Cut to the News
Cut through the clutter to today's top news
January 29, 2021
Good morning
Welcome to today's top news.
Leading the News . . .
Biden, Dems scheme to sidestep Republicans for left-wing wishlist . . . Congressional Democrats say they are still committed to President Biden’s calls for unity, but they made clear this week that unity will be on their own terms as they laid the groundwork to circumvent Republicans in pursuit of a liberal agenda. Their immediate focus is the next coronavirus relief package, where they are eyeing the budget process as a way to push
through Mr. Biden’s $1.9 trillion proposal, including a $15 federal minimum wage, without needing a single Republican vote. Democratic leaders insisted the result will be something close to Mr. Biden’s plan, whether Republicans cooperate or not. Washington Times
Biden’s Blue State Claw Back: The hidden agenda behind the new president’s busy week . . . President Biden's first days have been a blizzard of executive orders, presidential memorandums, and official proclamations. He says he wants to overturn the worst policies of the previous administration, and to restore a sense of national unity and institutional integrity. But in reality, all these initiatives are designed to
achieve Biden’s partisan goal. It’s not just that the new president wants to resume the trajectory America was on when Barack Obama left office in 2017. He also wants to claw back the gains red states made over blue states during the last four years. He wants to shift federal resources to Democratic constituencies, and to save the blue states from the true cost of their misguided policies. And if red America has to pay a price in lost jobs and tax revenue, well, that’s too bad. Washington Free Beacon
Study Finds Significantly More Mental Illness Among COVID Survivors. . . A study by a group at the University of Oxford has found that around one in eight individuals infected by the coronavirus end up suffering from a neurological or psychiatric illnesses within six months. The study, which is yet to be peer-reviewed, also found that for those with a history of neurological or psychiatric illnesses, the
incidence rate for neurological or psychiatric illness increases to one in three patients. They found that more cases of stroke, intracranial hemorrhage, dementia, and psychotic disorders were diagnosed among those infected by the coronavirus compared to those who suffered from the other respiratory infections. Epoch Times
Guantanamo Bay prisoners to be offered COVID vaccines . . . The Defense Department will offer the coronavirus vaccine to detainees at the Guantanamo Bay facility, a prosecutor involved in the government’s case against five of the prisoners said in a letter to defense lawyers. “[A]n official in the Pentagon has just signed a memo approving the delivery of the Covid-19 vaccine to the detainee population in Guantánamo,” prosecutor
Clayton G. Trivett Jr. wrote Thursday. The naval base has 6,000 residents, including 1,500 U.S. troops working at the prison. Vaccination of the residents began in early January of this year, but the Trump administration had not specified whether the prisoners would be vaccinated. The Hill
What you need to know about wearing two masks . . . With the new COVID-19 variants appearing around the world, and little known about new strains, cloth masks are still being recommended to help slow the spread of the coronavirus. But are two masks more effective than one? With double-masking becoming more prominent, here’s what you need to know on how to find a quality mask, if two masks are better than one, and if wearing two masks is right for
you. USA TODAY
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Biden signs health care executive actions to undo Trump's policies . . . President Biden on Thursday signed two executive actions focused on health care, describing the directives as a necessary effort to “undo the damage” done by former President Trump. Biden signed an order directing federal agencies to open a special enrollment period for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) exchanges from Feb. 15 to May 15 in response to the coronavirus
pandemic and to review existing policies put in place under the Trump administration that limited access to health care. Biden also signed a presidential memorandum rescinding the Mexico City policy preventing federal funds from flowing to foreign aid groups that provide abortion-related services. The Hill
SECDEF Austin Blocks Trump Appointees To Pentagon Advisory Boards . . . Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has blocked a number of former President Donald Trump’s appointees to Pentagon advisory boards in an effort by the Defense Department to filter out last-minute appointments from the previous administration. The directive reportedly affected five advisory boards including the Defense Business Board, the Defense Policy Board, the Defense
Science Board, the Defense Innovation Board and the Defense Healthcare Board. The advisory boards are intended to offer guidance to officials and strengthen partnerships between the department and the private sector. Daily Caller
Jim Jordan says he won't run for Senate in 2022 . . . Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), who gained national attention as one of former President Trump's most ardent defenders during his first impeachment, said Thursday he will not run for retiring Sen. Rob Portman’s (R-Ohio) seat in 2022. Jordan was one of several potential GOP candidates mentioned after Portman announced that he would not seek a third term next year. Four of Jordan’s GOP
colleagues — Reps. Mike Turner, Steve Stivers, Brad Wenstrup and David Joyce — have all expressed interest in potentially seeking the seat. The Hill
GOP has growing Marjorie Taylor Greene problem . . . First-term Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) is increasingly becoming a liability for her GOP colleagues because of a string of controversies that have thrown the conference off message and led to repudiations by Republican leaders. Greene, a Trump loyalist and a believer of the QAnon conspiracy theory, filed impeachment articles against President Biden on his first full day in
