Cut to the News
Cut through the clutter to today's top news
February 11, 2021
Good morning
Welcome to today's top news.
Leading the News . . .
Jordan: Dems ignoring the fact that Trump urged DC crowd to protest ‘peacefully and patriotically’ . . . Video footage presented by Democrats at this week’s Trump impeachment trial sessions has told only part of the Jan. 6 Capitol story, U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, claimed Wednesday. Democrats have repeatedly stressed Trump’s "fight like hell" remark at the rally as they look to convict Trump on a Jan. 13 House impeachment
charge of "inciting an insurrection." But at another point in his speech, Jordan noted, Trump urged his supporters to "peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard" – an inconvenient comment that doesn’t seem to fit the Democrats’ narrative as they pursue a Trump conviction. Fox
News
Dems' security footage pulls on heartstrings, doesn't support main impeachment argument . . . Democratic House impeachment managers on Wednesday made never-before-seen security footage from the Jan. 6 Capitol breach the highlight of their first day of substantive arguments during the Senate impeachment trial. But the videos, while they pulled on senators' heartstrings, may do little to support the ultimate argument that former
President Donald Trump is guilty of the House's "incitement of insurrection" charge. Washington Examiner
McConnell may still vote to convict Trump . . . “Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is signaling to fellow Republicans that the final vote on Donald Trump’s impeachment is matter of conscience and that senators who disputed the constitutionality of the trial could still vote to convict the former president, according to three people familiar with his thinking. “The Kentucky Republican has also suggested that he hasn’t made up his mind
how he’ll vote, two of the people said, even though he voted Tuesday to declare it unconstitutional for the Senate to hear the case against a former president. White House Dossier
‘Trump Will Be Acquitted,’ Substantial Defense’ To Be Presented: former Impeachment Attorney . . . Former impeachment defense attorney Robert Ray predicted Wednesday that former President Donald Trump will be acquitted in his Senate impeachment trial, and that “a substantial defense” will be presented. Ray appeared on MSNBC’s special coverage of the impeachment trial. Daily Caller
CDC: Fully vaccinated people don't have to quarantine after exposure to COVID . . . CDC said Wednesday in updated guidance on its website that “fully vaccinated persons who meet criteria” don’t have to quarantine after they are exposed to someone with COVID-19. “Fully vaccinated persons who meet criteria will no longer be required to quarantine following an exposure to someone with COVID-19,” the
federal agency said. “Additional considerations for patients and residents in healthcare settings are provided.” Epoch Times
US still falls short on basic tools to fight the virus . . . President Joe Biden took office with a clear plan to attack the coronavirus. But the United States is still falling short on the public health steps needed to fight a highly contagious disease, a problem that’s taking on mounting urgency as new variants of Covid-19 begin to spread around the country. Almost a year after the first recorded U.S. death linked to
coronavirus, the country lacks enough testing, contact tracing and masks. Now, it’s falling far short on the genetic surveillance needed to track the highly contagious new variants as it also races to get tens of millions more Americans vaccinated. Politico
We can produce a ballistic missile interceptor with an accuracy roughly equivalent of hitting a bullet with a bullet, but we can't manufacture enough masks for every American? C'mon, man!
Widespread fake N95 mask scam under investigation . . . The U.S. government is investigating a widespread counterfeit N95 mask operation. About 3 million fake N95 masks, a high-quality model of facial coverings used by medical professionals, were sold across at least five states to various hospitals, medical clinics, and government agencies. It is reportedly difficult to differentiate a knock-off N95 mask from a real one. The Hill
Although Covid Vaccines Raise Hope, Illness Is Likely Here to Stay . . . Vaccination drives hold out the promise of curbing Covid-19, but governments and businesses are increasingly accepting what epidemiologists have long warned: The pathogen will circulate for years, or even decades, leaving society to coexist with Covid-19 much as it does with other endemic diseases like flu, measles, and HIV. The ease with which the
coronavirus spreads, the emergence of new strains and poor access to vaccines in large parts of the world mean Covid-19 could shift from a pandemic disease to an endemic one, implying lasting modifications to personal and societal behavior, epidemiologists say. Wall Street
Journal
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Biden Admin asks US Supreme Court to uphold Obamacare law . . . Biden’s administration on Wednesday told the U.S. Supreme Court that the Obamacare healthcare law should be upheld, reversing the position taken by the government under his Republican predecessor Donald Trump. The court in November held oral arguments in a bid by Republican-governed states led by Texas to invalidate the Affordable Care Act, as the 2010 law is
formally known. Trump’s administration had sided with the states challenging Obamacare. A ruling is due by the end of June. Reuters
Presidents Biden and Xi hold first phone call amid tense U.S.-China relations . . . President Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping held their first telephone call as leaders, with Biden saying a free and open Indo-Pacific was a priority and Xi warning confrontation would be a ‘disaster’ for both nations. Biden also underscored his “fundamental concerns about Beijing’s coercive and unfair practices, its crackdown in Hong Kong,
reported human rights abuses in Xinjiang, and increasingly assertive actions in the region, including toward Taiwan”, the White House said in a statement. Xi told Biden that confrontation would be a “disaster” and the two sides should re-establish the means to avoid misjudgments. Reuters
House GOP Accuses Biden of Rejecting Science on School Re-openings . . . A group of 66 House Republicans accused President Joe Biden of rejecting the scientific consensus that schools can safely reopen, a move they say harms American children. Led by Rep. Jason Smith (R., Mo.), the lawmakers sent Biden a Thursday letter urging him to "follow the science" by pushing state and local leaders across the U.S. to reopen schools. The letter
notes that there is "little evidence to show in-person instruction in classrooms contributes to the spread of COVID-19," citing a January study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. It also criticizes the Biden administration for contradicting top government scientists. Washington Free Beacon
Biden Cabinet Pick Defended Unconstitutional Religious Restrictions . . . The Supreme Court on Friday struck down unconstitutional coronavirus restrictions that Biden cabinet nominee Xavier Becerra defended as California attorney general.
