during a trip to battleground state North Carolina. Ben Tracy reports.

Coronavirus hits already struggling US farmers: 'We've stopped saying it can't get worse'Added: 26.01.2021 18:19 | 2 views | 0 commentsSource: atlanticcouncil.orgFarm trade groups are lobbying the Trump administration to provide financial aid for farmers enduring price drops amid the coronavirus pandemic. More in www.cnbc.com »

Drug Pitched to Trump for Covid-19 Comes From a Deadly PlantAdded: 20.08.2020 20:10 | 12 views | 0 commentsSource: www.politicalflare.comThe chief executive of My Pillow, a Trump donor, claims oleandrin is a miracle cure for Covid-19. But no studies have shown that it is safe or effective, and the shrub it’s derived from is poisonous. More in www.nytimes.com »

Added: 26.01.2021 7:16 | 18 views | 0 commentsCanada’s parliament has approved a motion calling on the government to formally designate an American group that supports former US president Donald Trump as a terrorist entity, alongside outfits like al-Qaeda and Daesh. Canadian lawmakers unanimously passed a motion on Monday that called on the government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to declare as a banned terrorist group...

Donald Trump What is the Office of the Former President? Where is it? Added: 26.01.2021 17:19 | 16 views | 0 commentsDONALD TRUMP became an ex-President last week, as Joe Biden took his seat in the White House Oval Office and set up a new Office of the President. What is the Office of the Former President, and where is it?

Added: 26.01.2021 17:02 | 15 views | 0 commentsDONALD TRUMP faced impeachment a second time before he left office last week, a historical move by Congress still in the making. While he will likely sustain some short-term reputational damage from the proceedings, experts believe Mr Trump's political career will recover thanks to his base.

'Tough-but-fair' Tulsa course to host 2022 PGA Championship after event taken away from Trump National Golf ClubAdded: 26.01.2021 16:09 | 21 views | 0 commentsThe Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma will host the 2022 PGA Championship following the decision to take the event away from the Trump National Golf Club.

Added: 26.01.2021 20:59 | 11 views | 0 commentsTexas Attorney General Ken Paxton argued that the moratorium violated federal law as well as an agreement Texas signed with the Trump administration.

Most Senate Republicans back measure saying Trump impeachment trial is unconstitutionalAdded: 26.01.2021 20:52 | 12 views | 0 commentsTrump's status as a former president has led to disagreement over the constitutionality of the trial.

Push to rename New York's Trump State Park after Sojourner Truth may not succeed. Here's whyAdded: 26.01.2021 20:17 | 9 views | 0 commentsThere are renewed calls for President Donald Trump's name to be removed from a state park in New York. That's not so easy to do.

The original Buy American Act, which codifies these procedures, was created under President Herbert Hoover in 1933--also a time of economic stress. Buy American BacklashOf course, some businesses may lose out in the effort, adds Kerrigan. Former President Donald Trump also boasted Buy American policies through his "America First" agenda. The day before he left office, Trump also issued a final rule increasing the percentage of U.S.-made content that an end product may contain to qualify under "Buy American" rules. It also increased the price preferences for domestic goods under the Buy American Act.

Cultural reset. Cultural reset. Cultural reset. It was a cultural reset but not in the traditional sense; no one is really thinking about memes, or Bernie Sanders, or even mittens differently now because of this. That in the absence of reacting to tweets from President Trump, social media will get to react to something else.

But the videos uploaded to Parler also contain an equally sensitive bounty of data sitting in plain sight: thousands of images of unmasked faces, many of whom participated in the Capitol riot. Now one website has done the work of cataloging and publishing every one of those faces in a single, easy-to-browse lineup. "It's entirely possible that a lot of people who were on this website now will face real-life consequences for their actions." The Faces of the Riot creator, who says he's a college student in the "greater DC area," intends that added feature to help contextualize every face's inclusion on the site and differentiate between bystanders, peaceful protesters, and violent insurrectionists. "If you go on the website and you see someone you know, you might learn something about a relative," he says.

The unemployment in New York City’s restaurant industry has remained devastatingly high. For the past ten months, unemployment in New York City’s hospitality industry has stayed unwaveringly, devastatingly high. In November, as COVID cases started surging in New York City once again, the unemployment rate rose to 39.8 percent. The swollen unemployment rate among New York City restaurant workers is nearly four times higher than the city’s overall rate — and even the national restaurant-industry unemployment rate is far lower, at 16.1 percent. But the unemployment rate doesn’t paint the full picture.

Photo: Mark Kauzlarich/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesIt appears that people simply don’t want to live in a Trump-branded building anymore: Trump-branded properties in Manhattan have lost half their value since Trump took office, according to NYC real-estate data firm UrbanDigs. The report looked at seven Trump-branded buildings in Manhattan and three buildings on Riverside Boulevard that previously bore his name, part of Donald Trump’s disastrous attempt to redevelop a former rail-yard site. (Manhattan properties as a whole held steady around the 2016 price of $1,995, before dropping slightly to $1,815 in 2020.) Trump’s properties, which normally fall in the luxury category, have now fallen well below the citywide average. Since the buildings sell condos, the decline in value is a bigger problem for the individual owners than for Trump himself.

This episode starts with the women having to go on their group date after Sarah has eliminated herself. They still have to go on this group date. The ladies head out for the group date, which is just a cocktail party somewhere on the Nemacolin grounds. Meanwhile, Katie and Victoria sit down because our nation needs to heal and so does the Bachelor resort. At the night portion of the date, Matt says he felt the date got stressful but everyone got out of their comfort zone!

Kellyanne Conway. Photo: MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty ImagesPolice in Alpine, New Jersey, say they are investigating former Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway. The announcement comes a day after a topless photo of Conway’s 16-year-old daughter, Claudia, was reportedly posted to Kellyanne’s official Twitter account. According to the Post, four police officers showed up at the Conway mansion in Alpine on Tuesday morning and spent about an hour inside before leaving. On January 19, Claudia posted a since-deleted TikTok containing footage from several incidents.

Yet here it is, with just one game left on its schedule — the game — in two weeks. Either Brady — playing, absurdly, in his tenth Super Bowl — will add to his legend, or Mahomes will continue his unprecedented construction of his own. It’s the easiest thing to sell in sports: veteran against upstart, hero versus villain, player you love versus player you hate. This willingness, almost obsessiveness, with making sure the NFL’s television partners were made whole could be the primary reason the NFL made it through. The empty and semi-empty stadiums may have felt strange, but for the NFL, the real money comes from home viewership anyway.

Georgia’s latest wingnut star, Marjorie Taylor Greene. And if you want to see the tip of the spear of unrepentant MAGA fury, a good barometer is freshman Georgia congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene. Greene thinks Biden should be impeached for “enabling” bribery and other misdeeds by his son. Hey, we’ll impeach Biden for what he did as vice-president four years after he left that office! If you want to see where the MAGA movement is going next, keep an eye on Marjorie Taylor Greene.

Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty ImagesDonald Trump’s second impeachment trial has not even begun, but it is already a foregone conclusion. A crucial argument made by Trump’s defense team — and repeated by his Republican allies — against his first impeachment trial last year was that it was too soon. But two days after the insurrection, McConnell announced that the Senate would not begin an impeachment trial for at least another 11 days. And now that Trump has left office, it is sadly too late to hold a trial. Then there was a brief lame-duck period when it was neither too soon nor too late, but Republicans decided not to convene.

Those hoping Mitch McConnell would lead Republicans to abandon and convict Trump had their illusions shattered. Photo: Pool/Getty ImagesIn a development whose timing, but not its outcome, was a surprise, all but five Republican senators have voted to dismiss as unconstitutional the article of impeachment against Donald Trump that was passed by the House on January 13. “I will admit to you I did not think we’d be having a vote on this at this point in time,” [Lisa] Murkowski said. And in the event, only five Republicans joined the 50 Democrats to defeat Paul’s motion: Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Mitt Romney, Ben Sasse, and Pat Toomey. Even then, getting to 17 Republican votes for conviction when only five GOP senators consider the proceedings legitimate is about as likely as Bernie Sanders voting “not guilty.” Indeed, it’s more logical that some senators voting to affirm the trial’s constitutionality may yet decide against conviction.

Biden may not have much of a honeymoon in Congress or in public opinion, but he’s off to a better start than his predecessor. The reliably Republican-tilting robo-pollster Rasmussen, the only survey that regularly showed Trump at over 50 percent job approval, now has Biden at 48 percent approval, with 47 percent disapproval. Reuters/Ipsos, an online survey that doesn’t have much history of partisan lean, has Biden’s job approval at 57 among registered voters, with 32 percent disapproval (Biden’s job approval is 92 percent among Democrats, 21 percent among Republicans, and 52 percent among independents). So there are no signs just yet of any huge Biden public-opinion honeymoon, but he’s in better shape than Trump was for pretty much all of his presidency. But Clinton, George W. Bush, and Trump fell well short of that mark (Trump most conspicuously, at 41.4 percent approval).

Twenty people will now decide whether to let Trump back on Facebook and Instagram, after a suspension period. It’s an independent body, and they’re going to take the big case because Mark can’t make the decision himself, or take responsibility for it. It’s funded, and it’s already been funded for like, I don’t know, ten years or something like that. They’re going to have five people go through it and make a determination based on whatever. He’s like, “Trump might just be a one-off.” There’s a couple of one-offs every now and then, an Alex Jones, a Trump, whoever.

The clouds have parted over Ojai, California, on November 7th, and Chloe Zhao can’t stop smiling. Zhao respects her characters too much to reduce them to tropes or make them avatars of an idea. The others are people Zhao and McDormand, who optioned the book and is also a producer of the film, encountered on the road. As McDormand puts it, Zhao “draws a razor-sharp line between sentiment and sentimentality.”“We all go through our own personal apocalypse at some point,” Zhao says of the film’s subjects. But Zhao says she’s not upset that Lindelof beat her to the punch — and there’s still plenty of story to tell.

President Joe Biden is pushing full-steam ahead with more executive orders that undo former President Donald Trump's policies. Meanwhile, the Senate is ironing out details for Trump's impeachment trial. And amid it all, Biden and Republicans are still figuring out how to get along. 'A more equitable society'After focusing his first few days on the coronavirus pandemic, Biden is turning the spotlight on racial inequality. Trump's Senate impeachment trial is unusual in a number of ways.

In Texas, he said this is a “tender time” for our country, a “time for our nation to heal,” but Mr. Trump never was a healer of wounds. Mr. Trump wasn’t the first sower of divisions or builder of walls. But Mr. Biden has an opportunity to begin the work of healing. Mr. Biden has already begun to reverse some of the damage, offering a draft of immigration reforms and halting construction on the border wall. That’s not enough, but it’s an important step toward moving beyond the border thinking of Mr. Trump and his supporters.

President Biden on Tuesday said he’s abolishing former President Donald Trump’s “offensive” 1776 Commission on “patriotic education” and loosening rules on racial sensitivity training imposed by Trump. The 1776 Commission released a “final report” this month after it was formed ahead of the Nov. 3 election. Biden signed four executive orders at the event, each apparently unrelated to the commission or racial trainings, which Trump created by executive order. Trump signed the First Step Act in 2018 including provisions targeted to help minority individuals incarcerated under Biden’s crime bills. Biden’s 1986 legislation created significant sentencing disparities between powder and crack cocaine, contributing to racial disparities in prison populations.

Federal authorities are building sedition cases against some rioters who stormed the US Capital — and may bring indictments against those suspects “very soon,” a federal prosecutor said Tuesday. “We are closely looking at evidence related to the sedition charges … We are working on those cases. I think the results will bear fruit very soon,” Michael Sherwin, the acting US attorney for Washington, DC, said on a conference call with reporters. He added sedition charges against suspects would be in “significant” cases related to the Jan. 6 riot and would carry a 20-year sentence in federal prison. Sherwin’s office has brought federal charges against 150 suspected rioters in the three weeks since the siege, and they are continuing to investigate the more complicated cases they are hoping to bring in the upcoming weeks.

WASHINGTON — Five Republican Senators broke with their party on Tuesday afternoon and voted with Democrats to allow President Trump’s impeachment trial to proceed. GOP Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky introduced a motion to dismiss the trial, arguing the impeachment proceedings would be unconstitutional since Trump is now a private citizenBut the measure was blocked on a 55-45 vote with GOP Sens. Romney was the only Republican to vote to convict Trump on the abuse of power charge during his previous impeachment trial. The vote could suggest how lawmakers will vote during Trump’s impeachment trial. Ten GOP lawmakers also sided with Democrats to impeach Trump in the House in a 232-197 vote on Jan. 13.

We have to: “The sound of Spector is the sound of the American apogee. And at least 60 percent of child trafficking victims in the US have once been in the foster-care system,” reports Cheri Williams at National Review. Those are ugly statistics, and the COVID-19 crisis hasn’t helped. The COVID-related reasons: children spending more time online, the bad economy “heightening the vulnerability of struggling families” and already-vulnerable foster-care children grappling with “feelings of loneliness or isolation” intensified by the pandemic. — Compiled by The Post Editorial Board

When Australia called for an international investigation of the pandemic’s origins, an angry Beijing slapped restrictions and tariffs on Aussie imports and continues its own “cold war” against Canberra on multiple fronts. Yet Xi’s speech still insisted any confrontation, whether a “cold war, hot war, trade war or tech war” would “end up harming every nation’s interests and sacrificing people’s welfare.”Laughable, when Beijing sent eight bombers and four fighter jets into Taiwan’s airspace Saturday and another 15 aircraft Sunday. Washington responded quickly Saturday, sending a strike group led by the USS Theodore Roosevelt into the South China Sea. The State Department called it a move to protect “freedom of the seas” and the “rock-solid” US commitment to Taiwan. Xi’s “small cliques” jab may refer to President Biden’s plans to build an alliance to hold China to account.

President Biden has signed a record 37 executive actions in his first week in office, and the exact number of executive orders is not known because the Federal Register has not been updated since Jan. 21. Executive orders are legally binding, and as a result, are published in the Federal Register. On Tuesday, Biden signed four items, all focused on “racial equity.”The first order directed the Department of Housing and Urban Development to address the issue of housing discrimination. President Joe Biden signing his first executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House on Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021. A Biden administration spokesperson did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment on the record number of executive orders.

Migrants return to Mexico, using the Puerta Mexico bridge that crosses the Rio Grande river in Matamoros, Mexico, on the border with Brownsville, Texas. The moratorium would have continued as the agency reviews procedures and practices as it battles the coronavirus pandemic. Tipton’s order is an early blow to the Biden administration, which has proposed far-reaching changes sought by immigration advocates, including a plan to legalize an estimated 11 million immigrants living in the U.S. illegally. “Due to limited resources, DHS cannot respond to all immigration violations or remove all persons unlawfully in the United States. Rather, DHS must implement civil immigration enforcement based on sensible priorities and changing circumstances,” the memo ?from acting Homeland Security Secretary David Pekoske said.

And in response, Democrats have repeatedly raised their own demands for how high the minimum wage should go. But what’s different is that almost no one in the Republican Party will sign on to a minimum wage increase. ADAt the moment, the prospects for passing a minimum wage increase through the Senate don’t look great. Polls regularly show them supported by clear majorities, and pretty much every time a state minimum wage increase is on the ballot, it passes easily. There have been 23 minimum wage ballot initiatives since 1998, and every one has succeeded.

"It has a ring to it, but I don't know any particulars, I don't know what he's thinking. But I think the President means to be helpful and energizing those those good gentlemen, no matter what. "People like Mitch McConnell, John Thune, John Barrasso from Wyoming, Roy Blunt from Missouri, these Senators all are working very hard to undercut him. These people have become petty and vindictive and really are not honoring the guy that is the only good thing to happen to the Republican Party in the last of four cycles. And they did lose this year because the Republican Party forgot who was the true leader."

"They've become enemies now of the American worker. They talk about the green-on-blue fight that is occurring in the Democratic Party, the green green folks versus the blue collar. That is why President Trump had such a strong following of American workers, because he was standing up for them. We've become global energy dominant under President Trump because of the private sector and American innovation. Biden's taking us back to the dark days of the 70s."

Email Embed+ Embed CodeEmbed the following code on your website:Watch the latest video at foxnews.comOn Fox Across America with Jimmy Failla, newly named co-host of Fox News Channel's "Outnumbered" Emily Compagno analyzes the issues presenting themselves when the second impeachment trial of former President Trump begins. "The purpose of a conviction would be removal and barring from office. You and I talked about the legality of pardoning someone before charges were brought. If we don't have the Chief Justice the counter is, of course, the Pro Tempore is the one who presides over non-official hearings. Yeah, I don't think history will look upon this favorably."

Since the inauguration of President Joe Biden on Jan. 20, the adult children of former President Donald Trump have enjoyed a boost in Twitter followers. Since Trump and former first lady Melania Trump boarded Air Force One en route to Palm Beach International Airport almost a week ago, Ivanka Trump, Tiffany Trump, and Donald Trump Jr. have all acquired thousands of new followers. Although his brother's account has risen incrementally to now more than 6.6 million followers, Donald Trump Jr. reportedly also saw his numbers decrease on Tuesday. Comparatively, Tiffany Trump has fewer than 1 million Twitter followers -- at more than 886,800 -- and even her numbers are shown falling. Line graphs that accompany their Twitter statistics show steep drops in "Monthly Gained Followers" starting around November of last year.

Senators were sworn in as jurors to President Trump’s impeachment trial Tuesday as the Senate voted 55-45 to end debate on Sen. Rand Paul’s point of order arguing that the impeachment trial is unconstitutional now that Trump is out of office. Five GOP senators voted not to dismiss the impeachment trial of President Trump: Susan Collins, Maine, Lisa Murkowski, Alaska, Ben Sasse, Neb., and Pat Toomey, Pa. The Senate also passed its pre-trial organizing resolution 83 to 17, and the impeachment trial will be adjourned until Tuesday, Feb. 9, as Sen. Republican leader Mitch McConnell had been pushing for. Paul, in floor remarks ahead of the vote, claimed that the absence of the chief justice, who presides over impeachment trials in the Senate, made the trial unconstitutional. JONATHAN TURLEY, PROFESSOR WHO CALLED TRUMP IMPEACHMENT TRIAL UNCONSTITUTIONAL, TO ATTEND SENATE GOP LUNCHEONTrump was impeached in the House after for months claiming that he won the presidential election.

Republicans are already targeting vulnerable Democrats in states like Texas and Pennsylvania, where many jobs depend on oil or natural gas, as President Biden recommits to the Paris climate a1greement and makes other reversals of his predecessor's environmental policy. "By rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement, President Biden indicates he's more interested in the views of the citizens of Paris than in the jobs of the citizens of Pittsburgh. Many Democrats, including Rep. Abigail Spanberger of Virginia and Rep. Vicente Gonzalez of Texas, voted for H.R. 9, which would have required the U.S. to stick with the Paris agreement's stipulations had it advanced further than the House of Representatives. But the gap between Green New Deal Democrats and their swing district colleagues could pose a problem for the party.

President Biden on Tuesday signed a series of executive orders aimed at promoting racial equity in America, following through on a campaign promise he made last year amid nationwide racial protests. "It marked a turning point in this country’s attitude toward racial justice." Floyd’s death quickly pushed longstanding concerns over police brutality against minorities and the broader issue of the country’s history of systemic racism firmly back into the national spotlight. Biden signed four executive actions, including one which he said would root out systemic racism in housing and criminal justice. He directed the Department of Housing and Urban Development, known by its acronym HUD, "to redress historical racism in federal housing policies."

McGuire's plan will also push for increased city cooperation with technology companies, from local startups to Silicon Valley giants, to help job growth. The former Citi executive aims to enact his jobs plan within his first 100 days if he is elected mayor. It would also include a new workforce development program to help people who lost their positions in other industries gain access to infrastructure jobs. McGuire's plan would rely on federal funds, and it touts the former Citi executive's relationship with President Joe Biden's administration. Biden has proposed overall federal spending of $3 trillion for green infrastructure projects and $100 billion for affordable housing.

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris watches as President Joe Biden signs executive orders on his racial equity agenda at the White House in Washington, U.S., January 26, 2021. Critics accused Trump of pursuing policies built around “white grievance” in a nation where the white population is declining by percentage. On the day he took office last week, Biden signed an executive order establishing a government-wide initiative to address racial inequity and systemic racism in federal policies, laws and programs. Biden said there is “a battle for the soul of this nation.”“And the simple truth is: our soul will be troubled as long as systemic racism is allowed to persist. “Housing is a right in America and home ownership is an essential tool to wealth creation and to be passed down to generations,” Biden said.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Fox Corp’s news division has hired Larry Kudlow, a former top economic adviser to ex-President Donald Trump, as a contributor to Fox News and host of a new weekday show on the Fox Business Network, the company said on Tuesday. FILE PHOTO: White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow looks on during a news conference in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, U.S., September 23, 2020. At Fox, Kudlow will “provide expert financial analysis on domestic and global affairs across all Fox News Media,” the company said in a statement. Fox News said in a statement that McEnany “is not currently an employee or contributor at Fox News.”McEnany could not immediately be reached for comment. Other Trump officials took jobs at Fox after leaving the White House, including former press secretaries Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Hope Hicks.

There is a debate among scholars over whether the Senate can hold a trial for Trump now that he has left office. Slideshow ( 5 images )‘MATTER OF POLITICAL CONSEQUENCE’Fellow Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski, who has been critical of Trump, rejected Paul’s move. But no Senate Republicans have said definitively that they plan to vote to convict him. First elected to the chamber in 1974, Leahy, 80, is the most senior Democrat in the chamber and holds the title of Senate president pro tempore. The nine House Democrats who will serve as prosecutors set the trial in motion on Monday by delivering the article of impeachment to the Senate.

The Biden administration on Tuesday announced that the federal government intends to purchase 200 million additional doses of two federally approved COVID-19vaccines, potentially creating a stock large enough to reach nearly the entire U.S. population. A background briefing paper for reporters said that the administration is “working to purchase” more vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna. The discovery that vials contain enough extra liquid for extra doses means that the companies can produce their vaccines at a quicker rate than they initially anticipated. Pfizer’s chief executive officer said on Tuesday that the company would be able to deliver its initial shipment of 200 million doses by the end of May ? two months ahead of schedule. With the additional doses, administration officials said, the supply should be adequate to vaccinate nearly the entire population by the end of summer.

HOUSTON — A federal judge on Tuesday barred the U.S. government from enforcing a 100-day deportation moratorium that is a key immigration priority of President Joe Biden. U.S. District Judge Drew Tipton issued a temporary restraining order sought by Texas, which sued on Friday against a Department of Homeland Security memo that instructed immigration agencies to pause most deportations. The order represents a victory for Texas' Republican leaders, who often sued to stop programs enacted by Biden's Democratic predecessor, President Barack Obama. That was a reversal from Trump administration policy that made anyone in the U.S. illegally a priority for deportation. The 100-day moratorium went into effect Friday and applied to almost anyone who entered the U.S. without authorization before November.

Forty-five Senate Republicans voted Tuesday to dismiss the trial as unconstitutional. For many Republicans, an argument over the legality serves as a process-based justification to acquit the former president. The vote isn't necessarily indicative of the final outcome as some senators who voted to dismiss haven't ruled out a conviction. "If more than 34 Republicans vote against the constitutionality of the proceeding, the whole thing's dead on arrival," Paul said before the vote. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has emphatically rejected the argument that a trial is unconstitutional, and promised that it will go forward.

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is purchasing an additional 200 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, a move that could provide enough doses for nearly every American to get fully inoculated by the end of the summer, a senior administration official said Tuesday. The new purchase of 100 million doses from Pfizer and 100 million from Moderna will be made available over the summer and are in addition to the 400 million combined doses the companies had already committed to providing to the U.S., the official said. The agreement will lessen the country’s reliance on getting additional vaccines on the market from other manufacturers. The Trump administration had passed up on purchasing more vaccine doses from Pfizer and Moderna and was instead relying on additional vaccines from Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca coming to market. As of Jan. 26, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 23.5 million doses were administered and more than 3.4 million were people fully vaccinated.

NEW YORK (AP) — Trump administration alumni Larry Kudlow is joining Fox News amid reports that a colleague, former White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, will soon be joining him. Fox announced Tuesday that Kudlow, a former CNBC personality who was national economic council director in the just-concluded Trump administration, will host a weekday program on the Fox Business Network and be a commentator across all of Fox’s platforms. McEnany, Trump’s final press secretary, had worked at CNN before joining Trump. Fox said Tuesday that McEnany is not a Fox employee. The person said that Fox is open to hiring McEnany in the future.

A court-appointed committee has yet to find the parents of 628 children separated at the border early in the Trump administration. A court-appointed committee has yet to find the parents of 628 children separated at the border early in the Trump administration. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File)WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department on Tuesday rescinded a Trump-era memo that established a “zero tolerance” enforcement policy for migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally, which resulted in thousands of family separations. Most families have not been prosecuted under zero tolerance since 2018, when the separations were halted, though separations have continued on a smaller scale. The “zero tolerance” policy was one of several increasingly restrictive policies aimed at discouraging migrants from coming to the Southern border.

(Senate Television via AP)WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans voted overwhelmingly Tuesday against moving forward with Donald Trump’s historic second impeachment trial, making clear a conviction of the former president for “incitement of insurrection” is unlikely. That means the trial on Trump’s impeachment, the first ever of a former president, will begin as scheduled the week of Feb. 8. While most Republicans criticized Trump shortly after the attack, many of them have rushed to defend him in the trial, showing the former president’s enduring sway over the GOP. ADVERTISEMENTChief Justice John Roberts is not presiding at the trial, as he did during Trump’s first impeachment, potentially affecting the gravitas of the proceedings. Instead, Sen. Patrick Leahy, D- Vt., who serves in the largely ceremonial role of Senate president pro tempore, was sworn in on Tuesday.

The Senate voted 55-45 to reject the Kentucky Republican's argument that the impeachment trial is unconstitutional because Trump is no longer in office. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., notably voted with most of the GOP conference in support of Paul's motion. Before the vote, Paul spoke on the Senate floor and called the impeachment effort a "partisan exercise." Impeachment is for removal from office, and the accused here has already left office," he said. Romney told reporters earlier Tuesday that he disagrees with Paul's claims on the trial's constitutionality.

