Cut to the News
Cut through the clutter to today's top news
February 15, 2021
Good morning
Welcome to today's top news.
Leading the News . . .
Acquitted again by Senate, Trump still a powerful force in Republican politics . . . It is still Donald Trump’s Republican Party - at least for now. The vote by 43 of the 50 Republican senators to acquit Trump on the charge of inciting last month’s deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol, with only seven voting for conviction, highlights just how powerful a grip he has on the party he remade in his image over the past five years. The former
president, who has largely stayed out of sight at his Florida home since leaving the White House on Jan. 20, commands fervent loyalty among his supporters, forcing most Republican politicians to pledge their fealty and fear his wrath. Reuters
Pro-Trump Candidates Launch Early Senate, Governor Bids . . . A crop of Republicans has launched early campaigns across the country by hewing to former President Donald Trump’s political and policy legacy, betting that his enduring popularity with the GOP base can help propel them into office. Josh Mandel is running for Senate in Ohio, dubs himself “President Trump’s number one ally in Ohio.” Former Rep. Mark Walker, who is running
for Senate in North Carolina, boasts that while in office he earned “the high praise of President Trump and Vice President Pence.” Other pro-Trump Republicans have announced races for governor in Democratic-leaning states such as Virginia, where state Sen. Amanda Chase has dubbed herself “Trump in heels” for this year’s contest, and GOP strongholds such as Arkansas, where former White House press secretary Sarah Sanders has already earned Mr. Trump’s endorsement for the 2022 race. Wall Street Journal
Lawyer says his home, family ‘under siege’ as retaliation for representing Trump in trial . . . Michael van der Veen, one of the lawyers who defended former President Donald Trump successfully in the Senate impeachment trial, said after the verdict Saturday that his family, home and law practice are “under siege” due to his representation of Mr. Trump. “My home was attacked. I’d rather not go into it because it would encourage other
people to do it more, but you know, I’ve had nearly 100 death threats,” he told reporters. “My home was attacked last night — windows broken, spray paint, really bad words spray-painted everywhere.” Among the vandalism, someone spray-painted the word “traitor” on the driveway of his Philadelphia home. Washington Times
Hospitals face severe shortages as pandemic grinds forward . . . Hospitals around the country say their supplies of crucial medical supplies including personal protective equipment (PPE) are lower than ever as demand for different items has soared to an all-time high. Data detailing usage rates of PPE and other supplies analyzed by Premier, a company that consults for health care systems, revealed that usage of supplies for COVID-19
testing and treatment has reached the highest rate seen since the pandemic began last year. The data, gathered between May 2020 through January 2021, was supplied by 50 health care systems across the nation that are representative of the company's larger population of clients. The Hill
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Biden finds a few Trump moves he'll keep . . .
President Biden is aggressively rolling back the agenda of his predecessor, Donald Trump. But that doesn’t mean a few things won’t survive. Biden is keeping the U.S. Space Force, which was established under Trump, as well as the Artemis spaceflight program. He’s not rolling back the new trade deal with Canada and Mexico, which was signed into law by Trump early last year and replaced a trade pact that Biden supported as a U.S. senator. See Biden's other moves in The Hill
Biden Pulls 65 Pending Trump Executive Orders . . . President Biden has pulled 65 pending Trump administration executive orders, many of which deal with key national security and immigration matters. Several of the withdrawals strike down orders that would protect American jobs by tightening immigration restrictions and eliminate proposed oversight regulations on how China-backed Confucius Institutes operate on campus. The Biden
administration selectively cut the orders, as some pending Trump administration actions remain under review. Withdrawals take sledgehammer to immigration agenda. Biden withdrew one Department of Homeland Security regulation that would bar foreign nationals with deportation orders from working. Washington Free
Beacon
House Dems hire ex-gang member to top campaign post . . . The House Democrats’ campaign arm has hired an ex-gangster turned high-profile criminal-justice advocate for a top leadership position. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, headed by Hudson Valley area Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, tapped Dyjuan Tatro as a senior advisor for diversity and inclusion. Tatro is known for appearing in the 2019 PBS documentary series
“College Behind Bars,” about a group of inmates trying to earn their degrees through New York state’s Bard Prison Initiative. Through the program, Tatro got a bachelor’s degree while serving a six year-sentence for racketeering conspiracy. New York Post
Biden Resurrects Faith-Based White House Office To Combat Racism, Political Polarization . . . President Joe Biden on Sunday ordered the recreation of a White House office intended to promote partnerships between religious and secular groups to address several key issues. The White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships will seek to address the coronavirus pandemic, combat systemic racism, increase opportunity, advance
global humanitarian work and strengthen pluralism, according to Biden’s executive order. Daily Caller
