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More than 30,000 voters who had been registered members of the Republican Party have changed their voter registration in the weeks after a mob of pro-Trump supporters attacked the Capitol — an issue that led the House to impeach the former president for inciting the violence. The massive wave of defections is a virtually unprecedented exodus that could spell trouble for a party that is trying to find its way after losing the presidential race and the Senate majority. It could also represent the tip of a much larger iceberg: The 30,000 who have left the Republican Party reside in just a few states that report voter registration data, and information about voters switching between parties, on a weekly basis. Source: Tens of thousands of voters drop Republican affiliation after Capitol riot | TheHill The article was originally published here!

More than 30,000 voters who had been registered members of the Republican Party have changed their voter registration in the weeks after a mob of pro-Trump supporters attacked the Capitol — an issue that led the House to impeach the former president for inciting the violence. The massive wave of defections is a virtually unprecedented exodus that could spell trouble for a party that is trying to find its way after losing the presidential race and the Senate majority. It could also represent the tip of a much larger iceberg: The 30,000 who have left the Republican Party reside in just a few states that report voter registration data, and information about voters switching between parties, on a weekly basis. Source: Tens of thousands of voters drop Republican affiliation after Capitol riot | TheHill The article was originally published here!

The Biden administration said Tuesday it will seek to buy another 200 million doses of the two coronavirus vaccines that have been authorized for emergency use in the United States. The purchases would increase available supply by 50 percent, bringing the total to 600 million doses by this summer. Because both products — one developed by Pfizer and German company BioNTech and the other by Moderna — are two-dose regimens, that would be enough to fully vaccinate 300 million people. An estimated 260 million people in the United States are currently considered eligible to receive a coronavirus vaccine, though Pfizer and Moderna have initiated trials for children as young as 12, the results of which could expand the pool. The additional supply would greatly boost President Biden’s chances of returning the nation to some semblance of normalcy by late summer or the fall. He said Monday he expects the general public to gain access to shots by the spring — as he seemed to elevate his adminis...

The Biden administration said Tuesday it will seek to buy another 200 million doses of the two coronavirus vaccines that have been authorized for emergency use in the United States. The purchases would increase available supply by 50 percent, bringing the total to 600 million doses by this summer. Because both products — one developed by Pfizer and German company BioNTech and the other by Moderna — are two-dose regimens, that would be enough to fully vaccinate 300 million people. An estimated 260 million people in the United States are currently considered eligible to receive a coronavirus vaccine, though Pfizer and Moderna have initiated trials for children as young as 12, the results of which could expand the pool. The additional supply would greatly boost President Biden’s chances of returning the nation to some semblance of normalcy by late summer or the fall. He said Monday he expects the general public to gain access to shots by the spring — as he seemed to elevate his adminis...

Internet users across the northeast U.S. reported widespread outages Tuesday. In an emailed statement 90 minutes after the outage was first reported, Verizon said it was working on the problem hurting Fios service “throughout the Northeast corridor” and that some service had already been restored. The telecom giant had reported a cut fiber in Brooklyn via Twitter, although it’s not clear if that issue was responsible for the entire outage. Verizon didn’t give any estimate in its email about when the problem would be fixed. Comcast, another major internet service provider, said its network was performing normally in the early afternoon on the East Coast. People posting on Twitter reported having issues connecting with various online services in a geographic area stretching from Washington to Boston. That densely populated region includes key U.S. government services as well as major financial companies such as Fidelity Investments. Source: Widespread internet outages hit northeast ...

Internet users across the northeast U.S. reported widespread outages Tuesday. In an emailed statement 90 minutes after the outage was first reported, Verizon said it was working on the problem hurting Fios service “throughout the Northeast corridor” and that some service had already been restored. The telecom giant had reported a cut fiber in Brooklyn via Twitter, although it’s not clear if that issue was responsible for the entire outage. Verizon didn’t give any estimate in its email about when the problem would be fixed. Comcast, another major internet service provider, said its network was performing normally in the early afternoon on the East Coast. People posting on Twitter reported having issues connecting with various online services in a geographic area stretching from Washington to Boston. That densely populated region includes key U.S. government services as well as major financial companies such as Fidelity Investments. Source: Widespread internet outages hit northeast ...

