Cut to the News
Cut through the clutter to today's top news
January 22, 2021
Good morning
Welcome to today's top news.
Leading the News . . .
Biden agenda on hold; Senate power-sharing deal elusive . . . Nobody knows exactly how the Senate is being run right now. Though Democrats technically took the reins of the chamber this week, they have been unable to reach a power-sharing deal with Republicans, leaving the Senate partially frozen. Democrats hold the gavel in the chamber itself, but GOP lawmakers are still the chairs of committees, for now. All sides are feeling their
way through the new arrangement, but already cracks are showing in Democrats’ push for quick action on President Biden’s agenda. Only one of Mr. Biden’s Cabinet picks has been confirmed, marking the slowest start for a president in at least 60 years. Washington Times
Biden warns US COVID deaths will top 500,000 next month . . . Coronavirus will have killed half a million people in the US by the end of next month, Joe Biden forecast on Thursday as he warned that his administration would not be able to dramatically accelerate the pace of vaccinations. The president, who campaigned on a pledge to overhaul the US response to the pandemic, told reporters: “The death toll will
probably top 500,000 next month, the cases will continue to mount.” Financial Times
Biden’s Covid-19 Plan . . . President Biden on his second day in office released a national Covid-19 strategy and signed 10 executive orders and other directives as part of the plan. Specific changes that people can expect in the weeks and months ahead include: increased supplies such as masks, gowns, gloves, rapid Covid-19 test kits, testing agents and material for vaccines. States and schools will see more
funding. Here are details of what is in the plan. Wall Street Journal
Colleges are reopening in-person amid raging pandemic . . . The University of Illinois had spent months preparing to reopen its campus to students. A new testing method that relied on spit rather than invasive nasal swabs allowed for thousands of tests and showed many students had COVID-19. Chancellor Robert J. Jones locked down the campus, and students expecting in-person learning were confined to dorm rooms for online classes they
could have taken from home. But a million tests later, the university generally had a positivity rate of less than half a percent at the end of the semester. “The key takeaway from last semester is that we showed it can work,” said Martin Burke, the official who leads the university's coronavirus response. USA Today
US doc with close ties to Wuhan Lab discussed manipulating bat-based coronaviruses before outbreak . . . A U.S. scientist who is part of the World Health Organization team investigating the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic discussed his work manipulating bat-based coronaviruses in labs just weeks before the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan. Dr. Peter Daszak, a close associate with China’s premier bat-based coronavirus researcher and a
key figure in directing taxpayer funds to the Wuhan Institute of Virology, explained how easy it was to alter coronaviruses during a podcast interview filmed Dec. 9, 2019. “You can manipulate them in the lab pretty easily,” Daszak said. “Spike protein drives a lot of what happens with the coronavirus . . . and insert the backbone of another virus and do some work in the lab.” Daily Caller
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Biden redecorates Oval Office by removing military flags . . . President Biden decided to do some redecorating. “Gone are the flags of the branches of the military that Trump displayed behind the Resolute Desk. Biden has installed an American flag and another with a presidential seal.” Here’s what the place looks like, and what’s in it. White House Dossier
No, there’s no bust of Ronald Reagan as a way to foster “unity.”
Joe Biden gender-identity order accused of 'erasing women,' threatening girls' sports . . . President Biden, with his executive order on gender identity and sexual orientation, push the hotly contested issue of transgender participation in women’s athletics from the sidelines to the spotlight. The Democratic president said he wanted to ensure equal treatment under the law by directing federal agencies to eliminate discrimination
in guidances and policies, while critics predicted that the endgame would be the effective eradication of women’s restrooms, prisons and athletics. Christiana Holcomb, Alliance Defending Freedom legal counsel, said that Biden administration's policies gut legal protections for women by denying female athletes fair competition in sports, ignoring women’s unique health needs, and forcing vulnerable girls to share intimate spaces with men who identify as female.” Washington Times
This is just one reason why we opted out for Catholic schools for our children, although we are a Jewish family. No such nonsense exists there.
Dems formally elect Harrison as new DNC chair . . . Jaime Harrison, the former South Carolina Senate candidate who shattered fundraising records, has been elected as the new chairman of the DNC, succeeding Tom Perez as the party’s top officer. Harrison, who mounted a high-profile yet ultimately unsuccessful bid to oust Sen. Lindsey Graham last year, was President Biden’s choice for the top job at the DNC. He was elected in a
near-unanimous vote at the group’s winter meeting Thursday afternoon. The Hill
Senate Dems file ethics complaint against Hawley, Cruz over Capitol attack . . . Seven Senate Democrats are asking the Ethics Committee to open an investigation into GOP Sens. Josh Hawley and Ted Cruz over the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. The senators filed a complaint on Thursday with the committee asking that it probe whether Hawley and Cruz’s objections to the Electoral College results violated the chamber’s ethics rules. The Hill
Why bother dealing with real issues that American people are facing, when you can spend all your time on busy work, doing endless investigations of your political opponents?
