Sen. Perdue says he's 'shocked' over leaked Trump audio, calls act by fellow GOP 'disgusting'

Sen. David Perdue R-Ga. joins 'The Next Revolution' to discuss the audio released by the Washington Post and provides insight into the Georgia Senate race.

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  • Meet the 1st Black woman to lead a White House press briefing

    The first time a Black woman served as the main voice of the presidency came in 1991, when Judy Smith stepped behind the podium as a deputy press secretary for President George H.W. Bush.

  • Skeptical Lindsey Graham suggests GOP Electoral College challenge is 'a political dodge'

    Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) was one of the more notable names, along with Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), who were absent from the list of GOP senators planning to object to the Electoral College certification next week. On Sunday, Graham addressed his colleagues' decision and didn't seem convinced it was the right move.While not as forceful in his criticism as Sens. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), and Ben Sasse (R-Neb.), Graham said it appears the call for an investigation into unfounded allegations of widespread voter fraud is "more of a political dodge than an effective remedy" to the situation, especially at such a late stage.The senator said he looks forward to hearing the arguments from his colleagues, including Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), among others, adding that he'll "listen closely," but "they have a high bar to clear." For Graham to be convinced it's worth challenging President-elect Joe Biden's victory, Republican lawmakers will need to provide evidence of their charges of voter fraud, as well as proof that state and federal courts should have acted on election fraud claims and that those actions could have changed the outcome of the presidential election in certain states. > They will also need to show that the failure to take corrective action in addressing election fraud changed the outcome of these states' votes and ultimately the outcome of the election.> > -- Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) January 3, 2021More stories from theweek.com It didn't even take an hour into the 117th Congress for drama to unfold on the House floor Fears rise over Indonesia's Jurassic Park Pelosi secures 4th term as House speaker

  • Senator Mitch McConnell’s Louisville home vandalized

    Republican Senator Mitch McConnell’s home in Louisville, Kentucky was vandalized on Saturday morning. The incident comes after McConnell blocked a vote to increase coronavirus stimulus checks from $600 to $2,000 even after President Donald Trump publicly backed the increase. McConnell argued that a standalone bill for $2,000 stimulus checks for Americans had “no realistic path to quickly pass the Senate.”

  • Extraordinary warning to Trump by 10 former Pentagon chiefs

    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.

  • Islamic State claims responsibility for attack on Pakistan's Shi'ite Hazara minority that kills 11

    Islamic State claimed responsibility for an attack on Sunday that killed 11 miners from Pakistan’s minority Shi’ite Hazaras in Baluchistan province. The attack took place early on Sunday morning in the Mach area of Bolan district around 100 kms southeast of Baluchistan's capital Quetta, killing the miners who were in a shared residential room near the coal mine where they worked, officials said. “The throats of all coal miners have been slit, after their hands were tied behind their backs and (they were) blind folded,” a security official told Reuters, requesting anonymity as he is not allowed to speak to media.

  • Pelosi supporters 'a little nervous' about House speaker vote but believe enough lawmakers will be present

    With the 117th Congress set to be sworn in Sunday, some Democrats are feeling "a little nervous" about House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-Calif.) chances of retaining the gavel, Rep. Filemon (D-Texas) told The Hill. The concern is over whether enough lawmakers will actually show up to give her the required majority of those present and voting. If they do, she's on track to win as expected.Filemon said the worries stem from the coronavirus pandemic, and Democrats are hoping no one falls ill before the vote. Reps. Gwen Moore (D-Wisc.) and Rick Larsen (D-Wash.) tested positive for COVID-19 in late December, though Larsen is out of quarantine. And although it's unclear, it sounds as if Moore will be free from isolation as well, with Jake Sherman reporting that 221 out of the 222 Democratic members of the new House are expected to be present. Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.), who is being treated for pancreatic cancer, will not be at the Capitol.> NEWS on Dem attendance. Alcee Hastings, an ailing Florida Dem, is not going to make it to the speaker vote today. Jamie Raskin, who recently lost his son, is going to make it. > > Democrats believe they’ll have 221 present today. > > Pelosi needs a majority of present and voting> > — Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) January 3, 2021If there are indeed 221 Democrats on hand, as well as all 211 Republicans, Pelosi could only afford to have four Democrats vote for someone else, The Hill notes. While there may be a few Democrats who don't back Pelosi, they may vote "present" which essentially renders them absent and would not be counted against the final tally, likely allowing her to capture the majority. There's also no guarantee every Republican will be there."I think she'll win," Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) said of Pelosi. "But I'm just not sure how she gets there." Read more at The Hill.More stories from theweek.com It didn't even take an hour into the 117th Congress for drama to unfold on the House floor Skeptical Lindsey Graham suggests GOP Electoral College challenge is 'a political dodge' Fears rise over Indonesia's Jurassic Park