Twitter has permanently banned My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell’s account after he 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 My Pillow, 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. It was not immediately clear which posts by Lindell on Twitter triggered the suspension of his account. Lindell, a Trump supporter, has continued to insist that the presidential election was rigged even after U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration has begun. Source: Twitter permanently bans My Pillow CEO The article was originally published here!

Twitter has permanently banned My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell’s account after he 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 My Pillow, 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. It was not immediately clear which posts by Lindell on Twitter triggered the suspension of his account. Lindell, a Trump supporter, has continued to insist that the presidential election was rigged even after U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration has begun. Source: Twitter permanently bans My Pillow CEO The article was originally published here!

House Democrats on Monday sent to the Senate their single impeachment article against former President Trump, officially putting him on trial for his role in the deadly mob attack on the Capitol earlier in the month.The ceremonial delivery — a somber cross-Capitol march performed by the nine Democratic House members who will prosecute the case — was a legal formality. The House had impeached Trump 12 days ago, and Senate leaders have agreed to postpone the start of the public trial until the week of Feb. 8.The timeline itself has been strategic, allowing the newly seated President Biden some breathing room to install several top Cabinet officials and advance the debate over another massive package of coronavirus relief before the Senate becomes consumed by the highly contentious impeachment trial.  Source: House formally sends impeachment to Senate, putting Trump on trial for Capitol riot | TheHill The article was originally published here!

House Democrats on Monday sent to the Senate their single impeachment article against former President Trump, officially putting him on trial for his role in the deadly mob attack on the Capitol earlier in the month.The ceremonial delivery — a somber cross-Capitol march performed by the nine Democratic House members who will prosecute the case — was a legal formality. The House had impeached Trump 12 days ago, and Senate leaders have agreed to postpone the start of the public trial until the week of Feb. 8.The timeline itself has been strategic, allowing the newly seated President Biden some breathing room to install several top Cabinet officials and advance the debate over another massive package of coronavirus relief before the Senate becomes consumed by the highly contentious impeachment trial.  Source: House formally sends impeachment to Senate, putting Trump on trial for Capitol riot | TheHill The article was originally published here!

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on Monday night signaled he would step back from an ultimatum over Senate rules that sparked a partisan showdown and threatened to obstruct President Biden’s early legislative agenda. McConnell (R-Ky.) said in a statement that he was ready to move forward with a power-sharing accord with Democrats on how to operate the evenly divided Senate, defusing a potentially explosive clash over the minority’s rights to block partisan legislation. At issue for McConnell was the fate of the filibuster, the Senate rule that acts as a 60-vote supermajority requirement for most legislation. With many Democrats calling for its elimination as their party takes control of the House, Senate and White House, McConnell had sought ­assurances from the new Senate majority leader, Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), that the filibuster would be preserved. Source: McConnell relents on Senate rules, signals power-sharing deal with Democrats – The Washington Post The...

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on Monday night signaled he would step back from an ultimatum over Senate rules that sparked a partisan showdown and threatened to obstruct President Biden’s early legislative agenda. McConnell (R-Ky.) said in a statement that he was ready to move forward with a power-sharing accord with Democrats on how to operate the evenly divided Senate, defusing a potentially explosive clash over the minority’s rights to block partisan legislation. At issue for McConnell was the fate of the filibuster, the Senate rule that acts as a 60-vote supermajority requirement for most legislation. With many Democrats calling for its elimination as their party takes control of the House, Senate and White House, McConnell had sought ­assurances from the new Senate majority leader, Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), that the filibuster would be preserved. Source: McConnell relents on Senate rules, signals power-sharing deal with Democrats – The Washington Post The...

The Palm Beach International Airport will not be renamed after former President Donald Trump. On Saturday, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported that several Florida lawmakers were opposed to renaming the Palm Beach County airport after Trump, who would often travel through to visit his Mar-a-Lago estate. “When people hear [Palm Beach], they envision our beaches, our equestrian sports, and in some cases our agricultural contributions,” County Commissioner Melissa McKinlay told the outlet. “It is a lifestyle.” McKinlay added that “Trump International” would be “better-suited for his golf courses, not our airport.” Source: Florida Lawmakers Object to Renaming Palm Beach International Airport After Trump | PEOPLE.com The article was originally published here!