office. She has supported Facebook posts that called for executing Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and FBI agents, and in a video that resurfaced this week is seen taunting gun control activist David Hogg a year after he survived the 2018 mass school shooting at his high school in Parkland, Fla. Democrats are seizing on the controversies, hoping to make Greene the new face of House Republicans. The Hill
Pelosi wants security money to face ‘enemy’ within House . . . Lawmakers face threats of violence from an “enemy” within Congress, and more money is needed to protect them, House Speaker Pelosi says, a startling acknowledgment of escalating internal tensions over safety since this month’s Capitol attack by supporters of former President Trump. The California Democrat’s remarks Thursday came as the acting chief of the Capitol Police said
separately that “vast improvements” are needed to protect the Capitol and adjacent office buildings, including permanent fencing. Asked to clarify what she meant, Pelosi said, “It means that we have members of Congress who want to bring guns on the floor and have threatened violence on other members of Congress.” Associated Press
Capitol police chief calls for permanent fencing, back-up security . . . Acting U.S. Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittman on Thursday called for the Capitol to have permanent fencing and back-up security to prevent another riot. She stated that "vast improvements to the physical security infrastructure must be made to include permanent fencing, and the availability of ready, back-up forces in close proximity to the Capitol.” A seven-foot
security fence was erected the day after the Capitol was overrun by hundreds of supporters of former President Trump. Security in the city will continue to remain high with the upcoming impeachment trial of Trump in the Senate. The Hill
Growing evidence Capitol attack was planned weakens incitement case against Trump . . . Growing evidence of advance planning and coordination of the Jan. 6 storming of the Capitol undermines claims that the rioters were responding spontaneously to former President Trump's speech to supporters about a mile and a half away, according to legal and intelligence experts. If Trump "didn't know about it, they had planned it without him, then
you're missing the causal relationship," said Alan Dershowitz. "It would have happened without his speech as well. So that would be relevant on the issue of causation." Just the News
Georgia election board member to seek state AG probe of Trump . . . The lone Democrat on Georgia’s state election board plans to introduce a motion next month urging state attorney general Chris Carr to open a criminal investigation into former President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the state’s 2020 election results. The proposal follows other calls for an investigation into a phone call Trump made to pressure Georgia Secretary of
State Brad Raffensperger to overturn the election results based on false voter fraud claims. The motion, which Worley plans to present on Feb. 10, would also urge a criminal probe by Fulton County district attorney Fani Willis, a Democrat who has said she would “enforce the law” in relation to Trump’s call. Reuters
Former OMB Director Starts Think Tank to Further Trump’s ‘America First’ Agenda . . . As members of the Trump administration disband, several are looking to further the “America First” agenda espoused by the former president. Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo joined the Hudson Institute as a distinguished fellow. Meanwhile, Russ Vought, former director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, has established an
organization focused on traditional values, namely God, country, and community. Vought announced the Center for American Restoration in the Federalist on Jan. 26, saying Trump’s presidency was “the first real counter assault to the left in decades, by a champion who had the stomach and the strength to sustain the withering fire of his adversaries. Epoch Times
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Chinese warplanes simulated attacking US carrier near Taiwan . . . Chinese military aircraft simulated missile attacks on a nearby US aircraft carrier during an incursion into Taiwan’s air defense zone three days after Joe Biden’s inauguration, according to intelligence from the US and its allies. The People’s Liberation Army sent 11 aircraft into the south-western corner of Taiwan’s air defense zone on January 23, and
15 aircraft into the same area the next day, according to Taiwan’s defence ministry. Revelation underscores Joe Biden’s difficulties in easing tensions with Beijing. Financial Times
New grid threat: Russia deploys 'first-strike weapon,' China ready too . . . With the United States waking up to the threat posed to the electric grid and electronics from cyberwarfare, Russia is mastering systems that can already overcome the latest protections to keep the lights on, according to one of the nation’s leading experts. The latest intelligence indicates that Russia has specialized a “super-electromagnetic pulse” weapon and
warhead capable of traveling at Mach 20 that could put the U.S. in the dark with little notice. Peter Vincent Pry, executive director of the EMP Task Force on National and Homeland Security, also said China has leapfrogged U.S. developments in electromagnetic pulse warfare. Washington
Examiner
Pentagon: Taliban has 'not met their commitments' under withdrawal deal . . . The Pentagon in its first briefing under the Biden administration warned the Taliban it is jeopardizing its agreement with the United States for a full U.S. military withdrawal by May. Pentagon press secretary John Kirby stressed Thursday that no decisions have been made about troop levels and that the Biden administration is still committed to last year’s
U.S.-Taliban deal. But, he bluntly said the Taliban has not yet lived up to its commitments under the deal, adding it would be difficult for the United States to move forward with the agreement if that does not change. The Hill
Shocking.