Biden’s Deputy Press Secretary Resigns Following News of Alleged Intimidation of Politico Reporter . . . White House deputy press secretary TJ Ducklo resigned Saturday after a story surfaced accusing him of demeaning and intimidating a Politico reporter. Ducklo reportedly tried to kill a story, which has since become public, about his relationship with Axios reporter Alexi McCammond, who previously covered Biden’s campaign. He
“lashed out” at Politico reporter Tara Palmeri in January 2021 for pursuing the story, threatening to “destroy” her if she published the news, according to a Friday report from Vanity Fair. Daily Caller
WH lawyers tell Meena Harris to stop using aunt Kamala to build brand: report . . . Vice President Kamala Harris’ social-media-influencer niece has long used her aunt’s fame to boost her own personal brand — but now that Harris has entered the White House, aides have become increasingly concerned about the ethical implications of the promotional pattern, according to a report.". . . Behavior needs to change," a White
House official said of the niece Harris, whose ventures have reportedly become a sensitive issue in the newly formed Biden-Harris White House. Fox News
Georgia refers 35 cases of election law violations for criminal prosecution . . . The Georgia State Election Board announced 35 cases of election law violations to the state’s attorney general and local district attorneys for criminal prosecution. “Election fraud is not tolerated in Georgia. When there is evidence of it, the people responsible face prosecution,” said Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. “Georgia has multiple safeguards
in place that allow our team of investigators to discover fraudulent voting. They worked to catch the wrongdoing in these cases, and they maintain the security of Georgia elections.” Washington Examiner
Biden plans to focus on COVID-19 in first G7 meeting . . . President Biden will join leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) nations this Friday for a virtual summit focused on the global response to COVID-19 and efforts to build back world economies, a White House statement said Sunday. At the U.K.-hosted virtual gathering Biden will "focus on a global response to the COVID-19 pandemic." Other discussions with leaders at the summit will
focus on economic recovery from the pandemic, which left millions out of work in the U.S. alone, as well as the G7's economic stance towards China, which the president has vowed to hold accountable for acts of economic espionage and other disputed trade issues. The Hill
Senator Graham joins calls for 9/11-style panel to examine Capitol riot . . . Sen. Lindsey Graham, told Fox News on Sunday that he is in favor of a 9/11-style commission to examine key details that contributed to last month’s deadly riot at the Capitol, just a day after former President Trump was acquitted at his second impeachment trial. Graham said that a 9/11-type commission could help ensure that a similar event doesn't happen again
in the U.S. More investigations into the riot have already been planned, with Senate hearings scheduled later this month in the Senate Rules Committee. "I’d like to know, did the Capitol Hill police inform the House sergeant at arms and the Senate sergeant at arms the day before the attack that they needed more troops?." Fox News
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Iran says it will end snap IAEA inspections if nuclear deal terms not met . . . Iran said on Monday it will block snap inspections by the U.N. nuclear watchdog from next week if other parties to the 2015 nuclear deal do not fulfil their obligations, a challenge to President Biden’s hope of reviving the accord. “If others do not fulfil their obligations by Feb. 21, the government is obliged to suspend the voluntary implementation of the
Additional Protocol,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said. “... All these steps are reversible if the other party changes its path and honours its obligations,” he said, alluding to the United States. Reuters
Pentagon wants autonomous ships, choppers and jets . . . From pilotless jets engaging in dogfights to huge undersea vessels ferrying troops, the Pentagon is pushing to increase the U.S. military's use of automation. Defense officials seek to counter American adversaries' technological advances. That progress -- highlighted in cockpits managed primarily by computers, totally autonomous helicopters and automated aerial-refueling
tankers -- is likely to show up in future civilian aircraft, advanced air-traffic-control systems and a range of drone applications. Skeptics worry automated systems sometimes reflect software developers' desire to incorporate new capabilities without full testing. Fox Business
Secret Service arrests woman with loaded gun near White House, claims carrying letter for Biden . . . The Secret Service on Saturday arrested a 66-year-old woman on charges that she was carrying a loaded near the White House, Fox News has confirmed. Police said the woman had the loaded gun in her car, which was parked near the White House. They said she claimed to be carrying a letter for President Joe Biden. The woman was
also accompanied by a man who was carrying a BB gun, police said. Fox News
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White House refuses to say whether Israel remains an important US ally . . . The White House Friday sidestepped a question on whether Israel and Saudi Arabia are “important allies” of the United States. After a back-and-forth with reporters during the daily White House briefing about President Biden’s failure so far to speak with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, White House press secretary Jen Psaki was asked whether administration
still consider the Saudis and the Israelis important allies?” Psaki was "circling back and forth" alluding to some internal interagency processes where national security policy is formulated not being completed White House Dossier
Having bummed around in the halls of government bureaucracy for 47 years, Joe still hasn't decided whether Israel is friend or foe.
