MORNING NEWS BRIEFING – JANUARY 11, 2022

Good morning! Here is your news briefing for Tuesday January 11, 2022

1.) THE DAILY SIGNAL

January 11 2022

Good morning from Washington, where the attorney general apparently has no problem with race as a condition of whether Americans get treated for COVID-19. GianCarlo Canaparo and Hans von Spakovsky call him on it. Fred Lucas explores the law prescribing how Congress can overrule the Electoral College. On the podcast, commentator Bethany Mandel shares how Facebook suppressed “wholesome” alternatives to woke children’s books. Plus: a former Heritage Foundation president is picked for a top post in Virginia, and The Washington Post declines to get its facts straight. On this date in 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt designates Arizona’s 277-mile Grand Canyon as a national monument.

COMMENTARY
It’s Illegal, Immoral, and Unconstitutional to Ration COVID-19 Treatments Based on Race
By GianCarlo Canaparo
In New York and Minnesota, leftists are prioritizing limited COVID-19 treatments on the basis of race. And the Food and Drug Administration has issued guidelines approving this noxious behavior.
NEWS
Can Congress Overturn Electoral College Results? 4 Things to Know About 1887 Law
By Fred Lucas
Members of Congress attempted to disqualify state Electoral College votes in four of the past six presidential elections using an ambiguous 1887 law.
ANALYSIS
Facebook Censors Pro-American Children’s Books as ‘Disruptive Content’
By Douglas Blair
Bethany Mandel discusses how Facebook censored her series of books on figures such as Amy Coney Barrett, and the importance of having alternatives to the left’s woke education materials.
NEWS
Virginia Gov.-elect Youngkin Taps Former Heritage Foundation Chief James as Secretary of Commonwealth
By Virginia Allen
“Our shared vision, combined with [James’] tremendous experience, will pave the way for a new day in Virginia,” says Youngkin of former Heritage Foundation President Kay C. James.
NEWS
Former NYPD Commissioner Criticizes New Manhattan DA Over Soros Ties
By Chris Brunet
The new Manhattan district attorney says he no longer will prosecute certain low-level offenses and misdemeanors unless they are accompanied by a more serious charge.
COMMENTARY
Prominent ‘Fact Checker’ Gets Fact-Checked by Reality
By Mike Howell
The Washington Post’s main fact-checker is inadvertently fact-checked by the Justice Department, and yet he is unwilling to admit his own mistake.
COMMENTARY
ICYMI: More COVID-19 School Closures Spell End of Teachers Unions Empire
By Lindsey Burke
The only way out of this mess is to free families from the clutches of the teachers unions. Funding students directly would empower families to access alternatives.
LOGO-CHARCOAL_75percent.jpg

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2.) THE EPOCH TIMES

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3.) DAYBREAK

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1.
Manchin and Sinema Not the Only Democratic Obstacles to Removing Filibuster

The story notes Mark Kelly, Jon Tester and Jeanne Shaheen aren’t yet on board (Politico).  From Senator Mitch McConnell: “Since Sen. Schumer is hellbent on trying to break the Senate, Republicans will show how this reckless action would have immediate consequences” (WSJ).

2.
Poll: Economy and Inflation Top Concerns, Covid Low on Radar

Barely over a third of American even have the virus in the top 5 (Daily Wire). Meanwhile, yet another Democrat House member says he plans to retire (Daily Wire).

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3.
California Governor Budget Includes Healthcare for Illegal Immigrants

Gavin Newsom wants to expand medi-cal health coverage to all low-income illegal immigrants in the state (National Review). From Byron York: Gov. Gavin Newsom ‘wants California to become the first state to [pay for health care for] all adults who are living in the country illegally, a move that would eventually cost $2.2 billion per year’ (Twitter).  California pays for this and more by hammering the rich. The state has the highest unemployment rate in the country (AP).

4.
New York and California Lose Over 600,000 People for Lower-Taxed States

From the story: “More than 600,000 people leaving New York and California for lower-taxed states during the pandemic,” CNBC wealth editor Robert Frank reported. “That’s according to Census data. California lost 300,000 residents between April of 2020 and July of 2021. New York lost a net 365,000 people, about two percent of its total population,” he added. Illinois ranked third in the report, losing over 114,000 residents.

Daily Wire

5.
Chicago Teachers Union Agrees to Plan for Reopening Schools

Though the measure still needs to be approved by the members.  From the story: In addition to a return to in-person teaching Wednesday, the plan the House of Delegates approved would set conditions by which an individual school would return to remote learning, determined by the rate of staff absences and students in quarantine or isolation, as well as whether it was during a period of high community COVID-19 transmission, where a lower threshold would apply. Earlier Monday, CTU President Jesse Sharkey said the sides were “apart on a number of key features” and accused Mayor Lori Lightfoot of bullying teachers (Chicago Tribune). From Guy Benson: 5 days of lost learning. For nothing. Eliminate spring break (Twitter)

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6.
LA Times Columnist Calls for Mocking Unvaxxed Who Die of Covid

Michael Hiltzik is a Pulitzer-Prize winner. Early in his column, he explains “On the one hand, a hallmark of civilized thought is the sense that every life is precious. On the other, those who have deliberately flouted sober medical advice by refusing a vaccine known to reduce the risk of serious disease from the virus, including the risk to others, and end up in the hospital or the grave can be viewed as receiving their just deserts” (LA Times). He has a history of similar statements (Fox News).

7.
Florida Governor Makes “Escape to Florida” Shirts

Governor DeSantis is having fun at the expense of the Covid-fearing woke.

Washington Times

8.
California Hospitals Change Policy After Realizing Most Covid Patients Aren’t There Due to Covid

From the story: …the California Department of Public Health announced that most hospitals and skilled nursing facilities can bring COVID-positive and exposed staff back to work without testing or quarantines. The staffers must be asymptomatic, are required to wear N95 masks and are encouraged to work with patients who are already COVID-positive as much as possible. Later: After reviewing the charts of every COVID-positive patient at UCSF hospitals on Jan. 4, Dr. Jeanne Noble, an associate professor of emergency medicine at UCSF, determined that 70% of them were in the hospital for other reasons.

San Francisco Chronicle

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9.
Over 100 Ships Still Waiting off Coast of Los Angeles

It is now at its peak as the left-wing state is incapable of unloading the ships as stores see their shelves remain bare. The story concludes “It’s troubling that the number of ships is reaching a record-high at this time of year. January and February come after the peak season of the holidays, and they are usually a time when companies cut seasonal workers and regroup in preparation for the next peak season. Between the conclusion of the American holiday season and the upcoming Chinese new year celebrations, now is the time to catch up on backlogs. For the congestion to continue to increase through the conclusion of the holidays is not a good sign, and companies will have a hard time catching up before the next peak season starts in August. This problem is not going away anytime soon.”

National Review

10.
Christian Woman Wins Harassment Case Against Hospital in UK

The 61-year-old nurse was demoted for wearing a cross necklace. She explained “Hindus wear red bracelets on their wrists and female Muslims wear hijabs in theatre. Yet my small cross around my neck was deemed so dangerous that I was no longer allowed to do my job” (Daily Mail). From Franklin Graham: I’m so happy for Mary Onuoha—this ruling in her favor is a win for all people of faith! (Facebook).

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4.) THE SUNBURN

Sunburn — The morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics — 1.11.22

Here’s your AM rundown of people, politics and policy in the Sunshine State.

The giant campaign rally known as the Legislative Session begins today in Tallahassee, the capital of what Gov. Ron DeSantis calls the Free State of Florida.

Whether you believe DeSantis is America’s Governor or an abomination, you’ve got to admit his political instinct for knowing what connects with supporters is uncanny. While Democrats struggled to find their voice against DeSantis, the Governor scored big by keeping it simple. And when he does screw up, nothing seems to stick.

Is Ron DeSantis the ‘Teflon Governor?’

Yeah, we’re all sick — figuratively, of course — of masks, COVID-19 variations and other restrictions of the last two years.

DeSantis, however, turned virus fatigue into a campaign turbo booster. With a stroke of his pen, the man who rebels against edicts from Washington usurped the power of mayors in Florida to enact safety measures recommended by doctors.

Oh, what do those pointy-headed medical “experts” know anyway, right?

After that, it was a jailbreak for the Governor’s supporters. He gave them the green light to rebel against any restriction they didn’t believe was necessary.

You don’t want a vaccination? No problem.

If you don’t want to wear a mask, don’t.

Personally, I think he got lucky. As we know, Florida is one of the top hot spots for the omicron variant of COVID-19. In the last week of December, infection rates broke state records four times in seven days. Medical experts say that number will keep climbing here and throughout the country.

However, more than 74% of Floridians have received at least one vaccine dose, and 63% of the population is fully vaccinated. The virus can infect vaccinated people, but often with less severe symptoms. Everyone else chose to play Russian roulette with a deadly bug.

Either way, infection rates don’t register with people as much as body counts.

We’ve all seen reports of people waiting in long lines for tests, and that’s never good. And it turns out Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried correctly nailed the Florida Department of Health — and DeSantis — after about 1 million testing kits expired while sitting in a warehouse.

DeSantis, naturally, blamed President Joe Biden.

Anyway, the Session promises to be part victory lap and part campaign rally for Republicans. They’ve shaped the laws in this state for more than 20 years, so why stop now? They will be especially active in an election year where they passed voting restrictions in the name of (cough) security.

DeSantis also wants $6 million to create an election security force. Maybe they should be headquartered in The Villages. That seems to be the only spot in Florida where voter fraud is an issue. Four people from there face charges related to illegal voting.

We also can expect to hear about critical race theory on the legislative floors. It’s not taught in Florida schools, but it makes a great sound bite.

Abortion rights obviously will be a huge topic, and we can probably expect some restrictions to pass. It almost certainly won’t be as bizarre as the Texas law — well, maybe. That’s the one that outlaws abortions once the fetal heartbeat begins, usually at about six weeks.

We don’t think we’ll see bounty hunters stalking anyone getting an abortion or assisting in the process. We’ll see something pass, though, as pro-birth Republicans celebrate. Whether that galvanizes enough women to tip the statewide elections in November remains to be seen.

That might be the only thing that could slow the DeSantis juggernaut. As we know, though, elections often swing primarily on pocketbook issues, and Florida’s economy is in pretty good shape.

Florida Tax Watch predicts the state’s workforce will grow by about 379,500 additional jobs, reducing the state’s unemployment rate to 3.5%.

There are other important issues, especially redistricting and education. We can expect Republicans to have their way with those things, too.

But DeSantis scored big with his proposal to replace the end-of-year Florida Statewide Assessment test. Teachers have had issues with the Governor, but they will love this. They hate that test, and they’re not wrong.

His proposal should pass easily with support from both sides of the aisle.

The Governor will also get a lot of positive press for that move. In an election year, that will suck a lot of the air from his Democratic opponents. And isn’t that the point?

___

Now that Session has arrived, so have dozens of CEOs, executives, and government affairs leaders from across the state as part of the 2022 Florida Chamber Legislative Fly-In.

Today and Wednesday, business leaders will pack into the Augustus B. Turnbull Conference Center for a briefing on the top issues of Session and the economic challenges and opportunities Florida faces in the long-term.

Florida Chamber President and CEO Mark Wilson will kick off the event with a “State of Florida Business” address at 2 p.m. with Florida Chamber Foundation Executive Vice President David Gillespie set to follow him up with a presentation on the state’s economic outlook for 2022 and beyond.

Day One also features panels on the 2022 election, the business tax climate, and what’s driving rapidly rising property insurance rates.

The final panel will see Florida Chamber Executive Vice President Frank Walker, Senior Director of Business, Economic Development, and Innovation Policy Carolyn Johnson and Director of Talent, Education, and Infrastructure Policy Anna Grace Lewis outline the Chamber’s 2022 Florida Business Agenda.

It caps off with a little fun — a “Bills, Beers, and Business” legislative reception at the Florida Health Care Association’s rooftop lounge.

A full agenda and registration details are available on the Florida Chamber’s website.

___

Capital City Consulting announced Tuesday that Maicel Green will be joining its government affairs practice as a partner.

Green comes to CCC with more than 20 years of experience in public relations, client management, coaching, recruiting and crisis communication. Most recently, she served as the media and external affairs coordinator at Talquin Electric Cooperative.

“Maicel’s recent experience as media and external affairs coordinator at Talquin Electric Cooperative will prove to be an exceptional benefit to CCC’s clients,” said CCC Founding Partner Nick Iarossi. “Her proven ability to navigate and sustain critical partnerships with the news media, key agencies, elected officials, businesses, policymakers and stakeholders makes Maicel a welcome addition to CCC’s expanding team.”

Congrats to Capital City Consulting’s newest addition — Maicel Green.

CCC Founding Partner Ron LaFace added, “With her broad knowledge, cross-sector experience and commitment to success, Maicel will thrive within the culture of CCC, and her dedication to furthering relationships and knowledge on key issues will work well alongside our team.”

Green received her bachelor’s degree in communications from Arizona State University and her master’s degree in physical education at Florida A&M University. She is an active board member for numerous civic, social and leadership organizations.

Green is also a highly decorated track and field athlete — she is a two-time Olympian, an Olympic Gold Medalist, a World Champion, a two-time USA National Champion and was recently inducted into the National High School Hall of Fame.

“I am pleased to join CCC and honored to have the opportunity to work together with accomplished professionals who offer unmatched government affairs services to their clients,” said Green.

— SITUATIONAL AWARENESS —

@Twitter: may your Tweets prosper and you never be ratioed

@Psythor: This is an incredibly obvious thing to say, but it’s just incredible that we had this really bad new disease emerge and we as a species managed to invent basically a magic miracle cure within the space of a year and have literally half the world’s population jabbed within two.

@J_g_Allen: The hospitalization rate for vaccinated school-aged kids, during the peak of the Omicron surge in New York, is 2-3 per million. Source: NYS Dept of Health, January 7 report

@AmandaLitman: The way to win national elections and save democracy is to fight for and win lots and lots of local elections.

Tweet, tweet:

 

@SFDB: You know how you can tell when a U.S. Congressman (Matt Gaetz) isn’t doing his job? When they have the time to snitch on music festivals trying to protect their participants and patrons during a pandemic.

@RealJacobPerry: If you’re driving through downtown Tallahassee this evening, please drive carefully and keep an eye out for the lobbyists who are scurrying around delivering their last checks before Session starts.

@MDixon55: Shoutout to the Florida House for scheduling their congressional and legislative redistricting subcommittee meetings at the same time tomorrow.

Tweettweet:

 

@ScottFeinberg: Terrible 10-day stretch: Betty WhitePeter BogdanovichSidney PoitierMarilyn BergmanBob Saget.

— DAYS UNTIL —

Florida TaxWatch’s 2022 State of the Taxpayer Day — 1; Joel Coen’s ’The Tragedy of Macbeth’ on Apple TV+ — 3; NFL playoffs begin — 4; ‘Ozark’ final season begins — 10; ‘Billions’ begins — 12; Red Dog Blue Dog charity event — 14; James Madison Institute’s Stanley Marshall Day Celebration in Jacksonville — 17; XXIV Olympic Winter Games begins — 24; Super Bowl LVI — 33; Will Smith’s ‘Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ reboot premieres — 33; season four of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ begins — 36; ‘The Walking Dead’ final season part two begins — 40; Daytona 500 — 40; Special Election for Jacksonville City Council At-Large Group 3 — 43; CPAC begins — 45; St. Pete Grand Prix — 45; Biden to give State of the Union — 49; ‘The Batman’ premieres — 52; the third season of ‘Atlanta’ begins — 71; season two of ‘Bridgerton’ begins — 73; The Oscars — 75; Macbeth with Daniel Craig and Ruth Negga begin performances on Broadway — 77; federal student loan payments will resume — 110; ’Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ premieres — 115; ’Top Gun: Maverick’ premieres — 136; ’Platinum Jubilee’ for Queen Elizabeth II — 142; ’Thor: Love and Thunder’ premieres — 179; San Diego Comic-Con 2022 — 190; ‘The Lord of the Rings’ premieres on Amazon Prime — 234; ’Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ sequel premieres — 269; ‘Black Panther 2’ premieres — 304; ‘The Flash’ premieres — 307; ‘Avatar 2’ premieres — 339; ’Captain Marvel 2’ premieres — 402; ’John Wick: Chapter 4’ premieres — 437; ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ premieres — 563; ’Dune: Part Two’ premieres — 647; Opening Ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games — 927.

— TOP STORY —

The new politics of the new pandemic” via Philip Bump of The Washington Post — In recent days, DeSantis has shifted his rhetoric on how residents of his state should deal with suspected infections: ignore them unless they’re symptomatic. “When you have an endemic respiratory virus, the default has got to be, you live your life,” he said at a news conference last week. “Then, if you end up getting sick, test to see what it is.” The keyword in DeSantis’s comments, though, is “endemic.” At some point, hopefully, soon, COVID-19 may be akin to the flu: a thing that emerges but a thing that Americans generally can treat as background noise. There are short-term political benefits for DeSantis in cutting down on testing. Because of the number of breakthrough cases, there is now occasional crowing about the futility of being vaccinated, crowing that ignores the role of vaccination in decreasing worst-case scenarios.

Ron DeSantis navigates the new normal of pandemic politics. Image via AP.

— STATEWIDE —

Ron DeSantis shares wild conspiracy theory about classroom ‘smugglers’” via Ja’han Jones of MSNBC — DeSantis is a fount of conspiracy theories. His latest? Public schools are plotting to smuggle “inappropriate content” to students to implant “leftist ideology” — and they must be stopped! There’s no evidence of this whatsoever, but that’s never prevented DeSantis from making absurd claims to rile up his right-wing base. This latest allegation came during an interview with Fox News host Mark Levin as DeSantis was selling the Stop WOKE Act, a new proposal that would allow parents to sue schools that teach “critical race theory,” the catchall term Republicans use to describe lessons about race, gender and social disparities. As someone with presumed presidential aspirations, DeSantis’ behavior here is a message to American conservatives far and wide: Roll with me and rest assured I’ll make legislation out of your right-wing hysteria.

Ron DeSantis buys into a ‘leftist’ conspiracy.

Jacksonville activist Ben Frazier, attorney speak out against arrest and demand sit-down with Governor” via Dan Scanlan of The Florida Times-Union — Frazier wants the trespass charge filed against him while trying to attend DeSantis’ Jan. 4 news conference dropped and a chance to meet with the Governor to discuss the “shoddy job” the state has done to handle the COVID-19 pandemic. If those requests are not granted, then legal action will be filed against the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, Governor and anyone else involved in violating his civil and constitutional rights, attorney John Phillips said during a Monday news conference with Frazier. The 71-year-old head of the Northside Coalition of Jacksonville said he was exercising his right as a citizen to request time to talk with the Governor when he was handcuffed and escorted from his electric wheelchair out of the Duval County Health Department news conference site.

Florida House Democrats feature Frazier at Legislative Session kickoff rally” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics — House Democrats showed support Monday for a Jacksonville activist arrested for unauthorized attendance of a DeSantis news conference last week. Frazier, a former journalist and president of the Northside Coalition civil rights group, was one of the honored guests as Democrats vowed to stand in opposition to the Governor’s agenda in the 2022 Legislative Session. Frazier became internationally known for literally standing up to the Governor last week. The incident went viral when the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office walked him out of the room in handcuffs after staffers for both the Governor and the Duval County Office of the Florida Department of Health failed to persuade Frazier and those with him to leave.

Ben Frazier gets into good trouble. Image via Twitter.

Dark-money group tied to ‘ghost’ scandal seeks to shield bank records that could reveal donors” via Annie Martin of the Orlando Sentinel — An organization that gave more than $1 million in 2020 to the dark-money nonprofit at the center of Florida’s “ghost” candidate scandal is seeking to block the public disclosure of bank records that would reveal its donors. The Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office obtained the bank records for “Let’s Preserve the American Dream,” a nonprofit with close ties to Associated Industries of Florida. The nonprofit was recently informed that it is being investigated for potential violations of elections and campaign finance laws, according to court records in the case against former state senator Frank Artiles, who is accused of bribing a friend to run as an independent candidate in a 2020 South Florida state Senate race.


— DATELINE TALLY —

When lawmakers gather, watch for stories within the story” via John Kennedy of USA Today Network — DeSantis will open the two-month Florida Legislature with his State of the State address Tuesday, an annual tradition that’s a combination highlight reel and wish list for the state’s chief executive. With his re-election campaign underway, the Republican Governor will use his speech to look back on his term, before pivoting to what he wants this year from the GOP-dominated Legislature. After that, lawmakers mostly take over for the next 59 days. And while approving a state budget for 2022-23 is the only action they’re required to do by the Florida Constitution, don’t expect them to stop there. While legislators are barred from raising campaign funds during the weeks of Session, that doesn’t mean there will be no political action around the Florida Capitol.

Get your clues for Session from Ron DeSantis’ sizzle reel.

Education wedge issues loom large in upcoming Legislative Session” via Jeffrey S. Solochek of the Tampa Bay Times — With redistricting on tap, and elections looming months away, many observers anticipate two months filled with political theater that plays to the culture wars that lately have infused public discourse. Issues related to education and schooling are expected to feature in the debate, with some prominent lawmakers such as the teaching of race in history and society. School boards also face pressure over their politics and procedures. On tap Tuesday is the revival of a more contentious measure to shield university presidential search records from the public eye (SB 520). Democrats and Republicans alike have signaled their support for a Governor’s Office proposal to scale back spring state testing.

—”Legislative preview — Rags to riches” via Amy Keller of Florida Trend

—”Chris Sprowls heads into his final Session already a victor. How will he build on that?” via Peter Schorsch of Florida Politics

—”With flood of federal dollars, broadband and child care earn spotlight for Loranne Ausley’s Session” via Renzo Downey of Florida Politics

—”Senate Democratic Leader Lauren Book wants caucus to be more ‘on offense’ this Session” via Ryan Nicol of Florida Politics

—”Jim Boyd to seek solutions on homeowners’ insurance, opioid overdoses” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics

—”‘People are dying’: Janet Cruz again hopes to combat high insulin prices” via Kelly Hayes of Florida Politics

—”Alex Andrade calls for bond, prescription medicine reform in Legislative Session” via Jason Delgado of Florida Politics

—“Fentrice Driskell set to champion abandoned cemeteries legislation, education reform, while watching redistricting” via Daniel Figueroa of Florida Politics

—”Medicaid for developmentally disabled, nursing home transparency are tops for Carlos Guillermo Smith” via Christine Jordan Sexton of Florida Politics

AARP wants to ensure nursing homes aren’t Florida seniors’ only option for care” via Christine Jordan Sexton of Florida Politics — Already on AARP’s radar this year is SB 804, filed by Sen. Ben Albritton. Nursing homes currently are required to provide patients with 3.6 hours of licensed nursing care per day, of which certified nursing assistants can provide 2.5 hours. The proposed bill reduces the mandated hours of licensed nursing care to one hour. And in place of the 2.5 hours of care provided by a CNA, the bill would allow nursing home facilities to provide 2.5 hours of “direct care.” “Our hope is, one, that we turn away from the idea of lightening staff requirements for staffing quality and instead focus on making sure that every facility has the staff that it takes in order to provide good quality care,” AARP Florida state director Jeff Johnson said.

— LEG. SKED —

— The Senate will convene before DeSantis’ annual State of the State address, 9:30 a.m., Senate Chamber.

— The Florida House will convene before the State of the State address, 10 a.m., House Chamber.

— DeSantis will give the annual State of the State address usher in the 2022 Legislative Session, 11 a.m., House Chamber.

— Senate Democratic Leader Book and House Democratic Leader Evan Jenne will announce 2022 Session priorities, 12:45 p.m., Capitol Rotunda First Floor.

— House Speaker Sprowls will speak to the media, 1:30 p.m., House Chamber.

— The House Appropriations Committee will receive and update on DeSantis’ proposed budget for 2022-2023, 1:30 p.m., Room 212 of the Knott Building.

— The Senate Children, Families and Elder Affairs Committee meets to consider SB 948, from Minority Leader Book, to reform the Guardian Ad Litem program, 1:30 p.m., Room 37 of the Senate Office Building.

— The Senate Criminal Justice Committee meets to consider SB 284, from Sen. Tina Polsky, to make using false proof of vaccination “with the intent to defraud” a felony offense, 1:30 p.m., Room 110 of the Senate Office Building.

— The Senate Education Committee meets to consider SB 520, from Sen. Jeff Brandes, to create a public-records exemption for information about applicants to become presidents of state universities and colleges, 1:30 p.m., Room 412 of the Knott Building.

— Senate President Wilton Simpson will speak with the media, 2 p.m., Senate Chamber.

— The House Congressional Redistricting Subcommittee holds a public meeting, 4 p.m., Morris Hall of the House Office Building.

— The House State Legislative Redistricting Subcommittee will also hold a public meeting, 4 p.m., Room 404 of the House Office Building.

— The Senate Military and Veterans Affairs, Space and Domestic Security Committee meets to consider SB 438, from Sen. Danny Burgess, to update state laws to address the United States Space Force, 4 p.m., Room 37 of the Senate Office Building.

— The Senate Regulated Industries Committee meets to conder SB 512, also from Burgess, to preempt regulation of vacation rental properties, 4 p.m., Room 412 of the Knott Building.

Florida’s Professional Engineers holding ‘Legislative Days’ during opening week of Session — Florida’s professional engineers will gather in Tallahassee this week to encourage lawmakers to consider establishing stronger structural and building safety inspections, and to support legislation that enhances the engineering profession. “From the everyday to the extraordinary, engineering enhances our lives, delivers innovation and creates jobs,” said Allen Douglas, Executive Director of the American Council of Engineering Companies of Florida (ACEC-FL) and the Florida Engineering Society (FES). “Florida’s professional engineers are on the front lines in solving issues that impact Floridians, and we’re committed to helping advance Florida’s economic competitiveness.” In October, Florida professional engineers released the Surfside Working Group’s Florida Building Professionals Recommendations, which focus on preserving the long-term health of buildings by assessing environmental and other degradation of structures and their systems over the life of a building.

The ‘Biggest Loser’ competition opens to all — The “Biggest Loser” competition is back for the 2022 Legislative Session and, for the first time, it’s open to those who work outside the Capitol. The Florida Association of Professional Lobbyists and the Florida Retail Federation have joined efforts to host what Sen. Aaron Bean calls the sister competition to the popular “Biggest Loser” competition. Lobbyists, journalists and others in and around the legislative process can pony up $50, step on the scale, and enter the competition. The proceeds will benefit the PACE Center for Girls, Leon. Contestants must weigh in at FRF’s offices Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday between noon and 6 p.m. Prizes will be awarded to the contestants in both weight loss competitions who lose the most weight.

— MORE TALLY —

Senate committee narrows proposed congressional districts map to two choices” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — State Senators scrapped plans to significantly reorient U.S. House districts represented by U.S. Reps. Lois Frankel and Ted Deutch. But a push to keep U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor’s district entirely in Hillsborough County seemed to falter Monday. The Senate Congressional Reapportionment Subcommittee effectively narrowed down staff proposals for Florida’s now-28 U.S. House seats to two choices. Sen. Jennifer Bradley, the subcommittee chair, recommended two draft maps, S 8038 and S 8040, for Sen. Ray Rodrigues to consider as he drafts a final bill. Those plans “most consistently adhere to directions given to staff,” the Fleming Island Republican said. The most significant impact of narrowing the plans is providing clarity regarding two South Florida jurisdictions, Florida’s 21st and 22nd Congressional Districts.

Redistricting will likely affect Lois Frankel and Ted Deutch the most.

Two maps recommended by Senate reapportionment subcommittee for Florida Senate districts” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — The Senate Legislative Reapportionment Subcommittee recommended two draft maps for Florida Senate districts. But that didn’t signal complete agreement within the body. Sen. Burgess, the subcommittee chair, will recommend drafts that keep Gilchrist County entirely within Senate District 5. That leaves S 8046 and S 8050 as options for consideration. There remains a question about how to handle Senate Districts 33 and 35. The S 8050 plan would have a majority-minority district in place in South Florida, while the S 8046 plan would have an effective minority district.

Action!: Joe Gruters’ film rebate proposal clears first Senate committee” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — Could a revamped film rebate program finally come out of development? The Senate Commerce and Tourism Committee gave the green light to legislation creating a new program to attract more crews to Florida. “We could have an all-you-can-eat buffet of film and television if we offer just a little bit of help,” said Sen. Joe Gruters, who has championed a film program for years. The Sarasota Republican said his film rebate program as proposed comes with greater accountability than one allowed to sunset in 2016. The program offers as much as $2 million in tax rebates, but only once a project is completed and meets certain criteria. Requirements include hiring 70% of cast and crew from Florida.

Jeff Brandes, Ben Diamond file bipartisan bills to prevent another Piney Point disaster” via Daniel Figueroa of Florida Politics — As finger-pointing and blame continue to cloud cleanup and accountability efforts at the ticking time bomb that is Manatee County’s Piney Point phosphogypsum plant, two Florida legislators have filed bills aiming to prevent another similar tragedy. Sen. Brandes and Rep. Diamond announced legislation Monday to increase public transparency and agency accountability regarding the state’s numerous gyp stacks, filled with radioactive byproducts of phosphate mining. The House bill (HB 1339) and its Senate companion (SB 1744) would require the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to notify the State’s emergency management division as well as local entities within 24 hours of discovering possible hazards at gyp stacks.

