News and Headlines: In The News, Politics, World News, Commentary/Opinion.
In The News:
Man arrested in 3 slayings at NYC senior housing project
Officials announced the arrest of Kevin Gavin on Thursday, about a week after a 78-year-old victim was found dead in her Brooklyn apartment, with a telephone cord around her neck.
The building was the scene of two other killings of elderly women in 2015 and in 2019 that had sparked complaints about security.
Gavin, 66, who lived in the building where he was known to run errands for residents, was arrested after forensic evidence and witnesses linked him to the murders, the officials said.
Parler loses bid to require Amazon to restore service
U.S. District Judge Barbara Rothstein in Seattle said Parler was unlikely to prove Amazon breached its contract or violated antitrust law by suspending service on Jan. 10, and that it was “not a close call.”
She also forcefully rejected the suggestion that the public interest would be served by a preliminary injunction requiring Amazon Web Services to “host the kind of abusive, violent content at issue in this case, particularly in light of the recent riots at the U.S. Capitol.”
Niskanen Center Executive Calls For Execution Of Mike Pence By Lynching
In a now-deleted tweet, Wilkinson, vice president for research at the Niskanen Center, claimed President Joe Biden should lynch the former vice president to achieve political unity in the country.
“If Biden really wanted unity, he’d lynch Mike Pence,” Wilkinson said.
While Wilkinson later returned to Twitter to explain the post, claiming it was “sharp sarcasm” and meant as a joke, the executive has a history of downplaying left-wing violence.
Twitter Fumes Over New Executive Order With #BidenErasedWomen
One day after President Joe Biden issued an executive order mandating that any educational institutions that receive federal funding must function as if biological males who claim to be females are the same, and vice versa, “#BidenErasedWomen” began trending on Twitter.
At first, the hashtag was filled with people on both sides of the aisle pointing out the dangers in the executive order by stripping the meaning of sex, noting the detrimental effects it could have on females, such as allowing biological males to compete on and against women’s sports teams, receive women’s scholarships, and be admitted in women’s locker rooms.
Shortly after the hashtag began to trend, however, progressives hijacked the feed, using it to criticize the people opposed to the order as “transphobic” or “TERFs,” meaning trans-exclusionary radical feminists.
Priest suspended for attending pro-Trump rally at US Capitol
Archpriest Mark Hodges, who is affiliated with St. Paul the Apostle Orthodox Church in Dayton, told the Journal-News that he was slapped with a three-month suspension and faces possible defrocking for simply attending the demonstration by President Donald Trump supporters.
Hodges told the Lima News he was informed by Gassios he was “guilty by association” for attending the rally.
In a letter written to “concerned loved ones” that he shared with the Lima News, Hodges recalled the “joyful” rally where he met “wonderful” people and many families.
“It was good, huge,” the letter read. “Easily as big as any March for Life I’d been to, and I’ve been to most since the ‘80s, so I believed the whispered estimates of half-to-three-quarters of a million.”
Friend, Lawyer: Tip About Woman Allegedly Stealing Pelosi’s Laptop Came From Abusive Ex-boyfriend
“The whole story has been orchestrated by her abusive ex-boyfriend who currently has a [protection from abuse order] against him,” Cy Sanders, who traveled to Washington with Riley June Williams, told The Epoch Times via email.
Lori Ulrich, Williams’ defense lawyer, told a court the same thing on Thursday.
Williams left her house, changed her phone number, and closed her social media accounts because she was trying to escape from the man, Ulrich said.
Another 900,000 Americans Filed for Unemployment as Labor Market Recovery Freeze Continues
“Some 44 weeks into the pandemic caused downturn, unemployment claims remain very much elevated in the latest week,” Bankrate.com senior economic analyst Mark Hamrick said in an emailed statement to The Epoch Times.
Between the new claims drawn from the traditional state-administered programs and the federally funded program for the self-employed, gig workers, and others who don’t qualify for the regular state unemployment benefits, around 1.4 million people filed claims last week.
“Indeed, the notion of a winter of discontent has taken on new and more distressing meaning” in light of the unemployment figures, Hamrick said.
