U.S.The IndependentLocal newspapers turn on Lauren Boebert as 68 state politicians demand investigation into Capitol riot role
The demand for an investigation into Lauren Boebert gained traction after 68 elected officials from Colorado wrote to House speaker Nancy Pelosi, condemning the representative's alleged association with “right-wing groups that supported the insurrection of Capitol Building." Ms Boebert is the representative for Colorado's third congressional district in Congress. “We have heard overwhelmingly from our constituents, therefore her constituents, that there is deep concern about her actions leading up to and during the protests that turned into a violent deadly mob," said the letter signed by officials, including mayors, county commissioners and town council members, reported the Steamboat Pilot & Today newspaper.
U.S.Associated PressWaitress credited with helping boy after noticing bruises
A Florida waitress who noticed bruises on an 11-year-old boy flashed him a handwritten note asking him if he needed help, and when he nodded yes, she called the police, authorities said. Orlando police credited Flaviane Carvalho, a waitress at Mrs. Potato Restaurant, with coming to the boy's aid on New Year's Eve when the child's parents weren't looking. Police took the boy to a hospital where doctors found bruises on his face, earlobes and arms.
PoliticsAxiosGOP Sen. Lankford apologizes to Black Oklahomans for electoral challenge
Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) has apologized to Black Oklahomans for challenging Joe Biden's Electoral College victory, saying he did not realize his actions would be seen as "casting doubt on the validity of votes" in predominantly Black cities like Atlanta, Philadelphia and Detroit. The big picture: Lankford was part of a group of 11 senators, led by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who planned to object to the Electoral College certification unless Congress launched a commission to audit the election results. Between the lines: "Lankford has been more involved with Black Tulsans, and particularly the historic Greenwood District, than any statewide Republican officeholder in decades," Tulsa World writes.
U.S.The WeekSecret Service reportedly had to use Obama's bathroom after being barred from Ivanka Trump's
Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner have spent the past few years living in a six bedroom, 6.5 bathroom rented home in Washington, D.C.'s exclusive Kalorama neighborhood. The family could count high-profile officials and even one former president among their neighbors — as well as their own Secret Service detail, who had to rent a nearby apartment to use the bathroom because they weren't allowed inside the Kushner-Trump home, neighbors and law enforcement sources tell The Washington Post. It's not unusual for Secret Service agents to stay out of the typically expansive homes they're guarding, instead using a garage or auxiliary building as their home base, the Post notes.
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Australia to kill pigeon that made extraordinary journey from Oregon
A racing pigeon has survived an extraordinary 13,000-kilometer (8,000-mile) Pacific Ocean crossing from the United States to find a new home in Australia. Now authorities consider the bird a quarantine risk and plan to kill it.
PoliticsThe IndependentTrump Jr wanted for questioning by DC attorney general over alleged inaugural funds abuse
Donald Trump Jr is wanted for questioning as part of an investigation into the alleged misuse of his father's 2017 presidential inauguration funds. Washington DC attorney general Karl Racine said Mr Trump Jr had been notified of the request, which was sent after new evidence emerged in court filings earlier this week. They allege that the Presidential Inaugural Committee “improperly wasted its fund” when it paid almost $50,000 (£37,000) to the Loews Madison for a block of hotel rooms on behalf of the Trump Organization.
EntertainmentArchitectural DigestMore Inside Artist Jorge Pardo's Transformed Bushwick Carriage House
When it came to the lighting in his home, Pardo drew inspiration from the insides of fruits, nuts, and seeds, as well as sea creatures and machine parts. Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
PoliticsBusiness InsiderA member of Congress says she chose to risk running into Capitol rioters over sheltering with maskless colleagues during the insurrection
Rep. Stacey Plaskett, who serves as a House delegate representing the Virgin Islands, told Buzzfeed News that she opted to shelter in her office instead of with colleagues during the Capitol insurrection last week. In the days since the insurrection, Democratic Reps. Pramila Jayapal, Bonnie Watson Coleman, Brad Schneider, and Adriano Espaillat have tested positive for COVID-19.