Matthew Perry Sells Beachfront Malibu House for $13.1 MillionThe "Friends" star bought the Southern California property for $12 million a decade ago. Read MoreNEWS BITESNew York City Construction Activity Slumped in 2020Construction activity in New York City slumped to its lowest level in close to a decade last year, according to the Real Estate Board of New York. World Property JournalScotland’s Property Prices Closed Out 2020 on a HighProperty prices in Scotland jumped at the end of 2020, rising 3.1% in November, the largest monthly increase since March 2015, according to The Walker Fraser Steele House Price Index. DomainHome Sales Have Surged in Palm Beach, FloridaSingle-family home sales skyrocketed in Palm Beach last year. The total number of transactions reached 289 in the Florida enclave in 2020, a 122% jump over the previous year, according to data from Suzanne Frisbie at Premier Estate Properties.

Stocks finished slightly lower Tuesday as investors dug through a slew of high-profile corporate earnings reports a day after the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite scored another round of all-time highs. The Dow fell 0.1% Monday for its third straight daily decline, while the S&P 500, up 0.4%, and the Nasdaq Composite, up 0.7%, ended at records. The Cambridge, Mass.-based biotech said it has already delivered more than 30 million doses of the vaccine to the U.S. government. About 10.1 million doses of the vaccine have by now been administered in the U.S., the company said, citing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller 20-city price index posted a 9.1% year-over-year gain in November, up from 8% the previous month.

A Capitol Police officer stands at the East Front of the US Capitol ((EPA))Close to 40 Capitol Police officers have tested positive for Covid-19 in the weeks since the riot at the US Capitol on 6 January. Mr Papathanasiou told the Post that the majority of the cases were among officers and supervisors, but it was unclear how many were directly involved in the riots at the Capitol. Around 1,500 Capitol Police officers responded to the riots on 6 January, alongside close to 1,000 members of the DC Metropolitan police force. According to Johns Hopkins University, there are now more than 25.1 million people who have tested positive for the coronavirus in the US. Read MoreUS police weigh officer discipline after rally, Capitol riotUS judge blocks release of Tennessee man in Capitol riot

National ReviewSenate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) voted in favor of a resolution declaring the impeachment trial of former President Trump “unconstitutional” on Tuesday. The resolution failed after a majority of senators voted against it, meaning the impeachment trial will go ahead as planned. At the close of the impeachment trial itself, at least 17 Republican senators would need to join Democrats in order to convict Trump. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida said it would be “arrogant” for the Senate to prevent Trump from running again. “Who are we to tell voters who they can vote for in the future?” Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas also voiced skepticism regarding the impeachment trial.

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris Jim Watson/AFP via Getty ImagesPresident Joe Biden issued four executive orders on Tuesday. One of them will order the DOJ to halt any new contracts with private prisons. In a series of executive actions announced on Tuesday, President Joe Biden will halt any new contracts between the Department of Justice and private prisons. The new executive actions from Biden were framed as part of a broader initiative in a White House news release. She also said subsequent executive actions could precede fuller legislation in Congress.

The Biden administration on Tuesday announced that the federal government intends to purchase 200 million additional doses of two federally approved COVID-19 vaccines, potentially creating a stock large enough to reach nearly the entire U.S. population. A background briefing paper for reporters said that the administration is “working to purchase” more vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna. The discovery that vials contain enough extra liquid for extra doses means that the companies can produce their vaccines at a quicker rate than they initially anticipated. Pfizer’s chief executive officer said on Tuesday that the company would be able to deliver its initial shipment of 200 million doses by the end of May ? two months ahead of schedule. With the additional doses, administration officials said, the supply should be adequate to vaccinate nearly the entire population by the end of summer.

Newsmax host Sean Spicer, as White House press secretary in 2017 (PA)Former White House press secretary Sean Spicer has had his application to the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) cancelled by Newsmax. Anyone who works as a White House correspondent can apply to the body, and they must do so annually through the media outlet they are employed by. He added to Politico last week that he already had a White House “hard pass” – which allows reporters to move around the complex as they please – as well as credentials to cover Congress. “I cover the White House every day on the [Spicer & Co] show, and I have obviously had a lot to say about the coverage of the White House and the Correspondents’ Association over the last few years,” said Mr Spicer of the application. Story continuesNewsmax, which employed Mr Spicer in March 2020, was meanwhile said to have attracted viewers of Fox News since Mr Trump’s election loss, and subsequent White House departure.

HOUSTON — A federal judge on Tuesday barred the U.S. government from enforcing a 100-day deportation moratorium that is a key immigration priority of President Joe Biden. U.S. District Judge Drew Tipton issued a temporary restraining order sought by Texas, which sued on Friday against a Department of Homeland Security memo that instructed immigration agencies to pause most deportations. The order represents a victory for Texas' Republican leaders, who often sued to stop programs enacted by Biden's Democratic predecessor, President Barack Obama. That was a reversal from Trump administration policy that made anyone in the U.S. illegally a priority for deportation. The 100-day moratorium went into effect Friday and applied to almost anyone who entered the U.S. without authorization before November.

(Bloomberg) -- YouTube said it suspended Rudy Giuliani from its partner program for at least 30 days after he repeatedly shared misinformation about the 2020 presidential election. That limitation has been in effect since last week, YouTube said Tuesday. Giuliani promulgated conspiracies and other misleading claims about the November U.S. presidential election, which Joe Biden won. The last upload on his YouTube channel, which has 583,000 followers, was Jan. 1. The service also banned Steve Bannon’s podcast after Giuliani appeared on an episode in early January and shared election misinformation.

The Senate primarily divides its work among 20 permanent committees, such as the intelligence and judiciary, with 13 to 19 members each. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Senate Judiciary CommitteeSen. Dick Durbin. “The Senate Judiciary Committee will conduct vigorous oversight of these matters," Durbin wrote in the letter, which was addressed to acting Attorney General Monty Wilkinson. Mark Warner, D-Va., Senate Intelligence CommitteeSen. Mark Warner. (Steve Helber/File/AP)Warner served as the vice chair of the Senate intelligence committee, which conducted one of two congressional investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

Former National Economic Council director Larry Kudlow will host a new weekday show on FOX Business Network, the company announced on Tuesday. Kudlow helped build a variety of President Trump’s economic, tax and trade initiatives during his time as economic policy and director of the National Economic Council. As an assistant to the president, he coordinated the administration’s domestic and economic policy agenda. GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HEREKudlow was a longtime CNBC host prior to joining the Trump administration. The incoming FOX Business host was also an associate director for economics and planning for the Office of Management and Budget during President Reagan’s administration.

The Biden administration has renewed a plan to replace President Andrew Jackson with Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill. "The Treasury Department is taking steps to resume efforts to put Harriet Tubman on the front of the new 20-dollar notes," Psaki said. The replacement of $20 bill with abolitionist Tubman was announced in 2016 by Obama administration. "Ready to help the Biden admin see this through so we can finally give Harriet Tubman the honor and recognition she long deserves." While the date of the change remains unclear, Tubman will be the first Black person to appear on U.S. currency.

Fox News Media announced Tuesday that Kudlow, 73, will have a daily program on Fox Business Network starting Feb. 8. He is the first Trump White House official to join Fox or any other TV news organization since Trump lost the election in November and is likely not to be the last. The company did not say who Kudlow will replace on Fox Business Network, which is the home of its most fiery right-wing commentator, Lou Dobbs. He fronted programs on CNBC from 2001 to 2014 and remained a commentator at the network until he joined the Trump White House in 2018. The door has swung the other way as well, with Fox News personnel and executives joining the Trump administration.

A law enforcement official told the Associated Press that authorities had detected ominous chatter about killing legislators or attacking them outside the Capitol. Five people died, including Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who was hit in the head with a fire extinguisher. The Defense Department has said it asked the Capitol Police if it needed the Guard, but the request was denied. Several law enforcement and congressional reviews are underway. Both Pittman and Timothy Blodgett, the acting House sergeant-at-arms, told Congress on Tuesday that they needed stronger communications and more fortifications around the Capitol building.

WASHINGTON — Antony Blinken, a longtime foreign policy aide to President Biden who has pledged to rebuild American alliances and reinvigorate a State Department beset by low morale, was confirmed by the Senate as secretary of state on Tuesday. As has Biden, Blinken has said that his other primary goals will be restoring American global leadership and joining with allies on challenges from China to COVID-19. Under president Barack Obama, he was Biden’s chief foreign policy adviser, then deputy national security adviser to the president. From 2015 to 2017, he was deputy secretary of state under John F. Kerry. If confirmed, he said in the Twitter video, he believed he would be the “only secretary of state with a Spotify play list with some of my own work on it.”

WASHINGTON — President Biden is scheduled to take executive actions as early as Thursday to reopen federal marketplaces selling Affordable Care Act health plans and to lower recently imposed barriers to joining Medicaid. AdvertisementThe most ambitious parts of Biden’s campaign health care platform would require Congress to provide consent and money. It is not clear whether restoring outreach will be part of Biden’s order or will be done within federal health care agencies. Trump health officials also tightened the rules for qualifying for special enrollment. At the end of March, Trump health officials decided against that.

AdvertisementStill, even after the Trump-inspired sacking of the Capitol on Jan. 6, Trump toadyism remains strong. By casting that principled vote, Gaetz charges, Cheney has made common cause with the radical left. “If you’re wanting to erase Donald Trump from the party, you’re going to get erased,” he warned on Fox News. “This idea of moving forward without Donald Trump in the Republican Party is a disaster for the Republican Party.” Well, really, what’s a deadly mob riot between friends? In times like these, the nation, and particularly the Republican Party, needs smart, reasonable people to speak loudly and forcefully.

Nomaan MerchantAssociated PressA federal judge on Tuesday barred the U.S. government from enforcing a 100-day deportation moratorium that is a key immigration priority of President Joe Biden. U.S. District Judge Drew Tipton issued a temporary restraining order sought by Texas, which sued on Friday against a Department of Homeland Security memo that instructed immigration agencies to pause most deportations. Tipton said the Biden administration had failed “to provide any concrete, reasonable justification for a 100-day pause on deportations." That was a reversal from Trump administration policy that made anyone in the U.S. illegally a priority for deportation. The 100-day moratorium went into effect Friday and applied to almost anyone who entered the U.S. without authorization before November.

The Biden administration’s 100-day freeze on certain deportations was temporarily halted by a federal judge Tuesday in an early legal contest from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Texas is the first state in the nation to bring a lawsuit against the Biden administration. Within six days of Biden’s inauguration, Texas has halted his illegal deportation freeze.”Paxton added in the tweet, “This was a seditious left-wing insurrection. The department-wide memo applied to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, and Citizenship and Immigration Services agencies. “I told the Department of Homeland Security and Joe Biden last night to rescind its deportation freeze, which is unconstitutional, illegal, and bad for Texas and the nation,” Paxton wrote in a tweet.

The government expects to be able to deliver enough of the two-dose regimens to states to vaccinate 300 million people. The purchases from drugmakers Pfizer and Moderna come as the Biden administration is trying to ramp up vaccine production and states’ capacities to inject them into arms. The setup inherited from the Trump administration has been marked by miscommunication and unexplained bottlenecks, with shortages reported in some places even as vaccine doses remain on the shelf. As of Tuesday afternoon, the CDC reported that just over half of the 44 million doses distributed to states have been put in people’s arms. The vaccine rollout across the 27-nation European Union has also run into roadblocks and has likewise been criticized as too slow.

“We want the platforms to be transparent about how their algorithms work,” von der Leyen said. Hungary’s justice minister said Tuesday that large tech companies might face Hungarian government regulation over what she called “deliberate, ideological” censorship on social media. Opposition parties have used social media to reach potential voters amid a lack of coverage in Hungary’s public outlets. Last week, Varga claimed that tech companies “limit the visibility of Christian, conservative, right-wing opinions,” and that “power groups behind global tech giants” were capable of deciding elections. She alleged that she had personally been “shadow banned” by Facebook, a term referring to social media platforms restricting the visibility of users’ profiles or posts without their knowledge.

WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans voted overwhelmingly Tuesday against moving forward with Donald Trump’s historic second impeachment trial, making clear a conviction of the former president for “incitement of insurrection” is unlikely. That means the trial on Trump’s impeachment, the first ever of a former president, will begin as scheduled the week of Feb. 8. While most Republicans criticized Trump shortly after the attack, many of them have rushed to defend him in the trial, showing the former president’s enduring sway over the GOP. Chief Justice John Roberts is not presiding at the trial, as he did during Trump’s first impeachment, potentially affecting the gravitas of the proceedings. Instead, Sen. Patrick Leahy, D- Vt., who serves in the largely ceremonial role of Senate president pro tempore, was sworn in on Tuesday.

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department on Tuesday rescinded a Trump-era memo that established a “zero tolerance” enforcement policy for migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally, which resulted in thousands of family separations. “Consistent with this longstanding principle of making individualized assessments in criminal cases, I am rescinding — effective immediately — the policy directive,” Wilkinson wrote. While the rescinding of “zero tolerance” is in part symbolic, it undoes the Trump administration’s massively unpopular policy responsible for the separation of more than 5,500 children from their parents at the U.S-Mexico border. Most families have not been prosecuted under zero tolerance since 2018, when the separations were halted, though separations have continued on a smaller scale. The “zero tolerance” policy was one of several increasingly restrictive policies aimed at discouraging migrants from coming to the Southern border.

“We also knew that some of these participants were intending to bring firearms and other weapons to the event. A law enforcement official told The Associated Press that authorities have detected ominous chatter about killing legislators or attacking them outside the Capitol. Five people died, including Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who was hit in the head with a fire extinguisher. The Defense Department has said it asked the Capitol Police if it needed the Guard, but the request was denied. Several law enforcement and congressional reviews are underway.

Most intimidating, Trump also has been reported to be thinking about forming a third party and calling it the Patriot Party, although he more recently appears to be intimidated himself by the math that does not appear to be on his side. A Trump-led third party most likely would divide his supporters widely enough for Democrats to drive through to victory.

The government expects to be able to deliver enough of the two-dose regimens to states to vaccinate 300 million people. The purchases from drugmakers Pfizer and Moderna come as the Biden administration is trying to ramp up vaccine production and states’ capacities to inject them into arms. The setup inherited from the Trump administration has been marked by miscommunication and unexplained bottlenecks, with shortages reported in some places even as vaccine doses remain on the shelf. "And if I can’t tell it to you, then I can’t tell it to the governors, and I can’t tell it to the state health officials." As of Tuesday afternoon, the CDC reported that just over half of the 44 million doses distributed to states have been put in people’s arms.

Newsday is opening this story to all readers so Long Islanders have access to important information about the coronavirus outbreak. All readers can learn the latest news at newsday.com/LiveUpdates Your subscription is important because it supports our work covering the coronavirus outbreak and other strong local journalism Newsday provides. You can find the latest news on the coronavirus outbreak at newsday.com/LiveUpdatesThe dogs are here and they're the ones saving us, in so many ways. And there's Leo— the charming, sweet-faced, perky-eared Sato from Puerto Rico (maybe Chica's cousin? President Donald Trump was one of only a handful of presidential oddballs who didn't have dogs in the White House.

The purchases from drugmakers Pfizer and Moderna come as the Biden administration is trying to ramp up vaccine production and states’ capacities to inject them into arms. Seeking to those concerns, Biden was set to pledge to provide states with firm vaccine allocations three weeks ahead of delivery to allow for accurate planning for injections. The setup inherited from the Trump administration has been marked by miscommunication and unexplained bottlenecks, with shortages reported in some places even as vaccine doses remain on the shelf. As of Tuesday afternoon, the CDC reported that just over half of the 44 million doses distributed to states have been put in people’s arms. The former volunteer firefighter had hoped the vaccine would enable him to resume attending church, playing golf and seeing friends.

The Kremlin, meanwhile, focused on Putin’s response to Biden’s proposal to extend the last remaining U.S.-Russia arms control treaty. Former President Donald Trump’s administration had withdrawn from two arms control treaties with Russia and had been prepared to let New START lapse. Before he spoke to Putin, Biden also called NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg to pledge U.S. commitment to the decades-old alliance founded as a bulwark against Russian aggression. Biden’s team has already reacted strongly to the crackdown on the protests, in which more than 3,700 people were arrested across Russia, including more than 1,400 in Moscow. He also downplayed Russia’s involvement in the hack of federal government agencies last year and the allegations that Russia offered the Taliban bounties.

WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans voted overwhelmingly Tuesday against moving forward with Donald Trump’s historic second impeachment trial, making clear a conviction of the former president for “incitement of insurrection” is unlikely. That means the trial on Trump’s impeachment, the first ever of a former president, will begin as scheduled the week of Feb. 8. While most Republicans criticized Trump shortly after the attack, many of them have rushed to defend him in the trial, showing the former president’s enduring sway over the GOP. Chief Justice John Roberts is not presiding at the trial, as he did during Trump’s first impeachment, potentially affecting the gravitas of the proceedings. Instead, Sen. Patrick Leahy, D- Vt., who serves in the largely ceremonial role of Senate president pro tempore, was sworn in on Tuesday.

On Monday, Nick Sandmann terminated Wood from his legal team. In an email, Wood told The Enquirer: "I love Nicholas Sandmann, and I wish him the very best going forward." The split comes several weeks after Sandmann, in social media posts, challenged Wood's statements about now-former Vice President Mike Pence. Then in a Twitter post Sunday, Sandmann highlighted a lengthy statement Wood made on the app Telegram. The Washington Post and CNN settled with Sandmann last year.

Gina Raimondo, President Biden’s pick to oversee the Commerce Department, took a tough line on China in her confirmation hearing Tuesday. “China’s actions have been anti-competitive, hurtful to American workers and businesses, coercive, and, as you point out, they’re culpable for atrocious human rights abuses,” Raimondo said in response to a question from Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. “COVID has shined a light on the inequities in our economy,” Raimondo said. U.S. companies need to get a license to sell sophisticated technology to companies on the list. She’s expected to handily win a confirmation vote, but it’s unclear when that vote will occur.

Oklahoma Sen. James Lankford on Tuesday slammed the upcoming impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump as "political theater." Shortly after being sworn in as a juror for the trial set to begin in two weeks, the Republican said, “This is not a trial; this is political theater. In this trial there is no current President, no Chief Justice, and no possibility someone could be removed from office because they are not in any office. In a moment when our nation needs to unite, this trial will only create even deeper divisions.”Lankford and Sen. Jim Inhofe were among the 45 Republicans who backed a procedural move by Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul on Tuesday to declare the impeachment trial unconstitutional. Therefore, I agree with Sen. Paul’s point of order because it is not constitutionally permissible to try a former president.”

.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........WASHINGTON — The Justice Department on Tuesday rescinded a Trump-era memo that established a “zero tolerance” enforcement policy for migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally, which resulted in thousands of family separations. “Consistent with this longstanding principle of making individualized assessments in criminal cases, I am rescinding — effective immediately — the policy directive,” Wilkinson wrote. The “zero tolerance” policy meant that any adult caught crossing the border illegally would be prosecuted for illegal entry. Most families have not been prosecuted under zero tolerance since 2018, when the separations were halted, though separations have continued on a smaller scale. The “zero tolerance” policy was one of several increasingly restrictive policies aimed at discouraging migrants from coming to the Southern border.

“We want the platforms to be transparent about how their algorithms work,” von der Leyen said. Hungary’s justice minister said Tuesday that large tech companies might face Hungarian government regulation over what she called “deliberate, ideological” censorship on social media. Opposition parties have used social media to reach potential voters amid a lack of coverage in Hungary’s public outlets. Last week, Varga claimed that tech companies “limit the visibility of Christian, conservative, right-wing opinions,” and that “power groups behind global tech giants” were capable of deciding elections. She alleged that she had personally been “shadow banned” by Facebook, a term referring to social media platforms restricting the visibility of users’ profiles or posts without their knowledge.

NEW YORK (AP) — Washington Post Executive Editor Marty Baron, who has led the resurgent newspaper as it nearly doubled its staff in eight years, said Tuesday that he will retire at the end of February. One of the nation's top journalism executives, Baron led the Post through a digital transformation and drove it through intense competition with The New York Times, another news organization that thrived through the Trump era. Baron was the top editor at the Boston Globe and Miami Herald before taking over at the Post. It was one of many “epic” news stories during his 45 years in journalism that Baron recalled working on in a note sent to Post staff members on Tuesday. “The experience has been deeply meaningful, enriched by colleagues who made me a better professional and a better person,” he wrote.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans voted overwhelmingly Tuesday against moving forward with Donald Trump’s historic second impeachment trial, making clear a conviction of the former president for “incitement of insurrection” is unlikely. In a 55-45 procedural vote, the Senate set aside an objection from Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul that would have declared the impeachment proceedings unconstitutional. That means the trial on Trump's impeachment, the first ever of a former president, will begin as scheduled the week of Feb. 8. While most Republicans criticized Trump shortly after the attack, many of them have rushed to defend him in the trial, showing the former president's enduring sway over the GOP. “If more than 34 Republicans vote against the constitutionality of the proceeding, the whole thing’s dead on arrival,” Paul said shortly before the vote."

(CNN) Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene repeatedly indicated support for executing prominent Democratic politicians in 2018 and 2019 before being elected to Congress, a CNN KFile review of hundreds of posts and comments from Greene's Facebook page shows. In one post, from January 2019, Greene liked a comment that said "a bullet to the head would be quicker" to remove House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. In other posts, Greene liked comments about executing FBI agents who, in her eyes, were part of the "deep state" working against Trump. "She's a traitor to our country, she's guilty of treason," Greene says in the video, which she posted on Facebook at the time . Greene, who has embraced and spread the baseless conspiracy theory about a "deep state" working to usurp Trump's agenda, suggested in Facebook posts that FBI agents disloyal to Trump were traitors.

FILE - In this March 10, 2011, file photo, then-Vice President Joe Biden, left, shakes hands with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in Moscow, Russia. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, File)FILE - In this March 10, 2011, file photo, then-Vice President Joe Biden, left, shakes hands with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in Moscow, Russia. President Joe Biden has been thrown into a high-wire act with Russia as he seeks to toughen his administration's stance against Putin while preserving room for diplomacy in a post-Donald Trump era. The Kremlin, meanwhile, focused on Putin’s response to Biden’s proposal to extend the last remaining U.S.-Russia arms control treaty. Before he spoke to Putin, Biden also called NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg to pledge U.S. commitment to the decades-old alliance founded as a bulwark against Russian aggression.

Sign up for the Guardian's First Thing newsletterDonald Trump’s hopes of avoiding conviction by the US Senate received a boost on Tuesday when 45 Republicans tried to dismiss his impeachment trial before it even began. Romney was the sole Republican to vote for Trump’s removal from office at his first impeachment trial a year ago. Instead, Senator Patrick Leahy, a Democrat who serves in the largely ceremonial role of Senate president pro tempore, oversaw proceedings. Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, tweeted: “45 GOP Senators just voted that Trump’s trial is unconstitutional since he isn’t in office now. Those who thought 17 R Senators would somehow vote to convict Trump have presumably awakened from their dream.

A federal judge on Tuesday barred the US government from enforcing a 100-day deportation moratorium that is a key immigration priority of the new president, Joe Biden. US district judge Drew Tipton issued a temporary restraining order sought by Texas, which sued last Friday against a Department of Homeland Security memo that instructed immigration agencies to pause most deportations. Biden promised during his campaign to pause most deportations for 100 days. That was a reversal from Trump administration policy that made anyone in the US illegally a priority for deportation. The Biden administration argued in court filings that the agreement is unenforceable because “an outgoing administration cannot contract away that power for an incoming administration”.

The US and Russia have agreed to extend an arms control treaty limiting their deployed nuclear warheads after Joe Biden’s first phone call as president with Vladimir Putin. Biden challenged Putin on US intelligence reports that Russia had offered bounties to the Taliban and other extremist groups in Afghanistan for the killing of US soldiers. Biden and Putin discussed the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, which Trump left but Biden has said he is willing to rejoin, and the conflict in Ukraine between the government there and Russian-backed separatists. The Biden team has said its first foreign policy goal would be to repair relations with allies and global institutions ruptured by Trump. “The United States shares the goals of the ICC in promoting accountability for the worst crimes known to humanity.

Mitch McConnell was among Republican senators who sought to declare Donald Trump’s impeachment trial unconstitutional, signalling that the the US Senate does not have enough votes to convict the former president. Senator Rand Paul failed to pass a motion to rule the former president’s trial unconstitutional because he is no longer in office. Shame," said Senator Paul, who accused Democrats of being “deranged by their hatred" of the former president. That would require support from senators who now have put on record that they believe the trial is unconstitutional. “The whole thing’s dead on arrival,” Senator Paul declared.

Biden raises election meddling with Putin in first phone call Published 10 minutes agoimage copyright Getty ImagesUS President Joe Biden has spoken to Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin for his first time as president, warning him about 2020 election meddling. Mr Putin congratulated the new US president on winning the election, according to a Russian statement. The call comes after criticism that former President Donald Trump was not forceful enough in his condemnation of Mr Putin. Mr Biden later appeared at the White House to sign a series of executive orders aimed at addressing what he called US systemic racism. I believe the vast majority of Democrats, Republicans and Independents share these values and want us to act as well," said Mr Biden.

Republican Senator Rand Paul forced the Senate to vote on the issue, arguing the trial was illegal given that Trump no longer occupies the Oval Office. It would take two-thirds of the Senate to convict Trump, which would mean 17 Republican senators would have to cross ranks and vote for the conviction. He told reporters afterward the vote meant 'the impeachment trial is dead on arrival.' Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who is acting as a liaison between Trump and the Republican senators said he spoke to the former president Monday night. Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy is presiding instead of Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, who sat over Trump's first impeachment trial.

GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene repeatedly expressed support for assassinating powerful Democrats, CNN reported on Tuesday. In 2018, Greene wrote on Facebook that "the stage is being set" to hang Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. In 2019, she liked a Facebook comment suggesting Nancy Pelosi get a "bullet to the head." Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia repeatedly expressed support for assassinating leading Democrats, CNN's KFILE reported Tuesday. Greene also reportedly expressed support for other Facebook comments that called for the execution of FBI agents.

ADADCase in point: Nikki Haley, the former governor of South Carolina and ambassador to the United Nations under Trump. Absolutely not.”AD“I don’t even think there’s a basis for impeachment,” Haley said, adding: “They beat him up before he got into office. ADWhat’s so striking here is that Haley was actually cleaning up for her earlier criticism of Trump. Worse still, Haley is supposed to be a rising star who might run in 2024 as a non-Trumpist Republican. ADAnd on Tuesday, all but five Senate Republicans voted for a doomed effort to kill the impeachment effort before Trump has to face a Senate trial.