Senate Judiciary Committee backs bill strengthening drug distribution penalties” via Tristan Wood of Florida Politics — A Senate bill that strengthens drug distribution penalties passed the Senate Judiciary Committee with a 7-3 vote Monday. A similar bill has already gained traction in House committees. The bill (SB 190) would give drug dealers stiffer punishments if they’re caught selling a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of an abuse treatment center. The proposal also broadens a prosecutor’s ability to enhance penalties against a drug dealer if the sale of a narcotic leads to the fatal overdose of a consumer. A similar House version of the bill (HB 95) has already passed two committees with support largely remaining along party lines. The bill would change the prosecutorial standard to a “sufficient to cause death,” meaning if a victim has a lethal level of a controlled substance in their system, their distributor could be found guilty of murder regardless of what other substances are present.

Senate committee OKs bill to support cross-county burglary penalties” via Jason Delgado of Florida Politics — A Senate committee OK’d a bill Monday that would broaden law enforcement’s ability to enhance charges against criminals who cross county lines to commit a burglary. Under current state law, authorities may enhance burglary charges if the offender crosses county lines to commit the crime. However, the same law requires a prosecutor to prove a burglar did so to thwart law enforcement and property recovery efforts. Sen. Gayle Harrell, the bill sponsor, contends criminals who travel to steal, do so with the intent of evading law enforcement. Authorities would no longer need to prove motive as a prerequisite to the criminal enhancement under the measure (SB 360). The Senate Judiciary Committee passed the bill without questions or debate on a 7-3 vote.

Jackie Toledo unveils human trafficking crackdown proposal” via Jason Delgado of Florida Politics — Rep. Toledo is spearheading a proposal to crack down on human trafficking in Florida. The bill (HB 1439) proposes a slew of provisions, including prohibiting hourly rate offerings at hotels and motels. It also seeks to raise Florida’s first-time penalty for those paying for sex, up from a first-degree misdemeanor to a third-degree felony. Toledo said those provisions, among others, aim to address the ongoing demand for forced labor. Dubbed the Human Trafficking Reduction Act, the bill would also require hotel operators to make guests show ID at the time of occupancy under the measure. Toledo said the proposal enjoys the blessing of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association.

Bill to save sea grass and manatees gets first blue-green light” via Renzo Downey of Florida Politics — A bill to reduce algal blooms and hopefully save Florida’s declining manatee population, is inching forward in the Legislature. A Senate panel voted Monday unanimously to approve the proposal (SB 832), implementing the state Blue-Green Algae Task Force’s recommendations on prevention, clean up and mitigation. The legislation, filed by Sen. Linda Stewart, strives to help reduce nutrient pollution that fuels algal blooms. Clearing the waters of the harmful blue-green algae that kills the manatee’s sea grass food source could eventually help save the population. Monday’s vote was the second time the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee unanimously approved a version of the bill after committee members did so during the 2021 Session.

Linda Stewart is getting the (blue) green light to help save manatees.

Navigating red tide and blue-green algae, Florida considers fining farmers for water violations” via James Call of the USA TODAY Capital Bureau — The Sunshine State’s hospitable climate infuses springs, lakes and rivers with nutrients that spark blooms of algae, leaving the water unsafe for children to swim and air unfit for people with allergies to breathe. After a red tide outbreak tripped by a bloom last July, for instance, St. Petersburg scooped up more than 6 tons of dead fish in one week. Now, Orlando Democratic Sen. Stewart wants her fellow lawmakers to act on a recommendation from DeSantis‘ Blue-Green Algae Task Force. Stewart filed a bill (SB 832) to create a septic system inspection program to reduce pollution. Also, proposals (HB 807, SB 904) by two South Florida lawmakers aim to curb the flow of nutrients from farms.

South Florida legislators file bills to keep harness racing running” via Anne Geggis of Florida Politics — The final harness racing contest at Florida’s last venue for the sport will take place this April, but Rep. Dan Daley wants to make sure that anyone else who wants to take up the sport in Florida can. The Democratic lawmaker from Coral Springs has filed legislation (HB 1269) to correct what he sees as a glitch in last year’s legislation that was part of a Gaming Compact between the state of Florida and the Seminole Tribe of Florida. Sen. Shevrin Jones has filed a companion bill (SB 1794). The bills call for anyone who has permits to run other kinds of wagering, greyhound racing, thoroughbred and quarter-horse racing, or jai alai games during the 2020-21 year, also to be able to get a permit to run two-wheeled chariots around a racetrack. Currently, if someone wanted to race sulkies around a racetrack for people to bet on, there’s no mechanism to get that permit, Daley said.

— CORONA FLORIDA —

‘What pandemic?’: Dems bash House for taking DeSantis’ COVID-19 cues” via Renzo Downey of Florida Politics — Top House Republicans are taking their lead from DeSantis by ignoring the pandemic when it comes to health protocols, argues a top House Democrat. Rep. Driskell, the minority party’s policy chair in the House, believes the Republican Governor will double down on his approach to the pandemic during his State of the State address Tuesday. Despite the rising number of COVID-19 cases due to the omicron variant, House leadership has scaled back their pandemic protocols for this year’s Legislative Session, which begins Tuesday. “It seems that Gov. DeSantis is leading on this, and his prevailing narrative in this election year is that there is no pandemic. ‘What pandemic?’” Driskell said. “I think what we’re seeing is that legislative leadership tends to be following that lead.”

Fentrice Driskell does not have high hopes that Ron DeSantis will actually address the pandemic.

Florida COVID-19 update: State reports record cases, and number in hospital is up again” via Michelle Marchante of the Miami Herald — Florida reported 125,996 cases and 182 new deaths to the CDC. This is the largest multiday increase of newly reported cases since the pandemic began in March 2020. Of these cases, the ones that were reported Saturday (77,156) also break the previous single-day case record, which was reported Thursday with 76,887 cases. The CDC backlogs cases and deaths for Florida on Mondays and Thursdays, when multiple days in the past had their totals changed. In August, Florida began reporting cases and deaths by the “case date” and “death date” rather than the date or death the case was logged in to the system.

—“Florida reports 125,996 new cases from weekend, adds 182 new deaths to total” via David Schutz of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Florida private schools can require masks, but public schools can’t. Why?” via Jeffrey S. Solochek of the Tampa Bay Times — As Florida students prepared to return to schools from winter break, coronavirus omicron infection levels rose so rapidly that many parents wondered whether new mask mandates might emerge. But as the Broward County district noted on Twitter, “School districts are prohibited from requiring students to wear face coverings.” A new state law forbids it. That law doesn’t apply to private schools, though — even if they receive public funding. The stark difference between public and private schools hasn’t gone unnoticed. Some say the Governor and Legislature, which held a Special Session in November to declare their opposition to mask and vaccine mandates, have created a double standard.

— CORONA LOCAL —

Florida sent scarce COVID-19 therapy to a private Broward clinic before Jackson Memorial” via Daniel Chang of the Miami Herald — In December, Florida’s health department shipped 264 doses of a drug called Evusheld to a limited liability company that was incorporated in March 2020 and advertises house calls and COVID-19 testing, vaccination and therapy on its website. But the state did not send a shipment to Jackson Memorial until January, when the hospital received a total of 192 doses, according to federal data. The private clinic, iCare Mobile Medicine, received more Evusheld in the state’s first shipment than any other hospital or medical provider in Florida. Evusheld is scarce, and the supply is controlled by the federal government, which has shipped more than 6,300 doses to Florida.

Matt Gaetz asks for DeSantis’ help in fight against music festival vaccine rule” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics — The Panhandle Republican asked DeSantis to respond to what Gaetz’s office called “the illegal implementation of vaccine passports at the 30A Songwriters Festival in the 1st Congressional District of Florida.” The festival starts Friday. But it appears that the state will take action before gates open. “The prohibition on vaccine passports is also a state law,” notes DeSantis spokesperson Christina Pushaw. “Anyone who suspects a violation is encouraged to report it to the Florida Department of Health, the agency that investigates these complaints and, when warranted, takes enforcement action against entities found to be in violation of the law. The fine is $5000 per violation, per the law. It has been referred to FDOH for appropriate follow-up.”

Matt Gaetz is throwing a Panhandle music event under the pandemic bus.

‘We found out while we were flying’: Last-minute cruise cancellations leave travelers scrambling” via Megan Hines of USA Today — Micah Cooper and her mother LaQuinta Spears were about to take Micah’s long-awaited high school graduation trip: A cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas. Their cruise, initially canceled in 2020 due to COVID-19, was meant to set sail Saturday. But as they waited to check into their Airbnb, they received a text message update from Royal Caribbean at 3:04 p.m. “Yesterday around 3:00, we got a message from Royal saying the cruise had been canceled, and that was it,” Cooper said. The cruise line, they said, didn’t offer any help with arranging travel home or with finding a place to stay in Florida. “What are you going to do to help these people that are pretty much stuck?” Spears asked. “And it’s hundreds of us, not just a handful.”

Demand for COVID-19 testing increases as COVID-19 surges in Hillsborough County” via Jeff Patterson of WFLA — Hillsborough County opened a third COVID-19 testing location Monday due to increasing demand but had to close the site early. The testing site on the Brandon Campus of Hillsborough Community College opened at 9 a.m., but demand was so high that it was shut down at 2:20 p.m. when the wait time exceeded three hours. As cases of COVID-19 have surged with the omicron variant, it has become increasingly difficult to get a testing appointment at many local pharmacies, and many people said it’s become virtually impossible to purchase an at-home test kit. Hillsborough County said they may open a fourth testing location if demand continues to surge.

COVID-19 safety encouraged, not required as Tampa Bay college campuses reopen” via Divya Kumar of the Tampa Bay Times — As the spring semester begins this week amid another spike in COVID-19 cases, Tampa Bay area colleges and universities are mostly sticking with in-person classes and leaving safety measures up to individuals. Last week, interim USF president Rhea Law publicly encouraged vaccines, boosters and told people to stay home if they were ill. In contrast, the private University of Tampa has encouraged students and faculty to upload their vaccination cards so the university can get a better gauge of how much of their population is vaccinated and comply with federal workplace mandates. According to a message sent to the UT community, the school also requires “all UT community members and their guests to wear face masks while indoors on campus, regardless of vaccination status.”

Rhea Law takes charge of USF’s pandemic response. Image via WUSF.

School resumes in Sarasota and Manatee in midst of omicron surge” via Ryan McKinnon of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune — Teachers in the Sarasota County School District returned to the classroom on Monday after being off since Dec. 23, and students are set to return on Tuesday. The resumption of classes coincides with Florida remaining a hot spot for new coronavirus cases, with a 40% increase in the week ending Sunday, as 423,150 cases were reported. The number of cases increased in 49 of 50 states last week as the virus is proving more resistant to vaccinations than previous strains. The School District of Manatee County resumed classes last Thursday. District spokesman Mike Barber said that on Thursday and Friday, a combined 206 students and staff were out with COVID-19, compared to just five students and staff reporting positive in the final days before winter break in December.

Most seniors in Sun City Center are vaccinated, and they’re tired” via Hannah Critchfield of the Tampa Bay Times — Most — 93% — of the residents in Sun City Center’s ZIP code were partially vaccinated by June of last year, making the senior community a case study in the fatigue felt by older Floridians who followed public health guidance as it came and are nevertheless entering yet another wave of the pandemic. “It’s been going on for too long,” said Rabbi Carla Freedman, 77, who speaks to community members weekly in her role as a spiritual leader. Vaccinated and boosted people can still get infected but remain largely protected from severe illness. But older adults who are medically fragile remain the most vulnerable, and an influx of hospitalizations creates fewer beds for people needing treatment for other conditions, creating another risk factor that may disproportionately impact seniors.

—SPEC. ELEX DAY —

South Florida will feature four Special Election contests Tuesday, the result of a chain of events following U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings’ death last year following a cancer battle.

One of the four races on the ballot Tuesday will decide Hastings’ successor, more than nine months after his death. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick is the odds-on favorite in that race following her win in November’s Special Democratic Primary Election.

Cherfilus-McCormick is competing Tuesday against Republican Jason Mariner, Libertarian Mike ter Maat, and two candidates with no party affiliation: Jim Flynn and Leonard Serratore. Though five candidates are on the ballot, CD 20’s strong Democratic lean makes Cherfilus-McCormick the heavy favorite.

The CD 20 Special Election may just be a formality for Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick.

The three remaining contests will help fill state legislative seats, which became open after three state lawmakers resigned to run in CD 20’s Special Democratic Primary Election last year. Democratic Sen. Perry Thurston stepped down from his Senate District 33 seat, while Democratic Reps. Omari Hardy and Bobby DuBose vacated House District 88 and House District 94, respectively.

Former Broward County Public Schools Chair Rosalind Osgood is competing in the SD 33 contest against Terri Ann Williams Edden, who works in the office of the Broward State Attorney. The winner will face Republican candidate Joseph Carter in the March 8 Special General Election, though Tuesday’s Democratic Primary winner will be the big favorite in the deep-blue district.

The HD 88 race features a similar scenario. Jervonte “Tae” Edmonds, the founder of the mentoring program Suits For Seniors, and Clarence “Chief” Williams, a former Riviera Beach police chief, are battling for the Democratic nomination. The winner will face Republican candidate Guarina Torres in the March 8 Special General Election. Again, the Democrat will likely win that race.

In HD 94, Tuesday’s four-way Democratic Primary winner will claim the seat outright, as no Republicans or third-party candidates have filed. Daryl CampbellJosephus Eggelletion IIIRod Kemp and Elijah Manley are facing off for the seat. Campbell worked as an aide to Rep. DuBose and is a behavioral therapist and social worker, while Eggelletion’s father was the first Black Mayor of Broward County. Kemp is an ex-felon who had his rights restored and now advocates for voting reforms. Manley is a former candidate for the Broward County School Board and unsuccessfully challenged DuBose in the HD 94 Democratic Primary in 2020

On eve of Special Election, Congresswoman and Elections Supervisor scrutinize postal center that processes Broward’s mail ballots” via Anthony Man of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — Concerned about the possibility of another election in which mail ballots arrive after the deadline and go uncounted, U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Broward Elections Supervisor Joe Scott on Monday inspected the big mail processing center that handles Broward’s mail. In November, the issue burst into public attention when five votes decided the Broward-Palm Beach County Special Democratic Primary Election for Congress after almost 300 mail ballots arrived late and were disqualified. It wasn’t a surprise visit, however. The tour was arranged about a week in advance with the Postal Service, which has previously blocked both from getting inside the Royal Palm Processing and Distribution Center.

— 2022 —

DeSantis campaign selling ‘Escape to Florida’ T-shirts as some top Democrats flock to Sunshine State” via Ronn Blitzer of Fox News — DeSantis’ re-election campaign is now selling new “Escape to Florida/The Lockdown Libs tour” T-shirts after some top Democratic politicians from states with stricter coronavirus restrictions were seen vacationing in the Sunshine State over the Christmas/New Year’s holiday. “We don’t blame you … we like freedom, too,” the back of the shirt says, underneath a list of Democrats — including the Governors of states such as Connecticut, Michigan and New Jersey — and where in Florida they stayed. The front bears the slogans “Escape to Florida” and “Lockdown Libs,” with an “Open” sign on an outline of the state. To promote the item, the DeSantis campaign on Monday put a video on social media that includes a shot of DeSantis putting on sunglasses and saying, “Welcome to Florida.”

Ron DeSantis trolls with new swag.

First on #FlaPol — “Melissa McKinlay announces she won’t run for Agriculture Commissioner” via Ryan Nicol of Florida Politics — Outgoing Palm Beach County Commissioner McKinlay announced Monday she is not running to be the state’s next Agriculture Commissioner. McKinlay had been floated as a potential Democratic candidate to replace Fried, who is pursuing the Democratic nomination for Governor. Fried is the only Democrat to win a statewide election in Florida in recent cycles, and Democrats have been looking for a strong candidate to match up against outgoing Senate President Simpson, the likely GOP nominee in the Agriculture Commissioner contest. In the statement explaining her decision, McKinlay cited the workload in her final year on the Palm Beach County Commission, along with other roles she holds, as reasons to opt against running a statewide campaign.

Anna Paulina Luna raises $500K in Q4, surpasses $1M total” via Kelly Hayes of Florida Politics — Luna raised over $500,000 in Q4 of 2021, her campaign announced Monday. That brings her total fundraising to just over $1 million since launching her campaign for Florida’s 13th Congressional District in May. Contributors to Luna’s campaign include CD 13 constituents and voters across the county. So far, CD 13 constituents have donated over $300,000 to her campaign, and Floridians, in general, account for over $750,000 worth of contributions total, according to Luna’s campaign. Luna’s campaign provided the latest fundraising update. More information will be available when Q4 finance reports are released at the end of January.

Poll: Eric Lynn has highest name ID among CD 13 Democrats — More voters have heard of former Obama Administration adviser Lynn than either of his opponents in the Democratic Primary for Florida’s 13th Congressional District, according to a new poll. Global Strategy Group’s IVR and SMS survey of 458 likely Democratic Primary voters found 35% had heard of Lynn compared to 28% familiar with state Rep. Diamond and 29% who knew of state Rep. Michelle Rayner. “This race is absolutely critical to protecting our Democratic majority in 2022,” Lynn said. “This poll shows that our message is connecting with Democrats across the district and that we are in the best position to motivate Democrats, get them out to vote, and keep this seat blue in 2022.”

First on #FlaPol — “‘Broward is in a pickle’: Patricia Hawkins-Williams files Senate run, citing need for bipartisanship” via Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics — Rep. Hawkins-Williams, a Pompano Beach Democrat, said Monday she has decided to forgo running for a fourth and final term in the Florida House to instead seek a seat in the state’s other legislative Chamber. She cited her experience, willingness to reach across the aisle, and knowledge of how the political process in Tallahassee works as boons to her candidacy, which will either be for Senate District 33 or Senate District 34, depending on redistricting now underway. Rather than enter a Special Election — like the ones being held Tuesday for SD 33, HD 88 and HD 99 — Hawkins-Williams intends to remain in the House until the end of her term in November.

Patricia Hawkins-Williams will run on cooperation, bipartisanship. Image via Colin Hackley.

Manny Diaz Jr. adds $31K for SD 36 defense with support from health care, police” via Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics — Sen. Diaz collected $31,000 in December to help keep his seat representing Senate District 36. Nearly half that sum came from the health care sector, pharmaceutical companies and police unions. With less than a year to go before the 2022 General Election, Diaz is still unopposed. The Miami Republican now holds nearly $490,000 between his campaign and political committee, Better Florida Education. That’s a net increase of just under $4,600, thanks to an active round of spending in December.

Michael Grieco’s Senate campaign tops $150K in December — Democratic Rep. Grieco raised $153,395 for his Senate campaign last month, more than 10 times as much as his likely opponent for Senate District 37, incumbent Republican Sen. Ileana Garcia. Grieco’s total includes $57,495 raised through his official campaign account and another $95,900 raised through his political committee, Strong Leadership for South Florida. He has about $220,000 on hand between the two accounts. Garcia, meanwhile, raised just over $13,000 between her campaign and committee accounts. Redrawn maps have not been finalized, but the race for SD 37, which Garcia won by a few dozen votes in 2020, is likely to be among the most expensive and most competitive in the 2022 cycle.

Vicki Lopez launches campaign for SD 40 — Government and public affairs consultant Lopez, a longtime political insider who served for seven years on the board of Florida’s prison vocational training program, announced Monday that she will run for Senate District 40. Lopez, who now runs Miami-based VLL Consulting, will likely face Sen. Ileana Garcia in the Republican Primary and, if she wins, Democratic candidate Janelle Perez in the November General Election. “It is a very diverse area and one a moderate center-right candidate like me can win,” she wrote, adding she’s seen “a whirlwind of activity” while securing financial commitments and endorsements before officially announcing her candidacy.

HD 113 candidate A.J. D’Amico raises $35K in first month — Miami Democrat D’Amico reported raising just over $35,000 in his first month as a candidate for House District 113, the open seat currently held by Democratic Rep. Nick Duran. The Cuban American lawyer’s Christmas haul included a donation from Duran’s political, as well as one from former Rep. Javier Fernandez. D’Amico is the only Democrat who has filed to run for a seat expected to have a strong Democratic lean after redistricting. Republican Antonio Byrdsong is also vying for the seat but has raised just $1,035 since entering the race in early August.

— MORE FUNDRAISING NUMBERS —

Incumbent Senate Democrats and high-profile challengers entered the new year on solid financial footing after posting hefty fundraising reports to close out 2021.

Of note, four candidates running in districts on the Party’s priority list had pulled down a combined $1.15 million as of Dec. 31.

Loranne Ausley, a Tallahassee Democrat, has now raised more than $294,000 for her re-election bid in Senate District 3 and started the year with $264,703 on hand. Her tally includes $50,000 raised through her campaign account last month.

Loranne Ausley posts some solid fundraising numbers for re-election.

Tampa Democratic Sen. Janet Cruz, who represents Hillsborough-based Senate District 18, posted a $120,000 haul in December, bringing her cycle total to $370,000 with $400,000 cash on hand.

Meanwhile, Rep. Michael Grieco raised $153,000 in December and reported $220,000 cash on hand for his campaign to oust Sen. Ileana Garcia in Senate District 37.

And Janelle Perez, a Cuban American business owner running for Miami’s Senate District 40, finished the year with $314,000 cash on hand and $335,082 raised overall.

“As we work to defend our Senate Democratic Caucus and grow our numbers, our candidates are committed to raising funds needed to run effective and competitive races,” said Senate Democratic Leader Book, who runs Senate Victory — the political fundraising organization acting on behalf of Florida’s Senate Democratic Caucus.

“Our campaigns have built great momentum behind a strong, diverse slate of Democratic candidates across the state who are fighting for the values, causes, and issues that matter most to everyday Floridians, like the freedom to earn a fair living, access to affordable health care, a clean environment, and strong public schools.”

— CORONA NATION —

Early data hints at omicron’s potential toll across America” via Lauren Leatherby and Eleanor Lutz of The New York Times — The extremely transmissible omicron variant is spreading quickly across the United States, making up a vast majority of U.S. cases after becoming dominant in the week before Christmas. The CDC has said that it is still too soon to predict the full impact omicron could have on deaths and illness across the country. But data in some of the earliest-hit cities is beginning to show what the future could hold. In New York City, Boston and Chicago, deaths have followed cases at a slightly reduced scale than in previous peaks. The number of COVID-19 patients who need intensive care or mechanical ventilation is approaching levels not seen since last winter. And the sheer number of patients is overwhelming to hospitals, where staffing shortages are putting health care workers under immense strain.

We are starting to see omicron’s impact on the U.S. Image via AP.

Omicron is surging — and Democrats aren’t shutting things down this time” via Lisa Kashinsky and Susannah Luthi of POLITICO — Democrats went further than most Republicans in shutting down businesses, enforcing social distancing and requiring masks to tame the spread of the virus — and were initially rewarded politically for their caution. But as the nation trudges into a third pandemic year in the grips of another variant-fueled wave, blue-state leaders faced with exhausted and frustrated voters have lost the stomach for strict shutdowns. Those early-pandemic tactics, some argue, hurt people financially and fostered a mental health crisis among siloed school kids. Instead of facing anger from Republican voters, Democrats must now contend with critics on the left who accuse their own Party of selling out public health to keep the economy going.

Some states are opening mass vaccination sites amid the omicron surge in the U.S.” via Vimal Patel of The New York Times — Mass-vaccination sites are returning as several states have started or will soon start pop-up clinics amid a surge in coronavirus cases. Driven by the fast-spreading omicron variant, coronavirus cases have soared over the last month in the United States, averaging about 677,000 new known cases a day. Although omicron appears to cause less severe illness, many local health care systems have been overwhelmed by the sheer numbers. About 63% of the country has been fully vaccinated. Concerns over the variant have prompted many vaccinated people to seek out booster shots but do not appear to be persuading large numbers of the unvaccinated to roll up their sleeves, some recent survey data have suggested.

Some immunocompromised Americans may be eligible for a fourth shot in the coming days” via Jennifer Hassan of The Washington Post — Some immunocompromised Americans may be eligible for a fourth shot to protect them against the coronavirus as early as this week. Those with weakened immune systems, an estimated 7 million people in the United States, are more at risk of becoming severely ill after contracting the virus, which has claimed more than 837,000 lives across the country. On Aug. 13, the CDC recommended a third dose of two widely used vaccines for some people with weakened immune systems, including those with cancer, paving the way for millions of moderately or severely immunocompromised people to get additional shots.

Why more Americans are saying they’re ‘vaxxed and done’” via Derek Thompson of The Atlantic — The messiness of omicron data, has deepened our COVID-19 Rashomon, in which different communities are telling themselves different stories about what’s going on, and coming to different conclusions about how to lead their lives. A virus that seems both pervasive and mild offers an opening to people who are, let’s call them, “vaxxed and done.” The risk of COVID-19 to vaccinated teachers and even unvaccinated students seems lower than we initially thought. In the past few weeks, several people have told me that they feel extremely safe personally but remain worried about passing along the virus to vulnerable people in their networks. Preliminary state data suggest that more than 90% of today’s deaths are still among unvaccinated people. This year, COVID-19 is on pace to kill more than 300,000 unvaccinated people who would, quite likely, avoid death by getting two or three shots.

Health care workers are panicked as desperate hospitals ask infected staff to return” via Rachael Levy of POLITICO — Hospitals and long-term care facilities are so short-staffed that many are compelling COVID-19-positive doctors and nurses to return to work, arguing that bringing back asymptomatic or even symptomatic staff is the only way they can keep their doors open amid a spike in hospitalizations. The practice, allowed by the most recent federal guidance, underscores the dire situation in which many facilities find themselves. While most health workers are vaccinated, many are still falling sick, exacerbating a staff shortage as more Americans seek hospital care. Health care workers around the country have reported being called into work even if they suspect they are infectious. In cases where workforce shortages become extreme, hospitals can bring back staff without any isolation period.

Health care workers are starting to panic. Image via Reuters.

Hospitals cut beds as nurses call in sick with COVID-19” via Melanie Evans of The Wall Street Journal — Rising numbers of nurses and other critical health care workers are calling in sick across the U.S. due to COVID-19, forcing hospitals to cut capacity just as the omicron variant sends them more patients, industry officials say. The hospitals are leaving beds empty because the facilities don’t have enough staffers to care for the patients safely, and a tight labor market has made finding replacements difficult. Staff shortages prompted the Mass General Brigham hospital system in Boston to keep 83 beds empty on Friday. The University Hospitals system in Ohio has closed as many as 16% of its intensive-care beds recently, while Parkland Health & Hospital System in Dallas has shut 30 of 900 beds.

Labs limit COVID-19 test access as demand soars” via Brianna Abbott of The Wall Street Journal — Escalating demand for COVID-19 tests is prompting some laboratories to ration access, giving priority to people with symptoms or other health concerns as the omicron variant quickly spreads. Triaging who is eligible for COVID-19 tests can help ensure that patients who need a test the most get results fast enough to isolate or get treatment, pathologists and public-health experts say. The strategy, however, risks perpetuating the virus’s spread if some people get turned away from testing altogether. Even before the omicron wave put many people out sick or into quarantine, laboratories were chronically understaffed and heading into their third year of pandemic operations.

— CORONA ECONOMICS —

Treasury warns of ‘enormous challenges’ this tax-filing season that could delay refunds” via Jeff Stein of The Washington Post — Treasury Department officials on Monday said that the Internal Revenue Service will face “enormous challenges” during this year’s tax filing season, warning of delays to refunds and other taxpayer services. Treasury officials predicted a “frustrating season” for taxpayers and tax preparers due to delays caused by the pandemic, years of budget cuts to the IRS, and the federal stimulus measures that have added to the tax agency’s workload. Typically, IRS officials enter filing season with an unaddressed backlog of roughly 1 million returns. However, this year, the IRS will enter the filing season facing “several times” that.

The IRS expects a ‘frustrating season.’

Americans’ finances got stronger in the pandemic — confounding early fears” via Rachel Louise Ensign of The Wall Street Journal — The COVID-19 pandemic threatened to ruin Americans’ finances. For many, the opposite happened. Though initial shutdowns caused unemployment to surge to levels not seen since the Great Depression, trillions of dollars in government stimulus and the economy’s swift, if turbulent, recovery helped many families reach a new level of financial security. The first two rounds of stimulus payments lifted 11.7 million people out of poverty. Americans built up $2.7 trillion in extra savings. Some expect that, combined with rising wages, to provide them with lasting stability despite the return to more normal spending patterns and rising inflation.

