Republicans joining 'snap impeachment' was 'flat-out wrong': Rep. Donalds

Florida GOP Rep. Byron Donalds argues the 'rush to judgement' on impeachment should have never happened.

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  • Some House Democrats have 'real concern' Republican colleagues may have aided Capitol attack

    A growing number of House Democrats are calling for an investigation into whether their Republican colleagues aided President Trump’s supporters who violently stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 in an effort to overturn the results of last year’s election. 

  • Trump supporter dead in suspected suicide days after being arrested at Capitol riot

    An Atlanta medical examiner has confirmed the death, which followed the man’s arrest last week

  • Biden forgoing Amtrak trip to Washington over security fears

    President-elect Joe Biden will no longer be taking an Amtrak train to Washington for his inauguration because of security concerns, a person briefed on the decision told The Associated Press on Wednesday. The president-elect’s decision reflects growing worries over potential threats in the Capitol and across the U.S. in the lead-up to Biden's Jan. 20 inauguration.

  • AOC: 'I thought I was going to die' in U.S. Capitol attack

    Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez shared personal details of her experience during the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol in an Instagram Live broadcast on Tuesday night. Ocasio-Cortez told followers that, while she could not share some details due to security risks, she believed that her life was in serious danger during the violence.

  • Taliban chief tells officials to take only one wife because big weddings and dowries are depleting funds

    The head of the Afghan Taliban has ordered officials in the movement to take only one wife because extravagant weddings and bridal payments are depleting funds and leading to accusations of embezzlement. The edict from Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada was also an attempt to quash bad publicity that Taliban leaders were having profligate weddings. “We instruct officials of the Islamic Emirate, in accordance with Islamic Sharia [Islamic jurisprudence], to avoid second, third, and fourth marriage if there is no need,” he said in a written message earlier this month, Voice of America reported. Taliban officials have been instructed to share the order with their subordinates after complaints about the scale of spending on weddings. Afghans face huge social pressure to spend lavishly on their nuptials, while the groom must also often pay a hefty sum to the bride's family. Wives are sometimes kept in separate houses, meaning a groom must fund several households. “Up-to two million Afghanis (nearly £19,000) are paid for dowry in some parts of Afghanistan and the Taliban officials would seek this money for their second marriage,” one source told the broadcaster. The movement has also sometimes faced internal tensions as frontline fighters resent the movement's leadership appearing to lead the high life in Pakistan or Doha. “Families of several officials of the Islamic Emirate do not have a lot of money. Therefore, more marriages could affect their prestige, trustworthiness, and personality,” the message said. The message urged the movement to “protect yourself against accusation and disgrace,” adding that “transparency” and “gaining trust” were essential for their struggle. Abstaining from multiple marriages would protect the Taliban from “accusations of bribery, misappropriation, or embezzlement” and save them from seeking illicit sources of wealth. Akhundzada told followers that the orders were based on Islamic injunctions and have the support of religious scholars. Islam allows men to have up to four wives as long as they are treated equally, though the practice is frowned upon and uncommon in many Muslim societies. The message said there were exemptions to the new rule for officials who had a “legitimate need” or who used their own funds for weddings.

  • 2 lawyers, Stephen Miller apparently wrote Trump's post-impeachment 'peace in our country' speech