  • Japan considers declaring COVID-19 emergency

    Japan is considering issuing a new emergency declaration to tackle the country’s record surge in COVID-19 cases. The head of Japan’s pandemic response on Saturday said the government needs to consult with health experts before deciding on another declaration. As an interim measure, Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nakamura said restaurants and karaoke parlors in the Tokyo area would be asked to close at 8 PM, businesses serving alcohol - 7 PM. All this in response to a meeting he held earlier Saturday with the governors of Tokyo and three neighboring prefectures. The governors urged a new state of emergency declaration. Tokyo raised its COVID-19 alert level to its highest notch on December 17. On Thursday, new infections in the capital rose to a record 1,337 cases, and the country set a record with more than 4500 new cases. But Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has so far resisted calls to reinstate a national state of emergency.

  • Thousands of National Guard troops set to descend on Washington DC to support Biden inauguration

    More than 4,000 troops from nearly 30 states expected to take part in event

  • Lockdown puppy boom has failed to boost rare breeds, Kennel Club says

    The boom in people buying dogs during the Covid lockdowns has failed to help boost the number of puppies from rare breeds. Although the lockdowns saw a huge demand for puppies, with breeders of popular dogs cashing in on the surge, it has been a "logistical nightmare" for the owners of vulnerable species. Breeding programmes for sought-after Labradors and French bulldogs were ramped up last year, and prices have rocketed to as much as £10,000 a pup. But for those trying to keep rare and dying breeds going, the pandemic has had the reverse effect. Owners have been unable to travel to find suitable stud dogs, while face-to-face vetting of prospective and responsible owners has also proved difficult. Limited veterinary services for after-care treatment of puppies is another reason why breeding programmes have been largely put on hold. The most up-to-date figures of puppy registrations from the Kennel Club show that the numbers for some are incredibly low. In July and August last year, just five Dandie Dinmont terrier puppies were registered and no Glen of Imaal terriers were logged at all. In the same time period, 5,642 Labradors and 5,539 French bulldogs were registered.

  • Scotland to enter another effective national lockdown - The Times

    Scottish government leader Nicola Sturgeon said earlier her cabinet would meet on Monday to discuss possible further steps to limit the spread of the virus, and ordered Scotland's parliament to be recalled. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Sunday tougher lockdown restrictions were probably on the way as COVID-19 cases keep rising. Johnson sets policy for England, with rules in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales set by their devolved authorities.

  • In Reversal, Carrier Nimitz Ordered to Stay in Mideast Amid Iranian Threats of Revenge

    Tensions are increasing as Iran marks the anniversary of the U.S. drone strike that killed Quds Force commander Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani.

  • U.S. officials are reportedly privately worried Russia stole blueprints for U.S. blackout restoration

    In public, American officials have said they do not believe Russia's SVR intelligence agency "pierced" classified systems and stole sensitive communications and plans during an alleged cyberattack on what may have been hundreds of networks in the United States, The New York Times reports. But privately, per the Times, those same officials reportedly say they still aren't sure exactly what was or was not taken.There are concerns that the SVR — which the U.S. intelligence agency and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo are confident was behind the breach, despite President Trump suggesting China may have been involved instead of Moscow — was able to get its hands on delicate, albeit unclassified information from victims like the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. For example, it's reportedly possible the hackers accessed Black Start, the detailed technical blueprints for how the U.S. would restore power if there was a major blackout. If that was indeed the case, Russia would theoretically have a list of systems it could target to keep power from turning back on.The Times report sheds more light on the cyberattack, which may not be fully understood for months or even years. Some of the revelations include the fact that the hack appears to have been much broader in scope than originally thought and that the hackers "managed their intrusion from servers inside" the U.S. by "exploiting legal prohibitions on the National Security Agency." Read more at The New York Times.More stories from theweek.com It didn't even take an hour into the 117th Congress for drama to unfold on the House floor Skeptical Lindsey Graham suggests GOP Electoral College challenge is 'a political dodge' Fears rise over Indonesia's Jurassic Park

  • Inflatable costume could be behind Covid outbreak at California hospital

    At least 43 staff members tested positive for the virus after a staff member wore an inflatable costume on Christmas to cheer up patients.

