White House News (白宮消息) | Jan. 8, 2021

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JANUARY 7, 2021
White House Statement on Breaching of Capitol
Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany addressed the security breach at the U.S. Capitol in a statement from the White House. She said the administration condemned violence in the “strongest possible terms.” Ms. McEnany also said the administration was working to ensure a peaceful transition of power. 

JANUARY 7, 2021
House Speaker Pelosi Briefing on Capitol Security Breach
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) held a press briefing a day after a crowd of people breached security at the U.S. Capitol. She called on Vice President Pence to use the 25th Amendment to remove President Donald Trump from office saying he, “incited an armed insurrection against America.” She also said the House was prepared to begin impeachment proceedings. The speaker went on to call for the resignation of the chief of the capitol police, and spoke about security concerns related to President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration. 

Official White House
Trump’s own lawyer says the president used him to ‘perpetrate a crime’

Jan. 7 - One of President Donald Trump's own lawyers is confessing that he was used in aiding a crime. Law360 reported Thursday that Jerome M. Marcus of Marcus & Auerbach LLC, who represented Trump in the Philadelphia lawsuits challenging the 2020 election results, now wants to withdraw from the case.

On Thursday, Marcus told the federal court "he wanted to withdraw from the now-dormant case, claiming he was used to 'perpetuate a crime.'"

His motion to withdraw comes after armed insurrectionists breached the U.S. Capitol in violence that ultimately led to the deaths of 4 people and injured dozens of police officers.

"The undersigned respectfully requests leave of this court to withdraw as counsel ... inasmuch as the client has used the lawyer's services to perpetrate a crime and the client insists upon taking action that the lawyer considers repugnant and with which the lawyer has a fundamental disagreement," the motion explained.

Trump along with his son Donald Trump Jr. and lawyer Rudy Giuliani fired up a rally crowd on Wednesday, calling for a "trial by combat." When the president addressed the crowd, he told them that the election was "stolen" from them and that he would join them in a march up the street to the Capitol. Trump never did join them, but the march continued anyway.

Read the full report at Law360.

PBS NewsHour full episode, Jan. 7, 2020
Jan 8, 2021
Thursday on the NewsHour, the nation begins the process of recovery after a violent pro-Trump mob stormed the U.S. Capitol, calls to remove President Trump from office grow among lawmakers, the breach at the Capitol prompts demands for answers about security, and a look at the tactics used by law enforcement at the Capitol and those often employed during peaceful racial justice protests.

White House News (白宮消息) | Jan. 7, 2021

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JANUARY 6, 2021
LIVE: Protests at U.S. Capitol
LIVE coverage from Capitol Hill as protesters breach the U.S. Capitol building.

Trump Supporters Storm US Capitol As Lawmakers Start Certification Of 2020 Election

Jan. 7 - Thousands of flag-waving supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, forcing lawmakers to evacuate and shutting down the normally routine procedure of certifying the Electoral College vote, the final step in the election of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as the next president and vice president.      more details

Supporters of President Trump take over balconies and inauguration scaffolding at the Capitol on Wednesday.

Trump, Hawley and Cruz will each wear the scarlet ‘S’ of a seditionist

Jan. 7 - The three repulsive architects of Wednesday’s heartbreaking spectacle — mobs desecrating the Republic’s noblest building and preventing the completion of a constitutional process — must be named and forevermore shunned. They are Donald Trump, and Sens. Josh Hawley and Ted Cruz.

Trump lit the fuse for the riot in the weeks before the election, with his successful effort to delegitimize the election in the eyes of his supporters. But Wednesday’s explosion required the help of Hawley (R-Mo.) and Cruz (R-Tex.).

Hawley announced his intention to object to the certification of some states’ electoral votes, for no better reason than that there has been an avalanche of “allegations” of election irregularities, allegations fomented by the loser of the election. By doing so, Hawley turned what should have been a perfunctory episode in our civic liturgy of post-election civility into a synthetic drama. He turned this moment into the focus of the hitherto unfocused fury that Trump had been stoking for many weeks.     continue to read

White House News (白宮消息) | Jan. 6, 2021

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Confusion erupts as GOP senator suggests Pence will not preside over certification of Biden's win

Jan. 6 - A Republican senator ignited confusion on Tuesday after suggesting that Vice President Mike Pence would abdicate his constitutional duty to preside over the congressional certification of Joe Biden's electoral vote win. Pence's office quickly pushed back on the report.

The vice president is duty-bound to preside over Wednesday's certification process, as outlined in the Twelfth Amendment and clarified by the Electoral Count Act, but he will instead hand over those duties to Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), reported Roll Call.     continue to read

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Biden’s victory in the November election will be challenged yet again
Trump’s last stand: how the dramatic endgame for the 2020 US election will play out in Congress

Jan. 6 - This week, the US Congress will put the finishing touches to the chaotic, protracted 2020 US presidential election.