No-nonsense Nigerian woman to make history as head of WTO . . . Three months after the Trump administration rejected her, former Nigerian finance minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is set to receive unanimous backing on Monday to become the first woman and first African director-general of the World Trade Organization. A self-declared “doer” with a track record of taking on seemingly intractable problems, Okonjo-Iweala will have her work cut
out for her at the trade body. As director-general, a position that wields limited formal power, Okonjo-Iweala, 66, will need to broker international trade talks in the face of persistent U.S.-China conflict; respond to pressure to reform trade rules; and counter protectionism heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic. Reuters
Myanmar blacks out internet and stations soldiers on streets . . . Myanmar’s military regime ordered internet providers to shut off service for eight hours on Monday morning and deployed troops and army vehicles on to the streets, raising fears of an imminent crackdown on a popular resistance movement against the coup.
Many banks were shut in Yangon, the biggest city, as employees joined a general strike called by civil servants and others against General Min Aung Hlaing’s junta. The internet was shut down after the junta floated a punitive cyber security law that would, once implemented, give authorities sweeping powers to censor online activity. In the first week after the coup it also ordered telecoms companies to block temporarily access to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and issued an order banning the
use of VPNs. Financial Times
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Wine tariffs are crushing US importers . . . Wine sellers struggling to survive the pandemic are now also getting slammed by Uncle Sam’s fight with the European Union over aircraft subsidies. Mom-and-pop wine importers are facing hundreds of thousands of dollars in added expenses this year due to ever-increasing US tariffs slapped on wines imported from Europe. It’s forcing these businesses to cut pay and staff — and
raise prices on customers. New York Post
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Biden Calls on Congress to Restrict Gun Ownership . . . President Biden on Feb. 14 urged Congress to strengthen existing laws concerning gun ownership on the third anniversary of the mass shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida. Biden said in a statement “ We will take action to end our epidemic of gun violence and make our schools and communities safer. Today, I am calling on Congress to enact commonsense
gun law reforms, including requiring background checks on all gun sales, banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, and eliminating immunity for gun manufacturers who knowingly put weapons of war on our streets.” Epoch Times
Minneapolis push to defund police backfires after residents complain of increase in crime . . . Minneapolis on Friday backtracked on its original push to defund the city’s police department in the wake of George Floyd’s police custody death after residents begged the city to hire more officers, citing longer response times and increased violent crime. The City Council on Friday voted unanimously to approve $6.4 million in additional
funding that police had requested. Fox News
What did they think was going to happen?
Hate Crimes Against Asian Americans Reportedly Increased During COVID . . . Violent hate crimes against Asian Americans have risen since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic last March. Reports of violent crimes against Asian Americans have become more common since the start of the pandemic in March. Activists and experts have recorded that 2,808 anti-Asian hate incidents had taken place between March 19 and Dec. 31,
2020. Police data revealed that 24 anti-Asian hate crimes occurred between Jan 1 and Nov. 29, 2020. That’s eight times higher than the number of reported hate crimes throughout the same period in 2019, according to The Asian American Bar Association Of New York. Daily Caller
New DC Gun Dealer Sees Business Boom After Overcoming City Roadblocks . . . A man who had to hire a lobbyist to help him navigate regulatory hurdles to become the first and only licensed Washington, D.C., gun dealer in nearly a year is now seeing business boom. Shawn Poulin, the owner of D.C. Security Associates said he had to spend thousands of dollars on a lobbyist to help navigate the city's complex rules and regulations on
firearms businesses. After pushing through the roadblocks and being approved to open in January, Poulin said his store has seen between 15 and 20 handgun transfers per day. Washington Free Beacon
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Dog inherits $5 million . . . A Tennessee dog is living the comfortable life after inheriting $5 million from her late owner, who stipulated in his will that his money should go to his pet. Lulu, an 8-year-old border collie, was named in the will of owner Bill Dorris, a Nashville businessman who died late last year at age 84. Martha Burton, 88, a neighbor who often cared for Lulu while Dorris was away, was
named as the canine's caretaker in Dorris' will, which states Burton will be reimbursed for "reasonable" monthly expenses. "I don't really know what to think about it to tell you the truth. He just really loved the dog," Burton told WTVF-TV. Burton said she is perfectly happy to act as Lulu's caretaker. "She's a good girl," she said. UPI
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Rebekah Koffler
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