Rep. Marjorie Greene files articles of impeachment against Biden . . . Rep. Marjorie Greene (R-Ga.) said Thursday that she has filed articles of impeachment against President Biden, only a day after he was sworn into office. Greene indicated that the articles accuse Biden of abusing his power while serving as vice president by allowing his son, Hunter, to serve on the board of a Ukrainian energy company. "President Joe Biden is unfit
to hold the office of the presidency. His pattern of abuse of power as President Obama's Vice President is lengthy and disturbing. President Biden has demonstrated that he will do whatever it takes to bail out his son, Hunter, and line his family's pockets with cash from corrupt foreign energy companies," Greene said in a statement. The Hill
Hunter Biden DOJ investigation looms large . . . An executive order from President Biden instructs all his appointees to sign a pledge to refrain from “improper interference” with any prosecutorial or investigative decisions at the Justice Department. The new directive comes after Biden selected Judge Merrick Garland to be his nominee for attorney general and as Biden’s son, Hunter, is under a federal criminal investigation. There is
also a criminal inquiry into the Trump-Russia investigation being conducted by special counsel John Durham. Washington Examiner
Trump hires South Carolina lawyer Bowers for impeachment defense . . . Former President Donald Trump has hired South Carolina-based lawyer Butch Bowers to represent him in his Senate impeachment trial over a charge that he incited insurrection. While relatively unknown on the national stage, Bowers has represented former Republican governors in South Carolina and served in the U.S. Justice Department under Republican former President
George W. Bush. Senator Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally, reportedly recommended him. In 2012, Bowers represented then-Governor Nikki Haley in an ethics hearing over allegations that she engaged in illegal lobbying while she was a state representative. Haley was cleared of wrongdoing. Reuters
McConnell pitches delaying impeachment trial . . . Mitch McConnell proposed that the Senate delay former President Donald Trump's impeachment trial, adding there's no rush in taking it up. McConnell is suggesting to Majority Leader Chuck Schumer that Trump's legal team should get more time to prepare for the trial. "Senate Republicans are strongly united behind the principle that the institution of the Senate, the office of the
presidency, and former President Trump himself all deserve a full and fair process that respects his rights and the serious factual, legal, and constitutional questions at stake," McConnell said in a statement. Washington Examiner
Judge denies request for Amazon to immediately restore Parler . . . A federal judge on Thursday denied Parler's request for a court order that would have forced Amazon to immediately resume hosting the controversial social media platform following its suspension earlier this month. In rebuffing Parler’s request for a swift reversal of Amazon’s ban, U.S. District Court Judge Barbara Rothstein said the social media site, which is especially
popular among conservatives, had failed to persuade the court that it would ultimately win its lawsuit against Amazon. “The likelihood of Parler prevailing on its claims is not a close call. Parler’s allegations at this time are both inaccurate and unsupported, and are disputed by evidence submitted by” Amazon, wrote Rothstein, who sits on a Seattle-based district court and was appointed by former President Carter. The Hill
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China builds military drones to rival US in war, leaked file shows . . . The Chinese regime has been actively growing its fleet of unmanned aircrafts to spy on and compete with adversaries such as the United States, a leaked document from China’s Ministry of National Defense reveals. The July 2017 document described Beijing’s ambition to dominate what it called “full dimensional warfare”—referring to control over
sea, land, air, space, and the electromagnetic spectrum where military equipment communicates—by developing advanced military drones. To accomplish the above, the regime detailed a plan to design one to two types of small, long-range military drones and establish a factory to produce 1,000 drones per year. Epoch Times
Russia welcomes US call to extend nuclear arms treaty, but wants details . . . The Kremlin said on Friday it welcomed the stated intention of U.S. President Joe Biden to extend the New START arms control treaty with Russia, but said that Moscow wanted to see concrete proposals from Washington. The White House said on Thursday that Biden would seek a five-year extension of the arms control treaty that is due to expire in early
February, in one of the first major foreign policy decisions of the new administration. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it was important to see the detail of the U.S. proposal. The Trump administration had sought to attach conditions to any renewal, something Moscow rejected. Reuters
Of course, now the Russians welcome the New START extension. Putin knows that he can count on some "flexibility" from the Obiden Administration.