Here are the 10 executive orders Biden’s signing to combat the Covid pandemic
Here are the executive orders Biden plans to sign in his first two days in office to tackle the pandemic:
Travel
Biden also plans to sign Thursday an executive order requiring masks on public transportation, including trains, busses and aircraft. International travelers will need to present a negative Covid-19 before entering the U.S. and will have to quarantine upon arrival.
The executive order also directs other agencies to expand public health measures for domestic travel and cross-border land and sea travel.
Data Collection
Another executive order will direct the response office and all federal agencies to improve federal data collection and sharing. It directs the CDC to publish a dashboard showing Covid-19 cases at the county level, “so that Americans can gauge the level of transmission in their own communities to make their own informed choices,” the plan says.
Reports of Allergic Reactions to Moderna Vaccine
Jan 21, 2021 — California’s top epidemiologist late Wednesday said the Moderna vaccine suspected of causing a series of allergic reactions may be administered once again after a review found no reason to stop its use.
Moderna said Tuesday it was cooperating with CDPH in the investigation and doesn’t know of “comparable clusters of adverse events” from other vaccination centers using vaccine from that lot.
Pan recommended providers temporarily stop giving Moderna vaccine from lot No. 041L20A until the state, the CDC, the FDA, and Moderna could investigate what happened.
Facebook refers Trump’s suspension to its independent ‘supreme court’
Facebook said Thursday it will refer its indefinite suspension of former President Donald Trump’s account to its independent oversight board — the highest-profile test to date for the panel, and a move that could lead to Trump either returning to the platform or facing a permanent suspension.
The announcement: Nick Clegg, Facebook’s vice president of global affairs and communications, said in a blog post Thursday that the company is referring the case to the company’s oversight board.
The board, often likened to a “supreme court” for the social network, has the power to review and overturn the company’s enforcement actions.
Demonstrators in Portland reject Biden presidency, federal agents use tear gas to subdue crowds
ALLISON DINNER/AFP via Getty Images
Hours after the inauguration Wednesday of Democratic President Joe Biden, protesters in Portland, Oregon, took to the streets and smashed windows in the city’s Democratic Party headquarters.
Demonstrators marched through the streets burning U.S. flags and made clear that Biden’s political and legislative agendas fail to meet their expectations.
Federal agents dressed in camouflage lined the streets, shooting off rounds of pepper balls and tear gas at a crowd surrounding an Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in the downtown area.
Twitter refused to remove child porn because it didn’t ‘violate policies’: lawsuit
Twitter refused to take down widely shared pornographic images and videos of a teenage sex trafficking victim because an investigation “didn’t find a violation” of the company’s “policies,” a scathing lawsuit alleges.
The federal suit, filed Wednesday by the victim and his mother in the Northern District of California, alleges Twitter made money off the clips, which showed a 13-year-old engaged in sex acts and are a form of child sexual abuse material, or child porn, the suit states.
The teen — who is now 17 and lives in Florida — is identified only as John Doe and was between 13 and 14 years old when sex traffickers, posing as a 16-year-old female classmate, started chatting with him on Snapchat, the suit alleges.
Politics:
Report: Joe Biden to Issue Order for U.S. Funding of Abortion Abroad
National Review reported Fauci announced to the W.H.O. that Biden “will be revoking the Mexico City Policy in the coming days,” thereby allowing U.S. taxpayer money to fund abortions overseas.
Biden’s base, which includes Planned Parenthood and other members of the abortion lobby, created a “Blueprint for Sexual and Reproductive Health, Rights and Justice” in which the abortion rights activists spelled out their demands that Biden immediately undo the pro-life policies of the Trump administration.
Among those pro-life policies is the Mexico City Policy. The Blueprint demands a “foreign policy that prioritizes sexual and reproductive health and rights.”
In December, Planned Parenthood CEO Alexis McGill Johnson told Newsweek the abortion vendor is “ready to hit the ground running day one” with an executive order after the inauguration that showcases the Biden administration’s commitment to abortion on demand.
House Democrat Carolyn Maloney Requests FBI Probe of Parler, Claiming Role in Capitol Riot
In her request, however, Maloney makes no mention of Facebook, YouTube, or Twitter — all social media sites that were utilized by Capitol Hill protesters to organize and discuss their plans in Washington, DC on January 6.