— MORE CORONA —

T cells triggered by common cold also fend off COVID-19: Study” via Bloomberg — High levels of protective immune cells that fight some common colds also made people less likely to contract COVID-19 in a study. The findings, published in the journal Nature Communications, provide further evidence of the protective effects of T cells, an arm of the immune system that’s gaining attention as the pandemic stretches into its third year and new variants like omicron erode vaccine protection. Researchers found higher levels of T cells against certain colds in people who didn’t develop COVID-19 while living with someone who had the disease, according to a study released Monday by the U.K.’s Imperial College London. The prior illnesses were caused by other coronaviruses related to SARS-CoV-2.

What COVID-19 vaccine did you get? You probably don’t know its name.” via Felicia Schwartz of The Wall Street Journal — Hundreds of millions of people have gotten the Pfizer Inc. and Moderna Inc. COVID-19 vaccine shots. But how many know that the Pfizer vaccine is called Comirnaty? And Moderna’s? Spikevax. Despite a year of wall-to-wall media coverage and debate, the names of the world’s two biggest COVID-19 vaccines are nowhere close to the name recognition of such products as Tylenol, Kleenex, or the iPhone. One reason is that naming requirements set up by the FDA and international health regulators are so complex that settling on what to call a new prescription drug usually takes about two years. The regulatory goal is to make sure patients receive only the drugs prescribed to them. So a new brand name can’t be too similar to an existing one.

Vaccines are suffering from a branding problem. Image via AP.

When the pandemic began, some reconsidered getting pregnant. The result: 60,000 missing births” via Tara Bahrampour of The Washington Post — A recent study shows 60,000 fewer births than expected between October 2020 and February 2021 in the United States, corresponding with fewer conceptions earlier in 2020. The largest number of missing births was in January 2021, which roughly corresponds to conceptions in April 2020, when many Americans began to process the magnitude of the pandemic. “Uncertainty is not good for fertility,” said Phillip Levine, a professor of economics at Wellesley College and co-author of the report. The dip corresponds with declines in births during past recessions and public health crises, such as the Great Recession and the 1918 flu pandemic, which came in waves. By the summer of 2020, conceptions had returned to expected levels but did not rise enough to compensate for the missing births earlier in the year.

— PRESIDENTIAL —

Joe Biden administration lays out rules for reimbursing at-home COVID-19 tests” via David Lim of POLITICO — The Biden administration on Monday issued guidance that will require private health insurers to reimburse people for up to eight over-the-counter COVID-19 tests every month beginning Jan. 15. Under the plan, private insurers can set up programs at preferred pharmacies or retailers where the upfront cost of home tests is covered for beneficiaries. A family of four would have 32 home tests covered by their health plan each month. The initiative is intended to ease the financial burden of utilizing at-home tests to detect and stop the further spread of COVID-19. Individuals who purchase home tests outside their insurers’ preferred network must be reimbursed up to $12 per test, but plans can “provide more generous reimbursement up to the actual price of” more pricy tests.

Joe Biden lays out how free COVID-19 testing will work. Image via The Washington Post.

— D.C. MATTERS —

Chief Justice John Roberts’ jarring vaccine jurisprudence” via Ruth Marcus of The Washington Post — During the course of the pandemic, it has become a bureaucratic badge of honor to argue that authorities are taking a “whole of government” approach to tackling the virus. In one of the more jarring moments in oral arguments about the Biden administration’s efforts to mitigate COVID-19, Chief Justice Roberts seemed to be arguing that trying to use all the statutory tools available to it somehow undermined the government’s legal argument. Roberts showed his real hand: There’s just too much darned regulating going on here. “It sounds like the sort of thing that states will be responding to or should be and that Congress should be responding to,” he said. But states are responding, some responsibly, too many others in precisely the wrong way, preventing employers from taking steps to protect their workers.

John Roberts says there is simply too much regulation.

Mike Waltz named ranking member of Armed Services Subcommittee — U.S. Rep. Waltz is now the top Republican on the Subcommittee on Readiness on the House Armed Services Committee. The subcommittee has jurisdiction over Department of Defense policy and programs and accounts related to training, logistics and maintenance, military construction, organic industrial base, the civilian and contract workforce, environment, military installations and property management, family housing, base realignments and closures, and energy. “At such a pivotal time for our military, I am grateful to Ranking Member (MikeRogers for the opportunity to lead the Subcommittee on Readiness to ensure America’s warfighters are trained and equipped at superior facilities in order to address the multitude of threats facing our country,” Waltz said.

— CRISIS —

Judge mulls whether Donald Trump’s silence on Jan. 6 could amount to ‘agreement’ with rioters” via Josh Gerstein and Kyle Cheney of POLITICO — Trump’s hours of silence while a violent mob ransacked the Capitol, egged on by his own words and tweets, could be plausibly construed as agreement with rioters’ actions, a federal judge suggested Monday. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta made the analysis as he pressed Trump’s lawyers about their efforts to dismiss a series of lawsuits against the former president seeking to hold him financially liable for inciting the Jan. 6 insurrection. Mehta’s questioning prompted Trump’s attorney, Jesse Binnall, to push back, forcefully arguing that Trump can’t conceivably face legal consequences for actions he did not take. The exchange was potentially the most significant in an explosive and lengthy hearing on three lawsuits filed against Trump.

Mo Brooks urged a Jan. 6 crowd to ‘fight.’ Now his actions long before the insurrection face new scrutiny.” via Michael Kranish of The Washington Post — In early January 2021, as Trump summoned his supporters to Washington, Rep. Brooks says he received a dire warning from a fellow lawmaker: Antifa was planning to infiltrate the Jan. 6 rally “dressing like Trump supporters.” Brooks was so convinced that his life was in danger that he stopped going home and began sleeping on his office floor. He was there on Jan. 5 when, shortly before going to sleep, he tweeted that Trump had asked him “personally to speak & tell the American people about the election system weaknesses that the Socialist Democrats exploited to steal this election.” The next morning, Brooks slipped into body armor underneath a yellow-and-black jacket and then delivered an incendiary speech to a sea of Trump backers near the White House.

Mo Brooks has some explaining to do. Image via AP.

Jim Jordan refuses to cooperate with Jan. 6 committee investigating Capitol attack” via Annabelle Timsit of The Washington Post — Rep. Jordan is refusing a request to be interviewed by the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by a pro-Trump mob, calling it an “unprecedented and inappropriate demand.” In a letter dated Sunday and addressed to the committee’s chair, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson, the Ohio Republican and close ally of Trump accused the panel, made up of seven Democrats and two Republicans, of playing politics. Jordan declined to comply with the Dec. 22 request to appear before the panel to discuss his communication with Trump on the day of the assault.

Wisconsin judge lets GOP-led election review continue” via Zach Montellaro of POLITICO — A state judge in Wisconsin is allowing a GOP-led review of the 2020 election to proceed in the state, turning back, at least temporarily, a bid to stymie the probe led by the Democratic state attorney general. In Wisconsin, former state Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman is leading an investigation of the 2020 election with the blessing of state Assembly Speaker Robin Vos. Election experts have warned that postelection partisan reviews, like the one in the state, are harmful to the democratic system because they can serve as vehicles to legitimize, rather than allay, Trump‘s conspiracy theories about widespread fraud in the 2020 election.

— EPILOGUE TRUMP —

Trump calls GOP Senator a ‘jerk’ after he rejects former President’s false claims of widespread election fraud” via Mariana Alfaro of The Washington Post — Trump lashed out Monday at Sen. Mike Rounds, calling him a “jerk,” a day after the GOP Senator said the 2020 election was “as fair as we have seen” and dismissed Trump’s widely debunked allegations of extensive voter fraud. Rounds said that Trump’s claims that fraud rigged the election for Biden are baseless and that conspiracy theories asserting that the 2020 election was stolen from the former president are unfounded. Trump doubled down on his false allegations of voter fraud, accused Rounds of being a RINO and said he would never endorse the South Dakota Republican again. Rounds doesn’t face a re-election race until 2026.

Mike Rounds doesn’t believe the big lie; Donald Trump calls him a ‘jerk.’

A year into his social media exile, Trump is working to get back online” via Douglas MacMillan, Josh Dawsey and Elizabeth Dwoskin of The Washington Post — Trump’s upstart social network is probably months away from being fully operational, potentially limiting his ability to influence the midterm elections. The pace of development for Truth Social has at times frustrated Trump, who has discussed but ultimately turned down opportunities to work with other platforms in the fast-growing universe of right-wing social media sites, said three people familiar with the discussions, who like others in this article spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters. He is holding out for his own venture, which he believes will be more lucrative and gives him more control, advisers say.


— LOCAL NOTES —

Despite string of mass shootings, Miami-Dade bucks national trend of rising murder rate” via Charles Rabin of the Miami Herald — The year 2021 started with two mass shootings just outside musical venues that left four people dead and 26 injured, a foreboding start that seemed to continue a troubling violent trend from the year before. Then something unexpected happened. Homicides in Miami-Dade County plummeted. Law enforcement leaders attributed it to stepped-up enforcement, a focused effort to get guns off the street and prosecutions. Others pointed to an array of social factors. Whatever the reason, murders throughout Miami-Dade County, with its 2.7 million residents, declined by more than 15% compared to the previous year, bucking a national trend in which more than a dozen cities across the U.S. set all-time high murder rates.

Officials investigating possible migrant landing after makeshift boat found on Key Biscayne” via David Goodhue of the Miami Herald — The Border Patrol is investigating a possible migrant landing on Key Biscayne over the weekend. A makeshift boat with a hull made from honey barrels washed up on the beach sometime Saturday night. U.S. Customs and Border Protection Division Chief Adam Hoffner said the agency is investigating the vessel, but he thinks it could be from a prior migration. There has been a significant uptick in maritime migration from Cuba to South Florida over the past year due to deteriorating political and economic conditions within the island nation.

Tweettweet:

 

After the Parkland tragedy, voters approved money for teacher raises and safety. Now, will they embrace a new round of taxes?” via Scott Travis of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — South Florida voters will be asked to approve a property tax this year to avoid major cuts in teacher pay and safety initiatives enacted since the Parkland tragedy. In Broward County, this could mean an average tax increase of $150 for the average homeowner if voters say yes in the August primary. Palm Beach County voters will be asked during the November General Election to continue an existing tax. The tax would be a renewal or expansion of a property tax approved in 2018, during a time of heightened concern over school safety and teacher retention.

Brightline will run empty trains along a 130-mile route. Here’s why.” via Katherine Kokal of The Palm Beach Post — Drivers will see Brightline trains running north of West Palm Beach for the first time next week as the high-speed railroad starts trial runs between West Palm and Cocoa. There won’t be passengers on the trains, but the 130-mile trial runs that start Jan. 17 will help familiarize Brightline’s conductors and staff with the new route, part of Brightline’s expansion to Orlando, which the company said is about 70% complete. Brightline plans to run once-daily trials runs of the new route throughout 2022. “Operating a train requires engineers and conductors to be intimately familiar with the rail corridor, including road crossings, signals, curves, and speed restrictions. During qualifying runs, Brightline train crews will work with a manager already qualified on the territory who will provide oversight and instruction,” the company said.

Kevin Hyde named chair of Jacksonville Public Education Fund” via Max Marbut of the Jacksonville Daily Record — Hyde, a managing partner in the Jacksonville office of the Foley & Lardner law firm, is the new chair of the Jacksonville Public Education Fund board of directors. Lisa Cochran, chief information officer for VyStar Credit Union, and Terry Patrick Walton of Terry Patrick Walton Consulting also joined the board for four-year terms. Hyde also serves on the board of trustees of the University of North Florida, is a member of the Jacksonville Civic Council and a member of the board of directors of the Jacksonville Public Library Foundation and WJCT Public Broadcasting. Elected to City Council in 2003, Hyde was its president in 2005-06.

Kevin Hyde gets a new gig at the Jacksonville Public Education Fund.

3 Orlando incumbents sworn in to new terms” via Ryan Gillespie of the Orlando Sentinel — Three Orlando city commissioners were sworn in Monday to new four-year terms. Jim GrayRobert Stuart and Regina Hill were each re-elected last year, representing crucial pockets of the city from downtown Orlando and neighborhoods west and north, to the fast-growing Lake Nona planned developments and established neighborhoods on the east side. For Hill and Gray, it marked the beginning of their third full terms on the commission, while Stuart was ushered into a fifth term. They’ll continue to cast critical votes on policies ranging from policing and affordable housing to homelessness, development and other issues.

John Kuczwanski killed in Tallahassee road rage incident” via Tristan Wood of Florida Politics — Kuczwanski, the Legislative Affairs Director for the State Board of Administration, was killed in a road rage incident in Tallahassee last week. Around 5 p.m. on Jan. 6, an altercation between drivers led to a vehicle collision followed by shots being fired around the intersection of Thomasville Road and Bannerman Road. One driver, who sources have identified as Kuczwanski, 52, was fatally wounded. Another driver was taken into custody. The Leon County Sheriff’s Office has not released further information about the incident to the public since its original statement first announcing the shooting. Kuczwanski pleaded no contest to assault and disorderly conduct charges in 2014 related to a separate road rage incident.

— TOP OPINION —

J. Robert McClure: Five words of encouragement for Florida policymakers” via Florida Politics — On Dec. 28, Biden did something that very few politicians do when confronted with a difficult reality. In this case, he was asked a question about his administration’s response to the latest wave of COVID-19 spread impacting the country. He uttered five words that made limited government conservatives practically giddy: “There is no federal response.” The more I thought about it, the more I felt something I haven’t felt in a while — encouraged. I was encouraged that a President or any politician, would utter something so aligned with my core philosophies that I would agree with him. As the 2022 Legislative Session begins, I would offer five words of encouragement to our policymakers … “there is no federal response.” Whether it involves the health of schoolchildren, the liberties of parents the care of the elderly, or the safety of the general public — you state legislators matter more than anyone in Washington, D.C.

— OPINIONS —

Trump’s coup, part deux” via Maureen Dowd of The New York Times — Besides his dagger at the throat of democracy, Trump has his Party in a chokehold. Republicans may have held back Trump from giving a news conference Thursday, because they know that Nov. 3 and Jan. 6 are dates that make them look awful, but they are still in his vile grip, as evidenced by their shameful flight from the Capitol. Trump’s coup attempt is in its second stage. The MAGA crowd is working hard in states like Georgia and Arizona, which defied Trump in 2020, to institutionalize Trump’s big lie, with election-deniers running for offices that control the voting process. Biden must make good on his speech and make sure the Vandals who sacked the Capitol are not able to do it again. He must find a way to enact new voting rights laws to head off the Republican efforts to control election certification.

For media, COVID-19 alarm is a hard habit to break” via Joe Ferrulo of The Hill — The coronavirus is a hard habit for the media to break — and that’s pushing other dangers offstage and out of sight. As the country marked one year since the attack on the Capitol, most mainstream news outlets last week still made their central focus COVID-19 and the omicron variant. Every twist and turn in the pandemic continues to gobble up resources and dominate headlines at the expense of stories that are just as urgent. Like threats to American democracy. The COVID-19 crisis has shifted, but the extent and tone of media coverage has not. Overheated language in print and on cable demands readers and viewers treat the epidemic as if it were 18 months ago, before vaccines, boosters and a new, less-deadly strain. Every new development is one more opportunity to make sure audiences don’t change the channel or Google some other topic. And those other topics are losing out because of it.

DeSantis’ proposed budget moves Florida forward” via The Palm Beach Post — As Congress continues to contemplate ways to waste taxpayer dollars, Florida is focused on greater prosperity for all Floridians. DeSantis’ proposed Freedom First Budget would secure a brighter future in five critical ways. First, tax relief: As Americans continue to pay more on gas, groceries, and other living expenses, the proposed budget dedicates nearly $1.2 billion to tax cuts. This includes a 25 cent per gallon gas tax holiday, fee reductions and three separate sales tax holidays. Second, economic freedom and prosperity: Floridians prosper when the government breaks down barriers and makes strategic investments in the future. The Governor’s budget increases resources for the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund, the Rural Infrastructure Fund, Florida’s tourism efforts, and others, which will lay the foundation for a stronger economy. Coupled with investments in housing, transportation, and more, it will further enhance Florida’s already stellar economic growth.

When writing next state budget, put the neediest first” via the South Florida Sun-Sentinel editorial board — With all the red meat, culture war rhetoric sure to accompany Tuesday’s opening ceremonies of the Florida Legislature, it’s easy to forget that lawmakers really only have two jobs over the next 60 days. They must redraw congressional and legislative districts to reflect population changes over the past decade, and they must write the annual state budget. Money won’t be a problem this year, because of the infusion of billions in federal stimulus money. For that, Florida owes a debt of gratitude to Biden. There’s also bright economic news on the homefront. State economists predict that revenue in the coming budget year will be nearly $400 million higher than they had previously forecast.

Florida should warn swimmers when there’s poop in the water” via Howard Simon for the Tampa Bay Times — The Legislature enacted the “Clean Waterways Act of 2020″ with great fanfare, but though penalties were increased, the law was light on enforceable regulations to curb pollution. But as it convenes for its 2022 Session, the Legislature will have another opportunity — thanks to Sen. Lori Berman of Delray Beach and Rep. Yvonne Hayes Hinson of Gainesville. The two Democratic legislators have introduced the “Safe Waterways Act” (SB 604/HB 393). The proposal’s most important feature would require (rather than simply authorize) the Florida Department of Health to issue health advisories and post and maintain warning notices at “public bathing places” where the water has been found to contain fecal bacteria, either fecal coliform, Escherichia coli or enterococci bacteria.

ON TODAY’S SUNRISE —

It’s opening day of the 2022 Legislative Session. And the Florida Senate is moving fast on redistricting maps. It’s even giving Democrats an extra seat. Sunrise, with new host Craig Kopp, digs deep into what’s going on and where the House fits into this fast-paced, seeming fair, approach to redistricting.

Also on today’s Sunrise:

— House Democrats open up to the news media about the upcoming Legislative Session.

— Toledo is going after the buyers of what sex traffickers are selling.

— Outgoing Palm Beach County Commissioner McKinlay announced Monday she is not running to be the state’s next Agriculture Commissioner.

— And we’ll let you hear why holding a virtual political rally can be hard.

To listen, click on the image below:

— ALOE —

Disney: Floridians can buy two-day tickets for $149” via Dewayne Bevil of the Orlando Sentinel — Walt Disney World is introducing its first ticket offer of 2022 for Florida residents. The Disney Weekday Magic Ticket goes on sale on Jan. 11 and includes two theme park days for $149. The ticket is valid Mondays through Fridays through April 7, although it carries blackout dates March 14-18. Among the events during the ticket-promotion window are the Epcot International Festival of the Arts (Jan. 14-Feb. 21) and the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival (March 2-July 4). WDW continues to celebrate its 50th anniversary in all four theme parks. Disney also is selling a three-day version for $179 and a four-day deal for $199.

Disney is giving Florida residents a break. Image via AP.

Florida restaurant requires all diners to tip 20%, stirs controversy” via Tiffini Theisen of the Orlando Sentinel — A Florida restaurant is stirring controversy with its solution to rising food costs and upcoming minimum-wage increases: requiring every diner to tip 20%, regardless of how customers feel about the service. Shades Bar & Grill, an Inlet Beach business in Walton County, put the new requirement in place on Dec. 27. For each table, the server keeps 17% of the tip, and the remaining 3% is split among support staff including the bar, hostess, and server assistants. Shades received many supportive comments about the change. Some customers oppose the new rule. Many people feel 15% is a fair tip for decent service, and that it’s appropriate to bump that up to 18% to 20% for outstanding service.

New York Times names Sarasota one of the world’s 52 Places to Travel in 2022” via Bob Carskadon of ILoveTheBurg.com — Sarasota was named to The New York Times’s 2022 list of 52 Places to Travel, a distinction earned in large part for its modernist architecture and the work being done by Architecture Sarasota to preserve it. “Architecture Sarasota is a new organization founded to protect and promote the most spectacular concentration of modernist buildings east of the Mississippi,” the article noted. “In a booming city on Florida’s Gulf Coast, where there’s a constant tug of war between developers and preservationists, raising the profile of these modernist buildings is intended to give them greater value in the eyes of locals and attract design tourists. Sarasota is also home to The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, the beautiful Siesta Key Beach and the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens.

— HAPPY BIRTHDAY —

Best wishes to Adam BlalockRusty Branch, and Lauren Lange.

___

Sunburn is authored and assembled by Peter SchorschPhil Ammann, Daniel Dean, Renzo Downey, Jacob Ogles, and Drew Wilson.


5.) MORNING BREW

January 11, 2022
Morning Brew
Droplette

Good morning. As you’re probably aware, we’re big Jeopardy! fans here at the Brew, which is why today’s intro is dedicated to current champion Amy Schneider. Last Friday, Schneider became the first woman in the show’s history—and only the fourth person ever—to surpass $1 million in winnings. As of last night, she’s won 29 straight games.

What’s her secret sauce? To be good at Jeopardy!, Schneider told the NYT, “You just have to live a life where you’re learning stuff all the time.” Probably good advice in general.

Neal Freyman, Max Knoblauch, Matty Merritt

MARKETS

Nasdaq

14,942.83

S&P

4,670.29

Dow

36,068.87

10-Year

1.766%

Bitcoin

$41,648.73

Moderna

$233.70

*Stock data as of market close, cryptocurrency data as of 6:00pm ET. Here’s what these numbers mean.
  • Markets: Down more than 2% with its back against the wall, the Nasdaq staged a huge comeback yesterday afternoon to close in the green and snap a 4-day losing streak. Moderna was the S&P 500’s top performer after its CEO said that a booster shot targeting Omicron would soon enter clinical trials. Pfizer also said its Omicron booster would be ready by March.
  • Economy: A growing number of finance experts are taking the over when it comes to the number of interest rate hikes this year. Goldman Sachs now predicts the Fed will raise rates four times in 2022 (more than previously forecast) and JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon said he’d be surprised if it were only four hikes.

CLIMATE

Emissions Were the Cinderella Story of 2021

A smokestack with an "on" switch Francis Scialabba

Much like in-person happy hours, greenhouse gases rebounded in a big way last year.

As Covid restrictions eased in 2021, US greenhouse gas emissions jumped 6.2%, according to a report from the Rhodium Group. That represents a sharp U-turn from the I Am Legend days of 2020, when emissions plunged 10% for their largest yearly drop on record.

While analysts were anticipating a bounce back in emissions in 2021, the data provides a stark reminder that the US is falling behind its climate targets.

A coal renaissance

The lead singer of the fossil fuel band, coal, was a major contributor to the spike in greenhouse gas emissions in 2021. Coal burned for electricity spiked 17% for its first annual increase since 2014.

  • This doesn’t reflect a newfound appreciation for the sedimentary rock, just simple market dynamics. Natural gas prices nearly doubled in 2021, so utilities revved up their coal plants instead to save money.
  • Coal, which now accounts for only 19% of US electricity generation, is expected to resume its decline in the years ahead.

Big picture: Despite their rebound, emissions levels are considerably below 2019 levels, Rhodium Group said, partially because of ongoing pandemic disruptions. Still, the US is not on track to hit President Biden’s climate targets, which would require a ~5% reduction in emissions every year through 2030. The president’s Build Back Better Act planned to funnel $555 billion into a variety of climate programs, but it hit a brick wall in Congress due to opposition from Sen. Joe Manchin.

Meanwhile, the world was sweating through another scorcher in 2021. Last year was the fifth warmest year on record, according to a new report from the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. And the past seven years have been the hottest seven years since tracking began.—NF

            

GAMING

Crime Is Coming to ‘FarmVille’

Farmville 3, by Zynga.Zynga

Plant crops, feed animals, take your neighbor’s tractor on a high-speed chase on the interstate—the next FarmVille update might get wild. Video game publisher Take-Two Interactive, known for Grand Theft Auto, Red Dead Redemption, and other popular titles, agreed to buy Zynga (FarmVilleWords With Friends) in a $12.7 billion deal on Monday.

In Zynga, Take-Two hopes it’s found the LB to its RB: Take-Two is a console and PC powerhouse, while Zynga is a major player in mobile and social gaming.

  • Take-Two is bullish on mobile, which it says is the fastest growing segment of the video game industry, expanding 8% annually.

If the deal goes through (it’s expected to close later this year), it will also mark the biggest sale in video game history—until Wordle gets acquired, probably.

Zoom out: The merger would create a company projected to generate $7 billion in net bookings, bringing Take-Two closer to its biggest industry rivals, Activision Blizzard and Electronic Arts.—MK

            

TAXES

The IRS’s Sunday Scaries

A Simpsons GIF in which Homer asks "Hey Marge, what were your gambling losses last year?"FOX/The Simpsons

Even though tax filing season is just around the corner (opening January 24 with an April 18 deadline), the typically joyful and charismatic IRS has a case of the blues. On Monday, the Treasury Department warned that the agency has had a rough year and taxpayers should expect delays as returns are processed.

According to Treasury officials, budget cuts and pandemic-related staffing shortages have created a towering backlog at the agency, and a “frustrating season” is on the horizon. While the IRS typically enters filing season with about 1 million unaddressed returns, the number stood at around 8.6 million in mid-Nov. 2021.

What happened?

  • The pandemic forced many in-person processing centers to close.
  • Pre-pandemic budget cuts to the IRS led to a roughly 25% reduction in its staff.
  • Federal Covid relief, like stimulus payments and the expanded Child Tax Credit, added more work to the IRS’s plate.

Resources are so strained that, in the first half of last year, there was one IRS staffer to handle every 16,000 calls to the agency.

What can you do? Those seeking a speedier turnaround should file early, file online, and request their refund via direct deposit, the Treasury said.—MK

            

TOGETHER WITH DROPLETTE

The Only Skincare Hack You’ll Need, Like Ever

Droplette

You may be merrily chugging along with your skincare routine, applying lotions and feelin’ pretty good about it. But did you know that 90% of traditional skincare products never actually absorb into the skin?

Not trying to burst your bubble, swear. But because skin works as a barrier, it’s difficult to get active ingredients, even water, through. That’s why the smarty-pants scientists at MIT invented Droplette: a medical device turned skincare phenomenon that actually gets healthy serums into your skin—20x deeper than traditional skincare.

Droplette’s tech uses proven ingredients, turning them into fast, tiny droplets (100x smaller than the width of human hair), to painlessly mist them into your skin. This means ingredients like collagen, often notoriously too large for absorption, can topically absorb into skin successfully.

Sound skinsational? Rightfully so. This NASA-backed, award-winning tech is being called the future of skincare.

Get 20% off yours today.

GRAB BAG

Key Performance Indicators

San FranciscoDianebentleyraymond/Getty Images

Stat: Patrick Collison, the CEO of US tech giant Stripe, shared an interesting workforce tidbit on Twitter: In Q1 2019, 39% of the company’s hiring was outside of the Bay Area and Seattle. Last quarter it was 74%. Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky chimed in, “Yup, the place to be was Silicon Valley. It feels like now the place to be is the internet (which is everywhere).”

Quote: “Quite a lot of people witnessed people in their community dying from Covid, that makes them think life can be short, and you’d better live now than postpone it to a later date.”

Rolls-Royce CEO Torsten Müller-Otvös attributed his company’s record-breaking sales in 2021 to the YOLO mentality during the pandemic. Fellow luxury automaker Bentley also posted record sales for the second year running.

Read: 52 places to travel in 2022. (New York Times)

            

RETAIL

Lulu’s Q4 Likely to Sag Like Cheap Leggings

Lululemon can relate to that feeling of opening up the ugliest sweater you’ve ever seen, because it didn’t get what it wanted for Christmas, either. The activewear brand warned that Q4 revenue would be on the lower end of its initial projections.

It’s all thanks to Omicron. The fancy pants maker said the most recent Covid wave rattled staffing availability, store hours, and capacity during the crucial holiday shopping season. Lululemon has also had to brace for the shift to consumers wearing pants with zippers and the relatively disappointing performance of its recent acquisition, home gym platform Mirror.

Big picture: Even with lackluster revenue during the holiday quarter, Lululemon could post a 23% sales increase over last year, which would build on its impressive growth throughout the pandemic.

Still, Lulu’s warning is a sign that its fellow retailers could also be getting crunched by the ’cron. Macy’s, Walmart, Nike, Starbucks, and more have trimmed store hours or temporarily closed locations recently due to Covid disruptions.—MM

For more in-depth retail analysis, check out Retail Brew.

            

WHAT ELSE IS BREWING

  • Georgia beat Alabama for its first college football championship since 1980. Go Dawgs.
  • Private health insurers will need to cover up to eight home Covid-19 tests per month for their customers starting Saturday.
  • A man with a life-threatening heart disease received a heart implant from a genetically modified pig in the first ever procedure of its type.
  • Novak Djokovic was released from quarantine and has begun to train for the Australian Open after his visa was reinstated by a judge. But immigration officials in the country could still send him packing.
  • Fed Vice Chair Richard Clarida is stepping down on Friday, weeks before his term expires. He’s been scrutinized for stock trades he made at the beginning of the pandemic.

INVESTING

Retail Traders Talk About Their Wild 2021

One year ago, the faltering video game retailer GameStop was hovering around $20/share. You know what happened next: Retail traders attempted a short squeeze and contributed to a frenzy that at one point sent GameStop’s share price over $400.