The agenda for the Biden-Putin conversation was long, running from areas of cooperation, such as nuclear arms control, to areas of contention, such as Russia's military aggression toward Ukraine. During the campaign, Biden promised to take a tougher line with Putin than ex-President Donald Trump did. Trump often seemed to reluctant to confront Putin on Russia's antagonistic behavior, particularly Moscow's efforts to undermine U.S. elections. That major arms control pact expires on Feb. 5, so it’s an urgent matter. In 2011, for example, Biden was in Russia for a meeting with Putin when Biden made a startling remark about Putin’s character.

Biden to announce purchase of 200M more doses of Pfizer, Moderna COVID-19 vaccines The U.S. expects enough for nearly every American to get both doses. The announcement does not resolve the major shortages the nation is experiencing now, and does not suggest the Biden administration has found a novel way to ramp up production quickly. Under President Donald Trump, the U.S. government had already agreed to buy 200 million doses from Pfizer and 200 million from Moderna, both delivered by July. Because each vaccine requires two shots, those 400 million doses already purchased from Pfizer and Moderna would be enough to vaccinate about 200 million U.S. adults. The Biden administration official did not provide a firm timetable on the 200 million extra doses, but hailed the move as a guarantee that every American who wants a shot can get one.

(CNN) On Monday night, the Oregon Republican Party issued a formal condemnation of the 10 House Republicans who voted in favor of impeaching President Donald Trump for his role in inciting the violent insurrection at the US Capitol on January 6. The Republican Party is now, and forever will be, one for the working man and woman! "Some in congressional leadership have signaled their desire to move the party beyond Trump by impeaching and convicting him. Still other Republicans remain fearful of the power Trump may yet wield in GOP primaries or see electoral possibilities in embracing a version of his populist-conservative approach. Add it all up and you get this: The GOP isn't at the end of this war for its future.

President Joe Biden on Tuesday spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin for the first time as commander-in-chief. Biden pressed Putin on an array of topics, including Russian election interference. The president pressed Putin on "the SolarWinds hack, reports of Russia placing bounties on United States soldiers in Afghanistan, interference in the 2020 United States election, and the poisoning of Aleksey Navalny." The Biden administration has called on the Russian government to release Navalny and people arrested in protest of his detention. The issue of Russian election interference was a major thorn in Trump's side throughout his presidency, and he often railed against the special counsel Robert Mueller's inquiry into the matter.

President Joe Biden signs executive orders in the State Dining Room of the White House, Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021, in Washington. In remarks before signing the order, Biden said the U.S. government needs to change “its whole approach” on the issue of racial equity. The order to end the reliance on privately-run prisons directs the attorney general not to renew Justice Department contracts with privately operated criminal detention facilities. The move will effectively revert the Justice Department to the same posture it held at the end of the Obama administration. GEO Group, a private company that operates federal prisons, called the Biden order “a solution in search of a problem.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A federal judge in Texas on Tuesday temporarily blocked a move by new U.S. President Joe Biden to halt the deportation of many immigrants for a 100-day period, a swift legal setback for his ambitious immigration agenda. The Biden administration is expected to appeal the ruling, which halts the deportation freeze while both parties submit briefs on the matter. Paxton also said it went against the terms of an enforcement agreement Texas brokered with the Trump administration less than two weeks before Biden took office. As of Jan. 16, ICE was holding around 6,000 detainees with final deportation orders, the spokeswoman said. Kate Huddleston, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, which filed a brief in support of the Biden administration, criticized the Texas lawsuit in a statement after the ruling.

AUSTIN – A federal judge on Tuesday temporarily barred the U.S. government from enforcing a 100-day deportation moratorium, a key immigration priority of President Joe Biden. "Texas is the FIRST state in the nation to bring a lawsuit against the Biden Admin," Paxton, a conservative Republican, wrote on Twitter. Within 6 days of Biden’s inauguration, Texas has HALTED his illegal deportation freeze. “This lawsuit should not be allowed to proceed,” said Kate Huddleston, attorney for the ACLU of Texas, said on Tuesday. The freeze also doesn’t apply to those who voluntarily waive the right to remain in the United States.

Spike Lee's Vietnam War movie "Da 5 Bloods" took top honors Tuesday from the National Board of Review. The Netflix film about Black veterans revisiting their complicated combat history was named best film and won best director for Lee and best ensemble for a cast that includes Delroy Lindo, Clarke Peters, Chadwick Boseman, Jonathan Majors, Norm Lewis and Isiah Whitlock Jr. Carey Mulligan took best actress for the revenge drama "Promising Young Woman" and Sidney Flanigan won breakthrough performance for the abortion drama "Never Rarely Sometimes Always." The NBR will announce plans to celebrate the honorees at a later date. Spike Lee:Filmmaker says Donald Trump 'will go down in history with the likes of Hitler' in New York Film Critics speechOscars 2021:Who's up, who's down, and where you can watch all of this year's contenders

Rand Paul: Impeaching Trump 'antithesis of unity'Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky is challenging the legitimacy of Donald Trump's second impeachment trial and forced a Senate vote on whether the impeachment trial of a former president is Constitutional. The vote failed 55 to 45.

To the Editor:Re “Mutiny Halted Trump Scheme in Justice Dept.” (front page, Jan. 23):The revelation of the plot hatched by Jeffrey Clark to use the Justice Department to bolster President Donald Trump’s false claims of the election being stolen shows how perilously close this country came to a true constitutional crisis. It was only the willingness of department officials to put their own careers on the line to halt this anti-democratic scheme that prevented the replacement of Jeffrey Rosen by this Trump loyalist, one with a penchant for conspiracy theories. Michael EsterowitzBrooklynTo the Editor:Americans must draw the right lesson from this farce. The right lesson is not that democracy worked after all. Nor is it that Donald Trump is an anomaly that will never recur.

ET Janet Yellen Sworn In as Treasury Secretary: Live UpdatesVerizon is still investigating the cause of a widespread internet outage on the East Coast. Ms. Yellen is the nation’s 78th Treasury secretary and the first woman to assume that role in the institution’s 232-year history. Standing outside the White House, Ms. Yellen took the oath of office with her husband, the economist George Akerlof, and her son by her side. Video transcript Back bars 0:00 / 1:01 - 0:00 transcript Biden’s Commerce Secretary Nominee Testifies Before Senate Gov. Janet L. Yellen was confirmed as Treasury secretary on Monday and was sworn in on Tuesday.

MOSCOW — President Biden and President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia agreed to extend the last remaining nuclear arms treaty between their countries, but Mr. Biden confronted his counterpart over the poisoning of a Russian opposition leader and other issues, the White House said. It was the first call between the leaders of the world’s two nuclear superpowers since Mr. Biden’s inauguration. The New Start treaty, which limits the size of the two countries’ strategic nuclear arsenals, expires on Feb. 5, and the call appeared to seal a last-minute agreement to extend the treaty after the Trump administration declined to do so. But on a host of other high-stakes matters, Mr. Biden sent the message that he would be taking a harder line on Russia than his predecessor. He raised the poisoning of the Russian opposition leader Aleksei A. Navalny, whose arrest on Jan. 17 sparked protests across the country last weekend, the White House said.

Fox is hiring Larry Kudlow, most recently the top economic advisor to Donald Trump in the White House, as contributor and host of a weekday show on its business network. Kudlow, who will start on Feb. 8, will also provide analysis on Fox News Media platforms, Fox said Tuesday. The company did not provide further details. Fox chief executive officer Suzanne Scott said the former National Economic Council Director will bring his “vast experience in policy making coupled with his intuitive on-air presence” to the network. “I’ve long admired their insightful coverage and am excited to join many of my former colleagues now at FBN, creating a show that speaks to the real issues truly impacting Americans.”Prior to CNBC, Kudlow served as chief economist and senior managing director of then-global investment bank, securities trading and brokerage firm Bear Stearns, and served in Ronald Reagan’s administration in the early 1980s.

Zhang Hai speaks about his father during an interview in Shenzhen in southern China's Guangdong province on Friday, Oct. 16, 2020. Zhang Hai holds up a photo of his father taken in his youth during an interview in Shenzhen in southern China's Guangdong province on Friday, Oct. 16, 2020. WUHAN, China — A relative of a coronavirus victim in China is demanding to meet a visiting World Health Organization expert team, saying it should speak with affected families who allege they are being muffled by the Chinese government. “I hope the WHO experts don’t become a tool to spread lies,” said Zhang Hai, whose father died of COVID-19 on Feb. 1, 2020, after traveling to the Chinese city of Wuhan and getting infected. Many are angry that the state downplayed the virus at the beginning of the outbreak, and have attempted to file lawsuits against the Wuhan government.

WASHINGTON — The US Senate was sworn in as jurors for the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump on Tuesday afternoon. Congress is gearing-up for its second impeachment trial in 13 months on accusations Trump incited the Jan. 6 riot at the US Capitol by encouraging his supporters to overturn the presidential election. Under normal rules, the impeachment trial would begin at 1 p.m. the day after the articles are presented to the Senate. Sen. Patrick Leahy getting sworn in to preside over the second impeachment trial of President Donald Trump on January 26, 2021. Members of the US Senate are sworn in as jurors Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021, for the second impeachment trial of President Donald Trump.

ADADBut the judge changed course after learning more during hearings Monday and Tuesday, saying the case was appearing less like a spy thriller and more like a domestic dispute. ADWilliams’s defense argued that she deleted social media accounts not to hide evidence but because the ex-boyfriend had started sending messages under her name. The affidavit links to images of all-caps, typo-riddled social media posts from a user named “Riley” who declares that they “STOLE . ADAlso Tuesday, two Rocky Mount, Va., police officers who are charged with taking part in the Capitol riot were fired. He said he never intended to harm Ocasio-Cortez nor police, apologized to both, and called his social media posts “completely inappropriate.”Miller tweeted “Assassinate AOC” on Jan. 6, according to charging papers.

Paxton, a close Trump ally, celebrated the ruling as a “victory” and declared Texas “the first state in the nation to bring a lawsuit against the Biden (administration). AND WE WON.”As one of his first executive actions, Biden ordered U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to halt most deportations from the interior of the United States for 100 days. But Texas alleged the moratorium would inflict immediate harm on the state, and the measure violated an agreement Paxton and Gov. Hundreds of additional executive actions by Trump were disputed in the federal court system, and immigrant advocates and attorneys filed many of those motions in California’s Ninth Circuit. “This lawsuit should not be allowed to proceed,” said Kate Huddleston, an attorney for the ACLU of Texas, in a statement.

Tim Griffin and Attorney General Leslie Rutledge, Sanders is considered the one to beat because of her national prominence. ADADSanders’s announcement video also shows where Republican voters stand today. Fighting against the left, not fighting for anything in particular, is what Republican voters want most. Only then does she turn to longtime Republican staples: fighting bureaucracy, lowering the cost of government and cutting state income taxes. This ordering suggests she believes cultural issues animate Republican voters more than fiscal concerns.

Trump’s trial is not scheduled to begin until Feb. 9, but senators were set to be sworn in for the proceedings Tuesday. ADA week after a pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol, the House passed one article of impeachment against the president for inciting an insurrection. If convicted, Trump could be barred from holding future office with a subsequent majority vote. Paul sought to muster at least 34 votes to signal there are enough senators with constitutional misgivings to secure an acquittal. Rather than Roberts, presiding over the trial will be Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) — the Senate president pro tempore and longest serving senator.

A left-leaning advocacy group launched a campaign Tuesday which calls for major corporations to pledge not to hire former senior Trump administration officials who helped to implement what it described as "cruel and anti-democratic policies." Dubbed the "Campaign against Corporate Complicity," the initiative is a collaboration between the public interest groups American Oversight and Accountable.us. The campaign will keep a rolling list of former Trump administration officials and track their career moves following their exits from the White House. In an open letter, the groups called on American CEOs to shun senior officials as they enter the private sector. "As senior Trump administration officials seek refuge in corporate America, companies should fully vet applicants for their participation in cruel and anti-democratic policies," the campaign’s website says.

EXCLUSIVE: Former Obama and Bush-era homeland security secretaries on Tuesday urged the Senate to "swiftly" confirm Alejandro Mayorkas to lead DHS, saying "any further delays" will "hinder" the country’s ability to respond to national security risks. The four former homeland security secretaries pointed out that in the past four years, DHS "has seen no fewer than six people — two Senate-confirmed, four acting — at the helm of the 24,000-person agency charged with protecting the American people and their homeland." "The president-elect could not have found a more qualified person to be the next homeland security secretary," they wrote. We urge the Senate to act swiftly to put Mayorkas in place." The letter comes after Mayorkas was voted out of the Senate Homeland Security Committee by 7-4, with Democrats and GOP Sens.

Among all sorts of noteworthy items, a moon rock was found to be sitting on a bookshelf. But what many didn't know was that this rock, dubbed Lunar Sample 76015,143, had been on an Odyssean journey to get there, one 3.9 billion years in the making. Like the other rocks brought back by the Apollo missions, it was housed at the Lunar Sample Laboratory Facility at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. The Oval Office's moon rock is, for many, a cathartic sight, a symbol of the new President's science-driven agenda, of his administration's adherence to facts and to objective truths, something America needs now more than ever. If so, I suspect Americans will look back in pride at the moment they saw a moon rock sitting in Biden's Oval Office.

Soon after his election loss to Biden, Trump reportedly asked advisers for options to strike Iran militarily. Biden has stated an inten t to rejoin the nuclear deal, while also signaling he hopes a more expansive agreement can be reached soon after. As the UN's atomic watchdog chief warned on Jan. 11 , there is a matter of weeks rather than months to salvage the nuclear deal. Public sentiments around diplomacy with the West are much more negative than when the nuclear deal was first agreed. First, the US and Iran should agree on technical steps required for mutual compliance with the nuclear deal, cool regional tensions and build confidence.

The source said this is a "full stop" on Unanue speaking to the press, not only about politics, but also about the company itself. "They accomplished what they set out to do, which was get President Trump out of the way," he said. Those comments did not get as much attention as his July remarks praising President Trump , likely because of all the other news surrounding the inauguration. Unanue and Goya said at the time that he was at the White House to announce the donation of millions of cans of Goya products to food banks. That in turn prompted a so-called "buy-cott" by Trump supporters, including Ivanka Trump , who urged the president's backers to buy Goya products.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Joe Biden believes the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline is a “bad deal for Europe” and his administration will be reviewing restrictions on the project included in a bill that passed during the Trump administration, the White House said on Tuesday. The restrictions on the undersea pipeline project were included in the annual defense policy bill that passed on Jan. 1. Russia has cut deliveries of the fuel to Ukraine and parts of Europe in winter during pricing disputes. “We continue to believe, the president continues to believe, that Nord Stream 2 is a bad deal for Europe,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told the daily briefing, adding the administration “will be reviewing” the restrictions included in the defense policy legislation. The $11 billion pipeline, which is 90% complete, would double the capacity of the existing Nord Stream duct to deliver gas from Russia to Europe via Germany under the Baltic Sea.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A federal judge in Texas on Tuesday temporarily blocked a move by new U.S. President Joe Biden to halt the deportation of many immigrants for a 100-day period, a swift legal setback for his ambitious immigration agenda. The Biden administration is expected to appeal the ruling, which halts the deportation freeze while both parties submit briefs on the matter. In a complaint filed on Friday, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said the state would face irreparable harm if the deportation freeze was allowed to go into effect. Paxton, a Republican, said it would increase education and healthcare costs as more immigrants remained in Texas illegally. Paxton also said it went against the terms of an enforcement agreement Texas brokered with the Trump administration less than two weeks before Biden took office.

ASYLUM AND REGIONAL MIGRATIONBiden plans to rescind some Trump policies that made it harder to obtain asylum in the United States, according to the memo. REUNITING FAMILIES SEPARATED BY TRUMPBiden will create a task force to reunite migrant families who were separated by Trump’s immigration policies. Biden pledged during his presidential campaign to create a task force to reunite children and parents separated at the U.S.-Mexico border. REVIEW OF THE LEGAL IMMIGRATION SYSTEMBiden is expected to issue an executive order that would remove barriers to legal immigration and citizenship. The new actions expected on Friday come after Biden issued six immigration-themed executive orders on Jan. 20.

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Migrants return to Mexico using the Puerta Mexico bridge that crosses the Rio Grande river on the border with Brownsville, Texas. | AP Photo/Emilio EspejelThe 100-day pause went into effect on Friday. The agreements, signed on the final days of the Trump administration, were first reported by Buzzfeed News. However, Tipton’s order specified that the decision was not based on that agreement between DHS and Texas. The Justice and Homeland Security departments did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

This week Chris sits down with professor and historian David Bligt to talk about his Pulitzer winning book "Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom." And Frederick Douglass is in a somewhat similar category in so far as like, yes, we know Fredrick Douglass. Well, and it's also, I mean, after my encomium Frederick Douglass, he was, of course, not unflawed either. But first, I guess, for people that have not read the biography, which is probably the large majority of the listeners right now, just tell me a little bit about how does Frederick Douglass become Frederick Douglass? The book we were just discussing "Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom."

In a statement, Kudlow said he was “excited to join many of my former colleagues now at FBN, creating a show that speaks to the real issues truly impacting Americans.”Suzanne Scott, Fox News Media’s chief executive, said in her own statement that Kudlow’s “vast experience in policy making coupled with his intuitive on-air presence will add depth and insight to our business analysis programming.”Kudlow’s transition to Fox is not his first foray into the world of broadcasting. The former Wall Street economist served as a CNBC contributor before joining Trump’s White House, and he had previously hosted shows on the network, including “The Kudlow Report.”Trump’s choice of Kudlow to replace his first economic adviser, Gary Cohn, in 2018 was widely regarded as another example of the former president’s proclivity for plucking camera-ready administration officials out of “central casting.”A former Reagan administration official who preached the importance of a free market, Kudlow often found himself defending tariff policies and other executive actions by Trump that were antithetical to his own economic views. Last year, amid the coronavirus pandemic and the crushing economic fallout, Kudlow echoed Trump in making numerous misleading predictions about the U.S. outbreak and downplaying its significance. But he was not as combative or partisan as some of his White House colleagues, and frequently took questions from reporters outside the White House with a generally amiable attitude.

I mean, Texas is a microcosm for the bigger trends in the country. ABBY LIVINGSTON: That's right. Those are ranches that's ... that's not metro area stuff. I think that's the debate that's happening right now. ABBY LIVINGSTON: That's my Austin.

QAnon believers looked to Inauguration Day for Trump to stop Biden from taking office and Democrats - who they believe to be pedophiles and cannibals - to be arrested. Ben Collins and Jen Golbeck discuss how Q loyalists reacted after none of that happened.

The House has delivered the Trump impeachment article to the Senate, and the stage is now set for the fmr. president's second impeachment trial. Meanwhile, Biden is pushing to get his agenda in motion before the trial begins.

Reacting to news that Trump plotted to use the Justice Department to overturn Georgia’s election results, House impeachment manager Rep. David Cicilline tells Lawrence O’Donnell that they included Trump’s call with Georgia officials in the article of impeachment because it demonstrates part of an “effort by the president to feed a lie to his supporters to the point that they became enraged and violent.”

Congressman Ted Lieu says impeaching Trump is a matter of deterrence: “Future presidents need to know they cannot attempt a coup to hold on to power."

Since taking office, President Biden has already issued a series of executive orders addressing Covid-19, student debt, climate change and immigration. Oscar winning filmmaker Michael Moore joins MSNBC's Ari Melber to discuss Biden's aggressive agenda for his first 100 days in office, Moore asserting Biden needs to address the crippling debt Americans are facing in light of the pandemic and should implement universal healthcare. Moore also hits out at Republicans, arguing Biden needs to ensure they "answer for what they did" to enable Donald Trump and subvert democracy.

Washington Post Political reporter David Fahrenthold says that any hope former President Trump had of his businesses recovering after the pandemic was killed after the events of January 6th

President Trump is using his final hours in office to look at presidential pardons. Former RNC Chairman Michael Steele and Politics War Room co-host James Carville join Stephanie Ruhle to discuss how some people are spending big bucks to get on the pardon list.

On Trump's last day in office, he leaves in more disgrace than most modern presidents, dogged by more convictions of top advisers in his first term than any other president. As Trump faces late backlash, MSNBC's Ari Melber and The New York Times columnist Michelle Goldberg discuss what it took to dent Trump's impunity.

Rachel Maddow reviews the collection of crises, court cases and criminal investigations Donald Trump faces and wonders if he, like many Americans, wishes he could take back the last four or five years.

The impeachment articles against Donald Trump will formally go the to Senate in mere days. But as MSNBC’s Chief Legal Correspondent Ari Melber explains, Trump’s second impeachment will be different from his last. Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer is now in charge, which means there could be more evidence and witnesses admitted in trial- two things Republicans blocked last time- and Trump is now out of office, ensuring the entire case is about whether or not he should be convicted. Melber asserts the Senate will decide something “that shapes history” and that may ensure Trump “never has power again.”

Dr. Anthony Fauci talks with Rachel Maddow about how the Trump administration blocked him from appearing on her should through most of the coronavirus crisis and how much more free top U.S. scientist are under the Biden administration to communicate with the public.

The House on Monday is set to send the article of impeachment to the Senate. This move comes amid new revelations that then-President Trump considered naming a new attorney general to help push baseless claims of voter fraud.

Senate Republicans Tuesday voted for a measure declaring the impeachment proceedings against former President Donald Trump to be unconstitutional because Trump is no longer in office. One proponent of that view, George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley, spoke to Senate Republicans at a lunch ahead of the swearing-in on Tuesday. While some senators have likened their role in the impeachment trial to jurors, they're actually more than that. The Senate trial is expected to begin the week of Feb. 8 under a deal struck between the parties. Senate Republicans had requested extra time to allow Trump's lawyers to prepare.

The Senate confirmed Antony Blinken as President Joe Biden's secretary of state on Tuesday with overwhelming bipartisan support. Blinken must be confirmed so we can start addressing the challenges we face abroad," Sen. Bob Menenedez, D-N.J., said ahead of the vote. Blinken has served Biden in various roles for over two decades, including as a staff member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. But not all U.S. foreign policy under Blinken will be a repudiation of the Trump administration. He has said the Trump administration was right in taking a tougher approach to China, and he has committed to keeping the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem, where it was moved under Trump.

A California man was arrested Tuesday after federal authorities said he sent threatening text messages to family members of a New York City congressman and journalist. "We are nearby armed and ready," the suspect allegedly said in one text described in the document. “Your brother is putting your entire family at risk with his lies and other words. In the text to the lawmaker's brother, authorities said Lemke wrote: “your words have consequences. Members of Lemke's family could not be reached for comment at several publicly listed phone numbers for them in Northern California on Tuesday afternoon.

This is why vaccine distribution — and not just vaccine development — is of utmost importance. So far, the implementation of vaccine distribution is unfortunately falling far short of what is needed to quell the pandemic. The unfocused, patchwork approach President Donald Trump has helped foster means vaccine distribution has been functionally outsourced to individual states, creating significant discrepancies in who is prioritized for vaccine eligibility. In some counties, there is not even a local public health department, leaving much of this work to fall to the state. For example, information systems need to be developed and integrated between local public health agencies and retail pharmacies to verify eligibility, allocate resources and ensure compliance.

Violence against Black protesters who condemn those killings is almost a matter of course, an expected and planned-for outcome when too many Black people gather in one place. White citizenship comes with certain protections, a trust and a belief that the rights laid out in the Constitution apply to you, point blank and period. Meanwhile, Black citizenship, in its fullest sense, remains an aspiration, if not a myth. The disparate treatment of white and Black protesters, agitators or rioters is just one consistent example. Yet, instead of the kind of state-sanctioned violence by police in the last seven months, white rioters at the Capitol were treated like patriots rather than thugs.

Senate Republicans have figured out a way to wiggle out of passing judgment on President Donald Trump in his impeachment trial: claiming that the Senate has no ability to try him after he leaves office Wednesday. Every impeachment trial is basically a blank canvas for the Senate to impress its stamp upon. Article I, Section 3 of the Constitution says the Senate "shall have the sole Power to try all Impeachments." Unlike this time last year, Republicans will no longer hold the majority by the time the trial is likely to start. And finally, any challenge to the ability of the Senate to hold the trial should be deemed out of order.

But this time, the insurrection was televised — and hosted on social media websites around the world. In response to the Trump-supporting extremists storming the Capitol, platforms like Twitter and Facebook have finally taken the previously unprecedented leap to ban or block Trump’s account. We do not want extremism to proliferate freely on social media websites, radicalizing vulnerable people and potentially infecting all of society, with often violent results. Trump himself has not been a fan of social media platforms, despite being an incredibly prolific user, of Twitter in particular. Trump himself has not been a fan of social media platforms, despite being an incredibly prolific user, of Twitter in particular.

Rep. Madison Cawthorn, R-N.C., may be the youngest member of Congress, but he's already racking up a number of scandals that could rival those of his veteran peers. We could sit here all day and analyze Cawthorn's deceitful actions toward the public he took an oath to serve. "None of this would be possible if the public weren't complicit in perpetuating ableism," disability rights activist and writer Imani Barbarin told me. From the conversations I've had with disability rights activists, it seems the grift Cawthorn was running wasn't fooling many members of the disabled community. And how else could Cawthorn exist in the GOP reality, with an openly ableist man like Trump in charge of the Republican Party?

Experts are urging Biden administration officials to better understand the source behind Covid-19 vaccine skepticism across different Latino communities to improve vaccine rollout strategies nationwide. At least 28 percent of all Latinos surveyed by the Latino advocacy nonprofit UnidosUS in October reported that they were unlikely to get vaccinated for Covid-19. Over a third of all Latinas surveyed by UnidosUS stated they will likely not get vaccinated, compared to 22 percent of Latino men. The researchers are calling for officials to commission an in-depth study that identifies the most effective messaging strategies for different Latino subgroups. They also urge an aggressive use of fact-based information to counter the overwhelming amount of bilingual vaccine disinformation Latinos have been exposed to over the past months.

There's a lot more work that needs to be done.”The memorandum issues guidance for the DOJ on how to better collect data and assist with the reporting of anti-Asian hate incidents. Many officials warned that the term and others like it would perpetuate the racist association between the disease and Asian Americans, prompting more hate attacks. Research published in the journal Health Education & Behavior suggests that such racist rhetoric has already had a profound impact on how those in the United States see Asian Americans. The language led to an increased subconscious belief that Asian Americans are “perpetual foreigners,” researchers said. More than 40 percent of the incidents were identified as anti-Asian incidents.