The Palm Beach International Airport will not be renamed after former President Donald Trump. On Saturday, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported that several Florida lawmakers were opposed to renaming the Palm Beach County airport after Trump, who would often travel through to visit his Mar-a-Lago estate. “When people hear [Palm Beach], they envision our beaches, our equestrian sports, and in some cases our agricultural contributions,” County Commissioner Melissa McKinlay told the outlet. “It is a lifestyle.” McKinlay added that “Trump International” would be “better-suited for his golf courses, not our airport.” Source: Florida Lawmakers Object to Renaming Palm Beach International Airport After Trump | PEOPLE.com The article was originally published here!

New York (CNN Business) Many once-loyal members of Mar-a-Lago are leaving because they no longer want to have any connection to former President Donald Trump, according to the author of the definitive book about the resort. “It’s a very dispirited place,” Laurence Leamer, historian and author of “ Mar-a-Lago: Inside the Gates of Power at Donald Trump’s Presidential Palace ,” told MSNBC host Alex Witt on “Weekends with Alex Witt” Saturday. He said members are “ not concerned about politics and they said the food is no good.” Leamer said he spoke to a number of former members who “silently walked out” after Trump left office. Trump moved to the Palm Beach, Florida, estate after his term ended last week. But without the cachet of the sitting president of the United States working at the estate, guests are finding Mar-a-Lago lost a step. There isn’t any entertainment on the property during the pandemic, and Le...

New York (CNN Business) Many once-loyal members of Mar-a-Lago are leaving because they no longer want to have any connection to former President Donald Trump, according to the author of the definitive book about the resort. “It’s a very dispirited place,” Laurence Leamer, historian and author of “ Mar-a-Lago: Inside the Gates of Power at Donald Trump’s Presidential Palace ,” told MSNBC host Alex Witt on “Weekends with Alex Witt” Saturday. He said members are “ not concerned about politics and they said the food is no good.” Leamer said he spoke to a number of former members who “silently walked out” after Trump left office. Trump moved to the Palm Beach, Florida, estate after his term ended last week. But without the cachet of the sitting president of the United States working at the estate, guests are finding Mar-a-Lago lost a step. There isn’t any entertainment on the property during the pandemic, and Le...

On Monday, Ohio Sen. Rob Portman announced that he would not seek re-election in 2022. Portman was elected to the Senate in 2010. It came after the retirement of Republican George Voinovich. Prior to that, Portman served parts of seven terms in the U.S. House from 1993 to 2005, representing Ohio’s 2nd Congressional District. Leading up to the 2012 presidential election, some pundits believed Portman could be a vice presidential candidate alongside Mitt Romney. Instead, Romney chose Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan (original story reported as “Tim Ryan”) as his running mate. Romney lost to President Barack Obama, who won Ohio in the election. Source: Rob Portman: Read Ohio Senator’s statement on why he’s not running again The article was originally published here!

On Monday, Ohio Sen. Rob Portman announced that he would not seek re-election in 2022. Portman was elected to the Senate in 2010. It came after the retirement of Republican George Voinovich. Prior to that, Portman served parts of seven terms in the U.S. House from 1993 to 2005, representing Ohio’s 2nd Congressional District. Leading up to the 2012 presidential election, some pundits believed Portman could be a vice presidential candidate alongside Mitt Romney. Instead, Romney chose Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan (original story reported as “Tim Ryan”) as his running mate. Romney lost to President Barack Obama, who won Ohio in the election. Source: Rob Portman: Read Ohio Senator’s statement on why he’s not running again The article was originally published here!

WASHINGTON, Jan 24 (Reuters) – President Joe Biden is poised to repeal his predecessor Donald Trump’s ban on transgender people enlisting in the U.S. military, a person familiar with the matter said. The source, who spoke to Reuters anonymously because the action is not yet public, said Biden could lift the ban as soon as Monday. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The plan marks the latest effort by the Biden administration to roll back many of Trump’s policies. Trump announced the ban in July 2017, reversing a landmark decision by his predecessor, Barack Obama, which allowed transgender people to serve openly and receive medical care to transition genders. According to U.S. Department of Defense data, there are about 1.3 million active personnel serving in the U.S. military, but no official figures on the number of trans members are available. While transgender military personnel under Trump’s policy were allowed to keep s...