John Sullivan — the left-wing activist who was arrested and charged in connection to the Capitol Hill riot — had a Twitter account, and still has a YouTube account, which he used to post videos of the siege — videos in which he can be heard encouraging protesters on Capitol Hill.
Moreover, a criminal complaint filed on Wednesday revealed that a search warrant was issued on a protester’s Facebook account, as mounting evidence suggests that individuals used Facebook to help organize the protest.
The DOJ has filed several charges against protesters who were using Facebook to plan their visit to Washington, DC.
In Maloney’s request, the congresswoman goes on to allege that Parler has ties to Russia, adding that the company’s CEO, John Matze, has a Russian wife.
Ted Cruz: Joe Biden Amnesty Would Protect Illegals at ‘Expense’ of ‘American Workers’
“It is deeply troubling that most of Joe Biden’s first acts as president were to protect illegal immigrants and encourage illegal immigration at the expense of American jobs and workers,” Cruz said after Biden announced plans to pass legislation that would provide amnesty for illegal immigrants that arrived before January 1, 2021.
“Not only has he chosen to halt construction of a wall on America’s southern border and to continue [former President] Barack Obama’s illegal executive amnesty by preserving the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, but he is promoting open-borders legislation that would gift citizenship to over 11 million illegal immigrants, roll back immigration enforcement, and promote and increase foreign labor at a time when many Americans desperately need work.”
“These actions illustrate that today’s Democratic Party puts people here illegally — or attempting to come here illegally — before American workers,” Cruz emphasized.
Biden administration suspends federal oil and gas permitting
The order was welcomed by environmentalists and derided by the oil and gas industry, whose largest onshore drilling companies have stockpiled permits here in anticipation of a change in federal policy.
In the order, dated Jan. 20 and seen by Reuters Thursday, Biden’s Acting Interior Secretary Scott de la Vega suspended the authority of agency offices to issue fossil fuel authorizations, revise land management plans, approve ground-disturbing activities, and more.
During the pause, activities may be approved by certain agency officials in Washington, the memo said.
Tucker: Party in power is demonizing half of the country
Commentary/Opinion:
Tucker Carlson reacts to Joe Biden’s inaugural address and what it means for the future.
Glenn Greenwald: Neither political party is on your side
Commentary/Opinion:
Journalist Glenn Greenwald criticizes former CIA Director John Brennan’s latest statements on ‘domestic terrorism.’
How BLM & Democratic Party are Destroying MLK’s Legacy (Pt.1)| Jason Riley | POLITICS | Rubin Report
Commentary/Opinion:
Dave Rubin of The Rubin Report talks to Jason Riley, a writer at the Wall Street Journal and Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute, about identity politics taking over the Democratic Party, how BLM and the modern day civil rights movement is destroying the message of Martin Luther King Jr., and why Thomas Sowell has enjoyed a renaissance with young black conservatives.
He points out how many people forget that under the liberal policies of Barack Obama the black community fared far worse than under Trump due to high unemployment.
Polling data also indicates that race relations had gotten worse under Obama’s leadership.
World News:
Israel welcomes inauguration of Biden Amin; US Embassy to remain in Jerusalem- TV7 Israel News 21.01
1) Israeli leaders from across the political spectrum welcomed the inauguration of U.S. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, relaying both congratulatory wishes and hopes for a future of fruitful cooperation between Washington and Jerusalem.
2) The Biden Administration is seemingly set to adopt some new-realities on the ground, which were implemented by the Trump Administration.
3) Iranian residents of Tehran voice mix feelings over the transition of power in the United States.
Hockey Federation Pulls Championship From Belarus Over Political Unrest
The hockey federation was scheduled to hold its world championship later this year in Belarus despite mass human rights abuses by contested president Alexander Lukashenko, who has systematically cracked down on democratic dissidents and protesters who oppose his 26-year presidency.
The federation announced this week that it would cancel the event in Minsk, citing “growing safety and security concerns related to both the rising political unrest and COVID-19.”
The decision was reached after meetings between the Belarusian government and the federation, which determined “it is currently impossible to ensure the welfare of teams, spectators and officials.”