  • McConnell, Pelosi homes vandalized after $2,000 relief fails

    Vandals lashed out at the leaders of the U.S. House and Senate over the holiday weekend, blighting their homes with graffiti and in one case a pig's head as Congress failed to approve an increase in the amount of money being sent to individuals to help cope with the coronavirus pandemic. Spray paint on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's door in Kentucky on Saturday read, “WERES MY MONEY.” At House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's home in San Francisco, someone spray-painted graffiti and left a pig’s head and fake blood on New Year’s Day, police said.

  • Australia's most populous state reports zero COVID cases, urges thousands to get tested

    SYDNEY (Reuters) -Australia's most populous state New South Wales (NSW) on Monday reported zero local coronavirus cases for the first time in nearly three weeks, as Sydney battled multiple outbreaks and authorities urged tens of thousands of people to get tested. NSW daily testing numbers have dropped to around 20,000 in the last two days from a peak of about 70,000 recorded on Christmas Day, Dec. 25. The overwhelming majority of tests are in the state capital Sydney.

  • Trump’s phone call with Georgia elections chief is impeachable by Democrats’ standards

    Analysis: Outgoing president’s phone call shows he did not learn single lesson from impeachment, writes US political correspondent Griffin Connolly

  • Mystery surrounds whereabouts of Chinese billionaire Jack Ma who vanished from own reality TV show

    Chinese billionaire Jack Ma, who hasn’t been seen in public for several weeks after criticising China’s financial regulatory system, has now disappeared as a judge on a TV talent show that he created. Mr Ma was absent from the final of “The Apprentice”-style “Africa’s Business Heroes”, a show that offers budding African entrepreneurs the chance to compete for a share of US$1.5 million (£1.1 million) in prize money. Mr Ma was originally due to be part of the panel that judged contestants’ business ideas. But he was replaced as a judge by an executive from Alibaba, the ecommerce company that he founded, in the November final. His photograph has also been taken down from the judging webpage and he was left out of a promotional video, according to the Financial Times, which also reported that broadcast of the final has been delayed until the spring. The paper cited a spokesperson for Alibaba as saying that Mr Ma could no longer be part of the judging panel “due to a schedule conflict”. One of China’s most successful entrepreneurs, Mr Ma appears to have fallen foul of its leaders after he criticised the country’s regulators and its state-owned banks in late October. In a speech in Shanghai, he called for reform of the regulatory system, which he said was stifling innovation. About a week later, the Shanghai Stock Exchange ordered a US$37 billion initial public offering of Ant Group, a financial technology firm co-founded by Mr Ma, to be suspended. Mr Ma reportedly hasn’t been seen in public since then. In late December, Chinese authorities announced an investigation into Alibaba for suspected monopolistic behaviour, and ordered Ant Group to restructure its operations to meet regulatory guidelines. Chinese authorities are trying to tighten oversight of the country’s financial sector, but are also seen as wanting to rein in the huge influence of private tech giants. Mr Ma is a popular figure in China, and one of the country’s best-known businesspeople abroad. Formerly an English teacher, he founded Alibaba in 1999, which became China’s biggest online ecommerce company. He stepped down as the company’s chairman in 2019, but is still one of its largest shareholders.

  • Businessman and family die when plane hits Michigan house

    A small plane flying from Georgia crashed into a house in southeastern Michigan, killing the pilot and two family members. The victims were David S. Compo, the former president of the Home Builders Association of Southeastern Michigan, his wife Michele and their son Dawson, the association said in a news release. The Federal Aviation Administration said a single-engine Piper PA-24 Comanche crashed in a residential area at 3:47 p.m. Saturday, roughly half a mile from Oakland Southwest Airport, according to preliminary information.

  • There’s good and bad news for immigrants waiting for USCIS biometrics appointments

    More than a million immigrants in the United States who have applied for U.S. citizenship through naturalization, adjustment of status and other benefits have been waiting for their biometric services appointment at a local Application Support Center (ASC) to provide their fingerprints, photograph and/or signature.