In many ways, meme stock mania reflected the broader surge of retail trading during the pandemic:

  • 15% of retail investors in the US started trading in 2020, according to a recent survey by Charles Schwab. And Credit Suisse estimates that retail traders may have accounted for one-third of all US stock market trading in 2021.

We spoke with a few individual traders about their ride of a lifetime last year and what the future holds.

Read their stories

BREW’S BETS

Better medicine for mental health. Nearly a billion people struggle with mental illness, but expensive pharmaceuticals pose a problem. Mycotopia and Ei.Ventures are joining together to give people the choice of plant-based treatments. Invest in this new partnership before it hits NASDAQ here.*

Save up to $2k on your 2022 getaway. For the next 12 hours, try Dollar Flight Club for just $1. We’re talkin’ Economy Class to Hawaii from $121, or summer ‘22 round trip in Business Class to Greece from $989—on airlines with flexible change policies. Join today for $1.*

Let’s settle this: Weigh in on the internet’s hottest debates.

Tech Tip Tuesday: Whether it’s for a class project or a presentation at work, you should be aware of the best free video editing software.

Embrace your least favorite emotions. This year, instead of suppressing emotions like stress and anger, could we put them to good use? On The Happiness Lab podcast, friend of the Brew Dr. Laurie Santos reveals science-backed strategies from thinkers like Brené Brown to improve our well-being in 2022. Listen here.

*This is sponsored advertising content

GAMES

The Puzzle Section

Brew Mini: Sushi staple (4 letters). Think you know it? Confirm by playing the Mini here.

Got milk?

On National Milk Day, can you name the five animal species responsible for the most global milk production?

ANSWER

  1. Cattle (81%)
  2. Buffaloes (15%)
  3. Goats (2%)
  4. Sheep (1%)
  5. Camels (0.4%)
          
Written by Neal FreymanMatty Merritt, and Max Knoblauch

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6.) THE FACTUAL

11 JAN 2022

The Factual

Facts, not fear.

TRENDING TOPICS
Climate change in 2021 • Elite colleges sued • U.S.-Russia talks • Pig heart transplant • Golden Globes ceremony
FEATURED UNDER-REPORTED STORIES
School bus technology • Child marriage laws • Path to quitting coal
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TRENDING TOPICS, MOST CREDIBLE STORIES
#1 in U.S. News • 27 articles

What was the impact of climate change in the U.S. in 2021?

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  1. Highly-rated – last 48 hrs
    Deadly extreme weather year for U.S. as carbon emissions soar.
    Associated Press (Center) • Factual Grade 88% • 4 min read

    Three different reports released Monday, though not directly connected, paint a picture of a U.S. in 2021 struggling with global warming. A report from the Rhodium Group said that in 2021 America’s emissions of heat-trapping gas rebounded from the first year of the pandemic at a faster rate than the economy as a whole. Experts expected U.S. emissions to increase from the steep 2020 dive, but how big it jumped worried them.

    And last year was the deadliest weather year for the contiguous United States since 2011 with 688 people dying in 20 different billion-dollar weather and climate disasters that combined cost at least $145 billion, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Monday.

    That was the second-highest number of billion-dollar weather disasters — which are adjusted for inflation with records going back to 1980— and third costliest. Last year was also the fourth warmest year on record in the United States, according to another NOAA report.
  1. Different political viewpoint
    Weather and climate disasters are declining globally.
    Reason (Moderate Right) • Factual Grade 86% • 3 min read
  1. Selected long-read
    The good, the bad and the ugly of climate change in 2021.
    The Hill (Moderate Left) • Factual Grade 79% • 7 min read
  1. Recent poll
    Do you have a disaster mitigation plan for your home?
    326 votes • 16 comments

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#2 in U.S. News • 12 articles

Why is a group of elite U.S. colleges being sued for price-fixing?

The lawsuit alleges that Yale University, Georgetown University and Northwestern University, along with 13 other prestigious schools, engage…
    1. Full summaries, images, and headlines for subscribers only.

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TODAY’S POLL

Are elite colleges worth the premium compared to state schools?

All votes are anonymous. This poll closes at: 9:00 PDT

YESTERDAY’S POLLShould non-citizens be allowed to vote in local elections?

781 votes, 108 comments

Context: NYC mayor says he supports city law allowing noncitizens to vote.

HIGHLIGHTED COMMENTS

 No – Citizens have a level of commitment to their city that mere residents do not. They have to (or at least have reason to) think about the long term consequences of their votes, whereas short term residents need only be concerned about the immediate consequences of their votes. The NYC law requires only 30 days of legal residency to be eligible to vote; that creates a perverse incentive for candidates to promise immediate rewards at the expense of long term stability.

 Yes – It really depends on how much of a part of the community they are. Just because they are a citizen of the United States doesn’t mean they’re actually investe…

 Unsure – Speaking as a non-citizen, (permanent residency status, not eligible for citizenship yet) I think that voting on a local level for local services, etc woul…

#1 in World News • 82 articles

Why did the U.S. and Russia make little headway in talks over Ukraine?

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#1 in Science News • 19 articles

How is the world’s first recipient of a genetically-modified pig heart faring?

David Bennett is doing well three days after the experimental seven-hour procedure in Baltimore, doctors say. It is not yet clear what his long-term chances of surviv…
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#1 in Culture News • 51 articles

Why was the 2022 Golden Globes award show not televised?

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UPDATES & BREAKING NEWS

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Business Insider • Grade 80%

California Democrats propose tax hikes on businesses and the wealthy to pay for statewide universal healthcare.

9,325 Articles Analyzed Visit The Factual

7.) LIBERTY NATION

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FROM OUR NEWSROOM

Tuesday’s Breaking News

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What Are the Chances Donald Trump Will Make History Again?
By Leesa K. Donner

Trump begins climbing the steep hill of a comeback.

Click Here

“Socialism, in general, has a record of failure so blatant that only an intellectual could ignore or evade it.”

– Thomas Sowell

Newsom Reaches Into Californians’ Wallets for Illegals
By Jeff Charles

California residents will foot the health care bill for those who entered the country illegally.

Click Here

Today’s Political Meme

Sometimes, you just need to laugh!

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Jim Jordan Delivers Smackdown to Jan. 6 Committee
By Graham J Noble

Democrats are setting a dark and dangerous precedent.

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The Harris and Clinton Double Act – LN Radio Videocast
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What happened when Kamala met Hillary?

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From the Liberty Nation Studios

Bye Bye, Nancy Pelosi – LN Radio Videocast – Time’s up for the speaker of the House. by Mark Angelides – Watch Now

Dazed and Confused in 2022 – LN Radio Videocast – Full Show – The year is off to a bumpy start for Democrats. by Liberty Nation Staff – Watch Now

Liberty Nation On The Go: Listen to Today’s Top News 01.11.22
By Liberty Nation Staff

Conservative News – Hot Off The Press – Audio Playlist – AD FREE

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LibertyNation.com brings a new generation of writers to the vanguard of political discourse. Our content is entirely original, providing readers and viewers with bold, provocative analysis and commentary on current events.

For more news, LibertyNation.com recommends the news aggregator WHATFINGER.com — the #1 Alternative to Drudge.

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8.) FOX NEWS

 


9.) UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL

 


10.) THE FEDERALIST PAPERS

 


11.) AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE

AEI’s daily publication of independent research, insightful analysis, and scholarly debate.
Russia thinks America is bluffing
Chris Miller | Foreign Affairs
As talks between US and Russian diplomats begin over the fate of Ukraine, Europe stands on the brink of war. The US strategy is to negotiate with Russia while threatening “devastating” sanctions if Russian President Vladimir Putin decides to invade. But the West’s threat of economic sanctions can work only if the proposed measures would make Russian military action against Ukraine expensive enough to alter the Kremlin’s cost-benefit calculus.
Full Story
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Health insurance, medical debt, and financial well-being
Benedic N. Ippolito, Michael Batty, and Christa Gibbs | Health Economics
In studying the financial protection provided by health insurance through the Affordable Care Act’s under 26 provision and Medicare eligibility, coverage expansion sharply reduces medical debt in collections for consumers within the affected ages but does not systematically improve credit outcomes not directly related to medical care.
Full Story
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Media and academia have decided that if Republicans win, democracy loses
Timothy P. Carney | Washington Examiner
Democrats’ 2022 strategy is to declare that Republicans’ positions and candidates are not merely opposing positions and candidates but are in fact attacks on democracy itself.
Full Story
facebook
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Why Apple’s $3 trillion valuation bodes well for us all
James Pethokoukis | The Week
Apple’s success has a meaning beyond investment returns. That $3 trillion milestone, though temporary, provides opportunity to consider the wider importance of the achievement.
Full Story
facebook
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Economics, Housing, and Poverty
Phasing out the child tax credit at lower income levels may not be a good idea
Kyle Pomerleau | AEIdeas
Is Latin American monetary policy still countercyclical?
Steve B. Kamin | Central Banking
The costs of closure
Naomi Schaefer Riley | City Journal
History proves Joe Biden needs to worry about the US economy
Desmond Lachman | 19fortyfive.com
Addressing climate change and reforming the tax code with a carbon tax
Kyle Pomerleau | Accountancy Europe
Foreign Policy and Defense
A heavy price to pay?
Zack Cooper, Melanie Marlowe, and Christopher Preble | War on the Rocks
Politics, Society, and Culture
News needs less heat, more humility
Chris Stirewalt | The Dispatch
Should we expand the House of Representatives? The founders thought so.
Kevin R. Kosar | The Hill
Why do these pregnant women have a higher risk of dying from homicide?
Naomi Schaefer Riley | Deseret News
Are our elections policies fueling toxic politics? A Q&A with Lee Drutman
Kevin R. Kosar and Lee Drutman | AEIdeas
The Supreme Court weighs in on vaccine mandates
John Yoo and Bill Whalen | “Matters of Policy & Politics”
Health Care and Technology
There’s nothing ‘ridiculous’ about the emerging space economy
James Pethokoukis | AEIdeas
Improving health and wellness in 2022
David Shaywitz | Timmerman Report
Education
Upcoming event: ‘Rescuing Socrates’ and the future of liberal education: A conversation with Roosevelt Montás
Benjamin Storey and Jenna Silber Storey | AEI event on Tuesday, January 18 at 4PM
Podcasts
Putin’s Maneuvers
Frederick W. Kagan | “Fault Lines”
2022 and the upcoming midterms
Chris Stirewalt and Josh Kraushaar | “The Dispatch Podcast”

12.) THE FLIP SIDE

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Tuesday, January 11, 2022

CDC Guidance

“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [last] Tuesday explained the scientific rationale for shortening its COVID-19 isolation and quarantine recommendations [from 10 days to 5], and clarified that the guidance applies to kids as well as adults. The CDC also maintained that, for people who catch COVID-19, testing is not required to emerge from five days of isolation — despite hints from other federal officials that the agency was reconsidering that.” AP News

“The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention took a calculated gamble [last] Friday as she sought to assume greater control over confused public health messaging about the coronavirus as the pandemic enters its third year. Rochelle Walensky held her first solo covid-19 news conference since becoming the chief of the public health agency nearly a year ago, vowing that it would be ‘the first of many.’” Washington Post

Many on both sides criticize the administration for a lack of transparency and available tests:

“The reduction makes some sense: In recent weeks, a number of public health leaders have suggested that 10 days of isolation was excessive, especially for the vaccinated, and that the wait time could perhaps be cut by half given a negative test. Other countries have taken a similar approach; in England, for instance, individuals only have to isolate for seven days if they come up negative on consecutive rapid antigen tests. The key in those arguments and policies, though, is the negative test. The CDC’s new guidance, in contrast, does not recommend a test before exiting isolation…

“Given how weak the CDC’s arguments are, it’s hard not to suspect that the real reason it opted not to recommend taking a rapid antigen test is that the kits are simply too hard to find in the U.S. right now. Walensky has denied this: ‘This really had nothing to do with supply. It had everything to do with knowing what to do with the information when we got it,’ she told CBS. But it makes vastly more sense than the official explanation, which is that U.S. health authorities have decided every other country is wrong and rapid testing just isn’t that useful for figuring out whether someone might still be capable of spreading the plague after five days at home.”
Jordan Weissmann, Slate

“This is not just a ‘messaging’ issue. It’s a performance issue. The CDC has failed to produce the tests needed to manage variant waves despite a year of promises from the Biden administration that they would prioritize production. The CDC changes its guidances not on ‘fast-moving science’ but quite obviously in reaction to the political environment. When they haven’t offered ‘noble lies,’ they have taken their eyes off the ball in data management that could offer real-time assessments of variant-wave impacts.”
Ed Morrissey, Hot Air

Other opinions below.

From the Right

The new guidelines will reduce economic and social disruption and shouldn’t endanger public health, though they won’t eliminate the risk of transmission by people who follow them. Government’s job is to manage public-health risks as best it can while allowing society and the economy to function. It can never eliminate all health risks…

“Walensky told the Washington Post on Tuesday that the agency revised its guidelines because there ‘were starting to be limitations in society’ due to the extended worker quarantines. She added: ‘This guidance is only as good as society’s willingness to follow it.’ Translation: CDC’s previous guidelines were becoming unsustainable, like government lockdowns. Americans are ignoring them because they’re too onerous…

“This has upset some of the usual public-health sages whose default is always government coercion. One told the Washington Post that the new CDC guidelines do ‘not seem to be based on science and data and what’s best for the public unless they’re accounting for the complete breakdown of society.’ If government did what these experts want, society and the economy would break down.”
Editorial Board, Wall Street Journal

“For many high-risk Americans, it’s hard to get a COVID test. Meanwhile, millions of tests are being used on the lowest-risk population on earth—immunized, young, healthy students. At Princeton University, students get tested twice a week – three times if they play a sport. The hyper-testing isn’t just in the Ivy League. It’s rampant at many of the more than 1,000 U.S. colleges where vaccination is mandatory… Why are [we] using so many tests on the lowest risk segment of our population?…

“For the vast majority of Americans, the overly complex CDC guidance should be replaced with a simple message of common sense: If you’ve been exposed, keep your distance. If you’re near anyone vulnerable, be careful, and if you’re sick, stay home. We are dealing with a far less dangerous omicron variant and growing population immunity is helping to protect against severe illness. Not everyone needs to get tested… even with a scarce testing supply, public health officials continue recommending widespread testing as if tests are unlimited. They need to pivot and put forth recommendations for selective testing.”
Dr. Marty Makary, Fox News

“In a sane, well-governed country, it’d be a top bipartisan priority post-pandemic to either reorganize [the CDC] or replace it with something actually capable of issuing useful public health guidance. The fact that it’s failed for two years running, once under a Republican administration and then again under a Democratic administration, is evidence that the flaws here are institutional and not political.”
Allahpundit, Hot Air

From the Left

“It’s true that, on average, SARS-CoV-2 contagiousness does tend to peak fairly early on in infection, right around the time symptoms start (if they do at all), before dropping off precipitously. Past day five, most people don’t seem to carry enough virus to reliably spread it to others. But that’s a coarse population trend, and problematic to apply at the individual level, where there will be dizzying diversity… One study estimates that roughly 30 percent of people may remain infectious after day five…

“A safe approach to shortened isolations is still achievable, experts told me, but they’d like to see at least two huge amendments to the CDC’s menu of options: a vaccination clause, and a testing requirement, both of which could lower the chances that someone peaces out of isolation prematurely.”
Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic

“Reading between the lines, it sounds a whole lot like an agency exhausted from screaming into the wind… The revised guidelines might not feel off-putting at all if it weren’t for how little anything else has shifted. The message—from the CDC, from Congress, from President Joe Biden himself—is that in the endless pandemic, it’s time to find ways for the disease to disrupt daily life less…

“This is certainly reasonable enough. But put against the failure to offer paid leave to all or secure enough tests for an entirely foreseeable surge, this attitude feels faintly ridiculous. There are a lot of ways to facilitate normalcy and support the economy during a surge. But making sure infected flight attendants can return to Delta after [just a] few days is not particularly convincing—or safe.”
Molly Osberg, New Republic

Some reiterate that “A pandemic involving a novel coronavirus, including a series of distinct variants with different fatality rates and levels of contagiousness, will inevitably produce a high degree of uncertainty among doctors and epidemiologists. At the same time, public health professionals tasked with communicating to the country how best to respond to the risk at any given moment in the pandemic understandably feel like they need to speak with authority and simplicity to be taken seriously. The tension between those poles — uncertainty in a fluid situation vs. an aspiration to authority and simplicity — is bound to produce mixed messaging and even, at times, the appearance of incompetence…

“Critics aren’t wrong to note when public health experts make mistakes or contradict themselves. But they might spend somewhat less time playing ‘gotcha’ and somewhat more time showing understanding of the difficult situation these professionals are in, attempting to save lives in a sprawling, chaotic nation of 330 million people that’s already badly polarized and disinclined to defer to authority of any kind. The last thing America needs is another, deeper cycle of institutional delegitimation.”
Damon Linker, The Week

On the bright side…

An album made entirely of endangered bird sounds beat Taylor Swift on a top 50 chart.
NPR

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13.) AXIOS

An analog clock with only two symbols instead of twelve: the symbols read 'AM' and 'PM'.
26 mins ago

Axios AM

Good Tuesday morning. Smart Brevity™ count: 1,198 words … 4½ minutes. Edited by Zachary Basu.

🚨Breaking: In Atlanta this afternoon, President Biden will back a filibuster “carve-out” for voting rights — a change in Senate rules to allow new protections to pass with a simple majority.

  • A White House official told reporters Biden “supports — as an institutionalist — changing the Senate rules to ensure it can work again … and this basic right is defended.”

In prepared remarks, Biden says the bills “will mark a turning point in this nation. Will we choose democracy over autocracy, light over shadow, justice over injustice? … I will not flinch. … [T]he question is: Where will the institution of the United States Senate stand?”

1 big thing: China’s tracking Olympics
Featured image

Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios

Internet service for athletes at the Winter Olympics in Beijing next month will be fraught with risk and even surveillance, despite China’s promise of free access to social media and other websites.

  • Why it matters: China’s plan for temporarily opening its “great firewall” appears aimed at boosting its global reputation ahead of the Games, not championing an open internet.

Experts expect heavy tracking of online activity, even for visitors who are allowed to access sites that are otherwise blocked, Axios’ Ashley Gold, Ina Fried and Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian report.

How it works: Chinese authorities say Olympic participants and foreign media will have uncensored Internet access through special SIM cards.

  • The U.S. Olympic committee is warning athletes and officials: “[I]t should be assumed that all data and communications in China can be monitored, compromised or blocked.”
  • Chinese athletes post at their peril: Authorities have arrested dozens of Chinese citizens for content they posted on foreign social media.

What to watch: “Even though they allow access to social media, I don’t think any athlete is going to tweet out something about Hong Kong or Taiwan,” said Victor Cha, senior vice president at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

  • “They will work with the IOC to clamp down on any athletes that do say anything,” Cha said.

The bottom line: Security experts recommend athletes use a different phone from their usual one, and SIM cards not provided by China.

2. Poll: Most Americans think we’ll NEVER be COVID-free

Data: Axios/Ipsos poll. Chart: Kavya Beheraj/Axios

Data: Axios/Ipsos poll. Chart: Kavya Beheraj/Axios

Social distancing and self-quarantining are back:

Why it matters: America is back in a crouch like last spring, before vaccines became widely available.

  • Ipsos vice president Mallory Newall said: “The shifts are so significant across the board … back to basically last April, when people were bunkering because a majority weren’t vaccinated yet.”

🥊 52% say they believe it will be more than a year — or never — before they can return to their normal, pre-COVID lives.

  • That’s the highest since we began asking that question a year ago.

Share this story.

3. SEC wants more disclosure by big privates

Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios

The SEC wants to force more disclosure by big private companies, “as regulators grow concerned about … oversight of the private fundraising that has fueled their rise,” The Wall Street Journal reports (subscription).

  • The agency “is working on a proposal that would enable regulators to look under the hood … for a more complete shareholder tally,” The Journal writes. “Its goal is to push large, private companies into the same disclosure regime that their publicly traded counterparts face.”

🔮 The SEC move is at an early stage. Silicon Valley will fight it.

4. Pics du jour: D.C.’s Arctic loner
Photo: Carolyn Kaster/AP

A snowy owl touring iconic buildings of the nation’s capital is captivating birdwatchers who manage to get a glimpse of the rare, resplendent visitor from the Arctic, AP’s Christina Larson reports.

  • Above, the football-sized bird looks down from its perch atop the stone orb of the Christopher Columbus Memorial Fountain at the entrance to Union Station in Washington.

The owl, far from its summer breeding grounds in Canada, was first seen Jan. 3, when a storm dumped eight inches of snow.

  • It’s been spotted in the evenings flying around Washington’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, and landing at Union Station, the National Postal Museum, various Senate buildings, and Capitol Police HQ.
Photo: Carolyn Kaster/AP

The nocturnal hunter appears to be targeting the city’s plentiful downtown rat population.

5. My AI drives like a jerk

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

Tesla’s latest assisted-driving software lets car owners decide how aggressively they want their car to behave in traffic — even to the point of bending rules, Axios’ Joann Muller reports from Detroit.

  • The latest release of Tesla’s “Full Self-Driving” (FSD) beta software lets owners choose among three driving profiles — Chill, Average or Assertive, The Verge reports.

Why it matters: Assertive Teslas are programmed to allow rolling stops, follow other cars more closely and swap lanes more frequently — behaviors that tend to be more dangerous no matter who’s driving.

  • The vehicle will also “not exit passing lanes” — meaning it’ll just cruise in the left lane even though that’s prohibited on most highways.

Share this story.

6. Cable networks deepen paths

From left: Jesse Watters, Audie Cornish, Symone Sanders. Photos: John Lamparski/Getty Images, Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images, Noam Galai/Getty Images

Fox News, CNN and MSNBC announced major hires and staffing shakeups yesterday as they chart their post-Trump futures, Axios Media Trends author Sara Fischer writes.

  • Why it matters: CNN is pushing aggressively into lifestyle and hard news programming for its forthcoming streamer CNN+, while MSNBC and Fox News double down on partisan voices.

What’s happening:

  1. Fox News named Jesse Watters the new host at 7 p.m. ET primetime. “Jesse Watters Primetime” launches Jan. 24. Watters will remain a co-host of Fox News’ daily 5 p.m. ET show, “The Five.” Fox News is leaning into its pro-Trump viewership: That slot was once held by a hard news anchor, Martha MacCallum.
  2. CNN announced NPR veteran Audie Cornish will join CNN+, the subscription streaming service launching later this year. CNN+ has also announced a new show from food writer Alison Roman.
  3. MSNBC hired Symone Sanders, a former senior adviser and chief spokesperson for Vice President Harris, to host a new weekend show, and a streaming program for its streaming platform Peacock. This reflects MSNBC’s showcasing of progressive, diverse voices.

Share this story.

7. Charted: Flightmare
Data: FlightAware. Chart: Kavya Beheraj/Axios

Global airlines have canceled nearly 30,000 U.S. in- or outbound flights since Christmas Eve, data from FlightAware shows.

  • The number of U.S. cancellations dipped below 1,000 (903) for the first time in 15 days, Hope King writes in Axios Closer.

Share this graphic.

8. 🏈 1 for the road: Dawg Nation
Photo: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Georgia conquered Alabama, 33-18, at the college football championship in Indianapolis last night, beating a team it had lost to seven straight times, Axios Sports editor Kendall Baker writes.

  • It was a storybook ending for QB Stetson Bennett (above, with cigar), a former walk-on (and son of two UGA grads) who grew up dreaming of playing for the Dawgs.
  • When he was a freshman, he said, “I had no expectation of playing.”

On last night’s SEC Network pregame show, a host opined that if Bennett pulled it off, “he’ll never buy another drink the rest of his life.” True dat!

Photo: Darron Cummings/AP

“College football has been chasing the Crimson Tide for more than a decade,” writes The Ringer’s Kevin Clark. “The Bulldogs caught up.”

  • The SEC has won 12 of the last 16 national championships, including the last three — LSU, Alabama, Georgia.

AP’s final Top 25 … Gamer.

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14.) THE WASHINGTON FREE BEACON

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15.) THE WASHINGTON POST MORNING HEADLINES


16.) THE WASHINGTON TIMES

The China-led Shanghai Cooperation Organization said the regional security pact is prepared to act in …
America’s Newspaper
January 11, 2022

   

The Washington Times
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DeMarcus Hicks, a recent graduate of nursing school who is working as a contractor with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, gives a person a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine booster shot, Monday, Dec. 20, 2021, on the first day of a COVID-19 vaccination clinic in Federal Way, Wash. The clinic is operated by King County Public Health and other partners with support from FEMA staff and contract workers, who have been traveling across the U.S. to set up temporary community vaccination centers, including in some areas with mobile bus-based clinics, in efforts to increase the availability of COVID-19 vaccinations and booster shots. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

OSHA vaccine mandate takes hold as Supreme Court justices deliberate legality

America’s bigger businesses are now required to know their employees’ coronavirus vaccination status and should be demanding mandatory mask-wearing on … Read More

By Stephen Dinan

Top Headlines

 

Mass retirements open door for far-left to advance takeover of Democratic Party

By Kerry Picket – Read More

House Jan. 6 committee faces dilemma over next steps against uncooperative GOP lawmakers

By Mica Soellner – Read More

Trump attorney asks federal judge to dismiss Jan. 6 suits from Democrats, Capitol Police officers

By Emily Zantow – Read More

Little sign of progress on Ukraine standoff after first U.S.-Russia talks

By Ben Wolfgang – Read More

China, Russia both seize opening to score points in Kazakh crisis

By Bill Gertz and Mike Glenn – Read More

Grieving mom says social justice bail groups contributed to son’s death

By Emily Zantow – Read More

Opinion

 

The Supreme Court and Biden’s vast display of ignorance

By Richard W. Rahn – Read More

Sotomayor boosts Biden’s ‘vax’ campaign

By Charles Hurt – Read More

Democrats, not Republicans, keep democracy in the crosshairs

By Deroy Murdock – Read More

Politics

 

Republicans scoff at Manchin party switch after he alienates both liberals, conservatives

By Haris Alic – Read More

Former Sen. David Perdue announces Parents’ Bill of Rights as part of Georgia governor’s bid

By Tom Howell Jr. – Read More

Democratic Rep. Ed Perlmutter to call it quits after the midterms

By Kerry Picket – Read More

Security

 

Pence calls on Washington to confront Chinese aggression on world stage

By Guy Taylor – Read More

U.S. troops in Japan restricted to bases over COVID-19

By Mike Glenn – Read More

Navy adds two weeks to boot camp

By Mike Glenn – Read More

Sports

 

Defense earns redemption as Georgia ends long title drought

By Charles Odum – Read More

Georgia snaps 41-year title drought with 33-18 win over Alabama

By Ralph D. Russo – Read More

Marchand bloodied, scores twice in Bruins’ 7-3 win over Caps

By Stephen Whyno – Read More

 

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17.) THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

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BY HUGO GURDON AND DAVID FREDDOSO
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HIGHLIGHTS

Thune and Johnson reelection bids signal 2022 confidence in GOP takeover

Thune and Johnson reelection bids signal 2022 confidence in GOP takeover

Two key Senate Republicans have announced they’ll run for reelection, signaling increased optimism the GOP can regain the majority.

Fed chairman Jerome Powell faces nomination hearing

Fed chairman Jerome Powell faces nomination hearing

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell is expected to get grilled about inflation and interest rates, among other topics, during his nomination hearing on Capitol Hill.

Republicans hit NYC voting law that lets noncitizens cast ballots

Republicans hit NYC voting law that lets noncitizens cast ballots

A new voting law in New York City that will allow as many as 800,000 noncitizens to participate in local elections has sparked Republican opposition and renewed debates about who should enjoy the right to vote — and in which elections.

Alabama Senate contenders mum on McConnell as Trump calls for ouster

Alabama Senate contenders mum on McConnell as Trump calls for ouster

The trio of Republicans vying for a Senate seat in Alabama are refusing to follow the lead of former President Donald Trump and demand the ouster of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

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Blessing in disguise? How Biden could benefit from Supreme Court blocking vaccine mandate

Blessing in disguise? How Biden could benefit from Supreme Court blocking vaccine mandate

As the Biden administration’s employer vaccine mandate hangs in the balance before the Supreme Court, there could be an upside for the White House should the regulation be overturned.

Biden begins 2022 by poking the Trump bear

Biden begins 2022 by poking the Trump bear

President Joe Biden has adopted noticeably tougher messaging in discussing former President Donald Trump and Republicans, and veteran political operatives say the strategy is “clearly” aimed at boosting Democrats in a midterm election year.

Jan. 6 committee at crossroads as Republican members refuse to aid inquiry

The House select committee formed to investigate the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol faces a decision on how far it will go in handling Republican lawmakers who refuse to voluntarily speak to the panel or provide it with information.