The FBI on Monday charged a man accused of participating in the Capitol riots after they received multiple tips from people who recognized his varsity jacket and number in footage of the mayhem. Brian Gundersen, of Armonk, N.Y., was identified as a Capitol rioter by his varsity jacket. Other people had also sent tips to the FBI identifying Gundersen as the man wearing the letterman jacket. Brian Gundersen, of Armonk, N.Y., was identified as a Capitol rioter by his varsity jacket. Still, when he was interviewed by the FBI on Jan. 19, Gundersen denied being a part of the Capitol riots.

The suspension will last at least 30 days and has been in effect since last week, YouTube said in an email. YouTube’s Partner Program allows video creators to share ad revenue as well as receive support from a company team, but channels that violate company policies can be removed. Giuliani, a former New York City mayor, has been a vocal proponent of baseless allegations of widespread fraud in the presidential election. In a series of news conferences and court hearings after the election, his team pushed allegations of voter fraud that had already been debunked. Giuliani could appeal his suspension with YouTube or reapply to the Partner Program in 30 days if he addresses the underlying issues, the company said.

U.S. Capitol Police hold rioters at gun-point near the House Chamber inside the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)U.S. Capitol Police hold rioters at gun-point near the House Chamber inside the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. A law enforcement official told The Associated Press that authorities have detected ominous chatter about killing legislators or attacking them outside the Capitol. Five people died, including Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who was hit in the head with a fire extinguisher. The Defense Department has said it asked the Capitol Police if it needed the Guard, but the request was denied.

'Take The Politics Out Of The Census,' Biden's Commerce Pick Raimondo SaysEnlarge this image toggle caption Jonathan Ernst/Bloomberg via Getty Images Jonathan Ernst/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesPresident Biden's nominee for overseeing the Census Bureau, Rhode Island Gov. "I believe that we need to take the politics out of the census, and we need to rely on the experts," Raimondo, a Democrat, told lawmakers Tuesday. "The experts and statisticians in the Census Bureau are top-notch, so I, once confirmed, intend to rely on them." Raimondo's comments during a confirmation hearing before the Senate Commerce Committee were the governor's first public remarks about the national head count since becoming Biden's pick for secretary of the Commerce Department, which oversees the bureau. ), the outgoing chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, said before ending Tuesday's hearing.

HOUSTON (AP) — A federal judge on Tuesday barred the U.S. government from enforcing a 100-day deportation moratorium that is a key immigration priority of President Joe Biden. U.S. District Judge Drew Tipton issued a temporary restraining order sought by Texas, which sued on Friday against a Department of Homeland Security memo that instructed immigration agencies to pause most deportations. That was a reversal from Trump administration policy that made anyone in the U.S. illegally a priority for deportation. The 100-day moratorium went into effect Friday and applied to almost anyone who entered the U.S. without authorization before November. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton argued that the moratorium violated federal law as well as an agreement Texas signed with the Department of Homeland Security late in the Trump administration.

Simpson, were among the lawyers on Trump's team. Trump's first impeachment trial united Republicans on Capitol Hill. More: Trump impeachment trial to begin week of Feb. 8, Senate leaders announceMore: The second Trump impeachment trial is set for February. GOP lawmakers divided on Trump's fateThe path to convicting Trump is an uphill one, though the political climate has shifted since his last impeachment trial. Contributing: David JacksonThis article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump's second impeachment trial missing star lawyers, united GOP

Evan Vucci/APEvery incoming president gets to redecorate the Oval Office, and Biden has added his own touches. Every incoming president gets to redecorate the Oval Office to their taste, but few have packed in as many personal touches and as much symbolism as President Joe Biden. Keep scrolling for the hidden meanings behind some of President Biden's décor choices. The dark blue rug was last seen in the Oval Office during the Clinton administration. President Biden sits in front of an American flag and a presidential seal flag.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — An Iranian-American has been sentenced by Iran to 10 years in prison on spying charges, despite his family alleging he never had a trial or an opportunity to defend himself. A family spokesman Tuesday confirmed the sentencing of Emad Shargi, the latest dual national to be held in Iran amid tensions with the West. It wasn’t immediately clear which court sentenced Shargi. However, cases involving dual nationals have found themselves tied to money frozen overseas wanted by Iran. Other Americans held by Iran include Baquer and Siamak Namazi and conservationist Morad Tahbaz, who also holds British citizenship.

WASHINGTON — In a briefing with reporters on Tuesday afternoon White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki confirmed President Joe Biden was set to talk to the Russian president, Vladimir Putin. Russian intelligence has also been tied to efforts to interfere in recent American elections. President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin. While the Trump administration went along with Congressional sanctions on Russia, Trump was criticized for not doing more to publicly criticize Putin. At an unrelated White House event shortly after Psaki’s briefing, Biden was asked about his call with Putin by Peter Doocy, a correspondent with the Fox News Channel.

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia and the United States traded documents Tuesday to extend their last remaining nuclear arms control treaty days before it is due to expire, the Kremlin said. “In the nearest days, the parties will complete the necessary procedures that will ensure further functioning of this important international legal nuclear arms control tool," the Kremlin said. Top members of the Kremlin-controlled parliament said they would fast-track the issue and complete the necessary steps to extend the treaty this week. After both Moscow and Washington withdrew from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty in 2019, New START is the only remaining nuclear arms control deal between the two countries. The Trump administration then proposed to extend New START for just one year and also sought to expand it to include limits on battlefield nuclear weapons.

HOUSTON (AP) — A federal judge on Tuesday barred the U.S. government from enforcing a 100-day deportation moratorium that is a key immigration priority of President Joe Biden. U.S. District Judge Drew Tipton issued a temporary restraining order sought by Texas, which sued on Friday against a Department of Homeland Security memo that instructed immigration agencies to pause most deportations. The order represents a victory for Texas' Republican leaders, who often sued to stop programs enacted by Biden's Democratic predecessor, President Barack Obama. That was a reversal from Trump administration policy that made anyone in the U.S. illegally a priority for deportation. The 100-day moratorium went into effect Friday and applied to almost anyone who entered the U.S. without authorization before November.

By Ted HessonWASHINGTON (Reuters) - A federal judge in Texas on Tuesday temporarily blocked a move by new U.S. President Joe Biden to halt the deportation of many immigrants for a 100-day period, a swift legal setback for his ambitious immigration agenda. U.S. District Judge Drew Tipton, an appointee of former President Donald Trump in the Southern District of Texas, issued a temporary restraining order that blocks the policy nationwide for 14 days following a legal challenge by Texas. The Biden administration is expected to appeal the ruling, which halts the deportation freeze while both parties submit briefs on the matter. In a complaint filed on Friday, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said the state would face irreparable harm if the deportation freeze was allowed to go into effect. Paxton, a Republican, said it would increase education and healthcare costs as more immigrants remained in Texas illegally.

A federal judge on Tuesday barred the U.S. government from enforcing a 100-day deportation moratorium that is a key immigration priority of President Biden. It also showed that just as Democratic-led states and immigration groups fought former President Trump over immigration in court, often successfully, so too will Republicans with Biden in office. That was a reversal from Trump administration policy that made anyone in the U.S. illegally a priority for deportation. The 100-day moratorium went into effect Friday and applied to almost anyone who entered the U.S. without authorization before November. Gen. Ken Paxton argued that the moratorium violated federal law as well as an agreement Texas signed with the Department of Homeland Security late in the Trump administration.

“I just said, ‘Oh, my goodness gracious,’” Fauci recalled during a CNN interview Monday night. AdvertisementIn addition to frustration with medical misinformation, Fauci shared what he thought when seeing the attack on the Capitol earlier this month. “Until the examination came back and we found out it was harmless powder, my children were very, very distraught,” he said. “And that’s more painful to me than somebody, some jerk, threatening my life.”But things are looking up for the 80-year-old. Late last week, the new administration announced that the United States will resume funding for the World Health Organization.

Biden has looked to establish a sharp break from the warm rhetoric often displayed toward Putin by his predecessor, former President Trump. AdvertisementAnd on Tuesday before his call with Putin, Biden spoke to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, pledging the United States’ commitment to the decades-old alliance founded as a bulwark against Russian aggression. Biden told Putin that his administration was assessing the SolarWinds cyberbreach and the reports that Russia offered the Taliban bounties to kill American troops in Afghanistan. Biden said the United States is willing to defend itself and will take action, which could include further sanctions, to ensure that Moscow does not act with impunity, according to the administration officials. Biden on Monday told reporters he hoped the U.S. and Russia could cooperate in areas where both see benefit.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has rejected a Republican attempt to dismiss Donald Trump’s historic second impeachment trial, a vote that allows the case on “incitement of insurrection” to move forward but also foreshadows that there may not be enough votes to convict him. While most Republicans criticized Trump shortly after the attack, many of them have rushed to defend him in the trial, showing the former president's enduring sway over the GOP. Chief Justice John Roberts is not presiding at the trial, as he did during Trump’s first impeachment, potentially affecting the gravitas of the proceedings. AdvertisementInstead, Sen. Patrick Leahy, D- Vt., who serves in the largely ceremonial role of Senate president pro tempore, was sworn in on Tuesday. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said failing to conduct the trial would amount to a “get-out-jail-free card” for others accused of wrongdoing on their way out the door.

“We also knew that some of these participants were intending to bring firearms and other weapons to the event. A law enforcement official told The Associated Press that authorities have detected ominous chatter about killing legislators or attacking them outside the Capitol. Five people died, including Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who was hit in the head with a fire extinguisher. The Defense Department has said it asked the Capitol Police if it needed the Guard, but the request was denied. Several law enforcement and congressional reviews are underway.

Birx claimed she wrote more than 300 daily reports for White House senior officials but has no idea whether Donald Trump reviewed them. After Trump incited white supremacists to storm the Capitol, Representative Kevin McCarthy, the House minority leader, said Trump “bears responsibility for [the] attack on Congress by mob rioters. Like Birx, McCarthy has found a convenient lie, and he’s sticking with it. Only 10 House Republicans voted to impeach Trump; Senate Democrats won’t get half as many to cross the aisle. Despite the fact that Trump endangered their lives, most of the GOP won’t do the right thing.

By Nomaan Merchant | Associated PressHOUSTON — A federal judge on Tuesday barred the U.S. government from enforcing a 100-day deportation moratorium that is a key immigration priority of President Joe Biden. U.S. District Judge Drew Tipton issued a temporary restraining order sought by Texas, which sued on Friday against a Department of Homeland Security memo that instructed immigration agencies to pause most deportations. That was a reversal from Trump administration policy that made anyone in the U.S. illegally a priority for deportation. The 100-day moratorium went into effect Friday and applied to almost anyone who entered the U.S. without authorization before November. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton argued that the moratorium violated federal law as well as an agreement Texas signed with the Department of Homeland Security late in the Trump administration.

By LARRY NEUMEISTER | The Associated PressNEW YORK — A California man disgruntled about the presidential election result was arrested Tuesday on charges alleging he threatened family members of a New York congressman and a journalist in text messages sent during the attack on the Capitol, authorities said. Robert Lemke, 35, was arrested in Bay Point, California, on charges filed in Manhattan federal court. He was scheduled to make an initial appearance in federal court in Northern California on Wednesday. The identities of the member of Congress and the journalist were not revealed in court papers. “Rather than peaceably disagree, Lemke allegedly threatened to harm those individuals’ families, demanding they retract their statements,” she said.

While most Republicans criticized Trump shortly after the attack, many of them have rushed to defend him in the trial, showing the former president’s enduring sway over the GOP. Not only are there legal concerns, but senators are wary of crossing the former president and his legions of followers. Chief Justice John Roberts is not presiding at the trial, as he did during Trump’s first impeachment, potentially affecting the gravitas of the proceedings. Instead, Sen. Patrick Leahy, D- Vt., who serves in the largely ceremonial role of Senate president pro tempore, was sworn in on Tuesday. For the Democratic-led Senate, the intervening weeks provide prime time to confirm some of Biden’s key Cabinet nominees.

At the same time, it shows it is unlikely there will be enough votes for conviction, which requires the support of all Democrats and 17 Republicans, or two-thirds of the Senate. While most Republicans criticized Trump shortly after the attack, many of them have rushed to defend him in the trial, showing the former president's enduring sway over the GOP.

WASHINGTON — The Senate has rejected a Republican attempt to dismiss Donald Trump’s historic second impeachment trial, a vote that allows the case on “incitement of insurrection” to move forward but also foreshadows that there may not be enough votes to convict him. While most Republicans criticized Trump shortly after the attack, many of them have rushed to defend him in the trial, showing the former president’s enduring sway over the GOP. Chief Justice John Roberts is not presiding at the trial, as he did during Trump’s first impeachment, potentially affecting the gravitas of the proceedings. Instead, Sen. Patrick Leahy, D- Vt., who serves in the largely ceremonial role of Senate president pro tempore, was sworn in on Tuesday. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said failing to conduct the trial would amount to a “get-out-jail-free card” for others accused of wrongdoing on their way out the door.

HOUSTON — A federal judge on Tuesday barred the U.S. government from enforcing a 100-day deportation moratorium that is a key immigration priority of President Joe Biden. U.S. District Judge Drew Tipton issued a temporary restraining order sought by Texas, which sued on Friday against a Department of Homeland Security memo that instructed immigration agencies to pause most deportations. That was a reversal from Trump administration policy that made anyone in the U.S. illegally a priority for deportation. The 100-day moratorium went into effect Friday and applied to almost anyone who entered the U.S. without authorization before November. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton argued that the moratorium violated federal law as well as an agreement Texas signed with the Department of Homeland Security late in the Trump administration.

WASHINGTON — The Senate has rejected a Republican attempt to dismiss Donald Trump’s historic second impeachment trial, a vote that allows the case on “incitement of insurrection” to move forward but also foreshadows that there may not be enough votes to convict him. While most Republicans criticized Trump shortly after the attack, many of them have rushed to defend him in the trial, showing the former president’s enduring sway over the GOP. Chief Justice John Roberts is not presiding at the trial, as he did during Trump’s first impeachment, potentially affecting the gravitas of the proceedings. Instead, Sen. Patrick Leahy, D- Vt., who serves in the largely ceremonial role of Senate president pro tempore, was sworn in on Tuesday. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said failing to conduct the trial would amount to a “get-out-jail-free card” for others accused of wrongdoing on their way out the door.

In this image from video, Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., the president pro tempore of the Senate, who is presiding over the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump, swears in members of the Senate for the impeachment trial at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021. (Senate Television via AP)In this image from video, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., makes a motion that the impeachment trial against former President Donald Trump is unconstitutional in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021. (Senate Television via AP)In this image from video, Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., the president pro tempore of the Senate, who will preside over the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump, swears in members of the Senate for the impeachment trial against former President Donald Trump in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021. While most Republicans criticized Trump shortly after the attack, many of them have rushed to defend him in the trial, showing the former president’s enduring sway over the GOP. Instead, Sen. Patrick Leahy, D- Vt., who serves in the largely ceremonial role of Senate president pro tempore, was sworn in on Tuesday.

At the same time, it shows it is unlikely there will be enough votes for conviction, which requires the support of all Democrats and 17 Republicans, or two-thirds of the Senate. While most Republicans criticized Trump shortly after the attack, many of them have rushed to defend him in the trial, showing the former president’s enduring sway over the GOP.

In response to the order, Paxton tweeted “VICTORY” and described the deportation moratorium as a “seditious left-wing insurrection,” an apparent reference to the Jan. 6 insurrection in which Trump supporters stormed the Capitol as Congress was certifying Biden’s victory. The House has since impeached Trump for incitement of the siege. Five people died in the Capitol riot, including a Capitol Police officer.

By LISA MASCARO and MARY CLARE JALONICKWASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans voted overwhelmingly Tuesday against moving forward with Donald Trump’s historic second impeachment trial, making clear a conviction of the former president for “incitement of insurrection” is unlikely. That means the trial on Trump’s impeachment, the first ever of a former president, will begin as scheduled the week of Feb. 8. While most Republicans criticized Trump shortly after the attack, many of them have rushed to defend him in the trial, showing the former president’s enduring sway over the GOP. Chief Justice John Roberts is not presiding at the trial, as he did during Trump’s first impeachment, potentially affecting the gravitas of the proceedings. Instead, Sen. Patrick Leahy, D- Vt., who serves in the largely ceremonial role of Senate president pro tempore, was sworn in on Tuesday.

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden had his first call with Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, the White House and Kremlin said. Biden has looked to establish a break from the warm rhetoric often displayed toward Putin by his predecessor, Donald Trump. On Tuesday before his call with Putin, Biden spoke to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, pledging the United States’ commitment to the decades-old alliance founded as a bulwark against Russian aggression. Biden told Putin that his administration was assessing the SolarWinds breach and the reports that Russia offered the Taliban bounties to kill American troops in Afghanistan,. Biden on Monday told reporters he hoped the U.S. and Russia could cooperate in areas where both see benefit.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton argued that the moratorium violated federal law as well as an agreement Texas signed with the Department of Homeland Security late in the Trump administration. That agreement required Homeland Security to consult with Texas and other states before taking any action to “reduce, redirect, reprioritize, relax, or in any way modify immigration enforcement.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has rejected a Republican attempt to dismiss Donald Trump's historic second impeachment trial, a vote that allows the case on “incitement of insurrection” to move forward but also foreshadows that there may not be enough votes to convict him. At the same time, it shows it is unlikely there will be enough votes for conviction, which requires the support of all Democrats and 17 Republicans, or two-thirds of the Senate. While most Republicans criticized Trump shortly after the attack, many of them have rushed to defend him in the trial, showing the former president's enduring sway over the GOP. “If more than 34 Republicans vote against the constitutionality of the proceeding, the whole thing’s dead on arrival,” Paul said shortly before the vote." Paul said Democrats “probably should rest their case and present no case at all.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senators took oaths Tuesday to ensure “impartial justice” as jurors in Donald Trump's historic impeachment trial, proceedings that will test Republican loyalty to the former president and the power he still wields after the deadly siege at the U.S. Capitol. But some Republican senators are challenging the legitimacy of the trial and questioning whether Trump's repeated demands to overturn Joe Biden’s election really constitute “incitement of insurrection” in the Jan. 6 riot. Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky said he plans to force a vote on whether the impeachment trial of a former president is allowed under the Constitution. “A sham, this is, a travesty, a dark blot on the history of our country,” Paul said in a fiery speech on the Senate floor. He called on Senate colleagues to stop this “kangaroo court” and compared the way Trump egged on the crowd outside the White House before the mob stormed the Capitol to past speeches by Democratic lawmakers, including now-Vice President Kamala Harris.

"GM, Ford and Chrysler face an existential threat," McElroy, the analyst, said. 'Greater questions'By focusing nearly exclusively on electric, GM seems to be positioned well long term, said analyst Dan Levy at Credit Suisse. The executive zigzagged among dozens of Fords – Model A, Model B, Model C, Model F, Model K, Model N and Model R, Model S and Model T. He zeroed in on the fancy Model K, built before the Model T and selling for $2,800 at the time. Totally changed Ford," Farley said. "The electric car, I would just say, is a better car, in a way.

Senators were sworn in on Tuesday as jurors for former President Trump Donald TrumpSchumer: Impeachment trial will be quick, doesn't need a lot of witnesses Nurse to be tapped by Biden as acting surgeon general: report Schumer calls for Biden to declare climate emergency MORE's impeachment trial, which is expected to start in roughly two weeks. Sen. Patrick Leahy Patrick Joseph LeahyBiden says Trump's impeachment trial 'has to happen' House formally sends impeachment to Senate, putting Trump on trial for Capitol riot Most in new poll support Trump impeachment, want Senate conviction MORE (D-Vt.), who will preside over the Senate during the trial, swore in senators. WATCH: Sen. Patrick Leahy is sworn in as the presiding officer in Trump's second impeachment trial https://t.co/DPPUdXQxTg pic.twitter.com/OxD9EOlZd2 — Bloomberg Quicktake (@Quicktake) January 26, 2021ADVERTISEMENTUnderscoring the seriousness of the trial, senators stood at the desk to be sworn in. In addition to senators being sworn in, under the agreement a summons will also be issued on Tuesday to Trump. Trump's response to the article and House's pretrial brief will be due by Feb. 2, and Trump's pretrial brief will be due six days later.

Larry Kudlow, former National Economic Council director under Donald Trump, will host a new show on Fox Business Network. Before he was brought into the Trump administration in 2018, Kudlow was a senior contributor at CNBC. In that capacity, he hosted and appeared on programming for the Fox Business competitor, which he joined when it was founded in 1989. In a Tuesday announcement, Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott said, “Larry’s vast experience in policy making coupled with his intuitive on-air presence will add depth and insight to our business analysis programming. I’ve long admired their insightful coverage and am excited to join many of my former colleagues now at FBN, creating a show that speaks to the real issues truly impacting Americans.”Fox Business Network’s snag of Kudlow post-White House makes him the first high-profile Trump official to land a television job.

A federal judge on Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021, barred the U.S. government from enforcing a 100-day deportation moratorium that is a key immigration priority of President Joe Biden. A federal judge on Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021, barred the U.S. government from enforcing a 100-day deportation moratorium that is a key immigration priority of President Joe Biden. Tipton said the Biden administration had failed “to provide any concrete, reasonable justification for a 100-day pause on deportations.” (AP Photo/Emilio Espejel, File)HOUSTON (AP) — A federal judge on Tuesday barred the U.S. government from enforcing a 100-day deportation moratorium that is a key immigration priority of President Joe Biden. That was a reversal from Trump administration policy that made anyone in the U.S. illegally a priority for deportation. The 100-day moratorium went into effect Friday and applied to almost anyone who entered the U.S. without authorization before November.

Former White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany spent her time as the president's mouthpiece, spinning his words, attacking his enemies, and attempting to undermine the credibility of reporters. Government watchdog organisation CREW obtained a financial disclosure report that showed Ms McEnany and Fox News entered into an employment agreement on 1 January. Ms McEnany appeared frequently on Fox News in the past. Fox News issued a statement to The Hill claiming that Ms McEnany "is not currently an employee or contributor" to the at the network. A source close to the matter told The Hill that the negotiations between Fox News and Ms McEnany have been put on pause.

Republican Sen. Mitt Romney reportedly wants to keep some of the damage done during the US Capitol insurrection on 6 January. While many Republican lawmakers spoke out against the violence at the Capitol, Mr Romney was one of the few who directly blamed Donald Trump for inciting the attack. What happened here today was an insurrection, incited by the President of the United States," Mr Romney said in a statement. Mr Romney is the only Republican Senator who voted to convict Mr Trump during his first impeachment trial. Mr Romney disagreed, arguing instead that unity would only be possible through justice.

All 100 US senators have been sworn in as jurors for the upcoming impeachment trial of Donald Trump, as more than two dozen remain undecided about whether they will vote to convict the former president for inciting a bloody insurrection at the Capitol on 6 January. At Tuesday’s swearing-in, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul put forth a motion to declare the impeachment trial unconstitutional since Mr Trump is no longer in office. At least 17 Republicans must vote with all 50 Democrats (including Mr King and Independent Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont) to convict Mr Trump and bar him from ever holding federally elected office again in the future. Crucially, one of the senators who is still weighing whether to convict Mr Trump is Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, who has previously indicated the pro-Trump mob was “fed lies” by the former president about a “stolen” 2020 election. But in a sign the GOP leader has grown more and more uneasy with the prospect of voting to convict Mr Trump, Mr McConnell on Tuesday voted in favour of Mr Paul’s motion to dismiss the impeachment trial on constitutional grounds.

Regeneron's coronavirus antibody drug reduces the risk of getting COVID-19 after exposure by 50 percent, early data suggests. Regeneron's antibody cocktail (pictured, in the manufacturing process) cut the risks of developing COVID-19 after exposure by 50% early trial data show. It prevented 100% of symptomatic infectionsRegeneron's antibody drug could stand to find a new life. There were only 10 infections among the 186 people who got the IV antibody cocktail. People who got Regeneron's drug also had viral loads that were about 100-times lower, compared to people who got the placebo.

Ayanna Pressley and Cori Bush — both members of the so-called ‘squad’ of progressive Democratic representatives — have called on new president Joe Biden to save the lives of Roof and 48 others currently on federal death row. Of the 49 prisoners on death row, 21 are listed as white, 20 black, seven Latino and one Asian by the anti-execution Death Penalty Information Center. Besides Dylan Roof and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, these are the others currently on Federal death row. Agofsky is on death row for stomping fellow prisoner Luther Plant to death inside a federal penitentiary in Texas in 2004. Brandon Council, 35: Council shot bank tellers Donna Major, 59, and Katie Skeen, 36, dead during an armed bank robbery in Conway, South Carolina in August 2017.

The Senate on Tuesday confirmed Antony Blinken as America's top diplomat, tasked with carrying out President Joe Biden's commitment to reverse the Trump administration's 'America First' doctrine that weakened international alliances. Senators voted 78-22 to approve Blinken, a longtime Biden confidant, as the nation's 71st secretary of state, succeeding Mike Pompeo. Blinken, 58, served as deputy secretary of state and deputy national security adviser during the Obama administration. He is expected to start work on Wednesday after being sworn in, according to State Department officials. (AP Graphic)Blinken inherits a deeply demoralized and depleted career workforce at the State Department.

A federal judge in Texas on Tuesday temporarily blocked a move by President Joe Biden to halt the deportation of certain immigrants for a 100-day period, a swift legal setback for his ambitious immigration agenda. The Biden administration is expected to appeal the ruling, which halts the policy while both parties submit briefs on the matter. The 100-day moratorium went into effect Friday and applied to almost anyone who entered the U.S. without authorization before November. Paxton also said it went against the terms of an enforcement agreement Texas brokered with the Trump administration less than two weeks before Biden took office. Paxton also said it went against the terms of an enforcement agreement Texas brokered with the Trump administration less than two weeks before Biden took office.

Unfortunately, the Trump administration denounced the American mythos and ethos by cancelling out the American Dream. In that sense, we should extend our heartfelt congratulations to the launching of the Biden administration. We only hope that the USS Biden can sail skillfully between Scylla and Charybdis and successfully reach its destination. The compelling, urgent tasks that the Biden administration has to deal with are ubiquitous. Watching the launch of the Biden administration, we have new hope for America and the world, as well.