WASHINGTON, Jan 24 (Reuters) – President Joe Biden is poised to repeal his predecessor Donald Trump’s ban on transgender people enlisting in the U.S. military, a person familiar with the matter said. The source, who spoke to Reuters anonymously because the action is not yet public, said Biden could lift the ban as soon as Monday. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The plan marks the latest effort by the Biden administration to roll back many of Trump’s policies. Trump announced the ban in July 2017, reversing a landmark decision by his predecessor, Barack Obama, which allowed transgender people to serve openly and receive medical care to transition genders. According to U.S. Department of Defense data, there are about 1.3 million active personnel serving in the U.S. military, but no official figures on the number of trans members are available. While transgender military personnel under Trump’s policy were allowed to keep s...

Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas has accrued a resume tailor-made for a Republican politician: He leapt from a small-town Arkansas cattle farm to Harvard University and then Harvard Law School; he left a leading New York firm to join the military after George W. Bush’s re-election; he was discharged after nearly eight years and two war-zone deployments as an Army captain and decorated hero — including two commendation medals, a Bronze Star and a Ranger tab.But when Cotton launched his first congressional campaign in 2012, he felt compelled to repeatedly falsify that honorable military record, even as he still served in the Army Reserve. Source: Sen. Tom Cotton campaigned on his “experience as an Army Ranger” — but he didn’t have any | Salon.com The article was originally published here!

Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas has accrued a resume tailor-made for a Republican politician: He leapt from a small-town Arkansas cattle farm to Harvard University and then Harvard Law School; he left a leading New York firm to join the military after George W. Bush’s re-election; he was discharged after nearly eight years and two war-zone deployments as an Army captain and decorated hero — including two commendation medals, a Bronze Star and a Ranger tab.But when Cotton launched his first congressional campaign in 2012, he felt compelled to repeatedly falsify that honorable military record, even as he still served in the Army Reserve. Source: Sen. Tom Cotton campaigned on his “experience as an Army Ranger” — but he didn’t have any | Salon.com The article was originally published here!

Self-styled militia members from Virginia, Ohio and other states made plans to storm the U.S. Capitol days in advance of the Jan. 6 attack, and then communicated in real time as they breached the building on opposite sides and talked about hunting for lawmakers, according to court documents filed Tuesday. While authorities have charged more than 100 individuals in the riot, details in the new allegations against three U.S. military veterans offer a disturbing look at what they allegedly said to one another before, during and after the attack — statements that indicate a degree of preparation and determination to rush deep into the halls and tunnels of Congress to make “citizens’ arrests” of elected officials. U.S. authorities charged an apparent leader of the Oath Keepers extremist group, Thomas Edward Caldwell, 66, of Berryville, Va., in the attack, alleging that the Navy veteran helped organize a ring of dozens who coordinated their movements as they “stormed the castle” to disrupt...

Self-styled militia members from Virginia, Ohio and other states made plans to storm the U.S. Capitol days in advance of the Jan. 6 attack, and then communicated in real time as they breached the building on opposite sides and talked about hunting for lawmakers, according to court documents filed Tuesday. While authorities have charged more than 100 individuals in the riot, details in the new allegations against three U.S. military veterans offer a disturbing look at what they allegedly said to one another before, during and after the attack — statements that indicate a degree of preparation and determination to rush deep into the halls and tunnels of Congress to make “citizens’ arrests” of elected officials. U.S. authorities charged an apparent leader of the Oath Keepers extremist group, Thomas Edward Caldwell, 66, of Berryville, Va., in the attack, alleging that the Navy veteran helped organize a ring of dozens who coordinated their movements as they “stormed the castle” to disrupt...

Self-styled militia members from Virginia, Ohio and other states made plans to storm the U.S. Capitol days in advance of the Jan. 6 attack, and then communicated in real time as they breached the building on opposite sides and talked about hunting for lawmakers, according to court documents filed Tuesday. While authorities have charged more than 100 individuals in the riot, details in the new allegations against three U.S. military veterans offer a disturbing look at what they allegedly said to one another before, during and after the attack — statements that indicate a degree of preparation and determination to rush deep into the halls and tunnels of Congress to make “citizens’ arrests” of elected officials. U.S. authorities charged an apparent leader of the Oath Keepers extremist group, Thomas Edward Caldwell, 66, of Berryville, Va., in the attack, alleging that the Navy veteran helped organize a ring of dozens who coordinated their movements as they “stormed the castle” to disrupt...