Chicago Public Schools poised to resume in-person learning Wednesday after dayslong standoff

Chicago Public Schools poised to resume in-person learning Wednesday after dayslong standoff

The Chicago Teachers Union House of Delegates approved a proposal for Chicago Public Schools to resume in-person learning, paving the way for classes to start on Wednesday.

Leaked email during lockdown adds fuel to Boris Johnson party scandal

Leaked email during lockdown adds fuel to Boris Johnson party scandal

United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson is accused of breaching his country’s first coronavirus lockdown in May 2020 after a leaked email Monday showed a top official invited more than 100 workers to a garden party.

Haitian migrants arriving at border being flown back to island

Haitian migrants arriving at border being flown back to island

AUSTIN, Texas — The Biden administration has quietly begun returning several thousand Haitian migrants who illegally crossed the U.S. southern border into southwestern Arizona, two people familiar with the operations told the Washington Examiner.

THE ROUNDUP

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20.) CHICAGO TRIBUNE

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VIEW IN BROWSER JANUARY 11, 2022 CHICAGOTRIBUNE.COM

DAYWATCH

Good morning, Chicago.
Four school days canceled. A contentious standoff with the teachers union. Record COVID-19 cases in Chicago.
A national spotlight has shone on Chicago Public Schools after a weeklong standoff with the Chicago Teachers Union over return to the classroom. But it appears a proposal has been approved by the Chicago Teachers Union’s House of Delegates to resume in-person classes Wednesday. The measure is expected to go to a union rank-and-file vote this week.
At a late news conference, Mayor Lori Lightfoot praised her team and hailed in-person learning, having staunchly rejected CTU’s calls for a wholesale return to remote learning.
Meanwhile, some school districts in Chicago’s south suburbs are holding off on bringing students back into the classroom.
Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day.

1

Less than one month after omicron was confirmed in Chicago, it made up nearly all COVID-19 cases in one city report

Within one month of its identification in Chicago, the omicron variant of the coronavirus has quickly become the dominant strain in the city, according to a report from the Chicago Department of Public Health.

The first confirmed case of omicron in a Chicago resident was announced Dec. 7. By January, the variant made up more than 90% of the COVID-19 samples analyzed by a Rush University Medical Center Lab, according to the city’s public health department.

2

Chicago police leadership places many tactical officers back in patrol cars amid struggle to contain violence

Chicago police Superintendent David Brown has moved more than half the department’s officers assigned to tactical units to basic patrol functions as the department struggles with an exodus of cops due to retirements and others out sick with coronavirus, and as it deals with some who have shown poor performance, law enforcement sources said over the weekend.

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3

Shedd announces $500 million project to re-imagine aquarium and expand reach: ‘People will not save what they have no connection to’

The Shedd Aquarium houses a remarkable creature called an archerfish that spits water 3 feet into the air to knock insects off trees into the water for dinner. Right now, the archerfish swims in an aquarium with a label displaying its name. That’s it. But soon, visitors will be able to see the fish actually do its thing — spitting at a tree to dislodge crickets for a meal.

Interactive experiences like this inspire the public to care more about the fish and its habitat, according to Bridget Coughlin, president and CEO of the Shedd Aquarium. This connection between humans experiencing wild animals and being inspired to conserve is the driving force behind the aquarium’s new $500 million project, a 100-year vision called the Centennial Commitment.

4

George McCaskey promises a ‘thorough, diligent and exhaustive’ search for the next Chicago Bears GM and coach after firing Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy

The Chicago Bears are in the market for a new general manager and head coach after firing Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy on Monday. While the move to fire Nagy was expected as the losses piled up in his fourth season, Pace’s fate after seven years in his role seemed less clear over the last month.

Even if the news wasn’t all that stunning to anyone inside or outside of Halas Hall, the finality still packed a punch for players. “Pace and Nagy?” running back David Montgomery said. “They took a chance on me.”

How will the Bears conduct their job searches? Here are some questions — and answers — about the days ahead. And the Tribune’s Brad Biggs lists some potential candidates for coach (27 of them) and general manager (22 of them).

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5

My worst moment: ‘Righteous Gemstones’ creator and star Danny McBride and the challenge of promoting a movie you know is bombing with audiences

Few writer-actors have had as consistent a run of shows on HBO as Danny McBride, whose odes to idiocy began with his series “Eastbound & Down,” followed by “Vice Principals” and currently with “The Righteous Gemstones,” a portrayal of a dysfunctional family of televangelists and megachurch pastors now in its second season.

When asked about a worst moment in his career, the story he told the Tribune’s Nina Metz was from a time in his life “when things were just getting going,” and he said he still feels “weird about it and a little gross when I think back to it.”


21.) CHICAGO SUNTIMES

CPS students to return to classes Wednesday after CTU suspends walkout

Chicago Sun-Times Morning Edition
Good morning, Chicago —
Here’s the latest news from around the area this morning.
The Chicago Teachers Union’s governing body voted yesterday to suspend its labor action and return to in-person work today, ending a bitter dispute with Chicago Public Schools and setting up students to return to classrooms tomorrow for the first time in a week. At a press conference after the vote, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said families could “breathe a sigh of relief” that kids will be back in school.
Meanwhile in federal court, a recently filed class-action lawsuit alleges a “cartel” of elite universities that includes Northwestern, University of Chicago and Notre Dame conspired to restrict financial aid for needy students. Andy Grimm has more on the lawsuit’s claims.
And the Bears’ press conference after the firings of Matt Nagy and Ryan Pace yesterday gave no shortage of notable moments, including team officials’ comments on the Arlington Heights site and a bit of controversy involving team chairman George McCaskey and former star lineman Olin Kreutz. It was so bad at times Rick Morrissey wonders when fans will finally say “enough.”
Get even more news below, and thanks for reading.
Satchel Price, assistant audience engagement editor
CPS students to return to classrooms Wednesday after CTU suspends walkout
Lawsuit says Northwestern, Notre Dame, U Chicago among elite schools that schemed to reduce financial aid for students

Bears on Arlington Heights stadium site: ‘There’s nothing else like it in Chicagoland’

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22.) THE HILL MORNING REPORT

The Hill's Morning Report
President Joe Biden walks to the Oval Office of the White House after stepping off Marine One

© Associated Press/Patrick Semansky

 

 

Welcome to The Hill’s Morning Report. It is Tuesday! We get you up to speed on the most important developments in politics and policy, plus trends to watch. Alexis Simendinger and Al Weaver are the co-creators. Readers can find us on Twitter @asimendinger and @alweaver22. Please recommend the Morning Report to friends and let us know what you think. CLICK HERE to subscribe!

Total U.S. coronavirus deaths reported each morning this week: Monday, 837,664; Tuesday, 839,500. 
The White House is staring down a two-pronged attack in the coming days as President Biden prepares to address voting rights in Atlanta today and deliver a speech on the state of the COVID-19 pandemic on Thursday.

 

Biden and Vice President Harris are set to visit the epicenter of the political South this afternoon as part of the Democratic pressure campaign to alter Senate rules in order to pass two wide-ranging election reform and voting rights bills. The president, a longtime defender of the filibuster, is expected to throw his weight behind a proposed exception from the 60-vote threshold specifically for voting rights legislation. It’s a change for Biden and is opposed by Republicans (The New York Times).

 

“Tomorrow is an opportunity to speak about what the path forward looks like,” said White House press secretary Jen Psaki before confirming Biden’s pending call to change the rules in the upper chamber (Reuters).

 

The Hill: Biden to call expected Senate action on voting bills a “turning point.”

 

However, whether the chance of the concerted effort paying off in the form of legislative action remains slim to none. As The Hill’s Niall Stanage writes in his latest Memo, that circumstance also raises the question of whether Democrats are setting themselves up for failure by playing the expectations game. While the Democratic base clamors for action on the topic, the inability to win over Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) — both of whom support the pair of proposals — to alter the 60-vote filibuster threshold could prove fateful in the long run.

 

On Monday, Manchin indicated that he hasn’t seen anything to change his stance.

 

“Maybe someone is hiding something. They haven’t shown it to me,” the West Virginia centrist told CNN.

 

Compounding their issues, Sinema reiterated her unwillingness to change the filibuster at the Senate Democratic conference’s virtual lunch last week (The Washington Post).

 

Politico: Dems filibuster conundrum: It’s not just Manchin and Sinema.

 

The speeches also come days as Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) plans to hold a vote on the issue ahead of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday on Monday.

 

In response, Republicans are using Schumer’s push to scrap the 60-vote prerequisite to launch a counteroffensive. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) laid out to The Wall Street Journal a list of legislative priorities Republicans would move on. Among them are proposals to block the IRS from implementing the Biden administration’s push for banks to collect information about customer accounts to the tax collecting service and to bar schools from using the available $164 billion in COVID-19 relief funds if they are not operating in person.

 

Jordain Carney, The Hill: Democrats face moment of truth in filibuster fight.

 

The New York Times: Voting rights groups skipping Biden’s speech in Georgia over inaction. Stacey Abrams is also not expected to show up, citing a scheduling conflict.

 

On the COVID-19 front, Biden is set to deliver another address on the topic on Thursday as cases explode across the nation from the omicron variant and laid out his plan for insurance to cover COVID-19 kits.

 

The administration issued new rules requiring private insurers to cover the cost of at-home COVID-19 tests starting on Saturday after weeks of test shortages that have plagued the administration. Insurers will be required to cover the cost of eight at-home COVID-19 tests per person each month.

 

Youngstown City Health Department worker Faith Terreri grabs two at-home COVID-19 test kits to be handed out during a distribution event

© Associated Press/David Dermer

 

 

The announcement comes on the heels of mounting criticism from health experts to increase availability as testing locales across the country have been hit by long lines and pharmacies have quickly sold out of the rapid at-home tests (The Hill).

 

The variant has also wreaked havoc at the school level, with Chicago serving as ground zero. However, the Chicago Teachers Union reached a deal on Monday night to resume in-person instruction after a standoff between its leaders and city officials led to five days of canceled classes.

 

The deal still needs to be approved by the union of roughly 25,000 teachers and would put students back in the classroom starting on Wednesday.

 

“We know this has been very difficult for students and families,” Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot (D) said at a Monday press conference after days of criticizing the union. “No one wins when students are out of a place where they can learn the best and where they’re safest” (The Associated Press).

 

The Washington Post: The U.S. today is poised to break a 2021 record with more than 142,000 COVID-19 hospitalizations.

 

Nathaniel Weixel, The Hill: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky, a physician and scientist, faces a precarious political moment.

 

The Washington Post: CDC weighs recommending better masks against omicron variant.

 

The Hill: Moderna CEO says omicron-specific booster trials will begin soon.

 

Students at the Mt. Greenwood Elementary School in Chicago depart after a full day of classes

© Associated Press/Charles Rex Arbogast

 

 

On Capitol Hill, three more lawmakers on Monday tested positive for the virus (The Hill). Reps. John Katko (R-N.Y.), Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) and Ben Cline (R-Va.) all announced positive test results, with Mace doing so for the second time. All three members were vaccinated (The Hill).

 

The Hill: Congress restores strict health protocols during omicron-fueled surge.

 

The Washington PostVirginia declares a limited state of emergency aimed at helping hospitals in crisis.

 

The Associated PressIndia starts booster shots for vulnerable amid omicron surge.

LEADING THE DAY
ADMINISTRATION: After eight hours of talks in Geneva on Monday, the U.S. and Russia gained a better understanding of each nation’s respective worries when it comes to Moscow’s stance toward Ukraine, which prompted U.S. intelligence last year to warn of a potential Russian invasion this month (The Hill).

 

The United States came to today’s extraordinary meeting prepared to hear Russia’s security concerns and to share our own,” Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman told reporters gathered in Switzerland. “Today was a discussion, a better understanding of each other and each other’s priorities and concerns.”

 

The Associated Press: Lowered expectations, no signs of progress.

 

Russia repeated its pledge that despite a huge troop buildup along Ukraine’s border, there were no plans to attack. Russian officials said Monday’s talks had been professional, while both sides acknowledge they remain far apart (Bloomberg News).

 

Moscow wants guarantees to halt NATO’s eastward expansion and even roll back the military alliance’s deployments in Eastern Europe, while Washington firmly rejects such demands.

 

US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, left, and Russian deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, right, attend security talks

© Denis Balibouse/Pool via Associated Press

 

 

> Health and Human Services: Secretary Xavier Becerra instructed Medicare to reassess a premium increase contemplated this year to cover high costs of Biogen’s much-debated Alzheimer’s drug (The Associated Press).

 

> IRS: Tax filers should expect service delays during tax filing season, which begins on Jan. 24, the government advised on Monday (The Wall Street Journal).

 

> Immigration: The administration has expelled more than 12,000 Haitians from the United States since September while avoiding any major policy announcements regarding the disaster-wracked Caribbean nation. The U.S. policy of expulsions led to the resignation of former special envoy for Haiti Daniel Foote (The Hill).

 

> Coined: The late poet and novelist Maya Angelou is the first Black woman to be featured by the Treasury Department on the quarter — commemoration through coinage — unveiled on Monday (The Hill). The U.S. Mint launched an American Women Quarters Program with the likeness of Angelou, who died in 2014. Her 1969 autobiography, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” was nominated for the National Book Award and made her a literary celebrity. In 1993, she read “On the Pulse of Morning,” a poem she wrote to mark the inauguration of former President Clinton. Former President Obama awarded Angelou the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2010.

 

*****

 

CONGRESS: It’s no secret that House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (Calif.), who covets the speakership in 2023, is intent on gathering support among colleagues, GOP donors and other powerful influencers, most prominently the former 45th president. In a video conversation reported on Monday, McCarthy delighted conservatives by promising to punish a trio of progressive lawmakers, should he get the chance next year. If given the authority, he said, he would strip Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) of key committee assignments (Breitbart). 

 

“The Democrats have created a new thing where they’re picking and choosing who can be on committees,” McCarthy said. “Never in the history [of Congress] have you had the majority tell the minority who can be on committee.”

 

McCarthy detailed his criticisms of the three lawmakers during a long-form video special, taped in December in Washington. The GOP leader also hinted he might create a new committee to investigate China policies and the Chinese Communist Party if Republicans win a majority and he becomes Speaker.

 

Meanwhile, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is not offering clues about whether this will be her final year in Congress, as many expect. The Hill’s Scott Wong and Mike Lillis report that while a new generation of Democratic lawmakers is restless to send the old guard packing, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (Md.), who will be 83 in June, and House Majority Whip James Clyburn (S.C.), who will be 82 in July, have been reaching out to colleagues to gauge their support about hanging on, even if Pelosi retires.

 

On Monday, Democratic Rep. Ed Perlmutter, 68, a Blue Dog representing Colorado in the House since his election in 2006, became the 26th incumbent in his caucus to announce he won’t seek reelection. “There comes a time when you pass the torch to the next generation of leaders. … Fortunately we have a strong group of leaders who are ready and able to take up that torch,” he said (The Hill).

 

Thirteen House Republicans to date have announced they will retire this cycle. Perlmutter’s decision follows Colorado’s new congressional maps, which cut the 7th District from a 15-point Democratic lean to just 6 points, according to FiveThirtyEight. Perlmutter, not seen as a break-glass sort of Democrat, has nevertheless publicly argued since 2016 that the House Democratic leadership needed fresh blood and new perspectives.

 

Sunlight shines on the U.S. Capitol Dome in Washington

© Associated Press/Patrick Semansky

 

IN FOCUS/SHARP TAKES
POLITICS: Former President Trump stirred discord with another GOP lawmaker on Monday, directing his ire at Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) after the conservative member said that Biden’s 2020 victory was fair and legitimate.

 

In a Monday statement, Trump took aim at Rounds, calling him a “jerk” and vowing never to endorse him again after the remarks. Rounds, who previously served as South Dakota governor, is not up for reelection until 2026.

 

Rounds did not take the criticism lying down and issued a statement reiterating his Sunday remarks, adding he was “disappointed but not surprised” by Trump’s reaction.

 

“However, the facts remain the same. I stand by my statement. The former president lost the 2020 election,” Rounds said. “If we’re being honest, there was no evidence of widespread fraud that would have altered the results of the election.” 

 

“As a Republican Party, our focus should be on what lies ahead, not what’s in the past. Elections are about growing support for your party, not further dividing it,” Rounds said. “Attacking Republicans certainly isn’t going to result in a winning formula. Neither is telling citizens not to vote. If we are going to win in 2022 and 2024, we have to move forward together.”

 

Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., questions Secretary of Veterans Affairs nominee Denis McDonough during a confirmation hearing

© Sarah Silbiger/Pool via Associated Press

 

 

Trump’s battles on Monday were not limited to his barbs with Rounds, as a federal judge questioned his claims of “absolute immunity” in the face of three civil lawsuits accusing him of having a hand in the Capitol riot last year.

 

U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta appeared skeptical of Trump’s argument during Monday’s hearing that the suits from Democratic lawmakers and U.S. Capitol Police officers should be tossed because presidential speech and actions while in office are wholly protected from civil action.

 

“Is there anything the president could say while president of the United States that could subject him to civil suits?” said Mehta, an Obama appointee.

 

Jesse Binnall, a Trump attorney, said he could not think of an example that would fall outside of that immunity (The Hill).

 

The New York Times: Former Vice President Mike Pence and Jan. 6 committee engage in high-stakes dance over testimony.

 

The Hill: Search for 2024 convention sites ramps up in both parties.

OPINION
How do we know Trump’s election fraud claims are bogus? Take a look at Pennsylvania, by Henry Olsen, columnist, The Washington Post. https://wapo.st/3Gen6vV

 

The Federal Reserve needs to get a lot more hawkish, by Bill Dudley, contributor, Bloomberg Opinion. https://bloom.bg/3HKpXg

WHERE AND WHEN
The House meets at 10 a.m.

 

The Senate convenes at 11 a.m. and will resume consideration of the nomination of Alan Davidson to be assistant secretary of Commerce for communications and information. … Schumer is the featured newsmaker for a livestream event at 7 p.m. EDT about voting rights hosted by the Center for American Progress Action Fund. Information and registration is HERE.

 

The president will receive the President’s Daily Brief at 9:30 a.m. Biden will travel to Atlanta, where he and the vice president will lay a wreath at the crypt of MLK Jr., the late civil rights leader, and his wife, Coretta Scott King at 2:40 p.m. at the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change. Biden and Harris will visit Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church, where King was baptized, at 3 p.m. The president will speak at 3:50 p.m. about protecting voting rights while visiting the Atlanta University Center Consortium on the grounds of Clark Atlanta University and Morehouse College. Biden will return to the White House at 8:05 p.m.

 

The vice president while in Atlanta with Biden will deliver a speech this afternoon about protecting elections and the right to vote.

 

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell appears at 10 a.m. before the Senate Banking Committee for a confirmation hearing to serve a second term. Because of economists’ outspoken criticisms of Fed policy, Powell faces questions about rate and accommodation changes anticipated this year. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who opposes Powell’s nomination, said on Monday the Fed must disclose information about an ethics controversy (Reuters).

 

📺 Hill.TV’s “Rising” program features news and interviews at http://thehill.com/hilltv or on YouTube at 10:30 a.m. ET at Rising on YouTube.

ELSEWHERE
 INTERNATIONAL: North Korea fired what was believed on Tuesday to a ballistic missile, South Korea‘s military and the Japanese coast guard said. It’s the second apparent missile launch in less than a week. The United States and its allies condemned the latest launch by Pyongyang as a significant threat (Reuters). … European Union Parliament President David Sassoli, 65, died early today at an Italian hospital (The Associated Press). Sassoli contracted pneumonia in September caused by the legionella bacteria and was hospitalized on Dec. 26 with immune system problems.

 

 STATE WATCH: States are preparing for a revolution in the auto industry by setting aside billions of dollars in spending on infrastructure for electric vehicles — that is, when they’re not taxing those vehicles with additional fees to make up for lost gas tax revenue (The Hill).

 

 SPORTS: After a 42-year drought, the University of Georgia is once again national champions of college football after defeating the University of Alabama, 33-18, in Indianapolis. The Bulldogs cemented the victory with an interception return for a touchdown by Kelee Ringo with less than a minute left to play, handing them the elusive championship (ESPN). … The New York Yankees on Monday tapped Rachel Balkovec (pictured below) to become the manager of its Low A-affiliate Tampa Tarpons, making her the first female manager in affiliated professional baseball. Balkovec, 34, previously served as a hitting coach in the franchise’s rookie-level club and has held coaching positions across professional baseball for a decade (MLB.com).

 

New York Yankees minor league hitting coach Rachel Balkovec speaks to reporters

© Associated Press/Gregory Bull

 

THE CLOSER
And finally …  David Bennett, 57, was dying. He was ineligible for a human heart transplant. He had run out of life-saving options until doctors offered him a scientific longshot. They could transplant a pig heart into their patient with no guarantee the experiment would work.

 

Bennett seized the chance for the surgery Friday at the University of Maryland Medical Center, his son said, according to The Associated Press, and on Monday, his cardiac and transplant team said Bennett was doing well. The experimental surgery was approved by the Food and Drug Administration under emergency compassionate criteria.

 

The transplant of a genetically modified animal heart into an adult without immediate rejection represents tentative progress. In 1984, newborn Stephanie Fae Beauclair, known as Baby Fae, lived 21 days with a walnut-sized baboon heart after surgery in California. Prior attempts at such transplants — or xenotransplantation — failed largely because patients’ bodies rapidly rejected the animal organs.

 

“If this works, there will be an endless supply of these organs for patients who are suffering,” Muhammad Mohiuddinsurgeon and scientific director of the university’s animal-to-human transplant program, predicted.

 

In this photo provided by the University of Maryland School of Medicine, members of the surgical team perform the transplant of a pig heart into patient David Bennett in Baltimore

© Mark Teske/University of Maryland School of Medicine via Associated Press

 

The Morning Report is created by journalists Alexis Simendinger and Al Weaver. We want to hear from you! Email: asimendinger@thehill.com and aweaver@thehill.com. We invite you to share The Hill’s reporting and newsletters, and encourage others to SUBSCRIBE! 
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24.) ROLL CALL

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Morning Headlines

ImageAs House members officially return to Washington for their first week of legislating in 2022, workers at the Capitol wonder how much this new year will resemble the last — marked by bitter skirmishes over pandemic safety that felt even more high-stakes because they were unfolding in the seat of American government. Read more…

ImageA federal judge in Washington sounded likely Monday to allow lawsuits from Democratic lawmakers and Capitol Police officers to move forward against former President Donald Trump in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on Congress. Read more…

Democrats’ early panic over gerrymandering could prove costly in November

 

ImageOPINION — Unless Joe Biden and Chuck Schumer suddenly emerge as the 21st-century heirs to escape artist Harry Houdini, Democrats’ legislative agenda will continue to remain underwater while chained upside down in a small box. Read more…

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Nunes departure prompts GOP reshuffling on Armed Services

 

ImageDevin Nunes’ resignation from Congress has prompted a shake-up in GOP leadership on the House Armed Services Committee. Rep. Michael R. Turner has left his post as Strategic Forces Subcommittee ranking member to replace Nunes as ranking Republican on the Intelligence Committee, setting off a cascade of moves at HASC. Read more…

GOP sues NYC over letting immigrants vote in local elections

 

ImageThe Republican National Committee has challenged a measure allowing foreign citizens with legal work permits living in New York City to vote in local elections. In a lawsuit, the RNC, along with a group of New York GOP lawmakers and naturalized U.S. citizens, claimed the new law conflicts with the state’s constitution and election laws. Read more…

Absence of reporting law limits agency knowledge of cyberattacks

 

ImageThe absence of a federal law requiring operators of critical infrastructure to report cyberattacks to the federal government is likely leaving the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency in the dark about possible attacks as the agency and others confront one of the most widespread software flaws ever discovered. Read more…

Biden issues guidance for health plans to cover COVID-19 tests

 

ImagePrivate health insurance plans will cover up to eight over-the-counter COVID-19 tests per consumer each month under a new Biden administration directive meant to make tests more affordable. Tests purchased beginning on Jan. 15 will be covered. Read more…

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25.) POLITICO PLAYBOOK

POLITICO Playbook: Biden faces his moment on the filibuster

Presented by

DRIVING THE DAY

President JOE BIDEN and Senate Democrats are entering the second week of their push to pass a pair of voting rights bills.

The big question Democrats will be watching for answers to, starting with the president’s speech in Atlanta on Tuesday: Will Biden make a more forceful case for reforming the filibuster?

Biden’s Georgia trip will pay homage to the state’s civil rights history: He’ll speak at the Atlanta University Center Consortium, which consists of four historically black colleges. He and VP KAMALA HARRIS “will lay a wreath at the crypt of Dr. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.” and “visit Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church,” according to the White House. That’s the church where MLK preached from 1960 to his assassination in 1968, and where Sen. RAPHAEL WARNOCK (D-Ga.) is now a pastor.

Shortly before Biden speaks, Senate Democrats will meet (likely virtually, we’re told) and have their latest opportunity to hear from Sens. JOE MANCHIN (D-W.Va.) and KYRSTEN SINEMA (D-Ariz.), neither of whom have budged in their opposition to filibuster reform.

What’s going to happen over the next week, per a Dem source: “I would not expect [Senate Majority Leader CHUCK] SCHUMER to lay out next steps, as it relates to [a] vote schedule, on voting rights, until after POTUS’ voting rights speech. Remember, Schumer had said first Republicans will be given another chance to vote for voting rights legislation. If [the] GOP obstructs again, the Senate would move to debate and consider changing the Senate rules to allow for passage of the voting rights legislation.”

Schumer’s deadline for the rules change debate is a week from today, Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Unless Manchin and Sinema change their minds, that effort will also fail.

But will anything be salvaged from the ashes of this debate?

The main Republican argument against the two bills is that GOP senators do not believe that the right to vote is under attack. (More on that below.) It is undeniably true that GOP-controlled states are passing laws that make it harder to vote, or at least less convenient.

Last year, 19 states made voting harder. Democrats call these voting laws “voter suppression” and see it as an emergency that needs to be addressed. Republicans point to evidence that shows making it harder or easier to vote doesn’t actually affect voter turnout, so there’s no crisis.

Bottom line: The voter suppression divide between the two parties is likely unbridgeable right now. The best chance for a compromise seems to be legislation dealing with election subversion.

We’re told the bipartisan group that started discussions on that subject last week has continued to exchange ideas and will likely be meeting this week (though as of Sunday night there was nothing on the books, per a senior Senate aide). The talks started with reform of the Electoral Count Act, but they have broadened to include other election subversion issues, including some that are included in the Freedom to Vote Act.

Some of the leading liberal experts are more worried about subversion than suppression.

“Democrats and Republicans need to come together and pass legislation that targets the risk of election subversion,” RICK HASEN told The Atlantic recently. “It’s even more urgent than voter suppression, which is a real problem.”

Even Democrats who say they are most worried about voting rights and suppression are often actually concerned about election subversion. For example, when White House press secretary JEN PSAKI was asked last week to respond to Republicans saying it was a “big lie” that the party is making it harder for people to vote, she ticked off seven examples and five of them were about potential election subversion after the votes have been counted, not making it harder to vote beforehand (canvassing boards being stacked with supporters of the Big Lie in Michigan, legislature interference with the state board of elections in Georgia, and GOP “audits” of 2020 election results in Arizona, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin).

If the GOP, Manchin and Sinema do indeed scuttle the Dems’ two bills, prospects for reform may be dead. But the next best chance will be a bipartisan bill addressing subversion.

Good Monday morning, and thanks for reading Playbook. Drop us a line: Rachael BadeEugene DanielsRyan LizzaTara Palmeri.

‘THE LEFT’S BIG LIE’ — As Schumer pressures his caucus to go nuclear to pass the party’s voting bill this month, Republican leadership is gearing up a major messaging push to save the chamber’s 60-vote threshold. Expect them to come at this issue from two angles this week:

1) They’ll argue that voting rights aren’t really in jeopardy. On Sunday night, Senate Minority Leader MITCH MCCONNELL’s office sent a memo to reporters blasting Democrats for what they’re dubbing “the left’s Big Lie”: the claim “that there is some evil anti-voting conspiracy sweeping America.” The GOP leader is trying to dispel the notion that the fundamental right to vote is in jeopardy, arguing that Democrats are whipping up “fake hysteria to break the Senate … and ram through their radical agenda.”

Among other points that we’re sure we’ll hear more about this week, McConnell argues that the last presidential election saw the most voter turnout since 1900some polls show more Americans think current voting rules should be stricter than those who say it’s too hard to vote; and warnings of “Jim Crow 2.0” are insulting to the American public, which knows it’s already illegal to prevent people from voting based on their race. Full memo here

2) The GOP is warning voters that Democrats are trying to “silence your voice.” The idea is to make this very D.C.-centric debate about the filibuster more digestible to everyday voters. Americans may not care about a spat over Senate rules, but they do care if it affects their lives. Or so the GOP thinking goes.

That’s why Republicans will be warning in the coming days that if Democrats nix the filibuster, it would open the floodgates for liberal policies. A new Senate Republican Conference video shared with Playbook on Sunday night name-checks a few boogeymen for the right: the Green New Deal, “open borders,” “Defund the Police” and “packing” the Supreme Court.