At least during the sacking of Washington in the war of 1812, the White House burned alongside the Capitol. But on Jan. 6, 2021 the head of the executive branch urged his followers to interfere with the operation of the legislative branch. The entire sequence of events is a reminder that congressional power has been receding relative to the executive branch for almost a century. It’s that President Joe Biden is the first career legislator to occupy the White House in nearly 50 years. Yet despite these strong reasons for both parties to favor congressional action, Congress has been steadily losing its mojo for generations.

Trump’s trial is not scheduled to begin until Feb. 9, but senators were set to be sworn in for the proceedings Tuesday. If convicted, Trump could be barred from holding future office with a subsequent majority vote. Paul sought to muster at least 34 votes to signal there are enough senators with constitutional misgivings to secure an acquittal. ADSen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) said he hoped that Tuesday’s vote would prompt Democrats to reassess if it was even worth having a trial. Rather than Roberts, presiding over the trial will be Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) — the Senate president pro tempore and longest serving senator.

And political quarrels have emerged, particularly between China and the United States, with the Trump administration assigning blame on China for the pandemic. Tightly controlledWhile WHO scientists say they hope that Chinese scientists will be forthcoming, Beijing is known to have controlled information about the coronavirus. Kevin Frayer / Getty ImagesThe problem, Huang of New Jersey’s Seton Hall University said, are the possibly contradictory motivations driving the Chinese scientists and politicians. Experts from China and the World Health Organization joint team visit the Wuhan Tongji Hospital in Wuhan in February 2020. “The last thing China wants is to publicly quarrel with the WHO, because that would look bad diplomatically and politically.”

The Senate voted 55-45 to set aside Paul's motion, with all but five GOP senators siding with Paul. The vote is the clearest sign yet that Trump is heading toward a second acquittal and offers an early insight into which Republicans are lining up behind an argument that his second impeachment trial isn't constitutional. ADVERTISEMENTTrump will be the first president to undergo a trial after leaving office, but the Senate previously held an impeachment trial for a Cabinet official after they left office. Trump will be the first president to undergo a trial after leaving office, but the Senate previously held an impeachment trial for a Cabinet official after they left office. Though some GOP senators have said they are waiting to hear presentations during the trial, a growing number appear to be latching onto the argument that the trial, which will start next month, is not constitutional.

Mitch McConnell was among Republican senators who sought to declare Donald Trump’s impeachment trial as unconstitutional, signalling that the the US Senate does not have enough votes to convict the former president. Senator Rand Paul failed to pass a motion to rule the former president’s trial as unconstitutional because he is no longer in office. The vote to table the measure passed by a vote of 55-45. Just five Republican senators – Mitt Romney, Ben Sasse, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski and Pat Toomey – were among the votes to table the measure, while 45 Republicans believe the trial is unconstitutional. Mr Trump spent several months accusing Democrats of manipulating the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.

White House adviser Kellyanne Conway speaks to reporters at the White House in Washington, U.S., August 6, 2020. "I have no comment," Kellyanne Conway told CNBC when asked about the police visit and how a photo of her daughter was posted as a Twitter Fleet. Kellyanne Conway, who had helped run former President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign, served as a senior White House advisor until last August, when she resigned. A Twitter spokesperson told CNBC, "Through technology and human review, we'll proactively remove any images that violate the Twitter Rules." Claudia Conway, in a TikTok on Monday addressing the photo of her, warned Kellyanne Conway by name that she, Kellyanne, could go to jail.

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris watches as President Joe Biden signs executive orders on his racial equity agenda at the White House in Washington, U.S., January 26, 2021. “President Biden is committed to reducing mass incarceration while making our communities safer - that starts with ending the federal government’s reliance on private prisons,” Susan Rice, Biden’s domestic policy adviser, told reporters at the White House. Shares of two leading publicly traded companies that operate private prisons fell after the White House announcement, with GEO Group Inc down 3.5% in afternoon trading and Corecivic Inc off 3.7%. Democratic former President Barack Obama’s administration tried to reduce reliance on private prisons as part of a broad effort to cut the overall prison population. It was not immediately clear when the White House would do so.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday for the first time since taking office and raised concerns about Russian activities including the treatment of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, the White House said. FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Joe Biden speaks about administration plans to strengthen American manufacturing during a brief appearance in the South Court Auditorium at the White House in Washington, U.S., January 25, 2021. White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki announced the phone call between the two leaders at her daily briefing. “President Biden reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to collective defense under Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty and underscored his commitment to strengthening transatlantic security,” a White House statement said. The arms control treaty limits the United States and Russia to deploying no more than 1,550 strategic nuclear warheads each.

President Joe Biden signs executive orders in the State Dining Room of the White House, Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)President Joe Biden signs executive orders in the State Dining Room of the White House, Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021, in Washington. In remarks before signing the order, Biden said the U.S. government needs to change “its whole approach” on the issue of racial equity. The move will effectively revert the Justice Department to the same posture it held at the end of the Obama administration. White House domestic policy adviser Susan Rice said Biden sees addressing equity issues as also good for the nation’s bottom line.

× Expand STRF/STAR MAX/IPx 2020 First100-012621 Postal Service delivery times actually went down after the election. Postal Service Board of Governors, the 11 members who operate as kind of a board of directors for one of the nation’s largest employers. Most of the people in New Jersey got their card in January.”Pascrell has been a longtime supporter of the Postal Service. Give what you can... SUPPORT THE PROSPECTThis latest recommendation falls squarely within the law: the president can absolutely fire Postal Service board members for cause. The Senate can confirm new board members by a majority vote, and Democrats are united on the Postal Service.

Take, for example, the House Foreign Affairs Committee. But that level of disclosure is far from the norm for the other think tanks most frequently appearing before the House Foreign Affairs Committee. The other three think tanks most frequently invited to House Foreign Affairs Committee hearings provide incomplete, or no, information about their funding. And they were extremely well represented before the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Heritage experts testified before the House Foreign Affairs Committee 12 times during the Republican-controlled 115th Congress and five times during the Democratic-controlled 116th Congress.

Others among the “Fight for Trump” crowd, buying into the “Wild Time” promised by the presidential twitter feed, were independent contractors, self-employed professionals, the pettiest of the petty bourgeoisie. This dangerous militia-like presence in the Trump crowd no doubt provided a good part of its discipline and preparedness. The result was that when the Trump crowd proceeded to the Capitol, it had something of a cakewalk. Race was undoubtedly an important component of this political disaffection, but a lot more was also swirling in the witch’s brew on which the Trump crowd was drunk and disorderly. Many white protesters have found themselves on the wrong, and occasionally lethal, side of law’s vengeance.

When Alice and I moved to the area in 1976, many here remembered the bloody confrontations of the 1937 Little Steel Strike. It is union contracts, negotiated by unions and employers, that forbid strikes and other direct action during the life of the contract. The booklet advocated tearing down the open-hearth furnaces being used to make steel in Youngstown and building electric furnaces up river. Until unions in the United States take these clauses out of their contracts, their hands are tied. Workers may feel they have no other option than to believe the untruthful and self-interested leadership of a Donald Trump.

Last week, I opened my work email to find further evidence that the mayor of Chicago and the Board of Education simply do not care about the well-being of teachers, students, and school staff. If it weren’t for my union, the Chicago Teachers Union, I would feel little hope. In Chicago, Mayor Lori Lightfoot has tried twice to open up schools to in-person learning. If Lightfoot and the board refuse to relent, they’ll have a big fight on their hands — one that could look like the 2019 CTU strike that lasted fifteen days. This is a fighting, democratic union that stands up — and isn’t afraid to strike — for a socially just city.

In one area, however, senior Biden officials have not only praised Trump’s endeavors but promised to carry them further: mobilizing the nation for a new Cold War, this time with China. Signs Point to a Possible US Attack on Iran December 10, 2020 Trump Is Leaving Us With a New Cold War December 8, 2020 Author pageWhy this single-minded focus on girding the nation for a catastrophic war with China, or at the very least, a mutually debilitating Cold War? This is the real China threat in the minds of America’s top leaders, and they will do whatever it takes to prevent it from occurring. A harsh Cold War environment will also stymie any hope of diverting funds from the US defense budget to domestic revival in other areas, such as health, education, and the environment. China Policy Biden’s China Problem: Resisting a New Cold War in Asia Jeet HeerIt is essential, then, that thoughtful, peace-minded people in the United States—and China, wherever feasible—take steps to oppose the rush toward a new Cold War while proposing peaceful, mutually beneficial solutions to the divisive issues in US-China relations.

Chancellor Angela Merkel arrives for a news conference at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany. In Germany, national elections will also be featuring the departure, in this case after sixteen years, of a very different kind of leader, Angela Merkel. How could this happen in a Berlin governed by a three party coalition of Social Democrats (SPD), Greens, and LINKE (the Left)? The fight is also sure to be at least as hot on the national level. And more seriously, the LINKE has thus far upheld its rejection to sending troops to battlefields or missions outside Germany.

Postal Service board and appoint replacements who in turn can get rid of Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, named, like the board, by former GOP Oval Office occupant Donald Trump. That led one big union, the Postal Workers, to demand Biden dump the USPS board so a new board can get rid of DeJoy. “Through the devastating arson of the Trump regime, the USPS Board of Governors sat silent,” Pascrell wrote Biden. And Biden can remove the entire USPS board “for cause,” Pascrell said. “After several years of unprecedented sabotage, the United States Postal Service is teetering on the brink of collapse.

Dr. Deborah Birx and Dr. Anthony Fauci at a Trump coronavirus task force meeting. | APThe top two scientists upon whom Americans depended for a year for guidance on the coronavirus pandemic are now confirming the fears of many. They are telling the nation that Trump’s response to the crisis was far worse than has generally been believed. What’s worse, the Trump administration was fully aware of the danger when it took actions it knew would kill people. While Birx spent time last week trying to save her reputation, Fauci described for the press some pretty horrifying facts about Trump’s handling of the crisis.

If the $15 minimum wage bill backed by Biden passes the entire nation will be covered by the new wage. | Steven Senne/APWASHINGTON—Joined by a top “Fight for $15 and a union” campaigner, congressional Democrats formally introduced legislation to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2025. He included the $15 minimum wage in his $1.9 trillion pandemic economic aid plan. So when the Democratic-run House OKd the $15 minimum wage in the last Congress, then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., refused to even allow hearings. The tipped minimum wage would more than double in 2022, to $4.95, then rise to $12.95 hourly in 2025 and the regular, indexed, minimum after that.

It's not just about our political figures looking great — which they certainly did on Inauguration Day — it's also about the message they send with the clothes they choose. Her decision to wear these ensembles, which showcased and uplifted emerging Black fashion designers, underscored the Biden-Harris administration's values of unity and inclusivity, and celebrates the importance of the American fashion industry. "Particularly on a day like Inauguration Day . "I don't think that she had a particular desire or interest in working to elevate the American fashion industry. We obsessed over her mix of high and low fashion, the various American designers she championed, and her overall understated elegance.

MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell has remained loyal to former President Donald Trump even as other corporate allies have jumped ship. And now, the MyPillow guy has followed him into another ignominy — getting himself, like Trump, permanently banned from Twitter for spreading misinformation. Lindell has used his account to promote false claims of election fraud since November. MyPillow guy Mike Lindell has been banished to Twitter hell with Trump pic.twitter.com/ZqyzIcsuor — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 26, 2021Trump’s and Lindell’s claims of voter fraud have been thoroughly — and repeatedly — debunked. In getting banned, Lindell joins other Trump allies, including former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon and campaign consultant Roger Stone.

A federal judge in Texas on Tuesday temporarily blocked President Joe Biden’s attempt to pause deportations for 100 days, marking the new administration’s first major defeat on immigration policy. The agreement demands that DHS provide 180 days' notice and consult with Texas before implementing certain changes to immigration policy. The moratorium on deportations, one of Biden’s key campaign promises on immigration, went into effect on January 22. The Biden administration has also argued that it has vast discretion over immigration enforcement, and that the agreements aren’t binding. There is no federal law that gives DHS the ability to “contract away” its powers over immigration enforcement to state and local authorities, it said.

Before taking office, President Joe Biden promised that racial justice would be one of the four “compounding crises” he’d tackle in his first days on the job. “Historically, whenever this country made major gains around racial justice and equity, it was because social movements led the government. Significant movement around racial justice and equity has never come from the White House, but we are encouraged they’re paying attention. Biden’s equity order also emphasizes that the administration is looking for ways to expand its communication with community-based organizations and civil rights organizations. “He’s shining a spotlight on equity and racial justice early on, and that’s a good thing,” Mitchell told Vox.

The Biden administration is inheriting a number of lawsuits aimed at breaking up big tech monopolies in the United States. Some 59 percent of people surveyed in the online poll said they supported breaking up big tech monopolies, including 24 percent who said they strongly support it. An even higher percentage — nearly two-thirds — of Americans say the economic power of these tech companies is a problem facing the US economy. The leadership at the Justice Department might be more favorable to Big Tech. Whoever ends up leading these agencies will have to consider how the American people are united — for once — in their scrutiny of Big Tech.

Donald Trump was a unique figure in 21st-century American politics, but hardly a unique one in American pop culture. It arrived at a time when the antihero drama was highly in demand and when shows like The Sopranos and The Shield became massive hits. American antihero stories and politically incorrect comedies are also inextricably linked to our nation’s structural racism, sexism, and other prejudices. Much was made in the 1980s of the way that Ronald Reagan styled himself as a cowboy or a war hero, borrowing the tropes of American movies. American pop culture didn’t create Trump, but he certainly caught a very particular wave and rode it right into the White House.

Amid Joe Biden’s flurry of executive actions in the first few days of his presidency, one in particular stands out for animal welfare and meatpacking worker advocates. Biden withdrew a Trump administration request to raise the maximum speed at which chicken plants can operate from 140 birds per minute to 175 birds per minute. That’s how line speeds got to the already astonishing rate of 140 birds per minute — 2.33 birds per second — in the first place. Sometimes, for instance, chickens miss the “stun bath” meant to knock them out and feel their throats getting sliced open. Block has repeatedly argued that the agency needs to reorient itself toward defending the interests of workers, a goal that blocking the line speeds rule certainly helps achieve.

Also on Saturday, the Arizona Republican Party passed official resolutions censuring three prominent party members — Gov. The state GOP accuses Ducey — who is, again, the sitting Republican governor — of seizing “dictatorial powers” by imposing coronavirus lockdowns. Moreover, new political science research suggests that what’s happening to these state parties is very much representative of broader national trends. Now, you might expect that this is just a reflection of national parties, that the RNC and DNC began to polarize and the state parties just followed their lead. During the recent Arizona Republican Party meeting, CNN spoke with two local GOP activists named Barbara Wyllie and Corky Haynes.

President Joe Biden on Monday raised his Covid-19 vaccination goal to 1.5 million shots a day, up from 100 million in his first 100 days (or 1 million a day), following criticism that the previous goal wasn’t ambitious enough. Then, over the weekend, the US surpassed 1 million shots a day, before Biden’s policies and executive actions had any time to really sink in. That means 245 million Americans likely have to be vaccinated, with 19 million already getting at least their first doses. At a rate of 1 million shots a day, the US may not hit herd immunity until as late as next year. Knowing this, Biden’s team is working to balance expectation-setting with finding an ambitious goal for the vaccine campaign.

Dogs are back in the White House. After four years of a dog-less Trump administration, Major and Champ, President Joe Biden's pups, have officially moved into the White House residence after they made the trip to their new D.C. residence on Sunday. Very important breaking news: Champ and Major Biden have moved into the White House pic.twitter.com/LiBh8c1qZ9 — Alli Hedges Maser (@AllisonLHedges) January 25, 2021"We're also hearing Republicans have launched an investigation into the dogs," Berman added jokingly. ?: The First Dogs arrived at the White House Sunday, including Major, the first rescue dog ever to live in the White House. The Biden family wanted to get settled in the White House before moving Champ and Major from Delaware to Washington, per First Lady Jill Biden’s office.

President Joe Biden signed an executive order Monday morning overturning the Trump-era ban on openly transgender Americans serving in the military. "President Biden believes that gender identity should not be a bar to military service, and that America’s strength is found in its diversity," the statement reads. It reversed a 2016 Obama administration mandate that lifted the previous ban on transgender service members. “This discriminatory ban cheapened the bravery and patriotism of transgender service members and transgender people seeking to serve. BREAKING: President Biden has ended the ban on transgender military service set in place under the Trump administration.

Lips, a new social network geared towards free sexual expression, aims to provide that space. The UX helping to achieve free sexual expressionOf course, deplatforming isn't just limited to sexual content or FOSTA-SESTA. Image: lips Feedback from a Lips user. One takeaway Elefante has gotten in working with Lips is similar: A social network for everyone isn't realistic. They'll also implement a machine learning system that Brown hopes will collect smarter data about online sexual content.

MSCHF, the group behind offbeat projects like Walt's Kitchen and "killing brands" on TikTok, had this forethought when they created In The Year 2024. MSCHF is domain squatting, or buying urls in the hopes of flipping them for more money. MSCHF broke the urls into 100 shares, which are available for purchase for one dollar each. If you buy shares for a url and MSCHF later sells it, you'll get a cut of the profit. UPDATE: Jan. 25, 2021, 4:57 p.m. EST An earlier version of this story reported that MSCHF broke each url into 1,000 shares instead of 100.

His assessment today:The truth is that my support for President Trump has never wavered, and has only grown over the years. President Trump did something that very few politicians in my lifetime have done: He followed through on his campaign promises. Do I wish that President Trump would continue to serve as our President for the next four years? In fact, I believe with every ounce of my being that President Trump won the 2020 Election. They are supposed to be a platform for free speech and the exchange of ideas, but instead they block President Trump and ban conservative views.

David A. Graham: Don’t let them pretend this didn’t happenAfter the election, Trump pressed Attorney General Bill Barr to turn up evidence of fraud in the voting. The president then began badgering Jeffrey Rosen, the acting attorney general, to intervene in lawsuits filed by his allies about election results and to appoint a special counsel. But Trump and Clark apparently developed a plan in which the president would fire Rosen and install Clark in his place. Trump’s real aim seems to have been giving the appearance of a federal challenge to the vote, which would have given Georgia legislators a pretext to throw out the state’s election results. The episode has to be viewed in the context of Trump’s broader effort to steal the election.

Every weekday evening, our editors guide you through the biggest stories of the day, help you discover new ideas, and surprise you with moments of delight. In his inaugural address, President Biden called for unity. He’ll find plenty of work to do in pursuit of that goal: America’s new president oversees a country brutally divided. “Although Trump will eventually exit political life, the seditionists will not,” Anne writes. In the forthcoming impeachment trial, “the Senate must make clear that attempted coups, no matter how clumsy or ineffective, are the type of crime that is answered with swift and permanent exile from American political life,” Adam Serwer writes.

The Space Force has always been more boring than its name implies, amounting to some organizational reshuffling of Air Force personnel and operations. On the day of the Capitol attack, some supporters in Washington, D.C., and around the country complemented their Trump regalia with Space Force flags. We’ll call it the Space Force,’” he said in March 2018, speaking to an audience of marines in California. “He only asks me about the Space Force every week,” then-Vice President Mike Pence joked as staff worked to formulate the plans. In public, Trump avoided the full truth of the final product—that the Space Force would operate within the Department of the Air Force rather than stand alone, that Congress stipulated that its workforce must be built from existing Air Force personnel.

Sometimes presidents lie because the politics of their actions are inconvenient. On Thursday, Biden insisted that 100 million vaccinations in 100 days was an ambitious goal that the press had declared impossible. You can’t do 100 million in 100 days.” Well, we’re going to, God willing, not only do 100 million, we’re going to do more than that. The standard should be the plain truth, even though the Biden administration will, at times, inevitably fail to meet it. Biden will lie.

Twitter did not take “Shoot” off its trending topics for at least a couple of hours — after there was public outcry and after BuzzFeed News emailed asking for comment. Calls to "shoot" farmers protesting against controversial agricultural reforms in India trended for hours on Twitter on Tuesday, as thousands of tweets encouraging police brutality against them flooded the platform. Authorities also shut down internet access in parts of the capital, something that officials in India frequently do to quash protests. Twitter: @ahmermkhan"Shoot" stayed in the Trending section on Twitter in India for at least a couple of hours. A search for “#shoot” revealed hundreds of tweets asking for police to shoot protesters.

President Joe Biden is directing the Justice Department to not renew contracts with private prisons, as part of a slew of executive orders focused on racial equity he is signing Tuesday. The Biden administration will not enter new contracts with private prisons, according to a senior administration official. Susan Rice said that the executive order would only apply to Department of Justice facilities and not to Department of Homeland Security facilities, like private ICE detention centers. “It addresses the Department of Justice prisons in the first instance and is silent on what may or may not transpire with ICE facilities,” Rice told reporters. Biden had promised to make racial equity a central part of his presidency on the campaign trail and during his inauguration last week.

On Jan. 20, Joseph R. Biden, Jr. was sworn in as the 46th President of the United States. Derek W. Black analyzes the problem with public education in the United States today, and lays out a plan to fix it, in Schoolhouse Burning. In What Can a Body Do?, Sara Hendren imagines a world built around accessibility — a vision President Biden should work to implement in the United States. As President Biden moves the United States toward a greener future, he should keep this book on his nightstand. Decades after the Americans with Disabilities Act became the law of the land, the United States still has a long way to go to become an accessible society.

But reporter Sarah Jaffe's new book Work Won’t Love You Back posits the question: does it have to feel this bad? The jobs replacing them were what I had done when I also couldn’t get a “career” job: service work. Why has the expectation to love your job become more and more pervasive over the last few decades, despite worsening conditions? What was it like working on this book when the coronavirus pandemic hit and the conditions of work changed for everyone? But when you do figure out ways to come together, it’s often the best thing about the job.

Unlike the blind support offered by the Trumpists, Pro-Trumpers are ardent supporters of the former president because of his standing in the Republican Party. They may disagree on certain issues but are careful about how they express disagreement. Examples in Congress include Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. (She self-identifies as white, according to the Center for American Women and Politics.) Maria Elvira Salazar (FL-27): The daughter of Cuban immigrants, 59, was endorsed by Trump and ran an anti-socialism campaign, which paid off in her Florida district, which is 72.7% Hispanic.

Being ready to take decisive action quickly was crucial, Sund told Congress during budget hearings last year, as he disclosed a 75% increase in threats to the Capitol under President Donald Trump. Sund told congressional leaders that he needed a $54 million budget boost, including $7 million atop an eight-figure materials budget to upgrade equipment and supplies. In 2017, the year Sund told Congress the department began experiencing the uptick in threats, Capitol Police spent nearly $10 million over a six-month period on tactical gear, cyber infrastructure and related supplies. This year, Sund earmarked $22 million of the department’s nearly $516 million budget for equipment. At least 17 Capitol police officers have been suspended while investigators look into how they handled the invasion.

Shannon Powell said it turns her stomach when she drives by the signs for Donald J. Trump State Park on the Taconic Parkway in New York. As of Tuesday, more than 160,000 people had signed a Change.org petition to rename the state park after Sojourner Truth, who after enslavement became an influential abolitionist and women's rights activist. A monument to Truth and sufrragists Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton was unveiled in Central Park last August. Previous efforts to rename the state park have stalled because Trump donated the property, and a 2006 agreement said his name should stay on the park and be displayed at its entrances. A Feb. 24, 2006, letter from a Trump attorney to the state Attorney General laid out that the property would bear Trump’s name in acknowledgement of the gift.

ET Janet Yellen Sworn in as Treasury Secretary: Live UpdatesA widespread internet outage on the East Coast disrupted work and school. With a stock market value of $840 billion, Tesla does not have trouble raising money on its own. Ms. Yellen is the nation’s 78th Treasury secretary and the first woman to assume that role in the institution’s 232-year history. Standing outside the White House, Ms. Yellen took the oath of office with her husband, the economist George Akerlof, and her son by her side. Janet L. Yellen was confirmed as Treasury secretary on Monday and was sworn in on Tuesday.

A suspected US Capitol rioter was charged by federal authorities Tuesday after investigators tracked down photos of him inside the building — including one snap that showed him smoking a joint, according to court documents. The rioter, James Bonet of Glen Falls, New York, was reported to the FBI by his co-workers after they shared a screenshot of a Facebook video that showed him smoking the joint during the Jan. 6 riot, an FBI agent wrote in an affidavit. The screenshot is captioned, “smoking at the capital building,” the court documents show. The video shows Bonet standing in the building with dozens of other President Trump supporters who stormed the buildings, according to the affidavit. “Capitol building smoking with all my people!” Bonet says in the video.

Fox News Channel’s Tucker Carlson decided to take his own swing at defending QAnon supporters, in a way. ADHe began by arguing that such a rule would boomerang on Democrats, suggesting that their comments about the Russia investigation amounted to pushing just such a baseless anti-government conspiracy theory. Just because a conspiracy hasn’t been definitively proven doesn’t mean questions about it were on the level of QAnon. ADThen Carlson turned to clips of the media supposedly overhyping the threat of QAnon. ADADIn this context, being duped by a wild conspiracy theory that alleges a massive global pedophile cabal would already seem to be a pretty big red flag.

That way they can support Trump without having to defend his indefensible actions in refusing to acknowledge his defeat and goading his violent supporters to insurrection. To do otherwise would be to risk the wrath of the conservative media, the party base, and Trump himself. Not only that, Biden’s early policy and personnel choices have been about as good as anyone on the left could have expected. No one in the Democratic Party seems to particularly care whether anyone else is loyal to Biden, not even Biden himself. ADThese internal conflicts can be problematic at times for both parties.

ADADWhile Blinken awaited confirmation, Biden and his national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, began calling U.S. partners and allies and moved to renew U.S. membership in the World Health Organization and the Paris climate accord. He began there in 1993 as a Europe specialist before moving to President Bill Clinton’s National Security Council, where he eventually became senior director for European affairs. ADADIn 2001, after the election of Republican George W. Bush as president, Blinken moved to the Senate, where he became staff director for the Foreign Relations Committee, on which then-Sen. Biden served as chairman. Under President Barack Obama, he was Vice President Biden’s chief foreign policy adviser, then deputy national security adviser to the president. In his various roles over decades in senior foreign policy positions, Blinken helped formulate Biden’s support for the war in Iraq and Biden’s rejected proposal in the Senate to divide Iraq into three autonomous regions.

The failure to meet that 2008 promise — which came after a 2007 bipartisan bill failed under a Democratic-controlled Congress — continues to echo. Even a Dream Act push failed in 2010, when five Democratic senators joined most of the Republicans in voting no. Right-wing media and obstructionist Republicans always manage to weaken their resolve — and that’s why we’ve never seen results. Biden’s decision to propose immigration reform on his first day indicates that he knows that a record-breaking turnout of Latino voters delivered states like Arizona to him. A lot of people on the ground just want to be asked to be part of the fight.