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Boris Johnson keeps head down after Biden removes Churchill bust . . . British Prime Minister Boris Johnson responded with studied indifference to word that President Biden’s team removed a bust of Winston Churchill from the Oval Office that had been displayed by the man he replaced, former President Donald Trump. “The Oval Office is the president’s private office, and it is up to the president to decorate it as he
wishes,” his spokesman said. The bust removal and even that Johnson was forced to respond shines a light on the many challenges facing the so-called "special relationship" between the two countries in the post-Trump era. Washington Examiner
Vatican convicts former banking chief in multimillion-euro embezzlement scheme . . . The Vatican's criminal tribunal convicted a former Vatican banking chief and his lawyer, who together were accused of embezzling more than 30 million euros from the sale of properties owned by the Holy See. Angel Caloia, 81, and attorney Gabriele Liuzzo, 97, were sentenced to nearly nine years in prison each, according to the Associated Press. The court
awarded roughly 23 million euros in damages to the Vatican bank, the Institute of Religious Works. Washington Examier
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Pandemic-related price hikes still rampant on Amazon . . . Hundreds of the essential products that have come to define pandemic living have sustained significant price increases on Amazon this year, with some jumping to many multiples of their original price, research suggests. Analysis published by the US Public Interest Research Group, a non-partisan consumer advocacy organization, looked at 750 “essential” items sold
on Amazon’s marketplace, comparing their pre-pandemic prices to what customers paid for them at the end of 2020. The items monitored ranged from essential products such as face masks and toilet paper to those that have become suddenly popular in lockdowns such as computer monitors. Financial Times
American Airlines launches wine delivery service . . . American Airlines is launching a new delivery service that will bring a variety of premium wine offerings straight to your door. The new program, known as Flagship Cellars, will offer customers who are 21 years or older the ability to choose from individual bottles in American's curated collection of mixed wines. Flagship Cellars' single-bottle wine offerings range in price between
$13 and $40. Meanwhile, three, six, or 12-bottle wine collections range from $50 to $400. Fox Business
Since the CCP virus is killing the airline industry, American figured it would try a different line of business. The booze industry is doing great during the pandemic.
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Pelosi tells HRC that religious people were selling out democracy over abortion . . . House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said religious people who voted for President Trump were “willing to sell the whole democracy” of the United States over abortion. “Now, there’s one other element that I have been talking about for a long time that gives me great grief as a Catholic. I think that Donald Trump is president because of the issue of a
woman’s right to choose,” Pelosi said. “When he signed that paper, saying, ‘These are the judges that I will appoint,’ that was the dog whistle to the evangelicals, to the Catholics, and all the rest. Washington Examiner
Leading Catholic Bishop rips Biden for expected abortion and religious liberty actions . . . A leading Catholic bishop on Wednesday condemned President Biden's stances on abortion and religious liberty ahead of the new administration's expected series of executive actions. "Our new president has pledged to pursue certain policies that would advance moral evils and threaten human life and dignity, most seriously in the areas of
abortion, contraception, marriage, and gender," Archbishop José H. Gomez wrote in a statement on Inauguration Day. "Of deep concern is the liberty of the Church and the freedom of believers to live according to their consciences. Washington Free Beacon
House Freedom Caucus Chairman reintroduces three pro-life bills . . . Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, reintroduced three pro-life bills Thursday, a day after President Joe Biden was inaugurated the 46th president of the United States. “The next four years of the Biden administration will bring out the worst abortion policies and edicts that our nation has experienced since the Roe v. Wade decision,”
Biggs said. He vowed that “the pro-life community will rise above these challenges to grow our movement and to bring about an end to abortion on-demand.” The three bills affect the tax treatment of abortions, abortion providers’ hospital admitting privileges, and women’s health care. Daily
Signal
In blow to NRA, judge rules NY lawsuit can proceed . . . The National Rifle Association suffered a setback on Thursday as a state supreme court justice ruled against the organization's motions to dismiss, delay, or transfer a lawsuit seeking the group's dissolution. The lawsuit, brought by New York attorney general Letitia James, aims to dissolve the group—a nonprofit organization incorporated under New York law—because it allegedly
defrauded donors. The NRA was hoping to convince the judge to dismiss the trial or move the venue from gun-skeptical Manhattan to more friendly political territory in Albany. Washington Free Beacon
Biden skips guns in Day One executive orders . . . President Biden used a historic number of executive orders on his first day in office to deliver on promises made to indebted students, environmentalists, and immigration activists while turning a cold shoulder to gun-control advocates. Despite boasting on his campaign website that he "knows how to make progress on reducing gun violence using executive action" and being historically
aggressive in his use of day one executive orders—issuing more than Trump, Obama, Bush, and Clinton combined—gun control was not part of the day one blitz of 17 executive orders, and no future executive actions on guns have been announced. Washington Free Beacon
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MyPillow guy had secret romance with ’30 rock’ star Jane Krakowski. . . MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell reportedly dated “30 Rock” star Jane Krakowski for nine months. The relationship ended last summer, but was an “open secret” in the West Village of New York City where the couple was frequently seen together. A friend of the couple said that “he sent flowers to her almost every week and champagne and bottles of different
liquor.” Daily Caller
And who could have possibly resisted the special pillow!
Here Is A Terrifying List Of Biden's First Executive Orders As President . . .
- Canceling the Keystone XL pipeline - From now on, all our oil must be purchased from ISIS.
- All jobs that Trump created are now illegal - We can't have our jobs tainted with white supremacy. Don't worry, you'll get your stimulus check.
- Every family home must now have a transgender bathroom - Also, every family will be required to have at least one transgender child.
- Arrest Donald Trump on one count of being Donald Trump - Also calls for the arrest of 75 million people for accessory to being Donald Trump. See full list on BabylonBee
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Rebekah
Rebekah Koffler
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