Becerra, Biden's pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, enforced California's restrictions on economic and religious activity throughout the coronavirus pandemic and defended the ban on indoor in-person religious worship in the state. The Supreme Court rejected these restrictions and sided with two California churches challenging California's lockdown in a decision late last week. Washington Free Beacon
Americans reporting vote fraud say claims repeatedly dismissed by FBI . . . Americans who came forward when they spotted what they thought was suspicious activity in the 2020 presidential election say they got a message loud and clear: If you see something, shut up about it. Some claimants forced to remain anonymous out of fear of retaliation and ridicule. Courts also dismissed the reports. Judges at the state and federal levels
tossed out more than 60 election challenges. Washington Times
Dozens of former Republican officials in talks to form anti-Trump third party . . . Dozens of former Republican officials, who view the party as unwilling to stand up to former President Donald Trump and his attempts to undermine U.S. democracy, are in talks to form a center-right breakaway party, four people involved in the discussions told Reuters. The early stage discussions include former elected Republicans, former officials in the
Republican administrations of Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush and Trump, ex-Republican ambassadors and Republican strategists, the people involved say. More than 120 of them held a Zoom call last Friday to discuss the breakaway group, which would run on a platform of “principled conservatism,” including adherence to the Constitution and the rule of law - ideas those involved say have been trashed by Trump. Reuters
Facebook says new algorithm will 'reduce political content' on news feeds . . . Facebook announced on Wednesday the social media platform will in the coming weeks start limiting the amount of political content viewers see on their news feeds. The company is aware that "people don’t want political content to take over their News Feed," Product Management Director Aastha Gupta wrote in a blog post on the site. The change will begin
with Facebook temporarily reduce the distribution of political content in News Feed for a small percentage of people in Canada, Brazil and Indonesia this week. Gupta said the process will begin in the U.S. in the coming weeks. Just the News
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Air Force prepares for budget battle over nuclear weapons . . . The battle lines are being drawn for what is expected to be the biggest clash over the Pentagon budget this year: whether to keep pursuing a new $100 billion replacement for the nuclear missiles now on standby across three Western states. The Air Force and its allies in Congress, think tanks and defense contractors are sharpening their arguments for why any delay or reversal
in replacing the 400 Minuteman III missiles that were first deployed in 1970 would weaken the U.S. nuclear deterrent while Russia and China are updating or expanding their arsenals. But progressive lawmakers and disarmament advocates are lobbying allies in the Biden administration for a pause in the program, arguing that holding off could save billions. Politico
Progressives would rather spend money on $6 per cup venti lattes than on the country's defense.