President Joe Biden has proposed some "extreme" policies that warrant more attention from the mainstream media, "The Five" co-panelist Dana Perino said on Monday. "Joe Biden sounds boring, but his policies are actually kind of extreme if you go through the executive orders. President Trump's personality was extreme, but his policies were actually, in some cases, pretty leaning right, conventional," Perino said on "The Five." The Five co-panelist said Biden's cancellation of the Keystone Pipeline is one of the examples of "extreme executive orders that really affect people at home." Being at the White House is not boring, but they also focus way too much on the White House itself and not enough on the entire federal government.

Gina Raimondo, President Biden's nominee for secretary of commerce, promised that the Biden administration will ensure that union workers who lost jobs due to the blocking of the Keystone XL pipeline will get new jobs. LAID-OFF KEYSTONE XL WORKER SAYS DECISION TO CANCEL PIPELINE 'IS GOING TO HURT A LOT OF PEOPLE'"Last week, President Biden signed an executive order canceling the Keystone pipeline, destroying 11,000 jobs including 8,000 union jobs. If you were confirmed as secretary of commerce, what would you say to those 11,00 construction workers whose jobs have been destroyed by the stroke of a pen?" "So for those workers, the answer is somebody else will get a job?" Buttigieg responded that he and the administration "are very eager to see those workers continue to be employed in good-paying union jobs, even if they might be different ones."

Generally, you can't refuse what's considered "suitable work," whether it's a new job offer or a call to return to a reopened workplace, and still receive unemployment insurance. In more traditional times, suitable work is thought of as a job that matches your skill set and pays a similar rate as your old one. For example, you can't just walk into your work facility, see that no one's wearing a mask, walk off the job and later file for unemployment. These individuals may qualify for the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance federal program, which currently phases out by mid-April. It's worth remembering that a general fear of contracting the virus isn't enough of a cause to refuse suitable work.

Biden has looked to establish a sharp break from the warm rhetoric often displayed toward Putin by his predecessor, Donald Trump. And on Tuesday before his call with Putin, Biden spoke to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, pledging the United States' commitment to the decades-old alliance founded as a bulwark against Russian aggression. Biden told Putin that his administration was assessing the SolarWinds breach and the press allegations that Russia offered the Taliban bounties to kill American troops in Afghanistan. Biden, in his call with Putin, broke sharply with Trump by declaring that he knew that Russia attempted to interfere with both the 2016 and 2020 elections. Biden on Monday told reporters he hoped the U.S. and Russia could cooperate in areas where both see benefit.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday for the first time since taking office and raised concerns about Russian activities including the treatment of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, the White House said. FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Joe Biden speaks about administration plans to strengthen American manufacturing during a brief appearance in the South Court Auditorium at the White House in Washington, U.S., January 25, 2021. REUTERS/Kevin LamarqueWhite House spokeswoman Jen Psaki announced the phone call between the two leaders at her daily briefing. It came as Biden adjusts U.S. policy in a more robust way toward Russia after his predecessor, Donald Trump refused to take on Putin directly. “President Biden reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to collective defense under Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty and underscored his commitment to strengthening transatlantic security,” a White House statement said.

REUTERS/Stephen Lam/File Photo(Reuters) - Twitter Inc on Tuesday opened free access to its new application programming interface (API) software for academic researchers, enabling them to study public conversations on its platform, but is not providing data from suspended accounts as part of the product. Twitter said, with the new product, academic researchers will be able to tap into all the tools released to date on the new API platform, which will enable them to listen to and analyze public conversations. Twitter this summer rolled out a rebuilt version of its API platform, which provides tiered access to public Twitter data that users have chosen to share. With the API tools, researchers will have free access to the full history of public conversation and higher levels of access to the Twitter developer platform, among others, the social media firm said in a blog post here. On Monday, Facebook said it would provide academic researchers information on how political advertisements were targeted in the lead-up to the U.S. presidential election last year.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican Senator Rand Paul on Tuesday planned to force a U.S. Senate vote on whether Donald Trump’s upcoming impeachment trial on a charge of inciting this month’s deadly Capitol siege is unconstitutional because Trump is no longer president. There is a debate among scholars over whether the Senate can hold a trial for Trump now that he has left office. He also opposes plans to have Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy preside at the trial instead of U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts. Fellow Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski, who has been critical of Trump, rejected Paul’s move. First elected to the chamber in 1974, Leahy, 80, is the most senior Democrat in the chamber and holds the title of Senate president pro tempore.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A federal judge in Texas on Tuesday temporarily blocked a move by U.S. President Joe Biden to halt the deportation of certain immigrants for a 100-day period, a swift legal setback for the new Democratic president’s ambitious immigration agenda. U.S. District Judge Drew Tipton, an appointee of former President Donald Trump in the Southern District of Texas, issued a temporary restraining order that blocks the policy nationwide for 14 days following a legal challenge by Texas.

Biden also intended to support Ukrainian sovereignty and his goal of extending a nuclear arms treaty for five years with Russia, Psaki said. The two leaders agreed to “work urgently” to extend the nuclear treaty by Feb. 5, when the deal is slated to expire, according to the Biden administration’s readout of the call. The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty limits the two nation's deployed nuclear weapons to 1,550 each. Biden and Putin agreed to be transparent and communicate consistently, according to the readout. Biden has pledged to "restore dignified leadership at home and respected leadership on the world stage" in wake of Trump's foreign policy.

President Joe Biden signed an executive order Tuesday condemning the wave of anti-Asian racism accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, a largely symbolic measure but one that nevertheless stands in stark contrast to the actions of his predecessor, who actively fomented racism against Asian Americans. Since the beginning of last year, Asian Americans have experienced a surge in racist attacks and harassment related to the COVID-19 pandemic. A coalition of AAPI advocacy groups and scholars called STOP AAPI HATE started collecting these incidents in an online database. In September, the House passed legislation similar to Biden’s executive order. This is a time for the Biden-Harris administration to take bold action.”Tuesday’s executive order was part of a series of executive orders regarding racial equity and civil rights.

HOUSTON (AP) — A federal judge on Tuesday barred the U.S. government from enforcing a 100-day deportation moratorium that is a key immigration priority of President Joe Biden. U.S. District Judge Drew Tipton issued a temporary restraining order sought by Texas, which sued on Friday against a Department of Homeland Security memo that instructed immigration agencies to pause most deportations. That was a reversal from Trump administration policy that made anyone in the U.S. illegally a priority for deportation. The 100-day moratorium went into effect Friday and applied to almost anyone who entered the U.S. without authorization before November. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton argued that the moratorium violated federal law as well as an agreement Texas signed with the Department of Homeland Security late in the Trump administration.

In an eight-minute YouTube video that an unidentified witness brought to the FBI’s attention, Straka can be seen storming the Capitol with the crowd. The people are going.”As Straka and the crowd pushed forward, a U.S. Capitol officer held up his shield in an attempt to stop the crowd from advancing. Several people pulled on the shield as the officer grabbed it, thus pulling the officer deeper into the crowd. Five people died as a result of the day’s events, including U.S. Capitol police Officer Brian Sicknick. Straka spoke at a 2019 Trump rally in Cincinnati, where he was an opener for a lineup that included Trump, then-Vice President Mike Pence and Donald Trump Jr., Talking Points Memo noted.

Biden has looked to establish a sharp break from the warm rhetoric often displayed toward Putin by his predecessor, Donald Trump. ASSOCIATED PRESS Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting via video conference at the Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021. And on Tuesday before his call with Putin, Biden spoke to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, pledging the United States’ commitment to the decades-old alliance founded as a bulwark against Russian aggression. Biden told Putin that his administration was assessing the SolarWinds breach and the press allegations that Russia offered the Taliban bounties to kill American troops in Afghanistan. ASSOCIATED PRESS In this March 10, 2011, file photo, then-Vice President of the United States Joe Biden, left, shakes hands with then-Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in Moscow, Russia.

Rubio is consistent: He insists that holding Trump accountable is more polarizing than Trump’s actual behavior. In November, after a pro-Trump caravan swarmed a Biden campaign bus in Texas, Rubio gushed at a Trump rally: “I saw yesterday a video of these people in Texas. All the cars on the road, we love what they did.”)Despite his fawning support, Rubio has reportedly been threatened with a primary challenge from Ivanka Trump. The point about witnesses is ironic, since Rubio himself voted against hearing any witnesses during Trump’s first trial. But one way or another, the Senate’s verdict will set a precedent; are presidents above the law?

Bringing people back to reality is a bottom-up effort, according to experts who have worked directly with adherents to conspiracy ideologies. Since he left government, Blackburn has consulted extensively with law enforcement and nonprofit organizations to rehabilitate people who have succumbed to extremist ideologies. But shutting down the biggest sources of intelligence on extremist group activities will make them harder to track. And it needs to be part of a larger strategy as Trump-supporting conspiracy theorists, white supremacists and QAnon devotees go further underground on the internet. If the Biden administration is going to prioritize domestic deradicalization, it needs to act swiftly, while extremists and conspiracy theorists are seeing cracks in their ideologies.

The Senate confirmed Antony Blinken as President Joe Biden's secretary of state on Tuesday with overwhelming bipartisan support. Blinken must be confirmed so we can start addressing the challenges we face abroad," Sen. Bob Menenedez, D-N.J., said ahead of the vote. Blinken has served Biden in various roles for over two decades, including as a staff member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. But not all U.S. foreign policy under Blinken will be a repudiation of the Trump administration. He has said the Trump administration was right in taking a tougher approach to China, and he has committed to keeping the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem, where it was moved under Trump.

NEW YORK (AP) — A California man disgruntled about the presidential election result was arrested Tuesday on charges alleging he threatened family members of a New York congressman and a journalist in text messages sent during the attack on the Capitol, authorities said. Robert Lemke, 35, was arrested in Bay Point, California, on charges filed in Manhattan federal court. He was scheduled to make an initial appearance in federal court in Northern California on Wednesday. The identities of the member of Congress and the journalist were not revealed in court papers. “Rather than peaceably disagree, Lemke allegedly threatened to harm those individuals’ families, demanding they retract their statements,” she said.

The Cambridge, Mass.-based biotech said it has already delivered more than 30 million doses of the vaccine to the U.S. government. About 10.1 million doses of the vaccine have by now been administered in the U.S., the company said, citing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. Investors will also eye how the Fed communicates over the recent worries around inflationary pressures building up this year. The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller 20-city price index posted a 9.1% year-over-year gain in November, up from 8% the previous month. The Conference Board said its index of consumer confidence rose to 89.3 this month from a revised 87.1 in December.

Biden has looked to establish a sharp break from the warm rhetoric often displayed toward Putin by his predecessor, Donald Trump. And on Tuesday before his call with Putin, Biden spoke to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, pledging the United States’ commitment to the decades-old alliance founded as a bulwark against Russian aggression. Biden told Putin that his administration was assessing the SolarWinds breach and the press allegations that Russia offered the Taliban bounties to kill American troops in Afghanistan. The call came as Putin considers the aftermath of pro-Navalny protests that took place in more than 100 Russian cities over the weekend. Biden on Monday told reporters he hoped the U.S. and Russia could cooperate in areas where both see benefit.

"I saw the president presenting graphs that I never made...."Dr. Deborah Birx, the former coronavirus response coordinator under former President Donald Trump, revealed on Sunday that the White House used data and graphs she didn't prepare. Asked whether she thought the Biden administration was set up for failure by the Trump White House's response the virus, Dr. Birx said this: "If I thought that was true, I wouldn’t be sleeping right now." This after the Trump administration fell far short of its vaccine promises. Story continues- Dr. Deborah Birx, the former coronavirus response coordinator under former President Donald Trump, revealed on Sunday that the White House used data and graphs she didn't prepare. - Asked whether she thought the Biden administration was set up for failure by the Trump White House's response to the virus, Dr. Birx said this.

The setup inherited from the Trump administration has been marked by miscommunication and unexplained bottlenecks, with shortages reported in some places even as vaccine doses remain on the shelf. “I can’t tell you how much vaccine we have," she told “Fox News Sunday,” describing the problem as a challenge left by the outgoing Trump administration. “And if I can’t tell it to you, then I can’t tell it to the governors, and I can’t tell it to the state health officials. If they don’t know how much vaccine they’re getting, not just this week, but next week and the week after, they can’t plan.”On Monday, Florida Gov. In the New Orleans area, Ochsner Health said Monday that inadequate supply forced the cancellation last week of 21,400 first-dose appointments but that second-dose appointments aren’t affected.

Tasos KatopodisFormer White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany is apparently in talks to sign with Fox News, according to reports. McEnany did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but according to journalist Yashar Ali, the network claims McEnany is not yet employed there. McEnany previously worked at Fox News early in her media career, as a producer for Mike Huckabee’s show and making regular appearances on shows like Red Eye. Following the president’s electoral defeat, she made near-nightly appearances on pro-Trump Fox host Sean Hannity’s primetime program to boost her boss’ baseless election-fraud conspiracy theories. Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you.

President Biden answers questions from reporters Monday at the White House complex. (Evan Vucci / Associated Press)President Biden will take action Tuesday to disavow another aspect of his predecessor's legacy — racial animus toward Asian Americans, which rose sharply during a pandemic that President Trump blamed on "the China virus." Another executive order will reinstate and expand a fair-housing regulation from 2015 that Trump repealed last year. "We'll hold the federal government accountable for advancing equity for families across America," Susan Rice, director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, told reporters. The White House announced the creation of a task force to help reduce "domestic violent extremism," but offered few additional details.

Racial justice is one of the administration’s top priorities, alongside the pandemic and the economy, he said. It has the potential to advance the cause of racial justice on several key fronts. Erasing Trump’s Most Egregious ActionsThe executive order on racial justice erased two of the Trump administration’s most blatantly racist policies. In addition to rolling back Trump’s executive order on race, Biden also reversed Trump’s Muslim ban and his ban on transgender people serving in the military; two more blows against religious and sex discrimination. Rooting Out Systemic InequitiesBut along with reversing Trump’s white supremacist policies, the executive order on racial justice directs federal agencies to audit their policies and practices to root out systemic inequities.

President Joe Biden signed an executive order Tuesday condemning the wave of anti-Asian racism accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, a largely symbolic measure but one that nevertheless stands in stark contrast to the actions of his predecessor, who actively fomented racism against Asian Americans. A coalition of AAPI advocacy groups and scholars called STOP AAPI HATE started collecting these incidents in an online database. In September, the House passed legislation similar to Biden’s executive order. The nonbinding resolution condemned and denounced “any and all anti-Asian sentiment in any form” and urged federal, state and local officials to document, investigate and collect data on any reports of anti-Asian hate incidents. This is a time for the Biden-Harris administration to take bold action.”Tuesday’s executive order was part of a series of executive orders regarding racial equity and civil rights.

TEL AVIV (AP) — Israel's military chief Tuesday warned the Biden administration against rejoining the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, even if it toughens its terms, adding he's ordered his forces to step up preparations for possible offensive action against Iran during the coming year. The 2015 deal put curbs on Iran's nuclear program in exchange for the easing of crippling economic sanctions. Israel strongly opposed the deal, saying it did not include sufficient safeguards to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. Kohavi said that given the threat posed by Iran, Israel's military would be prepared to attack on its own if needed. Just hours before Kohavi spoke against a deal, Iran prodded Biden to rejoin the atomic accord.

The deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA, introduced strict limits on Iran's nuclear program in return for easing economic sanctions. Related: The imprisonment of a fourth American could derail a bid by the Biden administration to revive a nuclear agreement with Iran. Story continuesAs a candidate, Biden said he would have the United States return to the agreement if Iran met its obligations under the deal. Related: Past assassinations of other scientists and the head of Iran’s missile program exposed security gaps but didn't halt Iran’s nuclear or missile projects. "We are ready to engage on a comprehensive exchange of all prisoners or detainees on both sides, in the United States, in Iran, and those that are waiting to be extradited to the United States.

Security screeners confiscated guns at airport checkpoints at a record pace last year, although the total number of guns dropped along with the pandemic-induced plunge in travelers. The Transportation Security Administration said Tuesday that screeners found 3,257 firearms on passengers or in their carry-on bags in 2020, or about 10 for every 1 million travelers. The rate was double that in 2019, when screeners found five guns for every million passengers. AdvertisementFederal law prohibits passengers other than certain law enforcement officers from bringing guns or ammunition into the cabin. Airlines don’t have to permit guns, even in checked bags.

President Joe Biden on Tuesday is ordering the Department of Justice to end its reliance on private prisons and acknowledge the central role the government has played in implementing discriminatory housing policies, White House officials say. Beyond calling on the Justice Department to curb the use of private prisons, the new orders will recommit the federal government to respect tribal sovereignty and disavow discrimination against the Asian American and Pacific Islander community over the coronavirus pandemic. The order to end the reliance on privately run prisons directs the attorney general not to renew Justice Department contracts with privately operated criminal detention facilities. The move will effectively revert the Justice Department to the same posture it held at the end of the Obama administration. Rice, in her comments to reporters, also made clear that Biden sees addressing equity issues as also good for the nation's bottom line.

PROVIDENCE — “I do not believe you will be serving as the governor of Rhode Island for very much longer.”AdvertisementCommerce secretary nominee confirmation hearing Share Email to a Friend Embed Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo answered questions during the confirmation hearing for commerce secretary. Reed told the committee that he has known Raimondo since she was born, and their families regularly vacationed together when they were young. Whitehouse offered a more straightforward pitch to his colleagues: “You will like working with Secretary Raimondo,” he said. Senator Jacky Rosen of Nevada also used part of her speaking time to urge her colleagues to swiftly confirm Raimondo. Republican Senator Rick Scott of Florida questions Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo, the nominee for Secretary of Commerce, during her Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee confirmation hearing,Jan.

His approval rating is well above 50 percent. Yes, it feels like President Biden is having himself a bit of a political honeymoon since taking office less than a week ago. So, yes, when new president is sworn in and suddenly has an approval rating 23 points higher than his predecessor, it does feel like something different. From Harry Truman through Ronald Reagan, presidents’ first years featured approval ratings in the 60 percent to 70 percent range. On the flip side, any president following Trump would also probably do better in public opinion polls compared to Trump’s historic unpopularity.

Biden has looked to establish a sharp break from the warm rhetoric often displayed toward Putin by his predecessor, Donald Trump. And on Tuesday before his call with Putin, Biden spoke to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, pledging the United States’ commitment to the decades-old alliance founded as a bulwark against Russian aggression. Biden told Putin that his administration was assessing the SolarWinds breach and the press allegations that Russia offered the Taliban bounties to kill American troops in Afghanistan. Biden said the United States is willing to defend itself and will take action, which could include further sanctions, to ensure that Moscow does not act with impunity, according to the administration officials. Biden, in his call with Putin, broke sharply with Trump by declaring that he knew that Russia attempted to interfere with both the 2016 and 2020 elections.

By Jonathan Lemire and Matthew Lee | Associated PressWASHINGTON — President Joe Biden had his first call with Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, the White House and Kremlin said. Biden has looked to establish a break from the warm rhetoric often displayed toward Putin by his predecessor, Donald Trump. On Tuesday before his call with Putin, Biden spoke to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, pledging the United States’ commitment to the decades-old alliance founded as a bulwark against Russian aggression. Biden told Putin that his administration was assessing the SolarWinds breach and the reports that Russia offered the Taliban bounties to kill American troops in Afghanistan. Biden, in his call with Putin, broke sharply with Trump by declaring that he knew that Russia attempted to interfere with both the 2016 and 2020 elections.

As the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump approaches, Facebook and Twitter are allowing the Oregon Republican Party to make false claims that the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol was not perpetrated by the former President’s supporters. Trump was impeached Jan. 13 in the U.S. House of Representatives on a charge of inciting insurrection over the assault on the Capitol. Five people including a police officer beaten with a fire extinguisher died in connection with events at the Capitol that day. Facebook, asked about the “false flag” assertion, did not explain why it was allowing the false claim to remain on its website. Twitter described the claim as the Oregon GOP’s “opinion as a party” despite the party asserting as fact non-existent “growing evidence” of a false flag operation.

Castro is one of nine impeachment managers picked to seek Trump’s conviction in connection to the deadly insurrection at the Capitol. A position on the House impeachment team is a coveted one. The chamber, which acquitted Trump in his first impeachment trial, is currently split 50-50 between Republicans and Democrats. Here are other takeaways from Castro’s chat with The News:ICYMI - U.S. House Impeachment Managers deliver Article of Impeachment against former President Trump to U.S. Senate. Cruz, for instance, has already called Trump’s impeachment “petty, vindictive, mean-spirited and divisive.”Castro insisted that the goal was to “convince the senators – all of them – to convict.”

Biden has looked to establish a sharp break from the warm rhetoric often displayed toward Putin by his predecessor, Donald Trump. And on Tuesday before his call with Putin, Biden spoke to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, pledging the United States’ commitment to the decades-old alliance founded as a bulwark against Russian aggression. Biden told Putin that his administration was assessing the SolarWinds breach and the press allegations that Russia offered the Taliban bounties to kill American troops in Afghanistan. Biden, in his call with Putin, broke sharply with Trump by declaring that he knew that Russia attempted to interfere with both the 2016 and 2020 elections. Biden on Monday told reporters he hoped the U.S. and Russia could cooperate in areas where both see benefit.

MOSCOW — Russia and the United States exchanged documents Tuesday to extend the New START nuclear treaty, their last remaining arms control pact, the Kremlin said. “In the nearest days, the parties will complete the necessary procedures that will ensure further functioning” of the pact, the Kremlin said. Lawmakers in the Kremlin-controlled parliament said it would complete the necessary moves to extend the pact this week. Biden indicated during the campaign that he favored the preservation of the New START treaty, which was negotiated during his tenure as U.S. vice president. Trump’s administration then proposed to extend New START for just one year and also sought to expand it to include limits on battlefield nuclear weapons.

With Washington and the rest of the United States on high alert after the Capitol violence, some fear that the features that make Telegram a popular tool for organizing resistance to authoritarian regimes could be used by the far right and extreme supporters of Trump to cause further mayhem. Already the FBI has warned police chiefs across the country to be on the lookout for potential attacks by armed militia groups and racist extremists.

By JONATHAN LEMIRE and MATTHEW LEEWASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden had his first call with Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, the White House and Kremlin said. Biden has looked to establish a break from the warm rhetoric often displayed toward Putin by his predecessor, Donald Trump. On Tuesday before his call with Putin, Biden spoke to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, pledging the United States’ commitment to the decades-old alliance founded as a bulwark against Russian aggression. Biden told Putin that his administration was assessing the SolarWinds breach and the reports that Russia offered the Taliban bounties to kill American troops in Afghanistan,. Biden, in his call with Putin, broke sharply with Trump by declaring that he knew that Russia attempted to interfere with both the 2016 and 2020 elections.

WASHINGTON -- President Joe Biden on Tuesday will order on the Department of Justice to end its reliance on private prisons and acknowledge the central role the government has played in implementing discriminatory housing policies, White House officials say. The order to end the reliance on privately run prisons directs the attorney general not to renew Justice Department contracts with privately operated criminal detention facilities. The move will effectively revert the Justice Department to the same posture it held at the end of the Obama administration. The latest executive actions come after Biden signed an order Monday reversing a Trump-era Pentagon policy that largely barred transgender people from serving in the military. Last week, he signed an order reversing Trump's ban on travelers from several predominantly Muslim and African countries.

What workers need is a living wage, not a minimum one. Paying workers a living wage is a question of willingness, not ability, for much of corporate America. A similar bipartisan rigor around the minimum wage debate would be refreshing. It can start with a recognition that a minimum wage isn't the bogeyman many fear. It generates an annual income of just more than $31,000 a year — which still isn't a living wage in most places.

The CEO of MyPillow, Mike Lindell, has been banned from Twitter because of repeated violations of its civic integrity policy. Lindell has continued to falsely claim that Donald Trump won the 2020 presidential election. Last week Lindell had said that several major retailers including Kohl’s, Bed Bath & Beyond and Wayfair told him they would no longer carry his products. According to the Associated Press, “Following the storming of the U.S. Capitol earlier this month, Twitter has banned over 70,000 accounts for sharing misinformation. Trump, who had urged on the mob, has also had his account permanently suspended.”READ MORE

Senators voted 78-22 to approve Blinken, a longtime Biden confidant, as the nation’s 71st secretary of state, succeeding Mike Pompeo. Blinken, 58, served as deputy secretary of state and deputy national security adviser during the Obama administration. He is expected to start work on Wednesday after being sworn in, according to State Department officials. Blinken inherits a deeply demoralized and depleted career workforce at the State Department. Blinken served on the National Security Council during the Clinton administration before becoming staff director for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee when Biden was chair of the panel.

Detroit — Anthony Adams, who served as deputy mayor in former mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's administration, is joining the 2021 race for the city's top office. Adams officially announced his bid for Detroit mayor on Tuesday, saying the city can no longer afford Mayor Mike Duggan's "benign neglect." Adams' campaign is focused on reducing crime and reforming police practices and addressing the over-taxation of homeowners, structural racism, hunger and water shutoffs. "Folks in this town don't need to be managed and loitered over, they need to be empowered (and) economically developed." The former Detroit school board president is the first prominent challenger for Duggan, who announced last month his bid for a third term.

Jonathan Lemire and Matthew LeeAssociated PressWashington – President Joe Biden had his first call with Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, the White House and Kremlin said. Biden has looked to establish a break from the warm rhetoric often displayed toward Putin by his predecessor, Donald Trump. On Tuesday before his call with Putin, Biden spoke to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, pledging the United States’ commitment to the decades-old alliance founded as a bulwark against Russian aggression. Biden told Putin that his administration was assessing the SolarWinds breach and the reports that Russia offered the Taliban bounties to kill American troops in Afghanistan,. Biden, in his call with Putin, broke sharply with Trump by declaring that he knew that Russia attempted to interfere with both the 2016 and 2020 elections.