  • The Folly of the Cruz Eleven

    Josh Hawley is nothing if not a leader.The Missouri Republican’s announcement last week that he would object to Biden electors from Pennsylvania immediately caused another eleven Republican senators, organized by Ted Cruz, to play catchup and declare they’d object to Biden electors from all the battleground states Trump is contesting.Like Hawley, the Cruz group cites the precedent of 2005, when Senator Barbara Boxer joined objecting House Democrats to force a debate over whether to count George W. Bush electors from Ohio, the state that provided Bush’s margin of victory.It has always been axiomatic that Republicans shouldn’t emulate the former progressive senator from California, and never more so in this case. If the Cruz-led objectors somehow actually got their way, they’d trample federal law and state sovereignty and blow a hole in the hull of American democracy.The Cruz eleven issued a statement justifying their position. Like Hawley’s statement last week, it doesn’t directly say that the election was stolen -- the only possible basis for contesting the counting of electors. Presumably written carefully to allow the signatories plenty of wiggle room if their conduct doesn’t wear well, it instead says only that “the allegations of fraud and irregularities in the 2020 election exceed any in our lifetimes.”Of course, this is true only because the sitting president of the United States is amplifying such allegations every day, without regard to their truthfulness or connection to reality. The allegations themselves aren’t so different from those that fueled Democratic doubts about the outcome in Ohio in 2005 -- e.g., voting machines have been used to switch votes. The difference is that back then, the losing candidate wasn’t promoting the outlandish charges, with many officeholders in his own party too frightened or cynical to contradict him.Cruz et al. must know that nothing can be reasonably done to put the allegations to rest because Trump would keep repeating them until the election was overturned and he was awarded a second term (and even then, he still wouldn’t stop decrying the alleged crimes perpetrated against him on November 3).The letter from the Cruz eleven states that “ideally, the courts would have heard evidence and resolved these claims of serious election fraud.” In point of fact, federal courts in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Nevada did consider the Trump campaign’s claims on the merits, and they all found them wanting. The letter laments that the Supreme Court didn’t take up the factual questions, but the highest court in the land isn’t a random fact-finding body. The most prominent suit that landed on its desk was an attempt by Texas to throw out the results in key battlegrounds won by Biden. The court declined to hear the suit because it was so flagrantly constitutionally flawed.The letter cites the contention over the notorious 1876 presidential election between Democrat Samuel Tilden and Republican Rutherford B. Hayes. Trying to draw an analogy to today, it refers to “serious allegations of fraud and illegal conduct” in 1876, but this significantly understates it.In 1876, there weren’t just allegations; there was honest-to-God evidence of bribery and ballot stuffing on both sides in the chaotic atmosphere of Southern states still under Reconstruction. There were rival slates of electors from Louisiana, Florida, and South Carolina. Black voters were subjected to horrific violence and intimidation to keep them from the polls.To compare any of this to today is perverse. In Georgia, for instance, machine and hand recounts have confirmed the results, while a signature audit has found no evidence of endemic mismatches. Yet, the president of the United States is still calling the Republican secretary of state of Georgia to try to browbeat him into awarding him victory in the state based on misinformation and conspiracy theories.The Cruz eleven call for an electoral commission on the model of the one that determined the outcome in 1877. Never mind that this commission was a travesty. The original idea was that the commission of five senators, five representatives, and five Supreme Court justices would be split 7–7 between Republicans and Democrats with Justice David Davis, an independent, providing the decisive vote. As it happened, though, the Illinois legislature elected Davis to the Senate, and his spot on the commission was taken by the Republican justice Joseph Bradley, who reliably voted with his GOP colleagues, giving Hayes an 8–7 victory on every contested question to get him the 20 additional electoral votes he needed to win. Hayes served only one term, which was overshadowed by the odor of the backroom deals that ensured his election.Trump may like this model, assuming it is stacked in his favor. The problem is that, in reaction to the debacle of 1877, Congress adopted a statute giving states a “safe harbor” for their electors, i.e., assurance that they’d be considered conclusive by the federal government, if appointed six days prior to the Electoral College. All the contested states (except for Wisconsin) met this standard. No competing slate of electors was appointed by any legitimate body of any state government. The Cruz eleven propose to call into doubt the sole slate of state-appointed electors in each state anyway, and to essentially attempt to usurp what is supposed to be the state function of appointing electors. The federalists among the Cruz eleven know all this -- at least they do when they aren’t currying favor with Donald Trump.The Cruz eleven realize that their effort isn’t going anywhere. Both houses of Congress would have to vote to uphold objections to electors. Neither will, and neither should. If all they want to do is signal that they are upset that Biden won, this isn’t the manner or the forum to do it. Nor is this the proper way to examine underhanded electoral practices that did not alter the outcome, or to propose election reforms, however needed.Barbara Boxer shouldn’t be a conservative role model.