Tuesday, January 19th, 2021
Trump's Last Day, “Moment of Unity” & Jackpots Up Again
All the news in about 10 min:
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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 read the latest happenings...
More Trump Pardons Expected
Today is President Trump’s last full day in the White House. In one of his final acts as president, he’s expected to issue as many as 100 more pardons and commutations. This time around, administration officials told news outlets this round of pardons will include some big names, some low-level drug offenders, and some more people who have close ties to the president. The Trump presidency ends at noon tomorrow, but he reportedly plans to leave the White House early tomorrow morning.
Read More: NY Times, Reuters, WSJ, Axios
First Lady’s Farewell Message
First Lady Melania Trump released her farewell message to the nation. In a nearly seven-minute video, she thanked military service members, law enforcement, and caregivers. The first lady says all of them have inspired her since she entered the White House in 2017. She also called on Americans to find unity in division, saying, “Always choose love over hatred, peace over violence, and others before yourself.” President Trump reportedly recorded his farewell address too. It will likely be released today.
Read More: USA Today, FOX News, White House
National “Moment of Unity”
President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris are taking part in a nationwide moment of unity, meant to honor Americans who have died from COVID-19. Tonight at 5:30 ET, the inaugural committee is hosting a ceremony at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. 400 lights will be turned on around the reflecting pool. At the same time, cities and towns around the country are invited to light up their buildings and ring church bells. Some major landmarks like the Empire State Building are taking part.
Read More: NBC News, Axios, Biden Inaugural
“We Are One” Event
Tonight, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris is speaking at a virtual event meant to celebrate the nation’s diversity. It’s called “We Are One.” The inaugural committee says it will “honor acts of resilience, heroism,” and more from Black, Latino, Asian American, and Pacific Islander communities. That kicks off at 8 p.m. ET on social media and certain channels like NBC’s streaming service Peacock.
Read More: AP, Deadline, Biden Inaugural
Biden Cabinet Confirmation Hearings
Today, Senate committees will start confirmation hearings for some of Biden’s top cabinet members. Nominees who could end up leading the state, defense, treasury, and homeland security departments are kicking things off. They will be facing a Republican-majority Senate for now. The two new Democrats elected in Georgia haven’t been sworn into office yet. Reports say that’s likely to happen tomorrow, but it could also be Friday at the latest.
Read More: Axios, WaPo, CBS News
Militia Members Charged for Capitol Invasion
The FBI started zeroing in on possible key figures behind the breach of the U.S. Capitol. For example, they charged suspected members of the Three Percenters. That’s reportedly a militia group that came out of an extremist wing of the gun rights movement. They also charged people with ties to the Oath Keepers.” That group is described as a far-right militia group, founded by law enforcement and military veterans. Both promote the idea that the government is plotting to take away the rights of American citizens and it must be stopped.
Read More: WaPo, WSJ, NY Times, CBS News
COVID Deaths Rise in 30 States
Today the death toll from the coronavirus is expected to hit 400,000 in the U.S. Meanwhile, the seven-day rolling average of daily deaths is rising in 30 states and Washington D.C. There is a small glimmer of hope though. In the last seven days, the number of new cases went down in 35 states week-over-week. The hope is the death toll will start to drop too in a few weeks. Plus, vaccine rollout continues to pick up. Already, the CDC says more than 12 million Americans have gotten at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Read More: AP, NBC News, CNN, Johns Hopkins, CDC
Parler Back Online
The social network Parler is back online. The platform now has a homepage on its website, rather than an error page. Its founder told FOX News he hopes it will be fully functional for users by the end of the month. This is the social media company that calls itself “less restrictive” and that it’s about allowing “free speech.” However, both Google and Apple took it off their app stores last week and Amazon took it off its web hosting service. They all say Parler allows too many posts encouraging violence and crime.
Read More: Reuters, Ars Technica, Fox News, Parler
Expedia, Vrbo Tighten Security
Expedia says it will not allow anyone to book travel who has been arrested for storming the U.S. Capitol. It will be cross-referencing bookings against extremist watch lists too. Anyone on those lists won’t be able to make reservations through its site. The travel company is zeroing in on reservations in and around Washington, D.C. as well as some state capitals. This applies not just to hotel and airfare bookings, but also reservations made through Vrbo since Expedia owns Vrbo. The extra security is in place through this weekend.
Read More: USA Today, Fox Business, Expedia
Facebook Blocks New Events Around Capitals
Facebook is no longer letting users create new events near Washington D.C. and state capitals today or tomorrow. Plus, it says it’s doing another review of existing inauguration-related events to make sure they don’t break any rules. On top of that, Facebook says it’s stepping up punishment for U.S. users who repeatedly break the company’s rules. For example, it could ban certain accounts from live streaming videos, events, and group pages.
Read More: TechCrunch, Facebook
Anonymous Donor Gives $40 Million to NAACP
An anonymous donor is spending millions of dollars to build a new generation of civil rights lawyers. The mystery person reportedly gave $40 million to the NAACP’s legal defense fund. The organization says it’s using it to start a scholarship program. It will send 50 students from across the country to law school. They will get free tuition and room and board. In return, the scholarship recipients will have to commit to eight years of racial injustice work after graduating. People can apply now.
Read More: NPR, AP, Marshall Motley Program
Lottery Jackpots Rise Again
Two national lottery games have made history again. No one won the latest jackpot, so the Mega Millions grand prize is now worth $850 million. That’s the third-largest jackpot in lottery history and the new numbers will be drawn tonight. The Powerball jackpot grew to $730 million, making it the sixth-largest in history. Its next drawing is tomorrow. No one has won either prize since September, but that could all change this week.
Read More: USA Today, NBC News, Mega Millions, Powerball
Critics Choice Awards Nominations
Nominations are in for the upcoming Critics Choice Awards. This year, two Netflix dramas The Crown and Ozark are the top contenders. They have each landed six nominations, including Best Drama and a slew of acting awards. Netflix rounded up 26 nominations in total, the most of any platform or studio. HBO is in second place with 22 nods. The awards show is set for Sunday, March 7th on The CW.
Read More: Variety, Deadline, USA Today
Trivia Tuesday
Q: What is President-elect Joe Biden’s Middle Name?
Play along on today’s Instagram Stories Quiz. We’ll also have the answer right here next week.
Last Week’s Trivia Tuesday Answer
Q: What is the oldest active volcano on Earth?
A: Mount Etna
Read More: Britannica, Nat Geo, Smithsonian, USGS