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi plans to send the article of impeachment against Donald Trump to the Senate on Monday, launching the start of the former president’s trial on a charge of incitement of insurrection over the deadly Capitol riot. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced the schedule Friday. “There will be a trial,” Schumer said. “It will be a full trial, it will be a fair trial.” Trump is the first president to be twice impeached and the first to face a trial after leaving office. While the transmission of the article launches the trial, the schedule ahead remains uncertain. On Thursday, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell proposed pushing back the start Trump’s impeachment trial to February to give the former president time to prepare and review his case. House Democrats who voted to impeach Trump last week for inciting the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol riot say a full reckoning is necessary before the country — and the Congress — can move on. But M...

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi plans to send the article of impeachment against Donald Trump to the Senate on Monday, launching the start of the former president’s trial on a charge of incitement of insurrection over the deadly Capitol riot. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced the schedule Friday. “There will be a trial,” Schumer said. “It will be a full trial, it will be a fair trial.” Trump is the first president to be twice impeached and the first to face a trial after leaving office. While the transmission of the article launches the trial, the schedule ahead remains uncertain. On Thursday, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell proposed pushing back the start Trump’s impeachment trial to February to give the former president time to prepare and review his case. House Democrats who voted to impeach Trump last week for inciting the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol riot say a full reckoning is necessary before the country — and the Congress — can move on. But M...

Followers of the extremist ideology QAnon saw their hopes once again dashed Wednesday as President Trump left Washington on the final day of his presidency, without any of the climactic scenes of violence and salvation that the sprawling set of conspiracy theories had preached for years would come. As Trump boarded Air Force One for his last presidential flight to Florida, many QAnon adherents — some of whom had earlier this month stormed the Capitol in a siege that left at least two QAnon devotees dead and others in jail — began to wonder whether they’d been duped all along. When one QAnon channel on the chat app Telegram posted a new theory that suggested Biden himself was “part of the plan,” a number of followers shifted into open rebellion: “This will never happen”; “Just stfu already!” “It’s over. It is sadly, sadly over.” “What a fraud!” Source: As Trump era ends, QAnon believers grapple with doubt – The Washington Post The article was originally published here!

Followers of the extremist ideology QAnon saw their hopes once again dashed Wednesday as President Trump left Washington on the final day of his presidency, without any of the climactic scenes of violence and salvation that the sprawling set of conspiracy theories had preached for years would come. As Trump boarded Air Force One for his last presidential flight to Florida, many QAnon adherents — some of whom had earlier this month stormed the Capitol in a siege that left at least two QAnon devotees dead and others in jail — began to wonder whether they’d been duped all along. When one QAnon channel on the chat app Telegram posted a new theory that suggested Biden himself was “part of the plan,” a number of followers shifted into open rebellion: “This will never happen”; “Just stfu already!” “It’s over. It is sadly, sadly over.” “What a fraud!” Source: As Trump era ends, QAnon believers grapple with doubt – The Washington Post The article was originally published here!

(CNN)A president’s most valuable commodity is time and Donald Trump is out of it. With a day remaining in his term, Trump is still consumed with grievance over Republicans he believes abandoned him and insistent to people around him that he actually won the election he lost. The President has been in a foul mood for several days and has lost interest in the performative parts of the presidency he once relished, a source he’s spoken with in recent days told CNN. While he’s eagerly anticipating his military-style send-off from Joint Base Andrews on Inauguration morning — one of the few items that have cheered him up recently — there were already signs the crowd may be smaller than he’d hoped. And a slate of actual celebrities lined up for Biden’s inauguration has disappointed a president who tried and often failed to secure A-list support for his own presidency. He hasn’t left the White House or been seen in public for a week. On Monday ...

(CNN)A president’s most valuable commodity is time and Donald Trump is out of it. With a day remaining in his term, Trump is still consumed with grievance over Republicans he believes abandoned him and insistent to people around him that he actually won the election he lost. The President has been in a foul mood for several days and has lost interest in the performative parts of the presidency he once relished, a source he’s spoken with in recent days told CNN. While he’s eagerly anticipating his military-style send-off from Joint Base Andrews on Inauguration morning — one of the few items that have cheered him up recently — there were already signs the crowd may be smaller than he’d hoped. And a slate of actual celebrities lined up for Biden’s inauguration has disappointed a president who tried and often failed to secure A-list support for his own presidency. He hasn’t left the White House or been seen in public for a week. On Monday ...