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Xi says China should make contingency plans for "black swan" and "grey rhino" events . . . President Xi Jinping has said China should foresee various risks and challenges, and make contingency plans for “black swan” and “gray rhino” events, the state news agency Xinhua reported on Friday.
Xi also said China would ensure there was no resurgence of the COVID-19 epidemic. A “black swan” event refers to an unforeseen and unlikely occurrence that typically has extreme consequences, while a “grey rhino” is a highly obvious yet ignored threat. Reuters
Hmm. Trying to intimidate Biden to stand down from supporting Taiwan, or else Chicoms would unleash another CCP virus attack?
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Robinhood raises $1 billion amid GameStop frenzy . . . Robinhood raised over $1 billion on Thursday to help meet the increased demand from amateur investors using the stock trading app amid this week’s GameStop frenzy, a report said. Robinhood’s co-founder, Vladimir Tenev, defended his actions by saying that the market volatility caused disruption and the company decided to freeze certain trades. Tenev did not mention that
the company sought a $1 billion cash infusion to weather the storm. New York Post
McKinsey in advanced talks with US states to settle opioid claims . . . McKinsey is in advanced discussions with several US states’ attorneys-general to pay hundreds of millions of dollars to settle civil claims about its role in advising drug companies held responsible for the
country’s opioid epidemic. Two people familiar with the discussions said the agreement under negotiation would involve no admission of wrongdoing or liability on the consultancy’s part. McKinsey advised Purdue Pharma, which makes the powerful prescription opioid OxyContin and is owned by members of the billionaire Sackler family. Financial
Times
Janet Yellen Received $810K In Speaking Fees From Hedge Fund Embroiled In GameStop Saga . . . Treasury Sec. Janet Yellen received more than $800,000 in speaking fees from a hedge fund that has become embroiled in the saga over stock trades for video game retailer GameStop, according to
her financial disclosures. Citadel, a hedge fund founded by Ken Griffin, a major GOP donor, paid Yellen $810,000 to speak at several events from October 2019 to October 2020, according to Yellen’s filings with the Office of Government Ethics. Daily Caller
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Conservatives Again Seek to Protect Downs Babies From Abortion . . . Two conservative lawmakers again moved to protect one of America’s most vulnerable populations by reintroducing legislation to prevent the abortion of babies diagnosed with Down syndrome. In America, a Down syndrome diagnosis for an unborn baby results in abortion 67% of the time, according to Healthline. Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., joined Estes in
reintroducing the Protecting Individuals with Down Syndrome Act, which would prevent abortion of an unborn baby simply because of a Down syndrome diagnosis. Daily Signal
Senate Judiciary Chairman Durbin Says Gun Control Is ‘Top Priority’ . . . Sen. Dick Durbin (D., Ill.) plans to make gun control a "top priority" for the Senate Judiciary Committee under his leadership. After winning control of the committee chairmanship on Wednesday, Durbin said he had met with a group of activists and promised to prioritize action on guns. Washington Free Beacon
CNN gushes over Biden call with Putin . . . CNN correspondent lauded the “impressively productive” call President Joe Biden had with Russian President Vladimir Putin this week, citing the eagerness of Putin to agree to a five-year extension of the New START nuclear arms treaty. “It certainly does seem to have been very productive, in fact, impressively productive,” Frederik Pleitgen said during a live dispatch from Moscow. “It
really seems as though it’s a whole different way of going about these calls under the Biden administration than it was under the Trump administration.” White House Dossier
If Trump had had a friendly call with Vladimir, he would have been accused of being Putin's secret agent.
Declassified recorded talk with Carter Page shows denials concealed from FISA Court . . . Newly declassified records detail the FBI’s plans to surveil Carter Page and show that the Trump campaign associate’s secretly recorded denials of allegations made in British ex-spy Christopher Steele’s discredited dossier were not relayed to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court.
Stefan Halper, a Cambridge professor and confidential human source dubbed "Source 2” in DOJ inspector general Michael Horowitz’s FISA abuse report, worked as an FBI informant in 2016 and recorded discussions with at least three Trump 2016 campaign members: Page, campaign foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos, and Campaign co-Chairman Sam Clovis.
The newly declassified documents include a partial transcript of a secretly recorded conversation between Halper and Page in late October 2016, just after Page, dubbed "Crossfire Dragon," left Trump's campaign. Washington Examiner
Obama's FBI used Putin's playbook against innocent Americans, in order to prevent Trump presidency and then to unseat a democratically-elect president.
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Police rescue deer trapped inside British Columbia house . . . Police in British Columbia, Canada, responded to a home at which a deer managed to squeeze in through a dog door and was unable to find an exit. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police based in Kamloops said officers responded to a Westsyde home where a deer was reported rampaging inside. Police said the deer had squeezed in through a dog door and was running wild
inside, attempting to find a way out of the home. The deer damaged a TV and other items before police were able to use a blanket to cover its head and slide it out of the home on a rug. Police said the deer did not appear to be injured and it was released at the scene. UPI
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Rebekah Koffler
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