Monday, January 11th, 2021
Second Impeachment?, Parler Banned & Largest Tech Show
All the news you need in about 10 min:
This episode is brought to you by Apostrophe.com/Newsworthy (Listen for the discount code) and BlueNile.com
Story Summaries
All the news stories mentioned in today's episode are listed with links below, so you can spend as much -- or as little -- time as you want to review the latest happenings...
Lawmakers Consider Impeachment
Some U.S. lawmakers are thinking about actions that could remove President Trump from office. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and others argue he needs to be held accountable for inciting a riot at the Capitol last week. First, she’ll ask for consent to try and persuade Vice President Mike Pence to use the 25th amendment. If Pence doesn’t act in 24 hours, the House will start talking about impeachment. However, it would still be up to the Senate to decide whether to convict and remove him from office.
Read More: Politico, CBS News, CNN, NY Times, NPR, Speaker.Gov, Snopes, Rep. Buck
Capitol Riot Arrests
Some of the people shown in pictures and videos storming the U.S. Capitol Wednesday are now facing legal consequences. At least 90 people have reportedly been arrested now. So far, at least 20 are facing federal charges. Among them are a couple well known QAnon conspiracy theorists, the man seen carrying House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s podium, and two men seen carrying zip-tie-style restraints around the Capitol. The U.S. Justice Department hasn’t stopped looking for even more people involved.
Read More: NY Times, WaPo, Reuters, NBC News
2nd Capitol Police Officer Dies
President Trump ordered American flags to be flown at half-staff at all public and military facilities around the country. It’s in honor of two Capitol police officers who died. One of them was attacked by a mob of rioters and later died at the hospital. The U.S. Attorney’s Office opened a homicide investigation. Another officer died Saturday while off-duty. So far, authorities haven’t released an official cause of death for that second officer. However, the AP cites sources who say he died by suicide.
Read More: Politico, NBC News, Axios, USCP, White House
Inauguration Threats
In the days following the Capitol siege, some experts are warning about more calls for violence online. This time, they say the target is President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration ceremony. There is a counter-event planned already called “Million Militia March” set to happen the same day, January 20th, in Washington D.C. There have reportedly been some aggressive posts in forums about it. Now, the Washington D.C. mayor is asking the Department of Homeland Security to issue a pre-disaster declaration to get resources available as soon as possible.
Read More: CNN, WaPo, FOX News, Mayor Bowser
Pence to Attend Inauguration
President Trump announced on social media that he will not be attending President-elect Biden’s inauguration ceremony. That makes him the first president in 152 years to skip his successor’s inauguration. However, senior administration officials say Vice President Mike Pence will be there. Biden has said Pence is "welcome to come. I'd be honored to have him there." Former Presidents Obama, Bush, and Clinton are also expected to attend.
Read More: NPR, Reuters, CNBC
Indonesia Plane Crash
A passenger plane with more than 60 people on board crashed over the weekend. The jet had taken off from the Indonesian capital of Jakarta just minutes before it went down. It took on heavy rain and ended up plummeting into the sea. There appears to be no hope of finding any survivors. Still, divers are determined to recover remains for loved ones, as well as evidence for investigators to figure out what went wrong.
Read More: BBC, NY Times, NBC News, Reuters
U.S. Coronavirus Records
The U.S. is again setting records for new COVID-19 infections and deaths. Numbers are now rising in nearly every state. Last summer, the government’s top infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci warned that if we didn’t get the outbreak under control, we could end up seeing 100,000 cases a day. Now, on average, we’re seeing more than 271,000 new cases a day. Meanwhile, another CDC study recently confirmed that most cases of COVID-19 are spread from people without any symptoms.
Read More: NPR, NBC News, WaPo, Johns Hopkins
Vaccine Rollout Problems
The FDA commissioner is now urging states to start vaccinating lower-priority groups against COVID-19. That doesn’t mean all Americans can now get a shot, but in certain places, a lot more people could qualify. For example, some states have opened up vaccines to people with pre-existing conditions, or people with essential jobs. However, it does depend on where you live, so you’ll want to see how you can register and when.
Read More: NY Times, CBS News, WSJ
College Football National Championship Game
It’s college football’s biggest night of the year. The Alabama Crimson Tide and Ohio State Buckeyes are competing for the national championship. Both teams come into tonight’s game undefeated, but Alabama is considered the frontrunner. It’s ranked No. 1 and if the Crimson Tide does win, this will be their sixth national championship under coach Nick Saban and 13th overall. Ohio State is ranked third and if the Buckeyes win tonight, it will be their 7th national championship. The game starts at 8 p.m. ET in Miami Gardens, Florida.
Read More: CBS Sports, AP, USA Today
Twitter Blocks Trump
Today, President Trump is expected to return to the public eye for the first time since the riots at the Capitol. He’ll be talking about big tech. It comes after Twitter’s decision on Friday to permanently ban the president from his personal account, for fear they could incite more violence. In response, President Trump issued a statement, accusing Twitter employees of having, “coordinated with Democrats and the radical left... to silence me.” Now, Trump is reportedly in negotiations to join other social networks. He might even create his own.
Read More: CNBC, Vox, WaPo, The Hill, Twitter
Google, Apple, Amazon Drop Parler
Both Apple and Google removed Parler from their app stores. That’s a social media company that’s billed as a less-restrictive platform. However, Apple and Google say Parler doesn’t review user posts well enough and allows too many that encourage violence and crime. Early this morning, Amazon also pulled Parler off its web hosting service for the same reason. In response, the Parler CEO posted a statement online, accusing tech giants of acting together to “completely remove free speech off the Internet.”
Read More: NY Times, AP, Deadline, Fox News
Consumer Electronics Show Begins
The world’s largest technology expo gets underway today. We’re talking about the Consumer Electronics Show. CES usually happens in Las Vegas every January, attracting more than 100,000 people each year. This time, the event will be held online because of the pandemic. You can expect to see the latest and greatest in drones, robotics, 3D printing, artificial intelligence, automobile technology, and more. The event starts today and goes through Thursday.
Read More: WaPo, USA Today, WSJ, Cnet, CES
SpaceX Dragon Leaving ISS
For the first time, SpaceX is bringing a capsule full of cargo from the International Space Station to a splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean. With it comes new science experiments for researchers here on earth. For example, live mice will be sent back. Researchers hope to use them to see exactly how eyesight changes after spaceflight. There are also some 3D-engineered heart tissues. They study how changes in gravity affect cells. Results could help scientists better understand and treat heart problems on Earth.
Read More: NASA, Thrillist, Florida Today
Money Monday: Companies Break Ties with Politicians
Some financial institutions, sports organizations, and other businesses, are spending their money differently because of last week’s attack on the U.S. Capitol. For example, the hotel chain Marriott and insurance company Blue Cross Blue Shield say they suspended political donations to lawmakers who voted against certifying electoral votes last week. Meanwhile, banks JPMorgan Chase and Citigroup say they’ll pause all donations to political action committees. Also, the PGA Championship will not happen at Trump’s New Jersey golf course next year as originally planned.
Read More: Bloomberg, WSJ, WaPo, Reuters, Axios, AP, CBS Sports, PGA