Avril Haines, President-elect Joe Biden’s nominee for director of national intelligence, opened her confirmation hearing Tuesday morning with an implicit criticism of President Trump’s management of the country’s vast intelligence network. “When it comes to intelligence,” Haines said in her opening statement, “there is simply no place for politics, ever.” As questioning began, both the Republican acting chairman, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, and the Democratic vice chairman, Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, said they viewed China as the key geopolitical adversary of the United States. Source: DNI Pick Avril Haines Testifies In Senate Panel Confirmation Hearing : Biden Transition Updates : NPR The article was originally published here!

Avril Haines, President-elect Joe Biden’s nominee for director of national intelligence, opened her confirmation hearing Tuesday morning with an implicit criticism of President Trump’s management of the country’s vast intelligence network. “When it comes to intelligence,” Haines said in her opening statement, “there is simply no place for politics, ever.” As questioning began, both the Republican acting chairman, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, and the Democratic vice chairman, Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, said they viewed China as the key geopolitical adversary of the United States. Source: DNI Pick Avril Haines Testifies In Senate Panel Confirmation Hearing : Biden Transition Updates : NPR The article was originally published here!

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell said in an interview Saturday that Bed Bath & Beyond and Kohl’s are among the retailers that will stop selling his products due to his continued support of conspiracy theories related to President Donald Trump’s election loss. Lindell, whose company is based in Chaska, made the announcement while talking with conservative commentator Brian Glenn on the Right Side Broadcasting Network. “I just got off the phone with Bed Bath & Beyond. They’re dropping MyPillow. Just got off the phone not five minutes ago. Kohl’s, all these different places,” Lindell said. “These [companies], they’re scared, like a Bed Bath & Beyond, they’re scared. They were good partners. In fact, I told them, ‘You guys come back anytime you want.’” Dominion Voting Systems is also threatening to sue Lindell for slander. Dominion sent legal letters to Lindell in December and early January over his false and conspiratorial claims about the machines being ...

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell said in an interview Saturday that Bed Bath & Beyond and Kohl’s are among the retailers that will stop selling his products due to his continued support of conspiracy theories related to President Donald Trump’s election loss. Lindell, whose company is based in Chaska, made the announcement while talking with conservative commentator Brian Glenn on the Right Side Broadcasting Network. “I just got off the phone with Bed Bath & Beyond. They’re dropping MyPillow. Just got off the phone not five minutes ago. Kohl’s, all these different places,” Lindell said. “These [companies], they’re scared, like a Bed Bath & Beyond, they’re scared. They were good partners. In fact, I told them, ‘You guys come back anytime you want.’” Dominion Voting Systems is also threatening to sue Lindell for slander. Dominion sent legal letters to Lindell in December and early January over his false and conspiratorial claims about the machines being ...

Who will preside over the second Senate impeachment trial of Donald Trump remains a key open question as lawmakers prepare to begin the unprecedented proceeding as soon as Inauguration Day. The U.S. Constitution says that the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court “shall preside” over trials of the President of the United States, but it does not specify what happens if the president has left office. No ex-president has ever faced a Senate trial. Source: In 2nd Trump impeachment trial, will Chief Justice John Roberts preside? – ABC News The article was originally published here!

Who will preside over the second Senate impeachment trial of Donald Trump remains a key open question as lawmakers prepare to begin the unprecedented proceeding as soon as Inauguration Day. The U.S. Constitution says that the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court “shall preside” over trials of the President of the United States, but it does not specify what happens if the president has left office. No ex-president has ever faced a Senate trial. Source: In 2nd Trump impeachment trial, will Chief Justice John Roberts preside? – ABC News The article was originally published here!

(CNN)President Donald Trump is preparing to issue around 100 pardons and commutations on his final full day in office Tuesday, according to three people familiar with the matter, a major batch of clemency actions that includes white collar criminals, high-profile rappers and others but — as of now — is not expected to include Trump himself. The White House held a meeting on Sunday to finalize the list of pardons, two sources said. Trump, who had been rolling out pardons and commutations at a steady clip ahead of Christmas, had put a pause on them in the days leading up to and directly after the January 6 riots at the US Capitol, according to officials. Aides said Trump was singularly focused on the Electoral College count in the days ahead of time, precluding him for making final decisions on pardons. White House officials had expected them to resume after January 6, but Trump retreated after he was blamed for inciting the riots. Source: Trump to issue around 100 pardons...