“The filibuster ensures millions of Americans have a voice in Congress,” the video says. “But Democrats want to silence your voice. Don’t let them.”

Most Democrats are focused on a voting “carveout” — as opposed to nuking the filibuster altogether. But Republicans say it’s a slippery slope.

BIDEN’S MONDAY:

— 9:30 a.m.: The president will return to the White House from Camp David.

— 10:30 a.m.: Biden will receive the President’s Daily Brief.

Psaki will brief at 1:30 p.m.

THE SENATE will meet at 3 p.m. to take up ALAN DAVIDSON’s nomination to lead the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, with a cloture vote at 5:30 p.m.

THE HOUSE will meet at 6:30 p.m.

BIDEN’S WEEK AHEAD:

— Tuesday: The president and VP will travel to Georgia, where they will deliver remarks on voting rights. They will also lay a wreath at the crypt of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King at the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change and visit Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church.

— Thursday: Biden will deliver an update on the administration’s pandemic response.

PHOTO OF THE DAY

PLAYBOOK READS

THE WHITE HOUSE

BIDEN CHANGES HIS TONE — With his agenda stalled in Congress, Biden has adopted a more aggressive tone to start his second year in office, “lashing out at Republicans, embracing forceful new attacks meant to define a choice for voters between Biden’s Democrats and a Republican Party still under the thumb of [DONALD] TRUMP,” NYT’s Michael Shear writes.

“For some allies, the change in tone is a welcome shift from the dominant theme of the president’s first year, when he more often focused on his desire to unify the country and struggled to negotiate with members of his own party. Now, they say, it is time for Mr. Biden to focus not only on his own achievements, but also on how the Republican Party threatens to reverse those efforts if it returns to power on Capitol Hill — something that has not been at the center of his presidency so far.”

JAN. 6 AND ITS AFTERMATH

JORDAN SNUBS JAN. 6 PANEL — Rep. JIM JORDAN (R-Ohio) is refusing the Jan. 6 committee’s request for an interview, calling the ask an “unprecedented and inappropriate demand.”

In a letter to Chair BENNIE THOMPSON (D-Miss.) on Sunday evening, Jordan wrote: “Your attempt to pry into the deliberative process informing a Member about legislative matters before the House is an outrageous abuse of the Select Committee’s authority.” He is the second lawmaker to turn down participation in the committee’s investigation, following Rep. SCOTT PERRY’s (R-Pa.) rejection. More details from Nicholas Wu and Kyle Cheney

— Nick also reports that the committee’s investigation is extending far beyond Washington: The panel has “gathered thousands of records from state officials and interviewed a slate of witnesses as it attempts to retrace Trump’s attempts to subvert the 2020 election, particularly in four key states that swung the presidency to Biden.”

The documents sent to the committee, obtained by POLITICO, “underscore the depth of Trump’s pressure campaign directed at the typically lower-level administrators of presidential balloting. The emails, texts and phone recordings also add consequential context to previously reported incidents, such as Trump’s call to Georgia’s top elections investigator and MARK MEADOWS’ outreach to Georgia election officials.”

AMERICA AND THE WORLD

BIG WEEK FOR U.S.-RUSSIA RELATIONSHIP — Talks between Russia and the U.S. are set to begin Monday, and the discussions “could shape the future of not only their relationship but the relationship between the U.S. and its NATO allies.” AP’s Matthew Lee puts it bluntly: “Prospects are bleak.”

“Though the immediacy of the threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine will top the agenda, there is a litany of festering but largely unrelated disputes, ranging from arms control to cybercrime and diplomatic issues, for Washington and Moscow to overcome if tensions are to ease. And the recent deployment of Russian troops to Kazakhstan may cast a shadow over the entire exercise. The two sides have been positioning themselves for what will be a nearly unprecedented flurry of activity in Europe this week.”

THE PANDEMIC

TWO YEARS IN — Our Lisa Kashinsky and Susannah Luthi have an interesting look at the split on the left over how to respond to the Omicron outbreak. Democratic leaders aren’t looking to impose restrictions and shutdowns again. So instead of taking incoming from Republicans, they’re hearing from “critics on the left who accuse their own party of selling out public health to keep the economy going. Labor unions representing teachers, health care workers and airline staff say governments aren’t providing enough tests and masks and that leaders should consider short-term closures until the Omicron surge ends.”

BEYOND THE BELTWAY

CHICAGO SCHOOLS REMAIN CLOSED — Chicago public schools will remain closed Monday, “the fourth-straight academic day, as it failed to reach a deal with the local teachers’ union over demands for more measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19,” Bloomberg’s Shruti Singh reports.

PLAYBOOKERS

AOC has Covid. The congresswoman, who traveled to Florida over the holiday break and has been boosted, “is experiencing symptoms and recovering at home.”

Bill Whitaker of “60 Minutes” also has it — he thanked Lesley Stahl for introducing his segment on the show Sunday night in his absence.

Ted Cruz opined on Twitter that “COVID mandates are wrong. Schools have no right to FORCE you to get your 5-year old vaccinated.” Others pointed out that there are plenty of vaccine requirements already for children to attend school.

Kovid Kapoor and others who share his first name are trying to make the best of it, WaPo reports.

The pardoned Paul Manafort has a book on the way: “Political Prisoner: Persecuted, Prosecuted, but Not Silenced.”

Wolf Blitzer was a happy Buffalo Bills fan Sunday night.

Jeff Stein took to Twitter to ponder the arc of world history.

MEDIA MOVES — Jennifer Shutt is joining the States Newsroom Washington bureau as a senior reporter. She previously was a budget and appropriations reporter at CQ Roll Call and is a POLITICO alum. … Wyatt Mayes is now a social media producer for CBS’ “Face the Nation.” He previously was a social media editor and producer at PBS NewsHour and is an NBC alum.

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Emma Thomas is joining Feldman Strategies as a director, as part of the firm’s senior expansion. She previously was an account director at BerlinRosen, co-leading the reproductive rights portfolio and working on voting rights.

TRANSITIONS — Allison Hooker is now an SVP at American Global Strategies. She is a former deputy assistant to the president and senior director for Asian affairs at the NSC. … Omair Mirza is joining J.P. Morgan Chase as VP of federal government relations. He most recently was senior policy adviser for Rep. André Carson (D-Ind.). …

… Stuart Malec is now director of government affairs for the Progressive Policy Institute. He previously was comms director for Rep. Kathleen Rice (D-N.Y.). … Kemi Giwa is now deputy comms director for the House Financial Services Committee. She previously was press secretary for Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.).

WEEKEND WEDDINGS — Morgan Radford, an NBC News NOW anchor and NBC News correspondent, and David Williams got married Saturday. Via NBC: “The couple had an intimate wedding ceremony in Cartagena, Colombia, after postponing their original ceremony in May 2020 due to the pandemic.” Pic

— Mary Claire Couch, director of development at Heritage Action for America, and Peter Barnes, director of caucuses at the Republican State Leadership Committee, got married Saturday in her hometown of Louisville, Ky. They met at work when they both did state government affairs work — he was a lobbyist for AFPM and she was at American Gas Association. Pic … SPOTTED: North Carolina state Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger, North Carolina state Senate Majority Leader Kathy Harrington, Jonathan Felts, Katie Delzell and Taylor Haulsee, Laura Pinsky, Jackie Del Bonis, Shawn and Abbey Powell, John Tucker, Ches McDowell, Katie and Stephen Kouba, and Garrett Dimond.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Michelle Fields … Sens. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) … Rep. Peter Meijer (R-Mich.) … Nick Calio of Airlines for America … Lauren Edmonds … Beth Fouhy … NBC’s Freddie Tunnard … POLITICO’s Maya Parthasarathy, Kristen Miller and Brandon McDonnell … AP’s Robert Burns … former Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) … former Reps. Greg Walden (R-Ore.), Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) and Lois Capps (D-Calif.) … Blake Adami … Nat Wienecke … The Spectator’s Freddy Gray … Adam Weissmann … Caroline Hakes of Targeted Victory … Liesl Hickey of Ascent Media … Morgan Finkelstein … Ryan Dierker … Vaughn Ververs … Joseph Petrzelka … The Hill’s Julia Manchester … Samuel Negatu … Liz Chadderdon … Alyssa Lattner of Latham & Watkins … Jared Kushner  Hugh Livengood … Aaron Buchner … David Horowitz … Stacy Hawkins Adams … Myranda Tanck … Blake Hopper … Jessica Mudditt … Ajit Pai … Esther Whieldon … AnnMaura Connolly

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26.) AMERICAN MINUTE

Yale President Timothy Dwight exposed Voltaire’s anti-Christian agenda that undermined France – American Minute with Bill Federer

  disclosed by Yale’s 8th President  Timothy Dwight – American Minute with Bill Federer  Voltaire’s anti-Christian agenda undermined France

Yale College was founded in the Colony of Connecticut on October 9, 1701 by ten Congregational Christian ministers as the Collegiate School at Killingworth, Milford and Saybrook.
In 1716, it was moved to New Haven, Connecticut.

 

The college grew in status due to the efforts of
Rev. Jeremiah Drummer, noted for theological works and for defending colonial charters against an overreaching British Parliament.
Drummer secured 700 books for the college’s library and solicited donations from notable individuals, including Irish playwright Sir Richard Steele, scientist Sir Isaac Newton, and merchant Elihu Yale.
Drummer wrote: “The business of good men is to spread religion and learning among mankind.”

Elihu Yale (1649-1721) was an American-born English merchant who amassed a considerable fortune working for the British East India Company as governor of Fort St. George in Madras, India.
He donated books and goods to the college from his estate in the amount of $2,800, for which a building was named.
In 1718, Puritan clergyman Cotton Mather suggested the college be renamed Yale College.

The purpose of Yale College, as recorded by the proceedings of the trustees, November 11, 1701, was:
“To plant, and under ye Divine blessing to propagate in this Wilderness, the blessed Reformed, Protestant Religion, in ye purity of its Order, and Worship.”

The act authorizing the college passed by the Connecticut General Court declared:
“Youth may be instructed in the arts and sciences who through the blessing of Almighty God may be fitted for public employment both in Church and Civil State.”
In 1745, it was recorded that Yale College:
“… has received the favorable benefactions of many liberal and piously disposed persons, and under the blessing of Almighty God has trained up many worthy persons for the service of God in the State as well as in the Church.”

The rules of Yale College set by the founders, stated:
“Whereunto the Liberal, and Religious Education of Suitable youth is under ye blessing of God, a chief, & most probable expedient … we agree to … these Rules:
1. The said rector shall take especial care as of the moral behaviour of the students at all times so with industry to instruct and ground them well in Theoretical divinity … and (not to) allow them to be instructed and grounded in any other Systems or Synopses …
To recite the Assemblies Catechism in Latin … (and) such explanations as may be (through the Blessing of God) most conducive to their establishment in the Principles of the Christian Protestant Religion.

2. That the said Rector shall cause the Scriptures daily … morning and evening to be read by the Students at the times of prayer in the School …
Expound practical Theology … Repeat Sermons … studiously Indeavor(ing) in the education of said students to promote the power and the Purity of Religion and best edification and peace of these New England Churches.”

The founders of Yale College stated:
“Every student shall consider the main end of his study to wit to know God in Jesus Christ and answerably to lead a Godly, sober life.”

In 1755, Yale students were instructed:
“Above all have an eye to the great end of all your studies, which is to obtain the clearest conceptions of Divine things and to lead you to a saving knowledge of God in his Son Jesus Christ.”

This continued Yale’s 1720 instruction to students:
“Seeing God is the giver of all wisdom, every scholar, besides private or secret prayer, where all we are bound to ask wisdom, shall be present morning and evening at public prayer in the hall at the accustomed hour.”

In 1787, the requirements of Yale College stated:
“All scholars are required to live a religious and blameless life according to the rules of God’s Word, diligently reading the Holy Scriptures, that fountain of truth, and constantly attending all the duties of religion, both in public and secret …
All the scholars are obliged to attend Divine worship in the College Chapel on the Lord’s Day and on Days of Fasting and Thanksgiving appointed by public Authority.”

Every president of Yale was an ordained Congregational Christian minister till 1899.

When Yale 7th president, Rev. Ezra Stiles, died in 1795, Rev. Timothy Dwight IV was elected to take his place, serving as Yale’s 8th President, 1795 to 1817.

Timothy Dwight was a grandson of the Great Awakening preacher and Princeton president Jonathan Edwards.

As a child, Dwight learned the alphabet and was reading the Bible at age 4.
He entered Yale at 13 and graduated at age 17 in 1769.
Dwight was a tutor at Yale from 1771 to 1777.
His first public address of note was “Valedictory Address” of 1776, stating that Americans were:
“… people, who have the same religion, the same manners, the same interests, the same language, and the same essential forms and principles of civic government.”

Dwight was licensed as a Congregational Christian preacher in 1777, and was appointed a chaplain in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War, serving in the brigade of General Samuel Holden Parsons.
When his father died, he returned to the family farm and worked to pay off their debts, as he was the eldest of 13 children.

He served in the very first sessions of the Massachusetts Legislature, called General Court.
From 1783 to 1795, he was the pastor of the Congregational Church at Greenfield Hill in Fairfield, Connecticut.

In 1793, Dwight delivered an influential sermon to the General Association of Connecticut, titled “Discourse on the Genuineness and Authenticity of the New Testament.”

During Timothy Dwight’s 22 years at Yale, the college grew from 110 to 313 students.

He created the Departments of:
  • Chemistry,
  • Geology,
  • Law, and
  • Medicine.

Dwight also founded Andover Theological Seminary and laid the groundwork for the Yale Divinity School.
He pioneered women’s education, advocated for the use of moral persuasion instead of corporal punishment, was critical of slavery, and opposed encroachment on Indian lands.

While at Yale, Dwight was also a founder of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions.
He met and gave Christian instruction to Henry Opukahaia, the first Hawaiian convert to Christianity, whose testimony inspired missionaries to sail to the Hawaiian “Sandwich” Islands.

One of Dwight’s students was Samuel Morse, inventor of the telegraph.

Another of his students was Lyman Beecher, the father of Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, and Henry Ward Beecher, the famous New England preacher.

When Dwight first became president of Yale, students were becoming enamored with “French infidelity,” secularism, and France’s deistic “cult of reason.”
He met with students on campus, allowed them to state all their arguments criticizing Biblical faith, then he proceeded to answer them one by one.
By the time of Dwight’s death, JANUARY 11, 1817, over a third of the graduates had not only become professing Christians, but 30 entered the full-time ministry.

Yale Scientist Benjamin Silliman, the first to distill petroleum in America, observed the campus during Dwight’s tenure:
“It would delight your heart to see how the trophies of the cross are multiplied in this institution. Yale College is a little temple: prayer and praise seem to be the delight of the greater part of the students.”

At the time of the French Revolution, Yale President Timothy Dwight gave an address in New Haven titled “The Duty of Americans at the Present Crisis,” July 4, 1798.

In this address, he explained how Voltaire’s atheism inspired the French Revolution and led the Reign of Terror, 1793-1794, where 40,000 people were beheaded and 300,000 were butchered in the Vendée.

Dwight wrote:
“About the year 1728, Voltaire, so celebrated for his wit and brilliancy and not less distinguished for his hatred of Christianity and his abandonment of principle, formed a systematical design to destroy Christianity and to introduce in its stead a general diffusion of irreligion and atheism.
For this purpose he associated with himself Frederick the II-King of Prussia, and Mess. D’Alembert and Diderot, the principal compilers of the Encyclopedie, all men of talents, atheists and in the like manner abandoned.

… The principle parts of this system were:
1. The compilation of the Encyclopedie: in which with great art and insidiousness the doctrines of … Christian theology were rendered absurd and ridiculous; and the mind of the reader was insensibly steeled against conviction and duty.
2. The overthrow of the religious orders in Catholic countries, a step essentially necessary to the destruction of the religion professed in those countries.

3. The establishment of a sect of philosophists to serve, it is presumed as a conclave, a rallying point, for all their followers.”

Timothy Dwight continued describing Voltaire’s plan of national secular transformation:
“4. The appropriation to themselves, and their disciples, of the places and honors of members of the French Academy, the most respectable literary society in France, and always considered as containing none but men of prime learning and talents.
In this way they designed to hold out themselves and their friends as the only persons of great literary and intellectual distinction in that country, and to dictate all literary opinions to the nation.”

Voltaire sought to transition French society away from biblical absolutes of right and wrong and devolve it back to a primitive honor-shame culture.
Controlling people through publicly honoring or shaming them is a tactic prevalent in Eastern and Middle Eastern cultures, as well as studied by political philosophers from Sun Tzu to Plato to Montesquieu.

This is similar to biased news reporting, late-night comedies, and modern televised award ceremonies which deride some and confer prestigious recognition on others.
Those demonstrating behavior they deem acceptable are honored in media, entertainment, and academia, while those demonstrating behavior they deem unacceptable are publicly embarrassed in condescending acceptance speeches.

This effectively sets the national trend as to what is “in.”
It acts upon the psyche of impressionable people as an adult version of peer pressure, manipulating the deep-seated human craving for acceptance, and threatening with the fear of being shunned or rejected.
The goal is to get people to make decisions based on the emotion of fear rather than logic.

Community organizer Saul Alinsky wrote of fear of rejection:
“Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon …
Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it.”

George Orwell wrote in his novel 1984:
“Power is in inflicting pain and humiliation.”

Timothy Dwight explained how disinformation, the equivalent of “fake news” or CRT-critical race theory, was part of Voltaire’s plan:
“5. The fabrication of books of all kinds against Christianity, especially such as excite doubt and generate contempt and derision.
Of these they issued by themselves and their friends who early became numerous, an immense number; so printed as to be purchased for little or nothing, and so written as to catch the feelings, and steal upon the approbation, of every class of men …

6. The formation of a secret Academy, of which Voltaire was the standing president, and in which books were formed, altered, forged, imputed as posthumous to deceased writers of reputation, and sent abroad with the weight of their names.
These were printed and circulated at the lowest price through all classes of men in an uninterrupted succession, and through every part of the kingdom.”

This is similar to revisionist television docudramas which alter past history to promote a future political agenda,
George Orwell wrote in 1984:
“Those who control the past control the future, and those who control the present control the past.”

Joseph Goebbels, the National Socialist Workers Party’s Minister of Propaganda & National Enlightenment, skillfully engineered mob emotions to accept the killing of the Jews in Germany.
Goebbels pioneered “fake news,” stating:
“The most brilliant propagandist technique will yield no success unless one fundamental principle is borne in mind constantly — it must confine itself to a few points and repeat them over and over …
… If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.
The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie.
… It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.”

Greek philosopher Plato described how the deep state controls people through “noble lies”:
“We want one single, grand lie which will be believed by everybody …
Our rulers will probably have to make considerable use of lies and deceit for the good of their subjects … We said that all such things are useful as a kind of drug.”

British Statesman Lord Acton wrote:
“Official truth is not actual truth.”

Machiavelli’s concept that the ends justify the means, allowed those who did not believe in God’s definition of good and bad to replace it with their political agenda being good and those opposing them as bad.
Voltaire’s tactics were described by Dwight:
“In societies of Illuminati … the being of God was denied and ridiculed …
The possession of property was pronounced robbery.
Chastity and natural affection were declared to be nothing more than groundless prejudices.
Adultery, assassination, poisoning, and other crimes of the like infernal nature, were taught as lawful … provided the end was good …
The good ends proposed by the Illuminati … are the overthrow of religion, government, and human society, civil and domestic.

… These they pronounce to be so good that murder, butchery, and war, however extended and dreadful, are declared by them to be completely justifiable …
The means … were … the education of youth … every unprincipled civil officer … every abandoned clergyman … books replete with infidelity, irreligion, immorality, and obscenity …”

Dwight added:
“Where religion prevails, Illumination cannot make disciples, a French directory cannot govern, a nation cannot be made slaves, nor villains, nor atheists, nor beasts.
To destroy us therefore, in this dreadful sense, our enemies must first destroy our Sabbath and seduce us from the house of God …”

Timothy Dwight concluded:
“Religion and liberty are the meat and the drink of the body politic. Withdraw one of them and it languishes, consumes, and dies.
If indifference … becomes the prevailing character of a people … their motives to vigorous defense is lost, and the hopes of their enemies are proportionally increased …
Without religion we may possibly retain the freedom of savages, bears, and wolves, but not the freedom of New England.
If our religion were gone, our state of society would perish with it and nothing would be left which would be worth defending.”

In 1801, Yale President Timothy Dwight compiled a songbook, The Psalms of David, which included hymns written by Isaac Watts and some authored by himself, such as one based on Psalm 137, titled “I Love Thy Kingdom”:
I love Thy kingdom, Lord,
The house of Thine abode,
The church our bled Redeemer saved
With His own precious blood …
Jesus, Thou Friend divine,
Our Saviour and our King,
Thy hand from ev’ry snare and foe,
Shall great deliverance bring.”
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27.) CAFFEINATED THOUGHTS

 


28.) CONSERVATIVE DAILY NEWS

CDN’s Daily News Blast delivers the day’s news first!
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CDN Daily News Blast

01/11/2022

Excerpts:

Readers Share Their Favorite Time- and Money-Saving Tips

by Mary Hunt –

Just when I think I’ve heard every possible way to save time and money, here comes the mail to teach me something new. “Everyday Cheapskate” readers just have to be the smartest and most clever on the planet — good-looking, too. Enjoy! If you have more apples than you can …

Readers Share Their Favorite Time- and Money-Saving Tips is posted on Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more.

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Is Communist China Colonizing Cuba?

by Oliver L. North and David L. Goetsch –

Is history repeating itself in Cuba? Is Communist China using its Belt and Road Initiative to turn Cuba into a dependent colony like it was under the former Soviet Union? Is Cuba about to become Communist China’s first military base in the Western Hemisphere? These are important questions. Why? Because …

Is Communist China Colonizing Cuba? is posted on Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more.

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President Joe Biden’s Schedule for Tuesday, January 11, 2022

by R. Mitchell –

Summary: President Joe Biden will receive his daily briefing then head to Atlanta where he will do some virtue signaling then try to convince Americans that the Democrats’ election theft bill is good for the people. It is important to note that several prominent Democrat activists, including Stacey Abrams, have decided …

President Joe Biden’s Schedule for Tuesday, January 11, 2022 is posted on Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more.

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Large British Study Finds Risk of Myocarditis Doubles After Each mRNA Jab

by Seth Hancock –

A study coming out of Britain showed an alarming increase in the risk for myocarditis, which is inflammation in the heart, after every mRNA jab, particularly in males under 40. The study, published last month but not peer-reviewed, analyzed data from over 42 million people 13 and older who have …

Large British Study Finds Risk of Myocarditis Doubles After Each mRNA Jab is posted on Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more.

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Who Is The Real Insurgent?

by Dave King –

Democrats have a lot of nerve calling the January 6th Capitol building riot an insurgency, given that none of the participants were armed, none burned the building they invaded, none made a demand of the police forces to vacate the building and leave the invaders in control, there was no …

Who Is The Real Insurgent? is posted on Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more.

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Citrus County Florida

by Frank D. Lovell –

I see & feel a rising in America, Americans realizing the importance of becoming involved in local politics. Today I contemplate one area of America, Citrus County Florida where the involvement is reassuring. Reassuring in the knowledge that Americans are fulfilling their Duty as citizens of this Republic. Once again, …

Citrus County Florida is posted on Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more.

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Biden, Pelosi, Schumer Completely Out-of-Touch with Americans

by R. Mitchell –

The top Democrats in D.C. have decided that the economy is fine and that the federalization of elections and COVID are the most important things to American voters – Americans say otherwise. Pelosi and COVID Speaker Pelosi told “Face the Nation” Sunday that “COVID is at the center of it …

Biden, Pelosi, Schumer Completely Out-of-Touch with Americans is posted on Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more.

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Athletes Who Had COVID Will Be Considered ‘Fully Vaccinated,’ NCAA Says in New Guidelines

by Jon Miltimore –

NCAA logo

The NCAA on Thursday released its new COVID-19 guidance for winter sports, and the guidance contains some important news. As ESPN reports, the NCAA’s COVID-19 Medical Advisory Group updated its definition of “fully vaccinated” to account for various new vaccinations, boosters, and immunity factors. “Fully vaccinated individuals now include those …

Athletes Who Had COVID Will Be Considered ‘Fully Vaccinated,’ NCAA Says in New Guidelines is posted on Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more.

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Hackers Invade Tennis Superstar’s Vaccine Court Hearing To Stream Porn

by Ailan Evans –

Hackers commandeered an Australian court’s livestream of tennis superstar Novak Djokovic’s Monday visa cancellation hearing, broadcasting pornography and streaming loud music to disrupt the proceedings. Djokovic appeared before the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia on Monday to contest the cancellation of his visa after arriving in the country to play …

Hackers Invade Tennis Superstar’s Vaccine Court Hearing To Stream Porn is posted on Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more.

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Only a Third of Americans View COVID-19 As A Top-Five Priority, Poll Shows

by Andrew Trunsky –

Less than 40% of Americans view the coronavirus as a top-five issue to address in 2022, a new poll shows. The Associated Press-NORC survey found that just 33% of Americans labeled virus concerns as a top issue, down 16 points from a year ago. On the other hand, 68% of …

Only a Third of Americans View COVID-19 As A Top-Five Priority, Poll Shows is posted on Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more.

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Here’s Where First-Time Homebuyers Have the Best Chance at Success

by Carl Fox –

With 2022 shaping up to be another challenging year for hopeful homebuyers, economists ran the numbers to find the best markets for people looking to buy their first home this year. According to realtor.com’s Best Markets for First-Time Homebuyers Report, here are the cities and towns with the best combination of quality of life …

Here’s Where First-Time Homebuyers Have the Best Chance at Success is posted on Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more.

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Parent Demand for School Choice Surges

by R. Mitchell –

Frustrated by COVID disruptions to their children’s schooling, authoritarian teachers unions, critical race theory in curriculums, and seeking higher-quality education environments, nearly 14 percent of U.S. parents are currently considering finding new or different schools for their children, according to the results of a national survey released today by National School Choice …

Parent Demand for School Choice Surges is posted on Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more.

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In Order To Make America Great Again, Does Donald Trump Need To Sit Out 2024?

by Parker Beauregard –

Despite being the only Republican candidate who could have won in 2016, he is currently (in my mind, at least) the only one who could lose in 2024.  I am a big picture guy. For my money, Donald Trump’s presidency was greatest not for the many policies he enacted, but …

In Order To Make America Great Again, Does Donald Trump Need To Sit Out 2024? is posted on Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more.

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Overwhelming Majority Of Americans Say Lawmakers Should Be Banned From Trading Stocks

by Ailan Evans –

The majority of Americans believe members of Congress should be banned from trading stocks while in office, according to a new poll. Of Americans likely to vote in general elections, 76% believe lawmakers should not be allowed to trade stocks, according to a Trafalgar Group/Convention of States Action poll first …

Overwhelming Majority Of Americans Say Lawmakers Should Be Banned From Trading Stocks is posted on Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more.

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In Biden’s America, Citizens Live in Fear

by Michael Busler –

During Joe Biden’s first year in office, America’s demeanor has changed dramatically from the optimism characteristic of the prior administration to near-total fear. Biden’s policies have led to alarm for taxpaying citizens especially. Americans want to feel safe and secure. The prior administration always confronted adversaries with a “peace through …

In Biden’s America, Citizens Live in Fear is posted on Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more.

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Gun Control Comes from a Place of Privilege

by Patrick Carroll –

The concept of privilege gets a bad rap in many circles, and understandably so. Many have taken it way too far, using it as a means of bullying their political opponents into submission. But while the excesses of this rhetoric are certainly problematic, I don’t think we should do away …

Gun Control Comes from a Place of Privilege is posted on Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more.

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McConnell Blasts ‘The Left’s Big Lie’ As Schumer Prepares Another Voting Bill Push

by Andrew Trunsky –

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell blasted Democrats late Sunday, calling their effort to pass voting legislation “The Left’s Big Lie” as they prepare to try and pass another bill. McConnell criticized Democrats’ belief that “there is some evil anti-voting conspiracy sweeping America” in a letter to reporters, invoking Senate Majority …

McConnell Blasts ‘The Left’s Big Lie’ As Schumer Prepares Another Voting Bill Push is posted on Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more.

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Who is the Real Threat to Democracy?

by Ray Cardello –

The Democrats treat everything as a threat to our Democracy. Trump was a threat. Voting laws are a threat. The demonstration at the Capitol was a threat. Preventing the Build Back Better Bill is a threat. Everything is a threat, and everything is hyperbole. But is there a genuine threat …

Who is the Real Threat to Democracy? is posted on Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more.

Read on »

White House Press Briefing with Jen Psaki – 1/10/22

by R. Mitchell –

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki holds a briefing today. The briefing is scheduled to start at 1:30 p.m. EDT. Content created by Conservative Daily News is available for re-publication without charge under the Creative Commons license. Visit our syndication page for details.

White House Press Briefing with Jen Psaki – 1/10/22 is posted on Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more.