Today is Day 7 of the Biden presidency. Two people with knowledge of Biden’s plans outlined the proposed moratorium, which will be announced Wednesday. They asked not to be identified because the plan has not been made been public; some details remain in flux. The moratorium is intended to allow time for officials to review the impact of oil and gas drilling on the environment and climate. Read more:IN OTHER BIDEN NEWS

The setup inherited from the Trump administration has been marked by miscommunication and unexplained bottlenecks, with shortages reported in some places even as vaccine doses remain on the shelf. “I can’t tell you how much vaccine we have,” she told “Fox News Sunday,” describing the problem as a challenge left by the outgoing Trump administration. “And if I can’t tell it to you, then I can’t tell it to the governors, and I can’t tell it to the state health officials. If they don’t know how much vaccine they’re getting, not just this week, but next week and the week after, they can’t plan.”On Monday, Florida Gov. In the New Orleans area, Ochsner Health said Monday that inadequate supply forced the cancellation last week of 21,400 first-dose appointments but that second-dose appointments aren’t affected.

Biden’s approach has met with approval from some former U.S. diplomats who have dealt with Russia and are looking forward to seeing how Biden’s team, including national security adviser Jake Sullivan and his nominee to be the No. 3 at the State Department, Victoria Nuland, delineates the contours of Russia policy. Nuland, who held the Europe portfolio at the State Department in President Barack Obama’s second term, is reviled by Putin and his aides in particular for her support of pro-Western politicians in Ukraine. But their starting position is complicated, they say, particularly given Putin’s experience in dealing with Trump, who frequently undercut his own administration’s hawkish stance on Russia by privately trying to cozy up to the Russian leader. Trump also was frequently ill-prepared for foreign leader calls, ignoring warnings from staff, limiting those who could listen on the calls and, especially after calls with Putin, telling very few aides what was discussed.

U.S. Sen. Rand Paul again condemned former President Donald Trump's second impeachment as a "sham" Tuesday as he prepares to force the Senate to vote on the constitutionality of the ensuing trial. The U.S. House of Representatives recently impeached Trump and has charged him with inciting an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Pro-Trump rioters breached the Capitol that day and forced Congress to temporarily halt its certification of President Joe Biden's victory. More:Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul calls Trump impeachment a 'sham,' calls for boycottIn Paul's speech on the Senate floor early Tuesday afternoon, he made it clear he does not think Trump incited an insurrection and criticized Democrats for pursuing this impeachment process. (The House's vote to impeach Trump included several Republican supporters, although the vast majority of the chamber's conservative members opposed it.)

A number of pro-Trump rioters who stormed the Capitol wore clothing with anti-Semitic messages—the latest sign of a growing problem in America. From 2015 to 2019, anti-Semitic incidents jumped to nearly a record high, according to the Anti-Defamation League. The most recent numbers show the highest number of anti-Semitic incidents in its recorded history. I think we're now moving into a dangerous new phase and it's going to require government and business and civil society to work hand in hand. That history is front and center for Annie Polland, president of the Tenement Museum in New York.

Joe Biden signed four more executive orders on Tuesday, as he aimed to fulfil a campaign promise to increase racial equity in the US. “We’ll hold the federal government accountable for advancing racial equity for families across America,” said Susan Rice, Biden’s domestic policy council director. “These [orders] are a continuation of our initial steps to advance racial justice and equity through early executive action,” Rice told reporters on Tuesday. The fourth Biden order on Tuesday was aimed at fighting xenophobia against Asian Americans and Pacific islanders. The executive order also directed the justice department to work with Asian American and Pacific island communities to fight harassment and hate crimes.

Fox News denied on Tuesday that the former White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany had joined the conservative TV channel, after a government ethics watchdog reported that she had. Before entering the White House, McEnany worked for both Fox News and CNN. McEnany was Donald Trump’s fourth White House press secretary, succeeding Sean Spicer, Sanders and Stephanie Grisham in April 2020. “I will never lie to you,” she declared on her debut in the White House briefing room. McEnany spent her last days in the White House role repeating Trump’s baseless claims that the election was stolen.

They Lost Sons To Drug Overdoses: How The Pandemic May Be Fueling Deaths Of DespairEnlarge this image toggle caption Alex Brandon/AP Alex Brandon/APKaren Butcher's son Matthew struggled for years with an addiction to opioids. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned last month that the pandemic may have contributed to a rise in deadly drug overdoses. She notes that overdose deaths were already climbing sharply the year before the coronavirus took hold. "There's this horribly dangerous, deadly drug on the market that is responsible for this explosion of drug overdoses," Case said. Drug overdoses, suicides and alcohol-related deaths killed 165,000 Americans in 2019.

President Joe Biden’s nominee Antony Blinken has been confirmed by the Senate as the next Secretary of State after a bipartisan confirmation vote with a final tally of 78-22. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee moved forward with the nomination to the Senate floor after Mr Blinken got strong bipartisan support, with the committee voting 15-3 to move his confirmation forward, Reuters reported. Mr Blinken served as Deputy Secretary of State during the Obama administration, from 2015 to 2017. Mr Blinken speaks French and is the step-son of a Holocaust survivor, something which he says shaped his worldview, Axios writes. During his testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Mr Blinken said: "Humility and confidence should be the flip sides of America's leadership coin.

'Let me be clear: the Department should have been more prepared for this attack,' she continued. 'By January 4th, the Department knew that the January 6th event would not be like any of the previous protests held in 2020. We also knew that some of these participants were intending to bring firearms and other weapons to the event. More than 150 of the thousands-strong crowd have since been arrested, with more suspects still being sought by federal authorities. At least 31 officers in law enforcement agencies across 12 states are also currently being investigated over their suspect role in the riots.

White House medical officials have provided COVID-19 to several hundred White House staffers as they seek to banish the virus from a building that has seen super-spreader events. Hundreds of staff in office of the president have been vaccinated, the White House saidVice President Kamala Harris was to visit the N.I.H. I think we'll be able to do that this spring,' Biden said at the White House Monday. White House spokesman Kevin Munos confirmed the vaccination effort. The move comes after the White House was the site of multiple potential super-spreader events during the Trump administration.

Former White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany had a job offer with Fox News put on hold after the MAGA riot at the Capitol earlier this month. She filed the report ahead of her departure from Donald Trump's White House. But a Fox spokesperson told DailyMail.com that 'Kayleigh McEnany is not currently an employee or contributor at FOX News.' There were discussions between the cable news network, where McEnany was a familiar face during her time as White House press secretary, and McEnany but they were put on hold. Former White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany had a job offer with Fox News put on hold after the MAGA riot at the CapitolKayleigh McEnany was a frequent face on Fox News during her White House tenureAfter the election, McEnany made 20 appearances on Fox News, according to a tally by The Washington Post.

President Joe Biden has phoned Russian President Vladimir Putin for the first time in office – and raised a series of sensitive issues that stand between the U.S. and Russia. President Joe Biden called Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, the White House said. 'He called President Putin this afternoon with the intent of discussing our willingness to extent New START for five years. During his infamous Helsinki meeting with Putin, Trump appeared to accept his denials of interfering in the U.S. elections, despite what U.S. intelligence agencies concluded. President Trump made his infamous July 25 call to Ukrainian President Volodym Zelensky seeking an investigation of the Bidens.

(AP) - President Joe Biden on Tuesday will order on the Department of Justice to end its reliance on private prisons and acknowledge the central role the government has played in implementing discriminatory housing policies, White House officials say. “America has never lived up to its founding promise of equality for all, but we’ve never stopped trying,” Biden tweeted on Tuesday morning. The order to end the reliance on privately run prisons directs the attorney general not to renew Justice Department contracts with privately operated criminal detention facilities. The move will effectively revert the Justice Department to the same posture it held at the end of the Obama administration. The latest executive actions come after Biden signed an order Monday reversing a Trump-era Pentagon policy that largely barred transgender people from serving in the military.

“I would agree that we need some reform in Section 230 and I would look forward to working with you on that,” said Raimondo, who is currently the Democratic governor of Rhode Island. Biden said during his presidential campaign that Section 230 should be revoked, but he has largely not detailed plans moving forward regarding tech regulation. Biden’s reasoning behind revoking Section 230 differs from his predecessor. Raimondo voiced similar concerns during her confirmation hearing, noting that she has seen the impact of misinformation narratives in Rhode Island. I've seen in my own state that misinformation hurts people — misinformation posted anonymously or otherwise can hurt people,” Raimondo said.

Kayleigh McEnany only spent nine months as Donald Trump’s White House press secretary but ultimately used what little time she had there restoring dignity and truth to the West Wing briefing room. Instead she continued the long tradition of telling blatant lies to the press established by her predecessors Sean Spicer and Sarah Huckabee Sanders, and snapping at reporters when called out on said lies. Now that her time in the White House has drawn to a close—no thanks to her own efforts attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 election—McEnany is looking for employment elsewhere and you might want to sit down before hearing the never-saw-it-coming organization the ex–White House mouthpiece is in talks with. News of discussions with Fox News followed a CREW report suggesting a deal was already done, based on McEnany’s financial disclosure form. — Trump Makes an Exit With His Brand in Tatters— From the Archive: How Donald Trump Turned Palm Beach Against Him— Not a subscriber?

It appears to be sweeps week in Canadian politics — when troublesome political players get swept right out of the action. Just as Americans are getting ready to shake off the hangover of the Trump years, Canadian politics seems to be going through its own detoxifying exercise as 2021 begins. “Trump politics not welcome here,” might well have been the headline. Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading...A flurry of personnel departures in the past week, all greeted with relief, would seem to point to steps taken in that direction. It’s not a total sweep in the Canadian political world, but it’s a good start.

Top Republicans have rapidly shifted from blaming Trump for the Capitol attack to bashing Democrats for impeaching him over it. But just a few weeks later, they're already singing a different tune as the Senate prepares for Trump's impeachment trial. Eight days after McCarthy said Trump "bears responsibility," he told reporters that Trump did not provoke the attack. On January 17, the South Carolina Republican called on President Joe Biden to oppose Trump's impeachment. "President Trump has not always chosen the right words," Haley reportedly said.

The Associated Press first reported Mr Biden and Mr Putin’s phone call. Mr Biden is eager to set a new tone for the US in its relationship with Russia, its Cold War adversary throughout the back half of the 20th century that has sought to undermine American democracy and re-establish itself on the world stage under Mr Putin these last two decades. While Mr Biden has broken with Mr Trump by directly confronting Mr Putin election interference, the Afghan bounty scheme, and the 2020 cyber attack, the two leaders’ conversation on Tuesday was not entirely combative. Mr Navalny, who has recovered from the attack after treatment in a German hospital, returned to Moscow on a flight on 17 January and was promptly arrested. He is the most popular opposition political leader to Mr Putin.

FILE - In this March 10, 2011, file photo, then-Vice President Joe Biden, left, shakes hands with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in Moscow, Russia. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, File)FILE - In this March 10, 2011, file photo, then-Vice President Joe Biden, left, shakes hands with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in Moscow, Russia. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, File)WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden had his first call with Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, the White House and Kremlin said. Biden has looked to establish a break from the warm rhetoric often displayed toward Putin by his predecessor, Donald Trump. On Tuesday before his call with Putin, Biden spoke to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, pledging the United States’ commitment to the decades-old alliance founded as a bulwark against Russian aggression.

Rio Tinto still dealing with fallout from Juukan Gorge destructionThe aftermath of a massive explosion which blew up WA's Juukan Gorge caves. Last month, the PKKP said Rio Tinto had taken steps to address the hurt and devastation caused by the destruction of the Juukan Gorge caves. ( Supplied: Rio Tinto )The PKKP says it has noted the appointment. "Juukan Gorge has taken its toll on many of us and, understandably, many of you are disappointed and feel let down," he said. Dr Nosie agrees having traditional owners on the Rio board is important, as long as it is not tokenism.

The international community considers both areas to be occupied territory, and the Palestinians seek them as parts of a future independent state. “In order to advance these objectives, the Biden administration will restore credible U.S. engagement with Palestinians as well as Israelis,” he said. “This will involve renewing U.S. relations with the Palestinian leadership and Palestinian people,” Mills said. Mills said the United States hopes to start working to slowly build confidence on both sides to create an environment to reach a two-state solution. The Biden administration welcomes the recent normalization of relations between Israel and a number of Arab nations and will urge other countries to establish ties, Mills said.

WASHINGTON – The Senate overwhelmingly confirmed Antony Blinken to be the nation’s 71st secretary of state on Tuesday, as lawmakers scrambled to approve President Joe Biden's Cabinet nominees before impeachment proceedings begin. "Mr. Blinken has a long and distinguished history when it comes to state-craft and foreign relations matters," said Sen. James Risch, the ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He served as Biden's staff director on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for six years, starting in 2002. When Biden became vice president, Blinken became his national security director – before President Barack Obama elevated him to higher positions, including the No. In his confirmation hearing, Blinken promised to rebuild the State Department, repair frayed alliances and restore America’s global leadership.

“I am here to offer my sincerest apologies on behalf of the Department,” acting Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittman told lawmakers on the House Appropriations Committee, which oversees the agency’s funding. Her department should have been more prepared for the “terrorist attack,” she told lawmakers. "The agency prepared, but “we did not do enough," she told lawmakers. The Capitol's top law enforcement officials – the Capitol Police chief and the House and Senate sergeants at arms – resigned in the aftermath of the riot. The House impeached President Donald Trump for allegedly inciting the riot Jan. 13 and the Senate is set to begin an impeachment trial the week of Feb. 8.

Being ready to take decisive action quickly was crucial, Sund told Congress during budget hearings last year, as he disclosed a 75 percent increase in threats to the Capitol under President Donald Trump. Sund told congressional leaders that he needed a $54 million budget boost, including $7 million atop an already eight-figure materials budget to upgrade equipment and supplies. In 2017, the year Sund told Congress the department began experiencing the uptick in threats, Capitol Police spent nearly $10 million over a six-month period on tactical gear, cyber-infrastructure and other related supplies. This year, Sund had earmarked $22 million of the department’s nearly $516 million budget for equipment. At least 17 Capitol police officers have been suspended while investigators look into how they handled the invasion.

ET Janet Yellen Sworn in as Treasury Secretary: Live Updates RIGHT NOW European leaders announce a $3.5 billion push to grab a slice of the emerging market for car batteries. Janet Yellen, the first woman to be Treasury secretary, is sworn in by the first woman to be vice president. Video Janet L. Yellen made history on Tuesday, after being sworn in as the first woman to serve as Treasury secretary. Ms. Yellen is the nation’s 78th Treasury secretary and the first woman to assume that role in the institution’s 232-year history. Standing outside the White House, Ms. Yellen took the oath of office with her husband, the economist George Akerlof, and her son by her side.

The Senate on Tuesday easily confirmed Tony Blinken to be President Joe Biden’s secretary of state. Blinken won broad bipartisan support in the 78-22 vote. At his confirmation hearing this month, Blinken praised former President Donald Trump for taking a tougher approach to China, but was grilled on Obama-era Mideast policies. Tony Blinken won broad bipartisan support in the 78-22 vote. Paul said he’s concerned that “the lesson to Blinken and Biden and his administration isn’t that regime change doesn’t work.

Yogananda D. Pittman, the agency’s acting chief, offered her “sincerest apologies” on behalf of the department during a closed-door briefing Tuesday before the House Appropriations Committee. Yogananda D. Pittman apologized for the Capitol siege on January 6, 2021. Scott Applewhite“The Department prepared in order to meet these challenges, but we did not do enough,” Pittman’s testimony continued. The acting chief said more than 1,200 Capitol police officers were working at the site when the siege unfolded — leaving five people dead, including Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick. “We know the eyes of the country and the world are upon us,” Pittman said, according to her prepared remarks.

Police have launched an investigation into a topless photo of Kellyanne Conway’s 16-year-old daughter, Claudia — which the teen says was posted on her mom’s Twitter — and cops paid a visit to the family’s New Jersey mansion Tuesday. On Monday, Claudia Conway took to her TikTok account to address a topless photo of herself that apparently was tweeted on her mother’s Twitter Fleets — which automatically deletes posts after 24 hours. Claudia said she believed either her mom “accidentally” posted the pic or her account was hacked. “Nobody would ever have any photo like that ever,” Claudia said in a since-deleted TikTok. “So, Kellyanne, you’re going to f–king jail.”Alpine police leave Kellyanne Conway’s house after she allegedly posted a topless photo of her 16-year-old daughter, Claudia, to Twitter Stephen Yang/NY PostThe photo disappeared from Kellyanne’s account — but not before it was screenshotted and shared by various users.

Five people died as a result of the attack, including a police officer, and dozens of police officers were injured. His target has primarily been Dominion Voting Systems, a manufacturer of voting machines. Lindell said the boycotts have pushed customers to purchase MyPillow’s products from other retailers or directly from the company. ADRoepke said that he and Lindell parted on decent terms and that he admires much of the charitable work Lindell has done to help people in Minnesota. ADThe political fortunes of public figures, including Lindell, championing Trump’s baseless election fraud claims could get an early test in Minnesota politics.

Biden must decide how much he wants to restore the pre-Trump status quo vs. how much the times call for a new approach. ADADAnd Biden has been working the phones, calling leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Mexico, and the United Kingdom. Biden has for weeks aimed for 1 million shots a day, or 100 million vaccinations, in his first 100 days. Biden nominated Vivek Murthy, a close adviser who served as surgeon general in the Obama administration, to return to his previous role. Senate committees are today scheduled to consider Alejandro Mayorkas’s nomination for secretary of homeland security and Rhode Island Gov.

Beyond that, many activists say they want Biden to put resources toward reducing disparities in educational and economic opportunities. Susan Rice, whom Biden has chosen to lead his Domestic Policy Council, has been focused on ensuring that efforts toward equity are integrated into the administration’s broader policies. In the general election, Black voters favored Biden over Trump by a large margin. Biden has already been criticized by some Republicans, who say the focus on equity in his inaugural address implicitly suggested his political opponents are racist. And policies designed to increase housing equity were scaled back by Trump and remain an object of criticism by some Republicans.

“The preponderance of available evidence from the fall school semester has been reassuring,” wrote three CDC researchers in a viewpoint piece published online Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association. A new CDC study, also released Tuesday, looked at 17 rural K-12 schools in Wisconsin and found just seven out of 191 coronavirus cases resulted from in-school transmission. Researchers noted that students and staff in these schools wore masks almost all the time. ADLittle was known about the spread of the virus in schools when the pandemic shuttered virtually every classroom in America last spring. As the school year progressed, evidence emerged that virus transmission inside schools was low, giving some comfort.

The Senate on Tuesday voted 78-22 to confirm Antony Blinken as the next secretary of state -- who will be a key figure in President Biden's efforts to restore alliances across the globe and forge a new foreign policy approach. ANTONY BLINKEN: WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT BIDEN'S SECRETARY OF STATE PICKBlinken, 58, was a member of President Bill Clinton's National Security Council staff from 1994 to 2001. Blinken was confirmed once before by the Senate on Dec. 16, 2014, when Obama nominated Blinken to become deputy secretary of state under John Kerry. AFTER JOINING BURISMA, HUNTER BIDEN REQUESTED MEETINGS WITH ANTONY BLINKEN: STATE DEPT. Blinken will play a key role in reversing much of President Donald Trump's foreign policy moves, and adopt a more multilateralist approach to foreign policy matters.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer suggested Monday that President Biden consider declaring an emergency on climate change. "It might be a good idea for President Biden to call a climate emergency," the New York Democrat told MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow. Schumer seemingly suggested Biden do for the climate what President Trump did for the border-- declare a national emergency to bypass legislative debate and use executive authority. "If today, the national emergency is border security ... tomorrow the national emergency might be climate change," Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said on CNBC in 2019. DEM SENATOR WANTS BIDEN TO DECLARE CLIMATE 'NATIONAL EMERGENCY'"There may be things that are reconcilable," Schumer said about the ability to include climate rules in budget legislation.

EXCLUSIVE: Republican National Committee (RNC) chair Ronna McDaniel says she’s confident that former President Trump won’t start a splinter party. TOP TRUMP ADIVISER PUSHES BACK ON PLANS FOR A THIRD PARTY"I’ve talked to the president (Trump). He’s not going to start a third party," McDaniel emphasized in an interview Tuesday with Fox News. The move came as the state’s Republican Party chair – strong Trump supporter Kelli Ward – was narrowly re-elected thanks in part to backing from the former president. "Already you’re seeing Biden putting forward policies that will bankrupt our country… already eliminating jobs in key states," the RNC chair charged.

More than 8 million Americans fell into poverty over the past six months as social safety measures put into place at the start of the coronavirus pandemic expired, according to a new study published this week. The aid package included a temporary expansion of unemployment benefits at $600 a week and a one-time $1,200 stimulus check for most adults. The $900 billion bill included a second cash payment of $600 for most adults and an extension of federal unemployment benefits through mid-March. The disparity is even greater among minorities, according to the study, which found that poverty rose 5.4 percentage points for Black Americans since June. Almost 70 million Americans, or about 40% of the labor force, have filed for unemployment benefits during the pandemic.

A liberal Washington Post columnist was called out Monday for claiming "many conservatives" would object to Harriet Tubman gracing the $20 bill but giving no examples. "Many conservatives will find the new Tubman bill distressing, even if they could barely tell you the first thing about Jackson," columnist Paul Waldman wrote for the liberal "Plum Line" blog. "As for replacing Jackson with Tubman, it’s possible that a few people would oppose it, but too few to be worth consideration. The only significant debate among conservatives about the Tubman $20 is which portrait should be used," he added, noting some conservatives favor an image of Tubman holding a pistol rather than a typical headshot. A Forbes column in 2016 by Frank Miniter headlined, "The New $20 Bill Is Making Gun-Rights Advocates And Conservatives Cheer," argued the opposite of Waldman's claim.

In a flurry of court filings late Monday, Maxwell also requested two separate trials for charges that she faces in Manhattan federal court. British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell has asked a judge to dismiss her criminal child sex case, saying a controversial plea agreement by the late child predator Jeffrey Epstein bars her from being prosecuted in federal court on the charges. Giuffre, who has accused both Epstein and Maxwell of abuse, is not one of the accusers related to the sex-crime charges that Maxwell faces in federal court. The federal court in White Plains, which is located in Westchester County, is part of the Southern District of New York. Federal prosecutors will respond to Maxwell's motions at a later date.

Antony J. Blinken, speaks during his confirmation hearing to be Secretary of State before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee at the US Capitol in Washington, DC on January 19, 2021. WASHINGTON — The Senate confirmed Antony Blinken on Tuesday to be the nation's next secretary of State. Blinken, a veteran diplomat, told lawmakers last week that he would focus on reengaging with America's allies in the wake of the Trump administration's "America First" foreign policy. Blinken said, however, that Trump "was right in taking a tougher approach to China." Blinken also told lawmakers that the Biden administration would revisit the landmark Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, but did not give specific details on Washington's next steps.

The orders will impact large swathes of acreage onshore in mostly Western states, as well as offshore drilling acreage located mainly in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. Tribal lands, which host significant reserves of oil and gas, were not included in the Interior Department order, and will not be included in Biden’s executive order either, according to the sources. Biden’s other climate-related executive orders on Wednesday will also include beefing up the use of climate science in policy decisions and setting up an international summit on climate change for April, according to a memo seen by Reuters last week. The push to end new federal drilling marks an easy target for the new administration: roughly a quarter of the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions can be linked back to fossil fuels produced in federal lands and waters. Oil-dependent states and oil industry representatives have expressed concerns about the potential drilling ban.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Joe Biden plans to take executive actions on Tuesday to scale back the U.S. government’s use of private prisons and bolster anti-discrimination enforcement in the housing market, aides said. Under the new policies, the Justice Department not renew contracts with private prison operators. “Mass incarceration imposes significant costs on our society and communities, while private prisons profiteer off of federal prisoners in less safe conditions for prisoners and correctional officers alike,” the Biden administration said in a fact sheet. The Biden administration’s newly announced fair-housing policy will require the Department of Housing and Urban Development to study and counteract the racially discriminatory impacts of previous policies. “The Fair Housing Act requires the federal government to advance fair housing and combat housing discrimination, including that appears neutral but has an unjustified discriminatory effect in practice,” the administration fact sheet stated.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Top U.S. Capitol security officials apologized on Tuesday for “failings” during the deadly attack on the building by followers of then-President Donald Trump in a bid to stop the certification of Joe Biden’s election victory. She and Timothy Blodgett, the acting U.S. House of Representatives’ sergeant at arms, said security officials were working to do more to boost protection of the U.S. Capitol, the seat of government. Pro-Trump supporters stormed the building following Trump’s urgings at a rally near the White House to go to the Capitol. The then-chiefs of the Capitol Police and House sergeant at arms stepped down. In the weeks since the attack, security has been heightened around the Capitol and in Washington in general, with eight-foot-high fencing surrounding the perimeter and National Guard troops brought in for Biden’s inauguration on Jan. 20.

However, that order will not apply to other federal agencies who may contract with those same operators, such as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Biden also plans to sign an executive order reaffirming the federal government’s commitment to the sovereignty of tribal governments over their territory, and a memorandum related to the rise in anti-Asian sentiment during the Covid-19 pandemic. "Advancing equity is a critical part of healing and of restoring unity in our nation," Rice said. "Building a more equitable economy is essential if Americans are going to compete and thrive in the 21st Century," Rice said. Both initiatives were started under Trump in the early stages of the pandemic.

“My opposition of Mr. Blinken to be secretary of State is not so much because I oppose the administration. Trump’s first secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, frequently sidelined career officials and concentrated decision-making in the hands of a few top aides. Trump’s second secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, improved morale when he first took over, but soon lost the confidence of many veteran diplomats. But many key roles remain unfilled, including a number of assistant secretary of State positions that could go to current career officials. His father, Donald Blinken, is a former U.S. ambassador to Hungary, and his uncle, Alan Blinken, served as U.S. ambassador to Belgium.

Senators are being sworn in Tuesday for the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump — a case in which the lawmakers will be acting as judge, jury and victim. Leahy is presiding over the trial instead of Chief Justice John Roberts because Trump is now a former president. While some senators have likened their role in the impeachment trial to jurors, they're actually more than that. Download the NBC News app for breaking news and politicsThen-Chief Justice William Rehnquist, when he was presiding over the impeachment trial of Bill Clinton in 1999, noted, "The Senate is not simply a jury. The Senate trial is expected to begin the week of Feb. 8 under a deal struck between the parties.

President Joe Biden speaks during an event on American manufacturing, in the South Court Auditorium on the White House complex, Monday, Jan. 25, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)President Joe Biden speaks during an event on American manufacturing, in the South Court Auditorium on the White House complex, Monday, Jan. 25, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)President Joe Biden on Tuesday will order on the Department of Justice to end its reliance on private prisons and acknowledge the central role the government has played in implementing discriminatory housing policies, White House officials say. The order to end the reliance on privately run prisons directs the attorney general not to renew Justice Department contracts with privately operated criminal detention facilities. The move will effectively revert the Justice Department to the same posture it held at the end of the Obama administration.