(CNN)President Donald Trump is preparing to issue around 100 pardons and commutations on his final full day in office Tuesday, according to three people familiar with the matter, a major batch of clemency actions that includes white collar criminals, high-profile rappers and others but — as of now — is not expected to include Trump himself. The White House held a meeting on Sunday to finalize the list of pardons, two sources said. Trump, who had been rolling out pardons and commutations at a steady clip ahead of Christmas, had put a pause on them in the days leading up to and directly after the January 6 riots at the US Capitol, according to officials. Aides said Trump was singularly focused on the Electoral College count in the days ahead of time, precluding him for making final decisions on pardons. White House officials had expected them to resume after January 6, but Trump retreated after he was blamed for inciting the riots. Source: Trump to issue around 100 pardons...

WASHINGTON — Members of President Donald Trump’s failed presidential campaign played key roles in orchestrating the Washington rally that spawned a deadly assault on the U.S. Capitol, according to an Associated Press review of records, undercutting claims the event was the brainchild of the president’s grassroots supporters. A pro-Trump nonprofit group called Women for America First hosted the “Save America Rally” on Jan. 6 at the Ellipse, an oval-shaped, federally owned patch of land near the White House. But an attachment to the National Park Service public gathering permit granted to the group lists more than half a dozen people in staff positions for the event who just weeks earlier had been paid thousands of dollars by Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign. Other staff scheduled to be “on site” during the demonstration have close ties to the White House. Since the siege, several of them have scrambled to distance themselves from the rally. The riot at the Capitol, incited by Trump’s...

When Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar announced this week that the federal government would begin releasing coronavirus vaccine doses held in reserve for second shots, no such reserve existed, according to state and federal officials briefed on distribution plans. The Trump administration had already begun shipping out what was available beginning at the end of December, taking second doses directly off the manufacturing line. Now, health officials across the country who had anticipated their extremely limited vaccine supply as much as doubling beginning next week are confronting the reality that their allocations will remain largely flat, dashing hopes of dramatically expanding access for millions of elderly people and those with high-risk medical conditions. Health officials in some cities and states were informed in recent days about the reality of the situation, while others are still in the dark. Because both of the vaccines authorized for emergency use in the Unite...

When Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar announced this week that the federal government would begin releasing coronavirus vaccine doses held in reserve for second shots, no such reserve existed, according to state and federal officials briefed on distribution plans. The Trump administration had already begun shipping out what was available beginning at the end of December, taking second doses directly off the manufacturing line. Now, health officials across the country who had anticipated their extremely limited vaccine supply as much as doubling beginning next week are confronting the reality that their allocations will remain largely flat, dashing hopes of dramatically expanding access for millions of elderly people and those with high-risk medical conditions. Health officials in some cities and states were informed in recent days about the reality of the situation, while others are still in the dark. Because both of the vaccines authorized for emergency use in the Unite...

One of the two Virginia police officers arrested Wednesday in connection with last week’s deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol is a current member of the Virginia National Guard, officials confirmed Thursday. Jacob Fracker has been charged with one count of knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority and one count of violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. The Virginia National Guard said Thursday that he is a corporal in the Virginia Guard. “The Virginia National Guard will conduct an investigation into the matter, and we will be able to release more information when that is complete,” the Guard said in a statement. Fracker, whose status as a guardsman was first reported by Military.com, is the first known person currently in the military to be arrested in connection with the Capitol assault. Fracker is an infantryman in a traditional National Guard status who normally drills one weekend a month and does two weeks of a...

One of the two Virginia police officers arrested Wednesday in connection with last week’s deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol is a current member of the Virginia National Guard, officials confirmed Thursday. Jacob Fracker has been charged with one count of knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority and one count of violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. The Virginia National Guard said Thursday that he is a corporal in the Virginia Guard. “The Virginia National Guard will conduct an investigation into the matter, and we will be able to release more information when that is complete,” the Guard said in a statement. Fracker, whose status as a guardsman was first reported by Military.com, is the first known person currently in the military to be arrested in connection with the Capitol assault. Fracker is an infantryman in a traditional National Guard status who normally drills one weekend a month and does two weeks of a...