Archaeologists Find 1,500-Year-Old ‘Christ, Born of Mary’ Inscription in Ancient Valley
The piece is a 1,500-year-old inscription found in the Jezreel Valley that is apparently a dedication to the Messiah.
According to CBN News, “Excavators found the Greek inscription while digging in the village of et-Taiyiba. The inscription was engraved in stone in what is believed by researchers to be the remains of a Byzantine-era church.”
“The inscription greets those who enter and blesses them. It is therefore clear that the building is a church, and not a monastery: Churches greeted believers at their entrance, while monasteries tended not to do this,” Dr. Di-Segni told CBN News.
Hong Kong Tightens Control of Internet After National Security Law
After a few days of temporary blockage, Hong Kong Chronicles, a website “dedicated to exposing people supporting tyranny and dictatorship in Hong Kong,” was permanently shut down on Jan. 13.
At its sole discretion, HKIRC may reject domain name registrations, terminate active domain names that it may deem to be a breach of the new policy, and disclose the information it has related to domain names to law enforcement authorities.
Ching Cheong, a veteran Hong Kong journalist and political commentator who had been jailed for three years in China, identified the HKChronicles website’s blockage as a part of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) efforts to own the narrative of Hong Kong history.
Nigeria blasphemy: Jailed 13-year-old boy wins Kano appeal
Last year’s ruling by a Sharia court sparked international condemnation.
The UN children’s agency, Unicef, said it “negate[d] all core underlying principles of child rights and child justice that Nigeria – and by implication, Kano state – has signed on to”.
In September 120 volunteers, led by the director of the Auschwitz memorial in Poland, offered to serve part of the original 10-year jail sentence given to the boy.
Canada May Look at Legal Action if Biden Cancels Keystone Pipeline
Alberta’s leader, Premier Jason Kenney said he was “deeply concerned” at reports of Biden canceling the pipeline, saying his government would look into legal action.
The Associated Press reports “top officials in Canada want a chance to make the case for a long-disputed oil pipeline to be built.” Kenney said, “we hope President-elect Biden will show respect for Canada and will sit down and at the very least talk to us.”
According to the Associated Press, Biden spokesman Andrew Bates simply said on Monday that the transition team had no comment on the pipeline.
Stockholm Saw Record Number of Explosions in 2020
Over the course of last year, Stockholm saw 32 explosions, the highest number ever recorded in the city and up from the 28 in 2019 and 23 in 2018.
Police statistics state that there were 107 explosions and bombings across the entire country in 2020, a figure down from 133 in 2019, Nyheter Idag reports.
Robert Karlsson, deputy regional police chief in Stockholm, said: “I’m not satisfied that there have been so many blasts. However, I am satisfied with the stranglehold on these networks.”
Twin suicide bombing strikes Baghdad
At least 28 people were killed and scores injured in a twin suicide bombing in Baghdad on Thursday. Such attacks have become rare; the Iraqi capital had enjoyed relative peace since Islamic State were defeated in 2017. Lucy Fielder reports
Twitter suspends Chinese embassy over Uighur post
Twitter has locked the account of China’s U.S. embassy for a tweet that defended China’s policy towards Muslim Uighurs in Xinjiang, just a day after the outgoing Trump administration accused China of genocide in its final hours. Matthew Larotonda reports.
Commentary/Opinion:
Fox News Medical Contributor Asks What’s Left To Reopen In New York City, Slams Political Posturing
Dr. Marc Siegel, a Fox News medical contributor and professor of medicine at New York University’s Langone Medical Center, spoke with the Daily Caller News Foundation’s Samantha Renck about reopening U.S. cities, his own experience taking the COVID-19 vaccine and more.
8 Strategies for conservatives to gain strength during Biden era
Commentary/Opinion: Glenn reads an article from the Federalist by Joy Pullmann, called “8 Strategies For Exiting The Biden Years Stronger Than The Right Went In.”
She gives several concrete ways that conservatives in America can not only survive the Biden era but actually can gain STRENGTH, too.
Glenn says her thoughts are Reaganesque, which is EXACTLY what we need right now.