Iran Has Started Producing Uranium Metal, in Violation of 2015 Accords: IAEA . . . Iran has produced a material that is banned under the 2015 nuclear accords and could be used to form the core of a nuclear weapon, as it seeks to step up pressure on the Biden administration to lift economic sanctions on Tehran. A confidential report by the United Nations atomic agency, seen by The Wall Street Journal, said Iran had started
producing uranium metal on Feb. 6 at a nuclear facility in Isfahan that is under the agency’s inspection. The material can be used to form the core of nuclear weapons. Iran says it is producing it for research purposes. Wall Street Journal
Iranian nuclear scientist assassinated in Israeli hit: Jewish Chronicle . . . An Iranian nuclear scientist was killed near Tehran in November by a one-ton gun smuggled into Iran in pieces by the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad, according to a report by The Jewish Chronicle on Wednesday. Citing intelligence sources, the British weekly said a team of more than 20 agents, including Israeli and Iranian nationals, carried out
the ambush on scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh after eight months of surveillance. Reuters was not immediately able to confirm the report, which was published on the website of the London-based newspaper. Iranian media said Fakhrizadeh died in hospital after armed assassins gunned him down in his car. Reuters
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India, China agree to pull back troops from disputed Himalayan lake . . . India and China on Thursday began to pull back troops and battle tanks from a bitterly contested lake area high in the western Himalayas on Thursday in a breakthrough after a months-long standoff on the disputed border. Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh told parliament the two sides had reached an agreement to withdraw from Pangong Tso, a glacial lake at 14,000
ft (4,270 metres), after several rounds of talks between military commanders and diplomats from the nuclear-armed neighbours. Reuters
Digital siege: Internet cuts become favored tool of authoritarian regimes . . . When army generals in Myanmar staged a coup last week, they briefly cut internet access in an apparent attempt to stymie protests. In Uganda, residents couldn’t use Facebook, Twitter and other social media for weeks after a recent election. And in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region, the internet has been down for months amid a wider conflict. Around
the world, shutting down the internet has become an increasingly popular tactic of repressive and authoritarian regimes and some illiberal democracies. Regimes often cut online access in response to protests or civil unrest, particularly around elections, as they try to keep their grip on power by restricting the flow of information. It’s the digital equivalent of seizing control of the local TV and radio station that was part of the pre-internet playbook for despots and rebels. Associated Press
Another way of achieving a digital siege of information flows is to establish a progressive Big Tech industry. They will gladly de-platform anyone whose opinion runs counter to the 'party line' for you.
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Economists Divided Over Inflation Risks From Biden Stimulus Plan . . . The prospects for another large COVID-19 stimulus package have reignited fears about inflation, causing a deep division among economists. While some forecasters believe that the stimulus plan pushed by Democrats threatens future inflation, others shrug off the concerns, saying inflation worries are overstated. Democratic economist Larry Summers in an
op-ed in The Washington Post raised concerns about President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion relief plan. The op-ed by Summers has sparked a fierce backlash among Democrats and left-leaning economists who back big spending to tackle the economic downturn. Epoch Times
Fed Chairman Powell stresses patience in pledge to keep monetary policy loose . . . Jay Powell stressed the importance of “patiently accommodative” monetary policy to support the struggling US labour market, as he moved to stamp out concerns that additional fiscal stimulus could trigger a sudden jump in inflation. Speaking to the Economic Club of New York on Wednesday, the chairman of the Federal Reserve said it would “not be easy”
for the economy to achieve full employment and America was still “very far from a strong labour market”. Powell also said that inflation was likely to remain subdued as the recovery gathers pace. Financial Times
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NBA: League says all teams must play national anthem before games . . . Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban’s plan not to play “The Star-Spangled Banner” before home games may be short-lived as the NBA said on Wednesday all teams must play the national anthem prior to tipoff. The Mavericks, who on Monday had a limited number of fans in their arena for the first time this season, have not played the national anthem prior to any of their 11
home games this season.
“With NBA teams now in the process of welcoming fans back into their arenas, all teams will play the national anthem in keeping with longstanding league policy,” Mike Bass, the NBA’s chief communications officer, said in a statement. Reuters
Gun control advocates 'confident' on executive action from Biden . . . Leaders of prominent gun control groups said Wednesday they expect to see substantive action from President Biden on the issue in the near future after a meeting with White House officials. “President Biden is committed to taking executive action and working with Congress to put in place reforms that will keep this country’s kids and communities safe,” said Peter
Ambler, executive director of the group Giffords. “Today’s meeting was a strong affirmation of that commitment.” Washington Times
Dubai's RoboCafe is a boon to the COVID-wary . . . Nothing says social distancing quite like Dubai’s RoboCafe, where robots have replaced their human overlords. Customers can place their orders with German-made robots, who then prepare and deliver it straight to their tables. "You order online and the robot works in front of you and gets you whatever you want within minutes,” said an Emirati customer. RoboCafe has been in the works
for more than two years, but its launch was delayed from March 2020 due to the pandemic. It finally opened last June, when restrictions in the United Arab Emirates were relaxed. Reuters
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Lion wanders onto hotel grounds in Indian city . . . Security cameras at a hotel in India captured the moment an Asiatic lion entered the grounds through the main gate and wandered the premises. CCTV cameras at the Sarovar Portico hotel in Junagadh, Gujarat, shows the lion jumping over the front gate, to the apparent surprise of the security guard manning the gate, just after 5 a.m. Monday morning. The lion
walked around the main building of the hotel and surveyed the parking lot before leaving about a minute after wandering into the area. Through intercom, the watchman alerted other staff members about the presence of the animal in the hotel and asked them to keep doors and windows shut. The lion seemed to have lost its way and left the hotel premises soon after finding that it was going in the wrong direction. There were many guests staying at the hotel at the time of the lion's
visit, but due to it being early morning, most were still in their rooms asleep. UPI
Watch the video.
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Rebekah Koffler
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