Thursday, January 14, 2021

And another day of next steps, buying body armor, drawing inspiration, ‘extensive’ chatter, defining America, rescue packages, more articles of impeachment, obsessions, white supremacists in the military, and a whole lot more comes to a close:

“Here’s the thing about unity. To achieve it, you have to believe in a common good. And most members of this Republican Party have demonstrated over and over that they simply don’t.” — Yvonne Abraham

“Some of us began saying Trump was the greatest threat to U.S. national security years ago.  But for the unconvinced, perhaps the point is now best illustrated by the fact that the U.S. military has deployed a massive army in DC to protect the country from Trump & his followers.” — David Rothkopf

“Terrorism is not voting for impeachment because you’re worried the leader who will be impeached has followers who will kill you. Republicans are literally admitting Trump is a terrorist.” — Justin Horwitz

Deaths

US: 397,994 (+4066)

World: 2,002,407 (+15,637)

Cases

US: 23,848,410 (+232,065)

World: 93,533,471 (+762,217)

Countdown: 6 days.

What’s next after House impeachment vote. Even though the trial won’t happen until Trump is already out of office, it could still have the effect of preventing him from running for president again. A look at next steps:

Donald Trump's Second Impeachment Shows How the GOP Remains Stuck in Trumpism.

Rep. Peter Meijer, one of 10 Republicans who voted to impeach President Donald Trump Wednesday, said he and some of his colleagues are buying body armor and altering their daily routines due to fear of violence. — Another example of how far off the rails the Republican Party and their supporters have gone. 

Far-Right Extremists Around The World Are Drawing Inspiration From The Insurrection On Capitol Hill. On secret communication channels and open message boards, white supremacists are rejoicing at what President Donald Trump unleashed — and planning their next moves.

FBI tracking ‘extensive’ online chatter about armed protests. Those events could bring armed individuals near government buildings and elected officials, Wray warned, while also noting, “One of the real challenges in this space is trying to distinguish what’s aspirational versus what’s intentional.”

Some Democrats in Congress are worried their colleagues might kill them. In the aftermath of last week’s deadly assault on the Capitol by supporters of President Donald Trump, members of Congress are expressing something once unthinkable: that some of their own colleagues may be endangering their lives. Not in a rhetorical sense, but in a direct and immediate way.

Black and white still define America as Biden prepares to take office. Race, particularly the hardened notions around Black and white identity, is not rooted in biology. Rather, scholars say, this stratification that has riven virtually every aspect of American life was a social construct that allowed an elite few to hoard wealth and power, justified the subjugation of those being exploited, and created a color divide that prevented the working class from uniting. “Research shows that the racial wealth gap wasn’t created because of something that individuals or families of color did wrong,'' says Kilolo Kijakazi, an Institute Fellow with the Urban Institute, a think tank focused on economic and social policy. "It is driven by these structural barriers…  policies, programs and institutional practices that facilitate the creation of wealth for white families while creating barriers to wealth accumulation by or stripping wealth from families of color.''

Here's what's in Biden's $1.9 trillion economic rescue package.

Trump tells aides not to pay Giuliani's legal fees: report. The Washington Post reported Thursday that Giuliani's expenses are now being personally approved by Trump as the former's efforts to file legal challenges in states around the country on behalf of the president appear to be winding down.

Marjorie Taylor Greene says she will introduce impeachment articles against Biden. During an appearance on Newsmax Wednesday evening, Greene, a vocal supporter of President Trump, said that she is planning on introducing a measure to impeach Biden on Jan. 21, one day after his inauguration. — She, like most Republicans these days, is a nut job.

US police three times as likely to use force against leftwing protesters, data finds. In the past 10 months, US law enforcement agencies have used teargas, pepper spray, rubber bullets, and beatings at a much higher percentage at Black Lives Matter demonstrations than at pro-Trump or other rightwing protests. Law enforcement officers were also more likely to use force against leftwing demonstrators, whether the protests remained peaceful or not.

Pentagon watchdog to launch probe of white supremacists in the military.

A New Watchdog Report Reveals Just How Obsessed Trump Officials Were With Family Separation. The report finds that [Jeff] Sessions “was fully aware” that this policy would result in separating children from their parents and that he was the driving force behind it. The review concludes that DOJ’s “single-minded focus” came at the expense of “careful and appropriate consideration of the impact” this would have on families, especially on children.

Georgia state senators who backed attempts to overturn presidential election stripped of committee assignments.

Biden names Jaime Harrison as his pick for DNC chair.

Pelosi announces lawmakers will be fined $5K if they bypass metal detectors to House floor.

Flint water probe brings charges against ex-governor, others.

Black women in England are four times more likely to die in pregnancy or within the first six weeks of childbirth than their White counterparts, according to an inquiry into maternal deaths. Little is being done to find out why.

Taliban cracks down on 'costly' polygamy.

U.S.-China trade war has cost up to 245,000 U.S. jobs: business group study.

Trump permanently banned from using Snapchat.

Seattle schools under investigation for 'disturbing reports' of handling special education during pandemic. In a letter sent to Superintendent Denise Juneau this week, department officials cite concerns that some students went without specialized instruction — and some teachers weren’t allowed to provide it.

Going his own way: Mick Fleetwood sells hit song rights to BMG. Fleetwood becomes latest star to sell his royalty rights as artists cash in from investors in the streaming era.

President-elect Biden's German shepherd, Major, will soon be the first dog to go from a shelter to the White House. That shelter, the Delaware Humane Association, is planning a virtual "indoguration" ceremony for Major on Sunday.

The Brutal Bull-and-Bear Fights of 19th-Century California. In the 19th century, California grizzlies were most sought for their intrinsic fighting qualities, especially when coerced into combat with a bull—an event that served as entertainment for a crowd on many Sunday afternoons...Such occasions usually commenced on Sundays, after church, when the townsfolk gathered after their pious songs and prayer, and slowly made their way to the town square toward the sounds of spectacle...What further added enjoyment of the bloodsport was how differently the two animals fought. The bear would often stand and take mighty downward swipes with its paws, while the bull would charge low and rush upward for the gore. If this sounds familiar, like a word on the tip of your tongue you can’t quite remember, that is because the bear and bull fights of California inspired the modern day colloquialism of Wall Street: bull markets and bear markets. And the rest is just history.

Siegfried Fischbacher, of Siegfried & Roy, dies of cancer at 81.

Life’s short. Live, love, create, and help others.

Until next time, my friends. Stay safe and stay sane. Good night.