Read on »

Misinformation Superspreader

by A.F. Branco –

Sotomayor sounded a bid looney with her unscientific Omicron warnings. Political cartoon by A.F. Branco ©2021.

Misinformation Superspreader is posted on Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more.

Read on »

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29.) PJ MEDIA

 


30.) WHITE HOUSE DOSSIER

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Cut to the News
Cut through the clutter to today’s top news
January 11, 2022
Good morning Rick
Welcome to today’s top news.
Leading the News . . . 
Michelle Obama enters politics with vengeance, bent on revenge . . . Opinion. By Cheryl K. Chumley. Michelle Obama, former first lady, just announced she‘s partnering her foundation, When We All Vote, with 30 other groups to register a million new voters before the midterms. It’s go time for the left. Her entry into election politicking guarantees this fight over the Electoral College is the Democrats’ signature campaign issue this year.
Without election reform, Democrats only have negatives to tout. They’ve been the party that’s not Donald Trump. They’ve been the party that’s not taken care of the border, or inflation, supply issues, or defiant teachers’ unions who demand schools stay closed. They’ve been the party that’s told Americans to stop doing this, stop doing that due to coronavirus restrictions. But those aren’t issues so much as reactions, armchair quarterbacking and run-from-behind agendas. More than that, those issues are problems the Democrats largely created in the first place. They can’t blame Trump and Republicans, so they have to skirt those topics while treading the campaign trail. Washington Times
Hmm. Gearing up for another election interference?
Here’s what went on during the last one:
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Politics                       
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Biden conducts fewest news conferences of any recent president . . . After campaigning for and winning the presidency from his basement, President Biden is now hiding in the White House from the pressAccording to the New York Post: President Biden has conducted fewer news conferences than any of his five immediate predecessors at the same point in their time in the White House and has given fewer media interviews than six of them did. The president has done 22 interviews with the media and held nine formal news conferences – six solo and three with visiting foreign leaders – an analysis by Martha Joynt Kumar, a professor at Town University and director of the White House Transition Project, found. Former President Donald Trump sat down for 92 interviews in his first year in the White House, mainly with Fox News, but also with ABC News, the New York Times, the Associated Press and Reuters.  Biden has only given three print interviews. White House Dossier
Democrats eager to fill power vacuum after Pelosi exit . . .
Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) isn’t showing her cards, but the longtime Democratic leader has vowed that this year will be her last at the top of the party, auguring a fast-approaching power vacuum that younger lawmakers have been salivating to fill for more than a decade. A new generation of ambitious Democrats is looking to push aside the old guard of octogenarians — Pelosi, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) and Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) — but the veteran No. 2 and No. 3 leaders have been forecasting a different scenario, reaching out to their colleagues to gauge support about staying on, even if Pelosi calls it quits. The Hill
Can’t wait.
Biden Will Endorse Changing Senate Rules to Pass Voting Rights Legislation . . . President Biden will endorse changing Senate rules to pass new voting rights protections during a speech in Atlanta on Tuesday, the most significant step he will have taken to pressure lawmakers to act on an issue he has called the biggest test of America’s democracy since the Civil War. Mr. Biden will not go so far as to call for full-scale elimination of the filibuster, a Senate tradition that allows the minority party to kill legislation that fails to garner 60 votes, according to a senior administration official who previewed the speech. But Mr. Biden will say he supports a filibuster “carve-out” in the case of voting rights, the official said. New York Times
GOP’s Jordan Won’t Play Dems’ J6 Games . . .  Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan has no interest in participating in the Democrats’ sham investigation. In a decision that surprised no one, Ohio Republican Congressman Jim Jordan has declined an invitation to appear before Nancy Pelosi’s truth-averse January 6 committee. The sham committee, also known as “The Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol,” has long since become a bad joke.
Jordan, the ranking member on the House Judiciary Committee and an investigative pit bull, was selected by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy to be a member of this committee, but Pelosi, in an unprecedented act of raw political power cowardice, denied McCarthy’s picks of Jordan and Indiana’s Jim Banks, which prompted McCarthy to pull his three other picks, leaving the committee with only Pelosi-approved Democrat lapdogs and two Trump-deranged soon-to-be former Republicans, Wyoming’s Liz Cheney and Illinois’s Adam Kinzinger. So much for objective oversight and dispassionate fact-finding. Did we mention it was a sham committee? Patriot Post
Report: State and Local Governments Spent $5.6 Million on Lawyers for Illegal Immigrants . . . At least $5.6 million in state and local taxpayer funds will be used to bankroll lawyers for illegal immigrants fighting deportation this year, according to an immigration reform group report released on Tuesday. Following a review of local and city governments that partnered with a group that seeks to provide counsel to noncitizens, the Immigration Reform Law Institute found that at least $5.6 million in taxpayer funds from state and local communities was earmarked for these deportation defense programs, which it described as “a conservative estimate [that] does not include numerous other localities that fund their own independent anti-deportation programs.” Washington Free Beacon
Virginia Gov.-elect Youngkin Taps Former Heritage Foundation Chief James as Secretary of Commonwealth . . . Virginia Gov.-elect Glenn Youngkin has named former Heritage Foundation President Kay C. James to be the next secretary of the commonwealth.  “Secretary James will be a true asset to the administration,” Youngkin said in a Friday press release announcing James’ appointment. “Our shared vision, combined with her tremendous experience, will pave the way for a new day in Virginia.”  As secretary, James will assist the governor in a number of capacities and maintain official state records.  James, 72, has spent much of her career fighting for conservative values and is no stranger to the field of public policy.  “As a lifelong Virginian who has devoted much of my career to public service, I see serving as secretary as one more opportunity to give back to the commonwealth that has given so much to me,” she said. Daily Signal
National Security     
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McCabe wants FBI to monitor ‘mass radicalization on the Right’ after Capitol riot . . . Ex-FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe agreed there is a “mass radicalization on the Right” and that law enforcement should scrutinize “mainstream”  conservatives in the wake of last year’s Capitol riot. McCabe, who served as the FBI’s second-in-command from 2016 to 2018, also compared “right-wing extremists” to U.S. citizens who joined ISIS, calling for a federal domestic terrorism law during a virtual discussion about Jan. 6 last week. “I’m fairly confident from what little we’ve heard from the FBI that they have reallocated resources and repositioned some of their counterterrorism focus to increase their focus on right-wing extremism and domestic violent extremists,” McCabe said during a panel by the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics. “And I think that’s obviously a good idea.” McCabe said the FBI may be looking at the Ku Klux Klan and the Proud Boys when the real threat is more mainstream. Washington Times
McCabe would’ve made a fine KGB officer.
North Korea fires possible missile into sea amid stalled talks . . . North Korea on Tuesday fired what appeared to be a ballistic missile into its eastern sea, its second launch in a week, following leader Kim Jong-un’s calls to expand its nuclear weapons program in defiance of international opposition. The launches follow a series of weapons tests in 2021 that underscored how North Korea is continuing to expand its military capabilities during a self-imposed pandemic lockdown and deadlocked nuclear talks with the United States. Washington Times
Iran, Taliban rebuffing U.S. diplomacy, upping threats against Americans under Biden . . . Iran and the Taliban are intensifying their threats against the U.S., spurning the Biden administration’s diplomatic outreach to both rogue regimes. Last month, the Taliban told the U.S. during talks in Doha, Qatar, that it will deploy 2,000 suicide bombers to Washington, D.C., if the Biden administration insists on posting the same number of troops at the U.S. embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, according to a new report by the Middle East Media Research Institute. The acting defense minister of the Taliban government in Afghanistan issued an identical threat on Twitter. Just the News
International                
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Russian troops to withdraw, says Kazakhstan’s president . . . Russian troops will withdraw from Kazakhstan, the country’s president said, following a week of violent protests in which citizens demanded social and political change in the central Asian republic. Kazakhstan’s president Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who requested help from Russia last week after claiming the protests were a “coup d’état”, said on Tuesday that the Moscow-led military mission was complete and the contingent would leave the country within 10 days. In his first move to rejig the government he sacked last week, Tokayev named Alikhan Smailov, an official from the previous regime, as the prime minister with the approval of parliament. Financial Times
‘Sanctions don’t work on Russia’: Why there’s skepticism over the U.S.’ warnings on Ukraine . . . Slapping sanctions on Russia may not be helpful in resolving tensions with the U.S. over Ukraine, two experts said on Tuesday. “Sanctions don’t work on Russia,” said Tony Brenton, a former British ambassador to Russia. “Russia just becomes even more obdurate.” Angela Stent, director emerita of Georgetown University’s Center for Eurasian, Russian and East European Studies, likewise told CNBC’s “Street Signs Asia” that the threat of sanctions hasn’t put Russia off. That’s in spite of the proposed punitive measures being “pretty comprehensive,” she said, affecting technology exports and banks’ access to the international financial system. CNBC
‘Superficially About National Security’: Rand Paul Breaks With GOP On Nord Stream 2 Sanctions . . . Sen. Rand Paul broke with Republicans over potential legislation reimposing Nord Stream 2 pipeline sanctions on a Russian state-run company.
Lawmakers who argue in favor of sanctioning the pipeline, which would carry natural gas from Russia to Germany beneath the Baltic Sea, are more concerned with “mercantilism and protectionism” rather than national security, the Republican senator argued in an editorial published by The American Conservative on Monday. Paul also questioned whether an aggressive sanctions regime would have the desired effect of preventing Russian aggression in Ukraine. “Opponents of the pipeline, not surprisingly, are largely from states that compete in the sale of natural gas,” Paul wrote. “Acknowledging that this debate is only superficially about national security and really more about provincial protectionism helps us better understand the dynamics. Daily Caller
Coronavirus
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Biden forces health insurers to cover eight free Covid tests per person per month . . . Right. Sure. Go ahead and try to find eight Covid tests. Another publicity stunt by an administration that has fallen down completely on Covid testing, even as it insists people get vaccinated or tested. Meantime, the 500 million free tests you can supposedly order from the government have still not arrived. According to Fox News:
The White House said private health insurers will be required to pay for up to eight COVID-19 tests per person per month starting Jan. 15, while Americans can expect to be able to order free tests purchased by the government later this month. “Under President Biden’s leadership, we are requiring insurers and group health plans to make tests free for millions of Americans. This is all part of our overall strategy to ramp-up access to easy-to-use, at-home tests at no cost,” Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a press release Monday. White House Dossier
Much of Biden’s Vaccine Mandate for Large Private Employers Takes Effect Despite Ongoing Supreme Court Battle . . . Much of the Biden administration’s vaccination mandate pertaining to large private employers went into effect Monday, despite the rule facing legal challenges in the Supreme Court, leaving some businesses unsure as to how to proceed. As of Jan. 10, businesses with 100 or more employees were required to ensure that all employees have been fully vaccinated with either two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or one dose of Johnson&Johnson’s, and they must provide paid leave to workers getting the vaccine. Businesses included in the mandate must also keep track of workers’ vaccination status via a database, provide employees with their company’s vaccine policy and procedures, and ensure unvaccinated employees wear a mask while indoors. The rule, which was enforced by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), applies to some 84 million U.S. workers. Businesses that are not compliant face fines of up to $14,000 per violation. Epoch Times
Soviet Playbook.
China’s Zero-Covid Strategy Tested Ahead of Winter Olympics . . . From mass tests to lockdowns, China is on high-alert to keep the coronavirus at bay ahead of the Winter Olympics. WSJ examines the zero-Covid strategy in the city of Xi’an to see how it has sparked backlash from residents and affected chip makers. Wall Street Journal
Money                           
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Biden job growth not what it seems . . . And that’s according to the Washington Post, which is actually providing some scrutiny to President Biden’s claims about robust job growth in 2021.
Biden is bragging about numbers that don’t nearly bring the United States back to where it was before it was hit by the worst pandemic in a century. And with the new Bidenflation, workers’ salaries are falling behind.
According to the piece: The 6.4 million jobs gained this year, while a record in absolute terms, represents only a 4.5 percent increase in the workforce. That’s smaller than the 5.0 percent growth seen in 1978, when a much smaller labor force added 4.3 million jobs. In fact, relative to the size of the workforce, it’s only the 11th best calendar year since record-keeping began in 1939 . . . White House Dossier
Americans’ inflation fears stay at record high, New York Fed survey shows . . . Americans’ inflation fears held steady for the first time in months in December, although concerns over rising prices remained at a record high, according to a key Federal Reserve Bank of New York survey published Monday. The median expectation is that the inflation rate will be up 6% one year from now, the highest level for the gauge since its launch in June 2013, according to the New York Federal Reserve’s Survey of Consumer Expectations. Inflation expectations over the next three years also remained unchanged at 4%. “Median inflation uncertainty—or the uncertainty expressed regarding future inflation outcomes—decreased at the short- and medium-term horizons, retreating from their series highs recorded in November,” the report said. Fox Business

Lawsuit accuses Yale, Georgetown and other schools of colluding to limit financial aid . . . Sixteen major U.S. universities, including Yale University, Georgetown University and Northwestern University, are being sued for alleged antitrust violations because of the way they work together to determine financial-aid awards for students.  According to a lawsuit filed in Illinois federal court late Sunday by law firms representing five former students who attended some of the schools, the universities engaged in price fixing and unfairly limited aid by using a shared methodology to calculate applicants’ financial need. Schools are allowed under federal law to collaborate on their formulas, but only if they don’t consider applicants’ financial need in admissions decisions. The suit alleges these schools do weigh candidates’ ability to pay in certain circumstances, and therefore shouldn’t be eligible for the antitrust exemption.  The suit seeks damages and a permanent end to the schools’ collaboration in calculating financial need and awarding aid. Fox Business

You should also know 
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JFK Assassination: What’s in the Newest Batch of Declassified Documents? . . . Last month, the Biden administration released a batch of classified documents related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The National Archives and Records Administration published the new 1,491 documents, of which 958 are from the CIA. That means 9 out of 10 of the total number of documents are still being withheld from declassification. “It’s very little and very late,” Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the president’s nephew, told The Epoch Times. “There’s only 10 percent of the documents that legally have to be released in that data dump. But even those documents are clearly showing that the CIA lied outright to the Warren Commission about its relationship with Lee Harvey Oswald.” The 1992 JFK Records Act, signed by Congress into law, mandated that all the documents be released by Oct. 26, 2017. Epoch Times
In a First, Man Receives a Heart From a Genetically Altered Pig . . . A 57-year-old man with life-threatening heart disease has received a heart from a genetically modified pig, a groundbreaking procedure that offers hope to hundreds of thousands of patients with failing organs. It is the first successful transplant of a pig’s heart into a human being. The eight-hour operation took place in Baltimore on Friday, and the patient, David Bennett Sr. of Maryland, was doing well on Monday, according to surgeons at the University of Maryland Medical Center. “It creates the pulse, it creates the pressure, it is his heart,” said Dr. Bartley Griffith, the director of the cardiac transplant program at the medical center, who performed the operation. “It’s working and it looks normal. We are thrilled, but we don’t know what tomorrow will bring us. This has never been done before.” New York Times
This will make you sick        
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Transgender Doctor Tries to OUTSMART Rand Paul, Instantly REGRETS it
This is total insanity.  The mere fact that this “PERSON” is in a position to make decisions for children, instead of parents protecting their children, is not only sick. It’s criminal.
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31.) THE DISPATCH

The Morning Dispatch: Noncitizens Get the Vote in NYC Elections

Plus: Sen. Mike Rounds’s stand against the 2020 election truthers.

Happy Tuesday! On this day 49 years ago, MLB’s American League adopted the designated hitter rule for the first time.

Quick Hits: Today’s Top Stories

  • After the New York Times reported last week he had failed to disclose well-timed stock purchases from the early days of the pandemic, Federal Reserve Vice Chair Richard Clarida announced Monday he will resign from the Fed’s Board of Governors on Friday—two weeks before he was slated to step down. Clarida is the third Federal Reserve official to resign in recent months following trading scandals, and Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell will likely be asked about the controversy in his confirmation hearing later today.
  • Ousted Burmese leader Aung San Suu Kyi was sentenced to an additional four-year prison term on Monday after the military junta that overthrew the country’s government last February found her guilty of violating COVID-19 protocols and possessing “unlicensed walkie-talkies.” Suu Kyi, 76, was hit with another four-year sentence last year on separate charges, but junta chief Min Aung Hlaing cut it down to two years.
  • The White House said Monday that President Joe Biden spoke with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed yesterday about the country’s civil war, “commending” him on the release of political prisoners but “expressing concern” about the Ethiopian government’s recent airstrikes that have caused civilian casualties.
  • Rep. Ed Perlmutter of Colorado announced Monday he will not seek reelection in 2022, becoming the 26th House Democrat to do so this cycle.
  • South Korean military officials said Tuesday morning that North Korea had launched another projectile off its east coast, the country’s second in two weeks.
  • The Georgia Bulldogs won the College Football Playoff national championship on Monday, defeating the Alabama Crimson Tide 33-18.

Noncitizens Get the Vote in NYC Elections

(Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images.)

Aside from working to keep public schools open amid the Omicron surge, the most significant move made thus far by New York City Mayor Eric Adams—who was sworn in January 1—involved him doing nothing at all.

Late last year, New York’s city council voted 33-14 to pass a bill giving the city’s 800,000 noncitizen residents the right to vote in municipal elections. Under New York City law, approved legislation automatically goes into effect after 30 days if the mayor doesn’t veto it—even if he or she neglects to actively sign it. Outgoing Mayor Bill de Blasio sat on his hands for several weeks, and Adams declined to take action as the veto period expired over the weekend.

On Sunday, therefore, New York became by far the biggest city in America to extend the franchise—for local races, at least—to legally present noncitizens like green card holders and “Dreamers.” (Or rather, to pledge to extend the franchise; the affected populations won’t be eligible to vote in citywide races until January 2023.)

“I think it is imperative that people who are in a local municipality have the right to decide who is going to govern them,” Adams told CNN on Sunday. He had initially toyed with opposing the bill over the shortness of its residence qualification period—the newly franchised noncitizens need only to have lived in New York City for 30 days—but ultimately decided it was “more important” to “allow the bill to move forward.”

Rounds Stands Up to Trump

When Republican Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota agreed to go on ABC News’ This Week on Sunday, he had to have known host George Stephanopoulos would ask him his thoughts on the first anniversary of the January 6 riots and what led to them. He had an answer prepared.

“As a part of our due diligence, we looked at over 60 different accusations made in multiple states,” Rounds said, noting that none of the irregularities brought to his attention would’ve changed the outcome in any state. “The election was fair, as fair as we have seen. We simply did not win the election, as Republicans, for the presidency.”

Rounds, the former governor of South Dakota who was elected to the Senate in 2014, is neither a Never Trumper nor a MAGA devotee. He broke with the former president on policy grounds a handful of times—on a bipartisan immigration deal in 2018, on Trump’s trade war with China in 2019—but voted in line with Trump’s position 90 percent of the time, generally did his best to avoid weighing in on the various scandals of the past five years, voted against conviction in both impeachment trials, and said on January 5, 2021 that he was going into the next day’s proceedings with an open mind. (He ultimately decided against objecting to the Electoral College vote counts.)

None of that mattered to Trump, who in a statement Monday morning accused Rounds of going “woke” on the “fraudulent” 2020 election. “Is he crazy or just stupid? The numbers are conclusive, and the fraudulent and irregular votes are massive,” Trump continued, lying. “Even though his election will not be coming up for 5 years, I will never endorse this jerk again.”

Worth Your Time

  • It’s dangerous to allow politicians and officials to decide what constitutes “truth,” J.D. Tuccille writes in an essay for Reason. Although bigotry, extremism, and disinformation are real problems, “free societies recognize that it’s a lot more dangerous to let government officials designate what constitutes capital-T Truth than it is to respect people’s rights to decide for themselves,” he writes. “Truthful information doesn’t require a government seal of approval because government officials are as flawed and biased as anybody else.”
  • Steven Greenhut offers a piece of advice for politicians in his latest column for the  Orange County Register: Keep it simple. While officials preoccupy themselves with initiatives aimed at remedying society’s various ills, most people just want a government that keeps them safe and carries out basic administrative functions. “Upon election to office, politicians come to believe that they have the wherewithal to solve the world’s toughest problems. They usually mishandle the nuts-and-bolts chores they’re charged with addressing, yet dream of altering the Earth’s climate and eliminating enduring human conditions such as inequality and poverty,” Greenhut writes. “Most pols view themselves as the second coming of John F. Kennedy, Abraham Lincoln, or even Ronald Reagan, when most of us just want public servants who make sure the potholes are filled, the streets are marginally safe, the government budget balances, the trash gets picked up on time, and homeless people aren’t defecating in our local park.”

Presented Without Comment

Toeing the Company Line

  • On Monday’s episode of Advisory Opinions, David and Sarah go deep on Friday’s vaccine mandate oral arguments at the Supreme Court. How did Scott (Husband of the Pod) do? How do they see each case shaking out? And which basketball analogy best describes the likeliest outcome?
  • On the website today: Paul Miller offers a defense of (occasional) “nutpicking”—viewing a handful of extremists as representative of the other “side”—and Michael Petrilli writes on expected new Biden administration guidance on school discipline.

Reporting by Declan Garvey (@declanpgarvey), Andrew Egger (@EggerDC), Charlotte Lawson (@lawsonreports), Audrey Fahlberg (@AudreyFahlberg), Ryan Brown (@RyanP_Brown), Harvest Prude (@HarvestPrude), and Steve Hayes (@stephenfhayes).

Subscribe to The Morning Dispatch

By Members  ·  Launched 2 years ago

An essential daily news roundup, TMD includes a brief look at important stories of the day and original reporting and analysis from The Dispatch team, along with recommendations for deeper reading and some much-needed humor in these often fraught times.


32.) LEGAL INSURRECTION

“You can’t make college admissions fair by getting rid of the SAT”

Is Navy Training Going Woke Now?

Rhode Island School of Design Hires ‘Faculty Activist’ as New President

 

  • William Jacobson: THIS POST HAS GENERATED AN ENORMOUS RESPONSE — Mass Formation Psychosis. The Madness of Crowds. And The End Of Progressive America.
  • Mary Chastain: “A Mexican judge issued arrest warrants for seven people on weapon trafficking charges with guns from Operation Fast & Furious. I don’t see Eric Holder’s name mentioned. DO NOT FORGET that people used guns from this scheme to murder Brian Terry. DO NOT FORGET Brian TerryDO NOT FORGET Jaime Zapata, murdered by Zeta cartel members with guns from another ATF gun-walking scheme.”
  • Stacey Matthews: “Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin ain’t budging on his opposition to abolishing the filibuster. Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and President Joe Biden hardest hit.”
  • David Gerstman: “The Democrats and the mainstream media (but I repeat myself, ha ha), made a big deal out the January 6, 2021 storming of the Capitol. The problem isn’t that their outrage, but the selectivity of their outrage. If storming federal buildings to prevent the proper functioning of government is so awful, where was the comparable outrage over the attempts to block the Brett Kavanaugh hearings (as Stacey Matthews blogged) or the attempt to storm the White House in the summer of 2020 (as Fuzzy Slippers blogged)? In a related post, Stacey observed that New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman didn’t recall the lack of coverage over the shooting attack against Congressional Republicans in 2017. (In fact, as Mike LaChance blogged at the time, the Washington Post actually had the chutzpah to attribute the shooting on conservative talk radio.)”
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33.) THE DAILY WIRE

 


34.) DESERET NEWS


35.) BRIGHT

Tuesday, January 11, 2022

The Ivy League Cartel
Sixteen major U.S. universities, including Yale University, Georgetown University, Columbia University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are being sued for alleged antitrust violations for “conspiring to manipulate the admissions system to hold down financial aid for students and benefit wealthy applicants.”

More from Bloomberg:
The proposed antitrust class action lawsuit, filed Sunday in federal court in Chicago, accuses the university “cartel” of a long-running scheme to collectively adopt “a common formula for determining an applicant’s ability to pay” tuition, rather than competing freely over financial aid by trying to attract students through more generous aid offers.

At the same time, more than half of the schools have given preferential treatment to wealthy applicants by tilting the scales to favor the children of “past or potential future donors” and “through a largely secretive practice known as ‘enrollment management,’” according to the complaint.

“Elite, private universities” are “gatekeepers to the American Dream,” making the alleged misconduct “particularly egregious because it has narrowed a critical pathway to upward mobility that admission to their institution represents,” according to the lawsuit.

Besides Yale and Columbia universities and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the defendants in the suit are Brown, Cal Tech, the University of Chicago, Cornell, Dartmouth, Duke, Emory, Georgetown, Northwestern, Notre Dame, the University of Pennsylvania, Rice and Vanderbilt.

The schools are allegedly acting illegally in claiming an antitrust exemption under Section 568 of the Improving America’s Schools Act of 1994. The exemption applies only to schools that practice need-blind admissions, the suit says.”

For more on the Ivies and their contribution (on the backs of American taxpayers) to the elite reshaping of America, check out this substack from Matt Stoller, who studies monopoly power in all its forms. Stoller is a lefty, and the writer featured in his post is as well, but the piece raises some interesting facts and arguments about the role of mind-bogglingly wealthy universities undermining the democratization of education.

Chicago Schools
In 2022, let’s resolve to stop taking advice on “equity” from the people who closed down schools for two years, going on three, for completely un-scientific reasons, and in the process, caused generations of hurt to students – especially minority students, low-income students, homeless students, and disabled students.

And they won’t quit. Chicago’s teachers are on strike for a fourth day over their demands to return to remote work. More from National Review:

Under the [Chicago Teachers Union, CTU] offer, teachers would come back to campus Monday to distribute laptops and register students in a weekly Covid-19 testing program, and virtual teaching would start Wednesday. The union said in-person classes could resume by January 18 if case numbers stabilize among the student body and faculty.

So far, CPS is refusing to acquiesce to the union’s central demand: remote teaching. The mayor and school district have said they are committed to giving children in-person learning after prolonged pandemic school closures that have adversely affected academic performance and mental health.

“CTU leadership, you’re not listening. The best, safest place for kids to be is in school. Students need to be back in person as soon as possible,” CPS CEO Pedro Martinez and Lightfoot jointly wrote Saturday. “That’s what parents want. That’s what the science supports. We will not relent…”

During a press conference Saturday, CTU President Jesse Sharkey drew some analogies to justify his organization’s decision to strike.

“Everyone’s making a hard choice. People are making a hard choice about whether to go to the grocery store or not,” he said, disregarding the fact that supermarkets remain open for customer discretion while Chicago students have been effectively locked out of school. He suggested that the school should respond similarly to the Omicron spike as to inclement weather that suspends class.

“It’s not fair to compare the school that you have during a blizzard to a school that you have when the day is perfectly sunny and the weather’s good. And so it’s not fair to compare the school that we have during a pandemic when positivity rates are surging and the hospitals and the hospitals are full to the kind of school we might have when there isn’t,” Sharkey added.”

Tuesday Links

Weekly Wine Tip
I’m honing in on some lesser known regions of Spain today. If you like your Riojas and your Tempranillos, you’ll like these, too. If you like a full-bodied red, try a Monastrell from Jumilla (who-ME-ah) this month. It’s a robust, multi-dimensional, teeth-staining red with ripe fruit and a nice touch of minerality from the region’s limestone soils. Also if you want to get out of Rioja for Tempranillo, try a bottle from Navarra, a region also known for its Garnacha rosés. (Nothing snaps you out of the winter blues like a glass of rosé in January.) Finally, Rueda, in the northwest of Spain also features great Tempranillos but is well known for its dry, aromatic whites. Snag a bottle of Verdejo, which features notes of apricot, pear, melon, and minerality. I love it with fish tacos.

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Rachel Bovard is the policy director at the Conservative Partnership Institute, and a sommelier on the side. Follow her on Twitter at @rachelbovard.
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36.) AMERICAN THINKER

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Recent Articles

When a State’s Secretary of State is in on Voter Fraud

Jan 11, 2022 01:00 am
For the first time the sleepy sinecure — the stepstone to Congressman, Senator or Governor – the Secretary of State office is getting checked out. And they do not like it.  Read More…


The Loathsome Ruling Class and the January 6th Protestors

Jan 11, 2022 01:00 am
Over the past twelve months, unable to hide their unbridled disdain for the unwashed masses, unfounded accusations of domestic terrorism and insurrection have been directed at the legions of everyday Americans who attended the rally on January 6, 2021.  Read More…


What Issue Was Really at the Heart of the Civil War, and is it Relevant Today?

Jan 11, 2022 01:00 am
What caused the Civil War to break out in 1861 may well be what causes a next one to break out, too. Read More…


Rethinking Citizenship—Is Born In The U.S.A. Enough?

Jan 11, 2022 01:00 am
Birthright citizenship is not common around the world, is not settled law anywhere, and should be ended. Read More…


More Simple, Honest Questions About COVID-19

Jan 11, 2022 01:00 am
Don’t let credentialed people stop you from asking questions that don’t require an advanced degree to formulate and that should yield intelligible responses. Read More…


How High Could Budget Outlays on Interest Go?