FILE - In this Nov. 24, 2020, file photo, Tony Blinken, President Joe Biden’s nominee for Secretary of State, speaks at The Queen theater in Wilmington, Del. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)FILE - In this Nov. 24, 2020, file photo, Tony Blinken, President Joe Biden’s nominee for Secretary of State, speaks at The Queen theater in Wilmington, Del. Senators voted 78-22 to approve Blinken, a longtime Biden confidant, as the nation’s 71st secretary of state, succeeding Mike Pompeo. Blinken, 58, served as deputy secretary of state and deputy national security adviser during the Obama administration. He is expected to start work on Wednesday after being sworn in, according to State Department officials.

(Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP, File)MOSCOW (AP) — The Kremlin said Tuesday that Russia and the United States exchanged documents to extend the New START nuclear treaty. Lawmakers in the Kremlin-controlled parliament said it would complete the necessary moves to extend the pact this week. Biden indicated during the campaign that he favored the preservation of the New START treaty, which was negotiated during his tenure as U.S. vice president. After both Moscow and Washington withdrew from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty in 2019, New START is the only remaining nuclear arms control deal between the two countries. Trump’s administration then proposed to extend New START for just one year and also sought to expand it to include limits on battlefield nuclear weapons.

Senate Confirms Antony Blinken As Secretary Of StateEnlarge this image toggle caption Alex Edelman/AFP/Bloomberg via Getty Images Alex Edelman/AFP/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesWith bipartisan support, the Senate confirmed Antony Blinken as the new secretary of state on Tuesday. Blinken, 58, was earlier approved overwhelmingly by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. "The world is on fire right now, with pressing crises in every region and hemisphere," said Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Blinken has a long history with President Biden, previously serving as his adviser both in the White House and the Senate before becoming deputy secretary of state in the Obama administration. The new secretary of state is steeped in the world of diplomacy.

Twitter TWTR, +4.25% has permanently banned MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell’s account after Lindell continued to perpetuate the baseless claim that Donald Trump won the 2020 U.S. presidential election. Twitter decided to ban Lindell, who founded bedding company MyPillow, due to “repeated violations” of its civic-integrity policy, a spokesperson said in a statement. The policy was implemented last September and is targeted at fighting disinformation.

Twitter TWTR, +4.35% has permanently banned MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell’s account after Lindell continued to perpetuate the baseless claim that Donald Trump won the 2020 U.S. presidential election. Twitter decided to ban Lindell, who founded bedding company MyPillow, due to “repeated violations” of its civic-integrity policy, a spokesperson said in a statement. The policy was implemented last September and is targeted at fighting disinformation.

Senators voted 78 to 22 to approve Blinken, a longtime Biden confidant, as the nation’s 71st secretary of state, succeeding Mike Pompeo. He is expected to start work on Wednesday after being sworn in, according to State Department officials. “American leadership still matters,” Blinken told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee at his Jan. 19 confirmation hearing. Blinken inherits a deeply demoralized and depleted career workforce at the State Department. Blinken served on the National Security Council during the Clinton administration before becoming staff director for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee when Biden was chair of the panel.

GettyTrump opened an "Office of the Former President" on Monday to announce his post-presidency plans. Trump was barred from several social-media sites, including Twitter, after the Capitol riot. Former President Donald Trump opened an "Office of the Former President" to announce his plans from his new base in Florida as he remains barred from most social media. "Today, the 45th President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, formally opened the Office of the Former President," the statement said. Trump left Washington, DC, for his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach on Wednesday morning, hours before President Joe Biden's inauguration.

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran threatened on Tuesday to block short-notice inspections of its nuclear facilities, demanding Washington reverse economic sanctions before it returns to compliance with a nuclear deal that President Joe Biden aims to restore. The agreement lifted sanctions on Iran in return for curbs to Iran's nuclear programme, but after Trump quit and reimposed sanctions, Iran violated its conditions. Biden says Tehran should return to compliance before sanctions are lifted; Iran wants the sanctions lifted first. Iranian government spokesman Ali Rabiei said the first steps to restrict those inspections would begin in the week from Feb. 19. Iran this month resumed enriching uranium to 20% fissile strength at a nuclear plant, a level Tehran achieved before striking the deal.

That group includes some of the private sector’s most prominent figures, among them former President Donald Trump and former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates. Terrific guy,” Trump told New York Magazine in 2002. Bill GatesBillionaire philanthropist Bill Gates met with Epstein on numerous occasions beginning in 2011 — years after Epstein was convicted of a sex crime, The New York Times reported. Staley visited Epstein around 2010 in Florida while Epstein was serving time for the prostitution charge involving a minor, the Times found. Soon afterward, Staley told reporters the relationship “tapered off quite significantly” after he left JPMorgan and that he “deeply regrets” his ties to Epstein.

By Sarah N. Lynch and Trevor HunnicuttWASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Joe Biden plans to take executive actions on Tuesday to scale back the U.S. government's use of private prisons and bolster anti-discrimination enforcement in the housing market, aides said. Under the new policies, the Justice Department not renew contracts with private prison operators. "Mass incarceration imposes significant costs on our society and communities, while private prisons profiteer off of federal prisoners in less safe conditions for prisoners and correctional officers alike," the Biden administration said in a fact sheet. The Biden administration's newly announced fair-housing policy will require the Department of Housing and Urban Development to study and counteract the racially discriminatory impacts of previous policies. "The Fair Housing Act requires the federal government to advance fair housing and combat housing discrimination, including that appears neutral but has an unjustified discriminatory effect in practice," the administration fact sheet stated.

(Bloomberg) --The Justice Department will be required to end its use of privately run prisons under an executive order to be signed Tuesday by President Joe Biden. “Private prisons profiteer off of federal prisoners in less safe conditions for prisoners and correctional officers alike,” the statement said. Trump ended an Obama-era prohibition on the Justice Department’s use of private prisons and also expanded detention by federal immigration authorities. GEO Group erased a gain to trade down 2.3% as of 12:35 p.m. in New York. The executive order on prisons applies to Justice Department contracts with privately operated criminal detention facilities.

President Joe Biden on Tuesday will order on the Department of Justice to end its reliance on private prisons and acknowledge the central role the government has played in implementing discriminatory housing policies, White House officials say. The order to end the reliance on privately run prisons directs the attorney general not to renew Justice Department contracts with privately operated criminal detention facilities. The move will effectively revert the Justice Department to the same posture it held at the end of the Obama administration. The latest executive actions come after Biden signed an order Monday reversing a Trump-era Pentagon policy that largely barred transgender people from serving in the military. Last week, he signed an order reversing Trump's ban on travelers from several predominantly Muslim and African countries.

By David ShepardsonWASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden signed an order on Monday barring most non-U.S. citizens who have recently been in South Africa from entering the United States, effective Saturday. Last week, then-U.S. President Donald Trump revoked those restrictions which were imposed last year effective Tuesday. Some health officials are concerned current vaccines may not be effective against the South Africa COVID-19 variant, which also raises the prospect of re-infection. South Africa's 501Y.V2 variant is 50% more infectious than the regular strain and has been detected in at least 20 countries. Story continuesThe State Department and CDC on Monday again urged U.S. citizens to "reconsider travel abroad, and postpone all non-essential travel."

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Monday reinstated COVID-19 travel restrictions on most non-U.S. travelers from Brazil, Ireland, the United Kingdom and 26 other European countries that allow travel across open borders. “This isn’t the time to be lifting restrictions on international travel,” Psaki said. “We have concern about the mutation that’s in South Africa," Fauci told "CBS This Morning." Biden's team had announced that he would reimpose the travel restrictions, but the addition of South Africa to the restricted travel list highlights the new administration’s concern about mutations in the virus. The South Africa variant has not been discovered in the United States, but another variant — originating in the United Kingdom — has been detected in several states.

TRUMP GOLF BUSINESS RESILIENT DURING CORONAVIRUS PANDEMICMeanwhile, the Trump Organization's revenue declined roughly 38% overall compared to 2019, falling to $278 million, according to The New York Times. Trump National Doral, a Florida resort, saw an income drop of more than 40%, from $77.2 million in 2019 to $44.2 million in 2020, according to filings. The renewed interest in golf was a boon to Trump properties, which also saw a surge in new members. “The golf business was incredible in 2020,” said Eric Trump, executive vice president at the Trump Organization, during an interview with Fox Business. GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HEREFox News' inquiry to the Trump organization was not immediately returned.

As such, each chamber largely sets the rules or procedures it follows during impeachment and the trial. Trump’s attorney’s may also argue the Senate trial in unconstitutional. The responsibility falls to Senate President Pro Tempore Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.). In the majority of those other impeachment trials, the Senate president pro tempore has presided. AdvertisementSen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said holding an impeachment trial without Roberts would be a sham.

Senators voted 78-22 to approve Blinken, a longtime Biden confidant, as the nation’s 71st secretary of State, succeeding Mike Pompeo. Blinken, 58, served as deputy secretary of State and deputy national security advisor during the Obama administration. Blinken is expected to start work Wednesday after being sworn in, according to State Department officials. Blinken inherits a deeply demoralized and depleted career workforce at the State Department. Blinken served on the National Security Council during the Clinton administration before becoming staff director for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee when Biden was chair of the panel.

The first steps in the impeachment trial of former President Trump for his role in the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol will get underway in the Senate on Tuesday, and Republicans are expected to start with fireworks immediately. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said he will try to force the Senate to vote on whether the trial is unconstitutional as soon as Tuesday afternoon. Roberts has reportedly signaled he does not want to be involved, and Democrats say Senate President Pro Tempore Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) will preside over Trump’s trial instead. In 1876, the Senate held an impeachment trial of a war secretary who resigned immediately before he was impeached by the House. Instead Republicans are focusing on the precedent of holding an impeachment trial for a former president.

Blinken, 58, served as deputy secretary of state and deputy national security adviser during the Obama administration. He is expected to start work on Wednesday after being sworn in, according to State Department officials. Senators voted 78-22 to approve Blinken, a longtime Biden confidant, as the nation’s 71st secretary of state, succeeding Mike Pompeo. Blinken inherits a deeply demoralized and depleted career workforce at the State Department. Blinken served on the National Security Council during the Clinton administration before becoming staff director for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee when Biden was chair of the panel.

But this year’s address will be devoid of its usual pomp and circumstance, namely the setting of a packed House chamber — Baker himself has severely curtailed indoor gatherings — and the regular interruptions of applause. Governor Charlie Baker will deliver undoubtedly his strangest State of the Commonwealth address during his six years in office Tuesday evening, as the pandemic continues to batter both daily life and the norms of Beacon Hill. AdvertisementInstead, Baker will deliver the televised address from the quiet of his ceremonial State House office, straight to the camera, to a distant audience in front of computer screens or televisions. “This will be a very different State of the Commonwealth address,” an aide said. It was only a year ago when Baker, during his last address, pledged more aggressive action in tackling climate change and the region’s transportation woes.

I suppose if it’s true that there is no such thing as bad publicity then recently reelected Arizona Republican Party Chairperson Kelli Ward is doing a bang-up job. Censures Three Top Members Criticized by Trump LoyalistsIt seemed to me that by censuring stalwarts like Cindy McCain, former Sen. Jeff Flake and Gov. Doug Ducey that the Arizona Republican party was no longer interested in recruiting or retaining Republicans. Then again, as long-time reader Jerry Mays wrote to me, “Never, ever again comment on what you think the AZ Republican Party is about. Meantime, if I’m unqualified to comment on the Republican implosion in Arizona, retired Army Col. Jeff Cook certainly is.

“I can’t tell you how much vaccine we have,” she told “Fox News Sunday,” describing the problem as a challenge left by the outgoing Trump administration. “And if I can’t tell it to you, then I can’t tell it to the governors, and I can’t tell it to the state health officials. If they don’t know how much vaccine they’re getting, not just this week, but next week and the week after, they can’t plan.”On Monday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the state can’t meet growing demand from residents partly because an increase in vaccine promised by the government hasn’t happened. In North Carolina, Greensboro-based Cone Health announced it is canceling first-dose appointments for 10,000 people and moving them to a waiting list because of supply problems.

WASHINGTON - After six years as chairman, Republican Ron Johnson of Wisconsin presided for the last time Wednesday over a meeting of the Senate’s homeland security committee. The panel voted 7-4 to advance the nomination of Alejandro Mayorkas to be homeland security secretary. That agreement is now imminent, and Michigan Democrat Gary Peters will be the new homeland security chair. Johnson and three other Republicans on the committee voted against Biden’s homeland security nominee, Mayorkas, who served as deputy secretary of the department under President Barack Obama. Mayorkas, whose family fled Castro’s Cuba in 1960, would be the first immigrant to head homeland security, which oversees most immigration issues and policies.

A Chicago police officer charged in a federal sports gambling case allegedly destroyed his phone when investigators sought to search it, a detail revealed Tuesday as a prosecutor tried to keep the officer behind bars for an alleged violent attack on the officer’s girlfriend. U.S. District Judge Virginia Kendall last week ordered the officer, Nicholas Stella, into Chicago’s federal lockup after prosecutors said Stella “violently assaulted his girlfriend” Jan. 16. She said her boyfriend tried or threatened to kill her, choked her, stole her phone and ripped her clothes. Stella was among 10 people charged in the sports gambling case last year. Also charged was Casey Urlacher, mayor of north suburban Mettawa and brother of Chicago Bears great Brian Urlacher.

Senators voted 78-22 to approve Blinken, a longtime Biden confidant, as the nation’s 71st secretary of state, succeeding Mike Pompeo. Blinken, 58, served as deputy secretary of state and deputy national security adviser during the Obama administration. He is expected to start work on Wednesday after being sworn in, according to State Department officials. Blinken inherits a deeply demoralized and depleted career workforce at the State Department. Blinken served on the National Security Council during the Clinton administration before becoming staff director for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee when Biden was chair of the panel.

The moratorium is intended to allow time for officials to review the impact of oil and gas drilling on the environment and climate. Oil industry groups slammed the move, saying Biden had already eliminated thousands of oil and gas jobs by killing the Keystone XL oil pipeline on his first day in office. The pause in drilling is limited to federal lands and does not affect drilling on private lands, which is largely regulated by states. Oil and gas extracted from public lands and waters account for about a quarter of annual U.S. production. Biden’s choice to lead the Interior Department, which oversees oil and gas leasing on public lands, is New Mexico Rep. Deb Haaland.

The moratorium is intended to allow time for officials to review the impact of oil and gas drilling on the environment and climate. Oil industry groups slammed the move, saying Biden had already eliminated thousands of oil and gas jobs by killing the Keystone XL oil pipeline on his first day in office. The drilling moratorium is among several climate-related actions Biden will announce Wednesday. The pause in drilling is limited to federal lands and does not affect drilling on private lands, which is largely regulated by states. Oil and gas extracted from public lands and waters account for about a quarter of annual U.S. production.

The moratorium is intended to allow time for officials to review the impact of oil and gas drilling on the environment and climate. Oil industry groups slammed the move, saying Biden had already eliminated oil and gas jobs by killing the Keystone XL oil pipeline on his first day in office. The drilling moratorium is among several climate-related actions Biden will announce Wednesday. The pause in drilling is limited to federal lands and does not affect drilling on private lands, which is largely regulated by states. Oil and gas extracted from public lands and waters account for about a quarter of annual U.S. production.

U.S. companies need to get a license to sell sophisticated technology to companies on the list. The Commerce Department comprises a dozen bureaus and agencies, including the National Weather Service, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Minority Business Development Agency. If confirmed, Raimondo would oversee the work of more than 40,000 employees. Raimondo promised to give the Census Bureau more time to crunch the numbers for the 2020 census if the bureau needs more time. “The experts and the statisticians at the Census Bureau are top notch.

Detroit — Anthony Adams, who served as deputy mayor in former mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's administration, is joining the 2021 race for the city's top office. Adams officially announced his bid for Detroit mayor on Tuesday, saying the city can no longer afford Mayor Mike Duggan's "benign neglect." Adams' campaign is focused on reducing crime and reforming police practices and addressing the over-taxation of homeowners, structural racism, hunger and water shutoffs. "Folks in this town don't need to be managed and loitered over, they need to be empowered (and) economically developed." The former Detroit school board president is the first prominent challenger for Duggan, who announced last month his bid for a third term.

Senators voted 78-22 to approve Blinken, a longtime Biden confidant, as the nation’s 71st secretary of state, succeeding Mike Pompeo. Blinken, 58, served as deputy secretary of state and deputy national security adviser during the Obama administration. He is expected to start work on Wednesday after being sworn in, according to State Department officials. Blinken inherits a deeply demoralized and depleted career workforce at the State Department. Blinken served on the National Security Council during the Clinton administration before becoming staff director for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee when Biden was chair of the panel.

Balderson, R-Zanesville, who represents the 12th Congressional District, recounted his experience during the U.S. Capitol riot on a Tuesday conference call hosted by the Licking County Chamber of Commerce. You want me to fuss and fight with somebody all day long and not agree to it, and then I don’t get something I need for the 12th Congressional District?" Minimum wageThe proposed increase in the minimum wage to $15 an hour is not something Balderson will support. He said the job market is competitive, making the minimum wage rare. “To talk about a $15 an hour minimum wage during this pandemic, is the last thing we need be talking about.

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — U.S. President Joe Biden's administration announced Tuesday it was restoring relations with the Palestinians and renewing aid to Palestinian refugees, a reversal of the Trump administration's cutoff and a key element of its new support for a two-state solution to the decades-old conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. Acting U.S. Ambassador Richard Mills made the announcement of Biden’s new approach to a high-level Security Council meeting, saying the new U.S. administration believes this “remains the best way to ensure Israel’s future as a democratic and Jewish state and the Palestinians’ legitimate aspirations for a state of their own and to live with dignity and security.”“In order to advance these objectives the Biden administration will restore credible U.S. engagement with Palestinians as well as Israelis,” Mills said. “This will involve renewing U.S. relations with the Palestinian leadership and Palestinian people,” he said.

Today is Day 7 of the Biden presidency. Get the latest headlines, Cabinet confirmation updates and more:***AP sources: Biden to pause oil drilling on public landsWASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is set to announce a wide-ranging moratorium on new oil and gas leasing on U.S. lands, as his administration moves quickly to reverse Trump administration policies on energy and the environment and address climate change. Two people with knowledge of Biden’s plans outlined the proposed moratorium, which will be announced Wednesday. They asked not to be identified because the plan has not been made been public; some details remain in flux. The moratorium is intended to allow time for officials to review the impact of oil and gas drilling on the environment and climate.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate on Tuesday confirmed Antony Blinken as America’s top diplomat, tasked with carrying out President Joe Biden’s commitment to reverse the Trump administration’s “America First” doctrine that weakened international alliances. Senators voted 78-22 to approve Blinken, a longtime Biden confidant, as the nation’s 71st secretary of state, succeeding Mike Pompeo. The position is the most senior Cabinet position, with the secretary fourth in the line of presidential succession. Blinken, 58, served as deputy secretary of state and deputy national security adviser during the Obama administration. He is expected to start work on Wednesday after being sworn in, according to State Department officials.

“The preponderance of available evidence from the fall school semester has been reassuring,” wrote three CDC researchers in a viewpoint piece published online Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Researchers noted that students and staff in these schools wore masks almost all the time. Little was known about the spread of the virus in schools when the pandemic shuttered virtually every classroom in America last spring. As the school year progressed, evidence emerged that virus transmission inside schools was low, giving some comfort. A report from Europe found that schools were not increasing community spread.

Google has announced that it will not donate to members of Congress this cycle who voted against certifying the results of November 2020’s presidential election. Following the review, Google announced on Tuesday that its political action committee, NetPac, had decided to not donate to the 147 Republican politicians who voted against certifying President Joe Biden’s victory, following the riot that took place at the US Capitol during the vote. Numerous politicians have said that the actions of the politicians objecting to Mr Biden’s victory leading up to the vote helped amplify the misinformation that led to rioters breaching the Capitol. Google previously donated to Mr Cruz, who ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016. Hallmark decided to go one step further, as the organisation asked Mr Hawley and Roger Marshall, a Kansas senator who voted against Mr Biden’s certification, to refund its political donations to them, according to Insider.

Pamela Anderson has announced that she's quitting social media. The former Baywatch star and model announced on Instagram on Tuesday (26 January) that “this will be my last post on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook.”“I've never been interested in social media,” she continued. “That's what THEY want and can use to make money,” she continued, concluding that social media companies have “control over your brain”. Anderson posted a similar sentiment to Twitter, writing simply, “Goodbye social media.”Anderson has also made the news in recent months for asking former President Donald Trump to Anderson grant a full pardon to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange prior to leaving office. Later, in May 2020, Anderson announced a new role as creative director of a new social platform at Jasmin.com, which allows users to communicate directly with influencers and experts about topics like travel, fashion, dating, and relationships.

A “comprehensive assessment of the nature of this threat and challenge” will help determine policy to address it, she said. The National Security Council will also focus on domestic violence extremism, and intelligence agencies and administration officials will coordinate efforts to “craft and implement policies that will address this,” she said. Mr Biden has “committed the whole of our government to advancing racial justice and equity for all Americans,” she said. Several lawmakers have called for stronger domestic terror laws to prosecute rioters and target would-be threats. Introducing new domestic terror laws – echoing fears over the Patriot Act and strong-arm Justice Department policies – could compromise Americans’ civil rights, they argue.

A former adviser to Mike Pence says she was told to "spy" on Dr Deborah Birx, the White House's coronavirus taskforce coordinator during the Trump administration. In response to Ms Birx speaking out publically this week, Ms Troye said she saw first hand the "very challenging situations" the administration placed on its health expert. "I was told that I was to watch her, that she was not to be trusted, because she was a Matt Pottinger hire." Ms Birx was also heavily criticized for not publicly speaking out against, or pushing back harder on Mr Trump, during her time on the coronavirus taskforce. And I said, well, you know that there has been an effort to manipulate the data to downplay this virus," Ms Troye said.

President Joe Biden will sign an executive order directing the Department of Justice to end its contracts with privately run prisons, part of the incoming administration’s efforts to address racial injustice. “The president will sign an executive order directing the Department of Justice not to renew any contracts with private prison,” said Ms Rice at a White House press briefing. "Private prisons profiteer off federal prisoners and are proven to be, or found to be by the Department of Justice inspector general, to be less safe for correctional officers and prioners. The use of private prisons to detain immigrants expanded under Donald Trump, with at least 24 facilities and more than 17,000 beds added during the former president’s administration. "There was a Department of Justice inspector general report in 2016 that underscored that private prisons funded by DOJ were less safe, less secure and arguably less humane.

Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Disease, was in a state of shock when he first heard former President Donald Trump’s comments about disinfectant working as a potential remedy to Covid-19. “I just said, 'Oh my goodness gracious,’” he recalled in a CNN interview about that day in April, when Mr Trump suggested bleach could act as a therapeutic to the novel virus from behind the White House podium. “I could just see what’s going to happen,” Dr Fauci added. He has since spoken out about what it was like serving on Mr Trump’s coronavirus response task force at the White House, where he said the former president was receiving both “good information and bad information" about the ongoing crisis. Even leading disinfectant companies like Lysol and Clorox released urgent warnings to customers against using their products as potential therapeutics for the novel virus.

AdvertisementWuhan is hosting a waxwork exhibition to celebrate the Chinese city's 'successful' response to coronavirus on the first anniversary of its 76-day lockdown. The rest of the world is still in the throes of the virus, while Wuhan and the rest of China enjoys relative normality. The state media coverage followed a report by researchers in Brazil who found the effectiveness of a Chinese vaccine lower than previously announced. After the Brazil news, researchers at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, a government-supported think tank, reported seeing an increase in Chinese media disinformation about vaccines. Numerous reports have detailed how China withheld key details about the virus in its early stages, including from the WHO which has praised China publicly.

Ayanna Pressley and Cori Bush — both members of the so-called ‘squad’ of progressive Democratic representatives — have called on new president Joe Biden to save the lives of Roof and 48 others currently on federal death row. Of the 49 prisoners on death row, 21 are listed as white, 20 black, seven Latino and one Asian by the anti-execution Death Penalty Information Center. Besides Dylan Roof and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, these are the others currently on Federal death row. Agofsky is on death row for stomping fellow prisoner Luther Plant to death inside a federal penitentiary in Texas in 2004. Brandon Council, 35: Council shot bank tellers Donna Major, 59, and Katie Skeen, 36, dead during an armed bank robbery in Conway, South Carolina in August 2017.

"We propose holding an international, ministerial-level meeting in spring-summer 2021," Lavrov told a videoconference UN Security Council meeting about the Middle East. "It would also be important to invite Saudi Arabia, which is behind the Arab peace initiative," he added, without offering a specific date or site for the eventual conference. "This meeting could provide a platform for carrying out a complete analysis of the situation, and helping countries to launch a dialogue," Lavrov told the Security Council. He noted that Moscow remained ready to host a meeting between Israel and the Palestinians in the Russian capital "at the highest levels." On Tuesday, nearly all who spoke at the Security Council meeting reaffirmed the need for a two-state solution, under which Israel and a future Palestine would coexist.

Antony Blinken, the new US secretary of state, speaks at his Senate confirmation hearing on January 19, 2021Advertising Read moreWashington (AFP)The US Senate on Tuesday easily confirmed Antony Blinken as secretary of state, with key members of the rival Republican Party backing him. Blinken, a longtime adviser to President Joe Biden who has vowed to repair US alliances, was approved by a vote of 78-22. Senator James Risch, the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, urged colleagues to back Blinken even while acknowledging some disagreements. "We need a secretary of state. The stepson of a Holocaust survivor, Blinken, 58, is known for his passion for humanitarian causes but also his calm demeanor.

If the $15 minimum wage bill backed by Biden passes the entire nation will be covered by the new wage. | Steven Senne/APWASHINGTON—Joined by a top “Fight for $15 and a union” campaigner, congressional Democrats formally introduced legislation to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2025. He included the $15 minimum wage in his $1.9 trillion pandemic economic aid plan. So when the Democratic-run House OKd the $15 minimum wage in the last Congress, then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., refused to even allow hearings. The tipped minimum wage would more than double in 2022, to $4.95, then rise to $12.95 hourly in 2025 and the regular, indexed, minimum after that.