A joint session of the House and Senate will assemble at 1pm on January 6 (5am AEDT/7am NZDT on January 7) as the votes cast by the 538-member Electoral College following the November election are opened, counted and certified. The president of the Senate (who also happens to be Vice President Mike Pence) will then finally declare the winner.

Usually, this process generates very little public attention because it is essentially just a formal ratification of an outcome the American public has known for almost two months.     continue to read

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People attend a rally at Freedom Plaza in Washington in support of President Trump.
Hundreds of Trump supporters flock to Washington ahead of vote to certify Biden’s win

Jan 6, WASHINGTON —  Hundreds of supporters of President Trump descended on the nation’s capital Tuesday to cheer his baseless claims of election fraud a day before a congressional vote to affirm Joe Biden’s victory.

Just blocks from the White House, protesters — many without masks — gathered in Freedom Plaza to decry the vote in the electoral college. As temperatures dropped to the low 40s and a steady rain swept onto the streets, hundreds remained in the plaza past nightfall.

“I’m just here to support the president,” said David Wideman, a 45-year-old firefighter who traveled from Memphis, Tenn.
Wideman said he was “confused” by a string of losses from the president’s legal team and its allies in their attempt to overturn the results of the election and didn’t know what options Trump had left.     continue to read

PBS NewsHour live episode, Jan. 5, 2020
Jan 6, 2021
Tuesday on the NewsHour, Georgia voters head to the polls to decide the U.S. Senate and much of President-elect Joe Biden's agenda, the U.S. sets another daily record for COVID-19 infections as the vaccination campaign lags behind projections, lost revenue and cutbacks from pandemic-related closures compel many struggling educational institutions to make big cuts.

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White House News (白宮消息) | Jan. 5,

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McCarthy gives green light to conservatives' push to overturn Biden's win, as senior Republicans raise alarms

Jan. 4, (CNN)The top House Republican has quietly blessed an effort by conservative lawmakers to overturn President-elect Joe Biden's victory when a joint session of Congress meets later this week, even as other top congressional Republicans are raising alarms that the push could cause lasting damage to a pillar of democracy.

The conservatives said on Sunday that House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy has been supportive of their plans, a stark contrast from the position of many prominent Republicans — including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney and the former House speaker, Paul Ryan -- who have publicly and privately raised major concerns about an effort that is doomed to fail but is bound to sow distrust over the sanctity of US elections.     more details

JANUARY 4, 2021
Campaign 2020
President-elect Biden Campaigns for Georgia U.S. Senate Candidates
President-Elect Joe Biden campaigned for Democratic Georgia U.S. Senate candidates -- Jon Ossoff and Rev. Rafael Warnock -- in Atlanta. Both men faced runoff elections with the Republican Senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler -- on January 5, 2021 which will determine majority control of the U.S. Senate. President-Elect Biden talked about the importance of Georgians to get out and vote.

JANUARY 4, 2021
Campaign 2020
President Trump Campaigns for U.S. Senate Runoffs in Georgia
President Trump speaks at a rally in Dalton, Georgia, in support of Republican Senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, both facing a runoff election on Tuesday.

GOP Leader McCarthy Sounds Off on an Electoral Challenge
Jan. 4 - House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R) on Sunday said he supports members of his caucus who favor challenging the certification of the 2020 presidential results.

“I think it's right that we have the debate. I mean, you see now that senators are going to object, the House is going to object — how else do we have a way to change the election problems?” McCarthy told The Hill.      continue to read

White House News (白宮消息) | Jan. 4, 2021

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In this Dec. 15, 2006, file photo, outgoing Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, left, shakes hands with Vice President Dick Cheney during an Armed Forces Full Honor Review for Rumsfeld at the Pentagon. All 10 living former secretaries of defense, including Rumsfeld and Cheney, have joined in cautioning against any attempt to use the military in the cause of overturning the November 2020 presidential election.
Extraordinary warning to Trump by 10 former Pentagon chiefs

Jan. 4, 2021 - WASHINGTON (AP) — In an extraordinary rebuke of President Donald Trump, all 10 living former secretaries of defense cautioned Sunday against any move to involve the military in pursuing claims of election fraud, arguing that it would take the country into “dangerous, unlawful and unconstitutional territory.”

The 10 men, both Democrats and Republicans, signed on to an opinion article published in The Washington Post that implicitly questioned Trump’s willingness to follow his Constitutional duty to peacefully relinquish power on Jan. 20. Following the Nov. 3 election and subsequent recounts in some states, as well as unsuccessful court challenges, the outcome is clear, they wrote, while not specifying Trump in the article.