WorldReutersWary of Biden tack on Iran, Israel revisits military options, newspaper says
Israel is revising military options for a possible clash with Iran, an Israeli newspaper reported on Thursday, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government braces for differences with the incoming U.S. administration on Iranian nuclear policy. U.S. President Donald Trump delighted Netanyahu by quitting the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran and reimposing sanctions on it that had been lifted in return for limits on activities that could, potentially, produce nuclear weapons in the future. President-elect Joe Biden wants to rejoin the deal if Tehran - which denies seeking the bomb - returns to strict compliance.
U.S.USA TODAYKyle Rittenhouse accused of flashing white power sign at bar; prosecutors want him to stay away from Proud Boys
MILWAUKEE – Prosecutors in Wisconsin have asked a judge to order Kyle Rittenhouse to stay out of bars and away from groups such as the Proud Boys, an extremist group with ties to white nationalism. The request comes a week after Rittenhouse was seen drinking at a tavern outside Kenosha after pleading not guilty – via Zoom from his lawyer's office in Racine – at his arraignment Jan. 5 on homicide and other charges related to the Aug. 25 violence in Kenosha. Rittenhouse, who is free on $2 million bail, had just turned 18 two days earlier.
PoliticsThe WeekTrump's team is reportedly trying to assemble a crowd for a 'major send-off' hours before Biden's inauguration
President Trump is planning to exit the White House on the morning of Jan. 20, a few hours before President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in a short distance away, CNN reports. "Eager for a final taste of the pomp of being president, Trump has asked for a major send-off," and "as one of their final acts, Trump's team is working to organize a crowd to see him off on the morning of Biden's inauguration, when he plans to depart Washington while still president" for a flight to Palm Beach, Florida, where his term will officially end at noon. There are 20,000 National Guard troops currently deployed or en route to Washington, D.C., ahead of Biden's inauguration, because the last crowd Trump drew to the White House morphed into an insurrectionist mob that stormed the Capitol.
U.S.Business InsiderA police officer arrested after the pro-Trump assault on the Capitol is also a current member of the US military
Two Virginia police officers, Jacob Fracker and Thomas Robertson, were arrested in connection with last week's riots at the US Capitol. Fracker, as Military.com first reported, is a current member of the Virginia National Guard, making him the first current military member to be arrested in connection with the riots. Several former military members have been arrested or are facing questioning from authorities.
PoliticsThe WeekLindsey Graham seemingly takes a swipe at McConnell while solidifying opposition to impeachment
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) has had a whirlwind of a week. After the deadly riot at the United States Capitol last Wednesday, he threw cold water on his Republican colleagues' Electoral College challenges, saying "enough is enough," which led to him getting harassed by Trump supporters at the airport. Most recently, he came out strongly against impeaching Trump.
U.S.Business InsiderNational Guard asks people to please stop trying to give it donations, after photos of National Guardsmen sleeping on the floor of the Capitol spread on social media
The National Guard said Wednesday that it is not capable of accepting donations. The statement came after some were moved to donate after seeing photos of National Guard members sleeping on the floor of the US Capitol. The National Guard assured the public that its members have proper sleeping quarters.
U.S.Business Insider'Kill him with his own gun': DC police officer recounts being attacked by pro-Trump mob at the US Capitol
Michael Fanone, a police officer in Washington, DC, said he was attacked by a pro-Trump mob during the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol. Fanone, who suffered a mild heart attack, told The Washington Post that he was dragged down the Capitol steps, shot with a stun gun, and struggled to retain consciousness. "We got one!" Fanone claimed rioters shouted.
PoliticsThe WeekMelania Trump is reportedly more than ready to leave the White House
First lady Melania Trump is spending her final days in the White House packing, making photo albums, and counting down the minutes until she can move out, CNN reports. With the help of White House staffers, she has been doing this stealthily, as to not upset President Trump — the official told CNN he really didn't think they would be moving, and it's a sensitive subject.
PoliticsUSA TODAYThe members of Congress who objected to Joe Biden's Electoral College win amid Capitol riot
With President Donald Trump continuing to erroneously claim he won the election in the lead-up to Jan. 6, several Republican allies planned to fight the results when Congress met to formally count the votes of the Electoral College. States had already certified their Electoral College results, and Biden secured the election with 306 votes to Trump's 232. In the next step of the certification process, the Constitution requires both chambers of Congress to meet before the inauguration to count the electoral votes from every state.