    After President Trump was impeached for a second time, the White House posted a video Wednesday evening of the president "unequivocally" condemning the "violence and vandalism" at the U.S. Capitol last week and urging his supporters to "ease tensions, calm tempers, and help to promote peace in our country." Advisers say the video was partly the result of Trump's "realization of the catastrophic fallout from the deadly siege," The New York Times reports, and "the aides most involved in the language of the video" were White House Counsel Pat Cipollone, deputy counsel Pat Philbin, and Stephen Miller, Trump's main speechwriter.Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, aide Dan Scavino, and Vice President Mike Pence "persuaded Trump to film the video, telling him it could boost support among weak Republicans," The Washington Post reports. "Even after it was recorded and posted," the Times adds, "Trump still had to be reassured."Unlike Trump's last impeachment, the White House mounted no discernible effort to defend Trump on Wednesday, and it has no apparent strategy for his Senate trial. Rudy Giuliani is "still expected to play a role in Trump's impeachment defense but has been left out of most conversations thus far," CNN reports, adding that "aides were not clear" if Trump is serious about not paying Giuliani for his work trying to overturn the election, "given he's lashing out at nearly everyone after the day's events."But "Cipollone, who was central to the president's defense in his first impeachment a year ago, told other staffers to make sure word got out that he was not involved in defending Trump this time," the Post reports, citing one aide. Trump's isolation "is the logical conclusion of someone who will only accept people in his inner orbit if they are willing to completely set themselves on fire on his behalf, and you've just reached a point to where everyone is burned out," a senior administration official told the Post.. "Everyone is thinking, 'I'll set myself on fire for the president of the United States for this, for this, and for this -- but I'm not doing it for that.'"Maybe that "I would do anything for Trump -- but I won't do that" sentiment explains why Ivanka Trump tagged Meat Loaf in a recent selfie of herself and her father. > Off to Georgia with Dad! Get out and VOTE Georgia!!! pic.twitter.com/zm7Zk6l6wo> > -- Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) January 4, 2021More stories from theweek.com Do Democrats realize the danger they are in? America's rendezvous with reality What 'Blue Lives Matter' was always about

  • AOC feared ‘White Supremacist members of Congress’ would turn her over to Trump rioters during siege

    As the fallout continues following last Wednesday’s Capitol insurrection, Democratic New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez took to her social media this week to share the terror she experienced that day – at times fearing her own congressional colleagues would turn her over to the angry mob to be killed. Have you subscribed to theGrio’s podcast “Dear Culture”?

  • Salesforce ‘Takes Action’ to Keep Trump Campaign Emails from Inciting Violence

    Salesforce, the company that owns the email marketing firm used by the Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee to send emails, said recently they had “taken action” against the RNC to “prevent its use of our services in any way that could lead to violence,” according to a new report. “We are all deeply troubled by the terrible events of January 6,” Salesforce said in a statement, referring to the rioting at the U.S. Capitol last week. “And while we all hope that they are never repeated, sadly there remains a risk of politically incited violence across the country. The Republican National Committee has been a long-standing customer, predating the current Administration, and we have taken action to prevent its use of our services in any way that could lead to violence.” The statement came in response to a question by Vice about whether the company had prevented Trump from using the “contact@victory.donaldtrump.com” email infrastructure after the campaign emails abruptly stopped following the unrest at the Capitol that left five people dead. The lack of emails was a marked change from the multiple messages a day the campaign had previously sent post-election: between November 3 and January 6 the campaign sent 569 emails, according to the report. However, the RNC told the outlet that “on Wednesday, we decided independently to stop fundraising on all of our digital platforms, including on Salesforce.” The Trump campaign had also used email infrastructure from Campaign Monitor, which suspended its services with the campaign last week. The emails repeated Trump’s false claims that the election was rigged and fraudulent and said Congress needed to be pushed to overturn the election results to give Trump a second term. The messages come from the “Trump Make America Great Again Committee, a joint fundraising committee authorized by and composed of Donald J. Trump for President, Inc., Save America, and the Republican National Committee,” according to the emails, and fundraise for the “Trump Make America Great Again Committee.” The committee includes Donald J. Trump for President, Inc., Save America, and the Republican National Committee. Post-election donations have been used for Trump’s election lawsuits and recounts, while some of the funds have gone toward the RNC.

  • Lawyer, others arrested by Hong Kong national security unit

    Hong Kong police on Thursday said they arrested 11 people on suspicion of assisting offenders who are believed to be the 12 Hong Kong activists detained at sea by mainland Chinese authorities while attempting to flee the city last year. District councilor and lawyer Daniel Wong Kwok-tung posted on his Facebook page early Thursday that national security officers had arrived at his home. Wong, a member of the Democratic Party, is known for providing legal assistance to hundreds of activists arrested during antigovernment protests in 2019.

  • Democrats in Georgia ‘outworked, out-strategized and obviously outperformed’ GOP in Senate runoffs, Kemp’s deputy admits

    On the same day that rioters supporting President Trump stormed and vandalized the U.S. Capitol, history was also made in Georgia, where Jon Ossoff and Rev. Raphael Warnock, the two Democrats on the Georgia Senate runoff ballot, defeated the Republican incumbents. One week after Democrats pulled off their improbable feat, Georgians reflected on the impact of the historic win.