“The time for questioning the results has passed; the time for the formal counting of the electoral college votes, as prescribed in the Constitution and statute, has arrived,” they wrote.

The former Pentagon chiefs warned against use of the military in any effort to change the outcome.

“Efforts to involve the U.S. armed forces in resolving election disputes would take us into dangerous, unlawful and unconstitutional territory,” they wrote. “Civilian and military officials who direct or carry out such measures would be accountable, including potentially facing criminal penalties, for the grave consequences of their actions on our republic.”

A number of senior military officers, including Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, have said publicly in recent weeks that the military has no role in determining the outcome of U.S. elections and that their loyalty is to the Constitution, not to an individual leader or a political party.     continue to read

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...Driving the news: Milley arrived in Israel last Thursday after visiting several Arab capitals. It was his third visit to the region this year, and came amid fears of Iranian retaliation over the assassination of Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh.

• Milley met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Minister of Defense Benny Gantz and Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Aviv Kochavi.

Behind the scenes: The main message to Milley from the Israelis was that Biden shouldn't rush back into the 2015 deal but should instead take advantage of the fact that Iran is in a weak position, Israeli officials who attended the talks say.

• If Biden doesn't use the leverage the U.S. has accumulated through its "maximum pressure" sanctions regime, the Israelis argued, he'll find it impossible to make a better deal later.


• “We stressed that the starting point of any talks with Iran is much better for the U.S. today than it was in 2013. What is needed now is to be tough in order to get a better deal," an Israeli official said...     source from

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Amy Klobuchar Rips Ted Cruz-Led Gang of Senators Threatening to Reject Biden Victory on Jan. 6: ‘Can You Please Get a Grip?’

Jan. 2 - Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar was among several prominent Democrats who slammed the Ted Cruz-led gang of a dozen Republican senators who are threatening to reject President-elect Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory over President Donald Trump when the results are certified on January 6th.

On Saturday, Cruz released a joint statement with fellow Senators Ron Johnson (R-WI), James Lankford (R-K), Steve Daines (R-MT), John Kennedy (R-LA), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and Mike Braun (R-IN) and Senators-elect Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Bill Hagerty (R-N), and Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) that said the group will reject President-elect Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory over President Donald Trump if their demand for an “emergency audit” is not met.

Including Missouri Senator Josh Hawley, who has already promised to object, there are now an even dozen Republican senators attempting to overthrow the results of the election.

Klobuchar was one of the more pointed voices in the Senate to criticize the move, writing “With all due respect to my Republican colleagues in the Senate who are doing this: can you please get a grip? Election officials across the country, including Republican Governors, have certified these results. This is embarrassing.”     continue to read

White House News (白宮消息) | Jan. 2, 2021

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JANUARY 1, 2021
U.S. SenateSenate Session
The Senate voted 80-12 to limit debate of the defense policy veto. 60 votes ere needed. The Senate moved to an immediate

Joe Biden’s in-tray: The five key foreign policy issues

Jan. 2 - Whenever there is a new leader behind the desk in the Oval Office, they are sure to be tested by America’s adversaries. Joe Biden will be no different. In fact, because of the unconventional nature of Donald Trump’s foreign policy, it is logical to assume that more than few leaders around the world will be interested in testing the next administration.

Many wonder — both friend and foe, and not unreasonably — if President Trump has changed the way US foreign policy is made for good, or will Biden bring it back in line with the status quo ante?

Heading into 2021, the next administration’s in-tray will be full. Undoubtedly, the focus will be the domestic situation in the US. Top priorities will include rolling out the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine and dealing with the economic consequences of the pandemic. Nevertheless, global events do not slow or stop just for a new president. There are five areas in which President Biden and his administration will be tested early when it comes to international affairs.     continue to read

US, Iran ratchet up military activity ahead of Soleimani killing anniversary
US official says some Iranian maritime forces in Persian Gulf ramped up their readiness levels in past 48 hours

Jan. 2 - The US and Iran charged each other with ratcheting up tensions in the Persian Gulf as concerns about potential conflict build days before Iran marks one year since the US assassinated its most powerful military figure and less than three weeks before President-elect Joe Biden takes office.

Iran appealed to the UN Security Council on Thursday to stop the US from conducting what it called heightened “military adventurism” in the Gulf and the Oman Sea, including dispatching nuclear-armed bombers to the region, declaring that it did not want conflict but would defend itself if necessary.

Meanwhile, a US official with direct knowledge of the latest intelligence told CNN on Friday that some Iranian maritime forces in the Gulf ramped up their readiness levels in the last 48 hours. Earlier this week, defense officials told CNN new intelligence showed Iran has been moving short range ballistic missiles into Iraq.