EntertainmentLA TimesMAGA musician Ariel Pink, spurned by fans, complains to Tucker Carlson: 'People are so mean'
Days after attending a rally that led to a deadly right-wing insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, the L.A. indie musician Ariel Pink tried to defend his actions on Fox News host Tucker Carlson's show on Thursday. “I had no choice, there's nothing else for me to do,” Pink said, looking shaken and nervous. Pink, an acclaimed but antagonizing fixture of L.A.'s experimental music scene, has become an unlikely far-right martyr-hero after photos of him attending the Jan. 6 “Stop the Steal” rally (with fellow local avant-garde artist John Maus) surfaced.
U.S.Business InsiderHundreds of New Yorkers descended on a vaccination site after a Facebook post said there were over 400 spare shots
A Facebook post said there were more than 400 extra vaccine doses available in New York City for walk-in appointments that needed to be used before 7pm. Swarms of New Yorkers lined up at Brooklyn Grand Army Terminal seeking the vaccine, but officials said there was not enough for people without appointments. The mayor's office told Insider that the city has a "variety" of ways to make sure excess doses are used, and added that this vaccine site is open 24 hours a day.
PoliticsThe IndependentTrump had to be talked out of going to Congress to defend himself against impeachment, says report
President Trump wanted to be in the House of Representatives to observe his second impeachment and defend himself, it has been reported, but was talked out of it by his advisers. As the house voted 232 to 197 on Wednesday to impeach Mr Trump for the second time, the president released a video condemning the Capitol riots and saying he was “shocked” by the scenes of violence. Quoting sources inside the White House, the Times said while the house was voting, Mr Trump was furious at Republican members for opposing him on the floor, particularly at Kevin McCarthy for publicly condemning him, and was giving a hard time to advisers who are trying to trace a path for a respectable exit and possible 2024 run.
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Biden's inauguration postponed - Politico
A rehearsal for U.S President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration has been postponed over security concerns, that's according to a Thursday night report in Politico, citing two people with knowledge of the decision. The rehearsal, scheduled for Sunday, has been canceled along with a train trip from Delaware to Washington. The rehearsal has now been moved to Monday, according to the report.
CelebrityTheGrioWendy Williams alleges she was raped by 1980s R&B singer
This week while promoting her upcoming Lifetime biopic, Wendy Williams made a stunning admission about an R&B singer who she claims sexually assaulted her at the beginning of her career. In her new film, Wendy Williams: The Movie, which premieres on Jan. 30, the talk show maven will revisit some of the most transformative milestones, including her recovery from substance abuse and her divorce from longtime husband, Kevin Hunter. But perhaps one of the most unexpected revelations is Williams's never-before-told story of a date-rape that she alleges took place while she spent time with R&B singer Sherrick, an artist from the 1980s.
StyleINSIDERA bride found a wedding dress that looked just like the dream gown she sketched before shopping
However, it seemed like Kleinfeld didn't have anything closer to her vision, so she bought the dress — and regretted it. "I went home, and I cried my eyes out," Madison told Insider. "I didn't really want that dress, but I made everybody drive to New York with me and it was a huge thing."
PoliticsBusiness Insider'We're going to pull out all the stops:' A top Senate Democrat says he'll fight to include a $600 federal unemployment benefit in Biden's stimulus plan
Sen. Ron Wyden, incoming chair of the Senate Finance committee, opened the door to modifying the Biden stimulus package during congressional negotiations, particularly on unemployment aid. "I'm going to push hard for what's needed to get people through a very difficult circumstance" Wyden told Insider. "The president-elect served in the Senate, and he knows all of these issues are in negotiation."
SportsAssociated PressNiemann finishes with eagle and shares the lead at Sony Open
Joaquin Niemann had no regrets about the 18th hole at the Sony Open. Four days after a pair of pars on the final hole at Kapalua led to a playoff loss, Niemann holed a 50-foot chip for eagle on the 18th hole Thursday for an 8-under 62 and a share of the lead with Jason Kokrak and Peter Malnati. “It was a good way to finish,” Niemann said.
“Governors are being WAY too precious about who gets this vaccine.”
“The federal government needs to give states strict parameters for when their vaccine allocation must be administered.”
“While public health leaders know what must be done, their critical work could be supported by a national COVID-19 Vaccine Corps.”
“The US vaccine campaign is not a disaster. Rather, I think it is predictably mediocre.”
“The best option may be to rely more on private industry.”