  • Capitol rioter pictured with Pelosi lectern promises not to return to DC as lawyer says only a ‘magician’ could get him off

    His lawyer said he has been receiving death threats and would like to ‘like to just get home to his family’

  • Nicaragua in talks to acquire Russia's Sputnik V COVID vaccine, says PAHO

    Nicaragua is in talks with Russia's Gamaleya Institute to acquire the Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said on Wednesday. The poor Central American nation is among the Latin American countries with least vaccines pre-ordered to tackle the coronavirus pandemic.

  • Australia to kill pigeon that crossed Pacific from Oregon

    A racing pigeon has survived an extraordinary 13,000-kilometer (8,000-mile) Pacific Ocean crossing from the United States to find a new home in Australia. Kevin Celli-Bird said Thursday he discovered the exhausted bird that arrived in his Melbourne backyard on Dec. 26 had disappeared from a race in the U.S. state of Oregon on Oct. 29. Experts suspect the pigeon that Celli-Bird has named Joe, after the U.S. president-elect, hitched a ride on a cargo ship to cross the Pacific.

  • McConnell reportedly believes Trump committed impeachable offenses

    Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has told associates he believes President Trump's actions related to last week's deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol are an impeachable offense, The New York Times reports. And while he was ready to shoot down the House's first Trump impeachment last year, this time around he's reportedly happy the Democrats are moving forward.It isn't clear whether McConnell will actually vote to convict Trump, who he reportedly does not intend on speaking with again, but it does suggest he views a second impeachment trial — regardless of the outcome — as a way to weaken the outgoing president and "purge" him from the Republican Party. In addition to his anger about the riot, McConnell also evidently blames Trump for costing the GOP its Senate majority for at least the next two years after the Democrats picked up both Georgia seats last week.McConnell has indicated he won't bring the Senate back from recess until Jan. 19, which means an impeachment trial would almost certainly stretch into President-elect Joe Biden's term, but the revelations from the Times hint he's open to that possibility. Biden reportedly called McConnell on Monday and asked if the upper chamber would be able to juggle holding a trial and confirming his Cabinet nominees, officials briefed on the matter told the Times. McConnell reportedly said that was a question for the Senate parliamentarian, but added that he would get Biden an answer as quickly as possible. Read more at The New York Times.More stories from theweek.com Do Democrats realize the danger they are in? America's rendezvous with reality What 'Blue Lives Matter' was always about

  • The 7 Best Airbnbs in Seattle

    Come home from a day of exploration to a charming forest-clad cabin or a chic art-filled loft—the choice is yours Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest

  • Florida firefighter seen at the Capitol just got arrested. His lawyer shifts the blame

    A Central Florida firefighter photographed inside the U.S. Capitol during last week’s pro-MAGA riot was arrested Tuesday on charges of disorderly conduct and unlawful entry.

  • U.S. cancels U.N. envoy's trip to Taiwan, citing Biden transition

    The U.S. State Department's cancellation of all travel this week includes a planned visit to Taiwan by U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Kelly Craft, a State Department spokeswoman said on Tuesday. Craft had been due to visit Taiwan from Wednesday to Friday, prompting China, which claims the self-ruled island as its own, to warn that Washington was playing with fire. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Tuesday that all travel this week had been canceled, including his own trip to Europe, as part of the transition to the incoming Biden administration.

  • Cyprus: Brawl at overcrowded migrant camp injures 25

    More than two dozen migrants were injured during a large brawl between nationals from Syria and several African countries at an overcrowded migrant reception camp outside of Cyprus’ capital, a government official said Tuesday. Interior Ministry spokesman Loizos Michael told The Associated Press that all 25 sustained minor injuries and have since returned to the camp after receiving first aid at Nicosia General Hospital. Michael said around 1,500 migrants are housed at the 1,000-capacity camp, with 600 of those under quarantine in line with coronavirus-prevention protocols.

  • ‘I’m not a traitor’: Ex-Navy Seal interviewed by FBI after posting video about Capitol riot

    'I'm hoping the message was strong enough. Unfortunately, maybe it wasn't. I hate to see this escalate more’

  • Column: McConnell won't be majority leader. But there's still plenty he can do to obstruct Biden

    Charles E. Schumer will take over as Senate majority leader, but don't expect Mitch McConnell to roll over and play dead.