The quickening military activity is matched by rhetoric. The head of Iran’s elite Quds military force suggested Friday that retaliation for US crimes may come from “people from your own house.” President Donald Trump, who reportedly asked for military options to deal with Iran in November, tweeted last week that he will “hold Iran responsible” should any Americans be killed.

And Israeli media amplified an Arab newspaper report that cited unnamed US sources saying Israel and Saudi Arabia are lobbying Trump to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities before he leaves office.   continue to read 

 Relations between the two countries have deteriorated under US President Donald Trump
China sees 'new window of hope' in ties with United States in 2021

Jan. 2 - vBEIJING (BLOOMBERG) - China and the United States can open a "new window of hope" in bilateral ties in the new year, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said, urging Washington to resolve disputes through dialogue.

"Our US policy will maintain continuity and stability and we are willing to develop China-US relations in a coordinated, cooperative and stable manner with the American side," Wang was cited as saying in the transcript of an interview posted on the ministry's website.

The foreign minister said the US's "completely wrong" policies on China were to blame for "unprecedented difficulties" between the two countries in recent years.

Relations between the two countries have deteriorated under US President Donald Trump, with growing differences in issues ranging from trade and technology to Hong Kong and the Covid-19 pandemic.

In a separate statement, Wang urged the European Union to commit to world unity instead of "serving bloc politics," and to look beyond ideological differences.     source

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Serbia opens pipeline for Russian gas, ignores US opposition
Defying U.S. calls to reduce its dependency on Russian energy supplies, Serbia has officially launched a new gas link that will bring additional Russian gas to the Balkan country via Bulgaria and Turkey

Jan. 2,BELGRADE, Serbia -- Defying U.S. calls to reduce its dependency on energy supplies from Russia, Serbia on Friday officially launched a new gas link that will bring additional Russian gas to the Balkan country via Bulgaria and Turkey.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic attended a ceremony Friday for the opening of the 400-kilometer (250-mile) section of the Turkish Stream pipeline, saying that Serbia has become “much richer” thanks to the new Russian energy supplies.     continue to read

White House News (白宮消息) | Jan. 1, 2021

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2020 general election

Main article: 2020 United States House of Representatives elections in Georgia § District 14Greene began her 2020 candidacy in Georgia's 6th congressional district, but shifted her campaign to the 14th district after incumbent Tom Graves announced he would not run for reelection.[7] She ran on the slogan "Save America, Stop Socialism".[8][9] In the days before the primary election, Facebook took down a Greene video for violating its terms of service. In the video she held an AR-15 style rifle and warned "antifa terrorists" to "stay the hell out of Northwest Georgia".[8]
Greene finished in first place in the primary election and faced John Cowan in the runoff election.[10] Greene defeated Cowan to win the nomination on August 11. Greene was considered an overwhelming favorite to win the seat in the general election, as the 14th typically votes heavily Republican.[11] The 14th has a Cook Partisan Voting Index of R+27, making it the 10th most Republican district in the nation and the third most Republican district in the Eastern Time Zone. Among Georgia's congressional districts, only the neighboring 9th district is more Republican. Donald Trump carried the 14th with 75 percent of the vote in 2016, his eighth-best performance in the nation.[12] On the day after Greene's runoff victory, Trump tweeted his support for her, describing Greene as a "future Republican Star" who "is strong on everything and never gives up — a real WINNER!"[13]

Greene was initially expected to face Democratic IT specialist Kevin Van Ausdal, but he withdrew from the race on September 11, 2020. This left Greene unopposed for the general election, though the district is so heavily Republican that Van Ausdal would have faced nearly impossible odds had he stayed in the race.[14] Since the 14th's creation in 2012, no Democrat has won more than 30 percent of the vote.[15]
In the general election, Greene won with 74 percent of the vote. Van Audsal, whose name remained on the ballot, took 25 percent.[16] Greene became the second Republican woman to represent Georgia in the House. The first, Karen Handel, was elected to represent the 6th in a special election in 2017,[17] but was defeated for a full term in 2018. Thus, Greene became the first Republican woman elected to a full term from a Georgia district.

QAnon Kook Marjorie Taylor Greene Heading To Congress?
Aug 13, 2020
Marjorie Taylor Greene, who has been blasted for making racist videos, has won the runoff for Georgia’s Republican primary.

Two Republican members of the House of Representatives tell CNN that they expect at least 140 of their GOP colleagues in the House to vote against counting the electoral votes on January 6 when Congress is expected to certify President-elect Joe Biden's victory.

Dec. 31, (CNN) -- Two Republican members of the House of Representatives tell CNN that they expect at least 140 of their GOP colleagues in the House to vote against counting the electoral votes on January 6 when Congress is expected to certify President-elect Joe Biden's victory.     more details