Jan 11, 2022 01:00 am
Everybody is wondering what is coming up in the near future as the Federal Reserve Board starts to respond to the current “temporary” surge in inflation.  Read More…


Recent Blog Posts

The left’s favorite bugbear rescues stranded pilot in crashed aircraft seconds from colllision with a train
Jan 11, 2022 01:00 am
The LAPD performed an incredible rescue. Where’s Joe Biden to praise them?  Read more…


It turns out that, if you doubted COVID’s deadliness, you were correct
Jan 11, 2022 01:00 am
For leftists reveling in smug fear about COVID, the CDC director Rochelle Walensky had some very bad news.  Read more…


Is the tide finally turning?
Jan 11, 2022 01:00 am
We may be approaching the point in the COVID drama where Democrats start turning on each other.  Read more…


Democrats plan to copy Obama’s tactics to win in November
Jan 11, 2022 01:00 am
Obama twice won unopposed using procedural devices or smears to get opponents off the ballot. Dems plan to do the same this November and in November 2024.  Read more…


The vaccine conundrum and the Mayo Clinic
Jan 11, 2022 01:00 am
America’s hospitals and medical centers have become too dependent on the favor of elected politicians and funding from the federal government.  Read more…


Biden’s Cabinet: A slew of mediocrity and incompetence
Jan 11, 2022 01:00 am
A slew of affirmative action hires on every possible metric doesn’t bode well for the USA.  Read more…


Media ignored the lies in Biden’s January 6th anniversary speech
Jan 11, 2022 01:00 am
The unhinged and irascible manner in which President Biden delivered his viciously partisan speech on the anniversary of January 6th was unprecedented. So, too, was the media complicity in covering up his misrepresentations.  Read more…


Why it must be Trump in 2024
Jan 11, 2022 01:00 am
Trump has proven that he can withstand the Democrat onslaught, loves his country, and keeps his promises—and now he’s seasoned and ready to rumble.  Read more…


Let’s not have a path to citizenship for illegal aliens
Jan 11, 2022 01:00 am
An amnesty program should not include the ability to acquire U.S. citizenship, which wrongly rewards people for abusing America’s laws.  Read more…


The media spreads disinformation, campaigns for a powerful government run by leftists
Jan 11, 2022 01:00 am
There is nothing more dangerous than uninformed Supreme Court justices deciding what laws and rules are constitutional.  Read more…


Why early COVID treatment matters
Jan 11, 2022 01:00 am
Shouldn’t we be paying attention to India’s success?  Read more…


Maybe Mexico will close its border
Jan 11, 2022 01:00 am
The flow of guns and cash to Mexico matches that of the flow of humans and drugs to the U.S.  Read more…


The Senate should reject Jerome Powell
Jan 11, 2022 01:00 am
Powell is playing with fire. Once inflationary expectations get going, they are very difficult to bring down.  Read more…


How to get from here to serfdom quick
Jan 11, 2022 01:00 am
The Democrats are trying to transform America into big government socialism.  Read more…


Were Joe Biden’s minions behind the uprising in Kazakhstan?
Jan 10, 2022 01:00 am
Hunter Biden could not be reached for comment.  Read more…


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37.) LARRY J. SABATO’S CRYSTAL BALL

 


38.) THE BLAZE

 


39.) THE FEDERALIST

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40.) REUTERS

Reuters
The Reuters Daily Briefing

Tuesday, January 11, 2022

by Linda Noakes

Hello

Here’s what you need to know.

It’s too soon to treat COVID like flu, Russian-led troops will start leaving Kazakhstan, and smart guns are finally arriving in the U.S.

Plus, please take our short survey to help us improve the Daily Briefing

Today’s biggest stories

People wait outside a community center for COVID-19 testing in San Diego, California, January 10, 2022. REUTERS/Mike Blake

COVID-19

The United States reported 1.35 million new coronavirus infections, according to a Reuters tally, the highest daily total for any country in the world as the spread of the highly contagious Omicron variant showed no signs of slowing.

The Omicron variant is on track to infect more than half of Europeans, but it should not yet be seen as a flu-like endemic illness, the World Health Organization said.

Preliminary findings from two South African clinical trials suggest the Omicron variant has a much higher rate of “asymptomatic carriage” than earlier variants, which could explain why it has spread so rapidly across the globe.

Cities across China are imposing tougher restrictions to try to control new outbreaks of COVID-19, with Tianjin now battling the Omicron variant, which has already been detected in at least two other provinces.

Australia’s COVID-19 infections hovered near record levels as a surge of infections caused by Omicron put a strain on hospitals already stretched by staff isolating after being exposed to the virus.

A view shows the city administration headquarters, which was set on fire during recent protests triggered by fuel price increase, in Almaty, Kazakhstan January 11, 2022. REUTERS/Pavel Mikheyev


WORLD

A Russian-led military bloc will begin withdrawing its troops from Kazakhstan in two days’ time after fulfilling its main mission of stabilizing the Central Asian country after serious unrest, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said.

North Korea appeared to test fire a ballistic missile that may be more capable than the “hypersonic missile” it launched less than a week earlier, South Korea’s military said, as Pyongyang pursues increasingly advanced weapons.

The Hong Kong government is expanding its use of a long-dormant sedition law in what some lawyers and democracy advocates say is intensifying a squeeze on press freedom.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was under fire after it emerged his private secretary had invited over 100 people to a “bring your own booze” party in the garden of Downing Street during the first coronavirus lockdown.

European Parliament President David Sassoli, an Italian socialist and former journalist, died in hospital in Italy aged 65. He had been president of the 705-seat parliament since July 2019 and his term in the predominantly ceremonial role had been due to end this month.

U.S.

President Joe Biden will travel to Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthplace of Atlanta today to jumpstart stalled efforts to reform U.S. voting rights after new laws by states that some activists say will deter Black voters from the polls. Here’s why Senate Democrats are mulling ending the filibuster to pass voting rights reform.

Donald Trump’s lawyer argued in court that the former president cannot be sued over his fiery speech before the deadly attack on the Capitol because he was acting within the scope of his official presidential duties.

New York authorities said the city was investigating a possible “maintenance issue” with self-closing doors that failed to function properly when a devastating fire erupted in a Bronx apartment building, killing 17 people, including eight children.

The U.S. government is prepared to dismiss two perjury charges against Ghislaine Maxwell if her conviction for aiding Jeffrey Epstein’s sexual abuses is allowed to stand, according to a joint letter from prosecutors and Maxwell’s defense team.

Robert Durst, the multimillionaire real estate heir who was serving a life sentence for murder in California and was the prime suspect in two other murders over the past four decades, died in prison at age 78.

BUSINESS

Only one in 10 World Economic Forum members surveyed expects the global recovery to accelerate over the next three years, a poll of nearly 1,000 business, government and academic leaders found, with only one in six optimistic about the world outlook.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell will pledge to fight inflation when he testifies today at a congressional hearing during which fast-rising U.S. prices will likely spark plenty of lawmaker questions and criticism.

U.S. electric vehicle maker Tesla sold 70,847 China-made vehicles in December, the highest monthly rate since it started manufacturing in Shanghai in 2019.

Airbus kept its crown as the world’s largest jetmaker for the third year running as it outstripped Boeing by delivering 611 jets in 2021, up 8% from the year before, company data showed.

Personalized smart guns, which can be fired only by verified users, may finally become available to U.S. consumers after two decades of questions about reliability and concerns they will usher in a new wave of government regulation.

HOW CAN WE IMPROVE THIS NEWSLETTER?

Your feedback is important to us to help improve the Daily Briefing – please take a moment to fill in this short survey

Quote of the day

“If he plays the booing will be deafening”

Pam Shriver

Former tennis player

Djokovic free but Australia deportation threat still looms

Video of the day

Goldfish learn to drive a car

A team at Israel’s Ben-Gurion University has developed an FOV – a fish-operated vehicle.

And finally…

Man recovering after ‘breakthrough’ pig-heart transplant 

The surgery, performed by a team at the University of Maryland Medicine, is among the first to demonstrate the feasibility of a pig-to-human heart transplant, a field made possible by new gene editing tools.

More from Reuters

COVID-19 The Great Reboot Disrupted Legal News Breakingviews

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41.) NOQ REPORT

 


42.) ARRA NEWS SERVICE

 


43.) REDSTATE

 


44.) WORLD NET DAILY

Web version
Breaking News Alert
This is a breaking news alert which we send infrequently to update you on emerging breaking stories.
CDC chief makes startling admission about COVID deaths
Posted by Art Moore
Just when you thought the CDC could not be more dishonest, its chief has just made a startling admission. Read more…
Related
Pfizer CEO shocker: 2 shots ‘offer very limited protection, if any’
Posted by Art Moore
The government and media keep telling everyone COVID shots are effective, but suddenly the head of Pfizer is making a stunning admission. Read more…
Related
Chuck Norris asks if we can return to Reagan-like humiity
Posted by Chuck Norris
Wow, what a contrast. Biden’s bullying vs. Reagan’s humility … how far we’ve come. Read more…
Related
Mark Levin reveals the ‘greatest threat’ to America, and it’s NOT Jan. 6
‘You will be censored. You will be banned. You will be destroyed.’ Read more…
Judge allows Wisconsin election investigation to move forward
State’s procedures under review following 2020 presidential race results Read more…
COVID: Will it be a ‘Great Reckoning’ for Big Pharma?
The 5 “oligarchical crime syndicates that rule over us.” Read more…
Democratic Party: Created to subjugate – and nothing’s changed
Are you able to have a civil friendly conversation with a liberal Democrat? Didn’t think so. Read more…
Wrongly imprisoned Republican demands probe of Dem prosecutor
This sounds like Soviet-era corruption … but it’s Ohio. Read more…
My vax debate with the M.D. who called me a ‘moron’
Here’s how to do it. Respond to name-calling with facts. Boom. Read more…
Where does NATO enlargement end?
“How would we have reacted if, after losing the Cold War, we were treated to Russian warships on Lake Ontario and Moscow giving Canada war guarantees?” Read more…
Busted: Kamala’s new comms director said terrible things about Biden
Didn’t the White House do a background check on this guy? Read more…
Video: Heroic police make stunning rescue seconds before train barrels through
These police officers put their own lives in serious danger to pull off an incredible rescue. Read more…
Mike Lindell enacts plan to counterpunch Pelosi and her vengeful Jan. 6 committee
Lindell is not going to let Pelosi and her select committee steamroll him. Read more…
CNN propagandist Brian Stelter makes shocking admission about CDC
Let’s face it: When you’ve lost Brian Stelter, things are really bad. Read more…
As investigators try to seize Alec Baldwin’s phone, he demands they do this
Baldwin is making demands as investigators struggle to execute a search warrant. Read more…
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45.) MSNBC

 


46.) BIZPAC REVIEW

 


47.) ABC

January 11, 2022 – Having trouble viewing this email? Open it in your browser.
Morning Rundown
Some immunocompromised Americans will be eligible for 4th dose this week: As U.S. hospitalizations have reached a record high, with more than 141,000 Americans now in hospitals with COVID-19, according to data from the Department of Health and Human Services, some immunocompromised Americans may be eligible for a fourth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine this week. In August, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended a third dose for people with compromised immune systems, which is considered part of the original vaccine series. Recently, the CDC shortened the window of Pfizer and Moderna booster shots from six months to five months, which means immunocompromised people who got their third shot in mid-August will be eligible for a fourth booster dose in mid-January. Meanwhile, the Biden administration is moving forward on a rule to make at-home rapid tests reimbursable for insured Americans. Beginning Jan. 15, Americans will get up to eight tests covered per month, as well as an unlimited number of tests covered if ordered or administered by a doctor or nurse.
Convicted murderer Robert Durst dies in custody: Robert Durst, a convicted murderer who was awaiting trial on a separate murder charge, died of natural causes while in custody early Monday morning, his lawyer said. Durst, 78, who was the eldest son of wealthy New York real estate investor and developer Seymour Durst, had several health ailments, including esophageal and bladder cancers, chronic kidney disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In October 2021, Durst was sentenced to life in prison for the first-degree murder of his friend, Susan Berman, who was shot and killed in 2000 in her Los Angeles home. Days after his sentencing, he was charged with the murder of his wife, Kathie Durst, who disappeared near their Westchester County, New York, home in 1982. Her body was never found. Prosecutors allege Durst killed Susan Berman in 2000 because he feared his close friend would reveal details of Kathie Durst’s death. Durst was also charged in the 2001 killing of his neighbor, Morris Black. Robert Adams, an attorney for Kathie Durst’s family, said Monday that he’ll provide an update on Jan. 31, 2022 — the 40th anniversary of Kathie Durst’s disappearance.
Tennis star Novak Djokovic wins visa appeal in Australia: Tennis star Novak Djokovic praised an Australian judge’s ruling allowing him to stay in the country. “I’m pleased and grateful that the Judge overturned my visa cancellation,” Djokovic said on Twitter late Monday night. Djokovic, who has been a vocal critic of vaccinations, had been detained upon arrival in Australia last week for the Australian Open on Jan. 17. The Australian Border Force canceled Djokovic’s visa and denied him entry into the country, threatening to deport him. The 34-year-old had applied for a medical exemption to Australia’s COVID-19 vaccine requirements, but officials questioned whether he met the requirements for that exemption. Djokovic’s legal team argued that border officials failed to give valid notice of the intention to cancel his visa and that he did everything asked of him for quarantine-free travel. The judge ultimately sided with the tennis star, noting that Djokovic’s medical exemption had been provided with input from an “eminently qualified physician.” Now, the world’s top tennis player has his eyes set on the Australian Open. “I flew here to play at one of the most important events we have in front of the amazing fans,” he said on Twitter.
Student raises over $70K for scholarship for women after professor’s viral comments: When Ally Orr, 22, heard a professor at her school say that women should not be recruited into fields like engineering, medicine and law, she wanted to make sure female students pursuing careers in those fields had the support they needed. “I never want a girl to look online and say, ‘Oh look, a professor who teaches in higher education says I should stay out of STEM, medicine and law,” Orr told “GMA.” So, the Boise State marketing major started the Women in STEM, Medicine and Law Scholarship, which will provide money annually to one female student starting this fall. She created a GoFundMe in early December to raise money for the scholarship and sent over 600 emails to professors, faculty and staff sharing the GoFundMe link asking them to support the scholarship. The morning after she posted the link, she saw people had donated thousands of dollars in just hours. Orr said she’s proud to have created a legacy for women on campus that will live long after she graduates. She said she hopes the message women receive is, “We want you here.”
GMA Must-Watch
This morning on “GMA,” John Cena joins us to talk about his titular role in the upcoming HBO Max series, “Peacemaker,” a spin-off of “The Suicide Squad.” Plus, New York Times best-selling author Jason Reynolds joins us to talk about his new book “Ain’t Burned All the Bright,” which looks at a Black family living in America amid ongoing violence and the COVID-19 pandemic. Plus, with a rise in cases of influenza and COVID at the same time, Becky Worley brings us tips for avoiding illness and germ-proofing your home, including: taking your trash out daily, washing hand towels more often, using paper towels and removing your shoes before going inside. All this and more only on “GMA.”
Make the most of your Dutch oven this winter with these tasty recipes
From bread to braises, this versatile kitchen tool is a winter warrior for weeknight meals and weekend baking.
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PHOTO: One Life Planner This Week from 40 Boxes: Deals to get organized and feel your best
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Read more →
Give your pantry a fresh start for 2022 with these clean-out and re-stock tips
From spices to pantry organization, here’s how to get your kitchen ready for 2022.

48.) NBC MORNING RUNDOWN


49.) NBC FIRST READ

Image

From NBC’s Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Ben Kamisar, Bridget Bowman and Alexandra Marquez

FIRST READ: Biden’s voting rights push comes after months spent on other issues

If it’s Tuesday… President Biden and VP Harris head to Atlanta to talk voting rights… Sen. Ron Johnson is already up on Wisconsin’s airwaves… NBC’s Benjy Sarlin explains why Medicare premiums are coming back down… And it’s Election Day in the FL-20 special to fill the congressional seat vacated by the late Alcee Hastings, D-Fla., who passed away last April.

 

But FIRST… When President Biden delivers his voting-rights speech beginning at 3:50 pm ET, it will be just the second time of his presidency he has held an event solely dedicated to the issue. (His previous speech on voting rights came on July 13; he’s also addressed the topic on other occasions, such as when he commemorated the Tulsa Race Massacre and at the celebration marking the 10th anniversary of the MLK memorial.)

 

That’s compared to more than 60 Biden events solely dedicated to the coronavirus pandemic and his Covid relief plan, according to NBC News’ White House unit.

 

And nearly 40 Biden events and speeches focused on his “Build Back Better” and/or infrastructure bills.

 

“Show me your budget, and I’ll tell you what you value,” Biden is fond of saying, per NBC’s Mike Memoli.

 

The same is true of a president’s events: Show us your schedule, and we’ll tell you what issues are bigger priorities than the others.

Jessica McGowan/Getty Images file

The White House has definitely raised expectations about today’s speech.

 

“The next few days, when these bills come to a vote, will mark a turning point in this nation. Will we choose democracy over autocracy, light over shadow, justice over injustice?” Biden is expected to say today, according to excerpts the White House has released. “I know where I stand. I will not yield. I will not flinch. I will defend your right to vote and our democracy against all enemies foreign and domestic. And so the question is where will the institution of United States Senate stand?”

 

But does it have a plan to get the legislation through the Senate?

 

And has it put in the work to get it done?

Tweet of the Day: “We need to see outcomes”

Data Download: The number of the day is … 5

That’s how many votes by which Florida Democrat Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick won her special primary election in November – a victory that paved the way for her to join Congress after today’s special election vote.

 

Cherfilus-McCormick, a CEO of a home health care company, is running to fill the seat vacated by the late Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Fla., who died in April (the seat has been open since his death). The district is one of the most Democratic-leaning ones in America, so Cherfilus-McCormick’s narrow primary victory all-but secured her spot in Congress. She’s running against Republican Jason Mariner, as well as one libertarian candidate and three others with no party affiliation.

 

The winner will fill out the remainder of the term.

Other numbers you need to know today

26: The number of House Democrats who are retiring, including Colorado Rep. Ed Perlmutter, who announced his retirement yesterday.

 

3: The number of congressional districts that could include parts of Nashville as Tennessee Republicans weigh carving up the city in redistricting.

 

1,343,167: The number of new Covid cases reported in America on Monday. While that likely includes a backlog from over the weekend, it’s still the most cases reported in one day since the start of the pandemic.

 

740,594: The seven-day average of new Covid cases in America, which is also a record.

 

842,788: The number of deaths in the United States from the virus so far, per the most recent data from NBC News.

Midterm roundup

Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., wasted no time hitting the airwaves after kicking off his re-election campaign, launching a more than $700,000 ad buy (TV and radio) starting today, per AdImpact. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel breaks down Johnson’s two statewide spots, which address his broken term-limit pledge. One of Johnson’s Democratic challengers, Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, picked up an endorsement from Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J.

 

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp’s campaign for re-election said it raised more than $7 million between July 1, 2021 and Jan. 7, 2022, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. The Kemp campaign also reports more than $12 million cash on hand as the governor prepares for a tough primary fight against former Sen. David Perdue and a potential general election rematch against Democrat Stacey Abrams.

 

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers announced a $5 million haul in the second half of 2021, ending the year with $10.5 million on hand, per the Associated Press. Republican Rebecca Kleefisch, the former lieutenant governor challenging Evers, raised $3.3 million.

 

Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., raised $3.3 million in the final quarter of 2021 as she gears up for a competitive re-election race. She ended the year with $10.4 million on hand.

 

Yesterday, Laura Neuman joined nine men in the race for the Democratic nomination to be Maryland’s governor. The former Republican was previously Anne Arundel’s county executive and a tech entrepreneur. In her campaign announcement video, Neuman didn’t mention why she switched parties and her campaign website makes no mention of her political affiliation, the Baltimore Sun noted.

Talking policy with Benjy: Why Medicare premiums are coming back dow

We’ve been tracking the saga of Aduhelm, the controversial Alzheimer’s drug whose high cost threatens to add hundreds of billions of dollars in federal spending, even as its efficacy is hotly contested.

 

Facing criticism from lawmakers over its proposed $56,000 price, drugmaker Biogen slashed it in half to $28,000 late last month. That’s still far higher than independent analysts like the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review have offered based on the data (they suggested a max of about $8,300), but it’s already having a ripple effect on Medicare.

 

Aduhelm, which Biogen purports can help slow the onset of dementia, still hasn’t been approved for coverage by Medicare. Regulators are expected to announce this week whether Medicare will cover the treatment and in what circumstances.

 

But it’s so expensive and has such a wide potential pool of users that health officials already announced a proposed $21.60 increase in Medicare Part B premiums last year, half of which was in anticipation of Aduhelm even potentially being approved.

 

On Monday, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra announced that Biogen’s decision to drop Aduhelm’s price was “a compelling basis for CMS to re-examine” its own proposed premium hikes for Medicare Part B, which could come down as a result.

 

The Aduhelm story has hung over Congress as it debates drug pricing reform, which Democrats have tried to include as part of their now-in-limbo Build Back Better plan, though not every reform on the table would apply to this specific treatment. Medicare is currently not allowed to negotiate drug prices or factor in cost to its decision-making, only to decide whether or not to cover treatments and in what circumstances.

ICYMI: What ELSE is happening in the world

Politico reports that West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin and Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Manchin and Sinema aren’t the only Senate Democrats who aren’t completely behind changing the filibuster.

 

Chicago is poised to return to in-person school on Wednesday amid negotiations between teachers and schools over Covid mitigation.

 

Covid rapid tests will be covered by private insurance starting on Saturday, according to the White House.

 

Former President Donald Trump is attacking Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., after he said the 2020 election was “as fair as we have seen.”

Thanks for reading.

If you’re a fan, please forward this to a friend. They can sign up here.

 

We love hearing from our readers, so shoot us a line here with your comments and suggestions.

 

Thanks,

Chuck, Mark, Ben, Bridget and Alexandra

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50.) CBS

 


51.) REASON

 


52.) MANHATTAN INSTITUTE

 


53.) LOUDER WITH CROWDER

 


54.) TOWNHALL

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The Layers of Media Failures with Their January 6 Obsession
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An Orthodox Rabbi Writes That People Are Basically Good — Judaism Is in Trouble
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COVID-19 Allowed Too Many to Pervert Their Power
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Is Communist China Colonizing Cuba?
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Where Does NATO Enlargement End?
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Why 2021 Was A Disastrous Year for America’s Border Security
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Do TV Ads Forecast the Future?
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55.) REALCLEARPOLITICS MORNING NOTE

 


56.) REALCLEARPOLITICS TODAY

 


57.) CENTER FOR SECURITY POLICY

 


58.) BERNARD GOLDBERG

 


59.) SARA A. CARTER

 


60.) TWITCHY

 


61.) HOT AIR

 


62.) 1440 DAILY DIGEST

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Good morning. It’s Tuesday, Jan. 11, and we’re covering the college football championship, a breakthrough in organ transplants, and much more. Have feedback? Let us know at hello@join1440.com.
First time reading? Sign up here.

NEED TO KNOW

US-Russia Security Talks

US and Russian diplomats met in Geneva yesterday in an attempt to smooth out tensions over a Russian military buildup on the border of Ukraine. Reports say negotiators made little to no progress. The US and Western allies fear that Moscow plans to invade Ukraine, but Moscow insists it won’t and that its military gathering is in response to threats to its own security.

 

Moscow wants NATO to pull out forces from former Soviet nations, halt eastward expansion, and block Ukraine from joining the alliance (see 101). The latter two are nonstarters for the US, which says the requests go against NATO’s open-door membership policy. The Biden administration has threatened sanctions against financial institutions, among other measures ($$, NYT), if Russia attacks Ukraine and further violates its sovereignty. In 2014, Moscow invaded and annexed Crimea from Ukraine.

 

Up next, Russia and NATO officials will hold talks in Brussels Wednesday, followed by a meeting in Vienna Thursday with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

Georgia Wins Title

No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs beat No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide 33-18 in last night’s college football championship, avenging a loss to Alabama in the Southeastern Conference title game in December. It marks the program’s first national championship since 1980.

 

Much of the match was a defensive battle, with Georgia scoring the game’s first touchdown late in the third quarter. The two traded scores, with the Bulldogs sealing the win on a 79-yard interception return for a score with less than a minute to go. Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett—a former walk-on—was named the game’s offensive MVP, throwing for 224 yards and two touchdowns. The win snaps a seven-game losing streak against Alabama for coach Kirby Smart, a protégé of Alabama coach Nick Saban.

 

Watch highlights here.

Pig-to-Human Heart Transplant

In a medical milestone, doctors at the University of Maryland announced yesterday the successful transplant of a genetically modified pig heart into a human. The patient, 57-year-old Dave Bennett, has lived for four days following the surgery and is being weaned off a respiratory machine.

 

The procedure is the culmination of decades of research and marks a critical advance in lessening the reliance on human organ transplants. The donor heart came from a 1-year-old pig that had been genetically modified to decrease the likelihood Bennett’s body would reject it. More than 100,000 Americans are on organ transplant lists, and 6,000 patients die each year while waiting.

 

The success follows two surgeries in which pig kidneys were successfully transplanted to human hosts—however, the procedures were demonstrations involving clinically brain-dead patients. Read more about xenotransplantation here.

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In partnership with Apollo

UNWIND YOUR MIND

The new year is upon us, and after a well-earned two weeks off for the holidays, we’ve had some trouble focusing. But we’re in luck—when it was time to write this piece for Apollo, we didn’t stare at a blank screen for hours or mindlessly switch between tabs. Instead, we just set our very own Apollo device to “Clear and Focused” mode and started writing.

 

The Apollo wearable is a new device developed by neuroscientists and physicians that improves the way your body manages stress. In fact, in clinical research, Apollo users experienced—on average—up to 25% increases in focus and concentration, 19% more time in deep sleep, and 40% less stress or feelings of anxiety. Apollo is a low-effort way to hit your goals for the new year. Using the power of gentle vibrations, it improves your heart rate variability (HRV) to help you feel more calm, focused, and healthy, depending on your priorities.

 

Try Apollo and watch your health, mood, and sleep improve. It’s the perfect way to start 2022 strong: Get 10% off with coupon code 1440.

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IN THE KNOW

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture

In partnership with Vuori
> World No. 1 Novak Djokovic’s visa reinstated by Australian judge; the tennis star will attempt to defend his title at the Australian Open next week as government mulls canceling visa a second time (More)

 

> Robert Durst, real estate heir recently sentenced to life in prison for 2000 murder of journalist Susan Berman, dies in prison at 78 (More)

 

> Buckingham Palace announces plans for Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee celebrating 70 years on the throne (More) | Yale and Georgetown among 16 universities sued for alleged collusion in calculating student financial aid (More)

From our partners: Hit the reset button. Vuori’s Kore Shorts make hitting 2022 fitness goals a little bit less painful. Soft, lightweight, stretchy, and moisture-wicking, you’ll find your old gym shorts making their way further and further to the back of the closet in no time. Get the best men’s and women’s athletic essentials around from Vuori, and take 20% off your first order.

Science & Technology

> Near-complete ichthyosaur fossil uncovered at British nature reserve; 32-foot-long specimen dates to 180 million years ago, hailed as one of the country’s greatest fossil discoveries (More)

 

> Analysis suggests US greenhouse gas emissions rose 6.2% year-over-year in 2021, but still remain 5% lower than 2019 levels (More)

 

> Memories may be stored in the links between brain cells, study suggests; research finds the learning processes spur synapse growth in some brain regions, disappearance in other regions (More)

Business & Markets

> Federal Reserve Vice Chairman Richard Clarida to resign Friday following questions around stock trades he made at the pandemic onset (More) | Treasury Department warns staff shortages are creating large backlog for tax returns (More)

 

> Video game giant Take-Two Interactive to buy mobile gaming company Zynga for $12.7B (More)

 

> Car-sharing startup Turo files publicly for an initial public offering; company saw $330M revenues in first nine months of 2021, is unprofitable, and has raised over $500M from private investors (More)

Politics & World Affairs

> Death toll in Bronx high-rise fire at 17 victims, including eight children; blaze was the deadliest in New York City in more than three decades (More)

 

> Chicago Public Schools to reopen tomorrow as city and teachers’ union reach deal on COVID-19 protocols in classrooms (More) | See current US COVID-19 stats (More)

 

> European Parliament President David Sassoli passes away at age 65 (More) | Kazakhstan names new prime minister following widespread protests; more than 10,000 people reportedly detained over the past week (More)

IN-DEPTH

The Rise of the Celebrity Instructor

The Ringer | Jacqueline KantorOne enduring change of the post-pandemic fitness industry appears to be the rise of celebrity instructors and the relationships they build with their communities of at-home exercise enthusiasts. (Read)

The Rival Queens

Smithsonian | Shelley Puhak. The true story of the medieval Queen Brunhild and her burning rivalry with her sister-in-law, Queen Fredegund. (Read)

SET UP HEALTHIER ROUTINES

In partnership with Apollo

 

The Apollo wearable has already taken the world by storm, using touch therapy on the wrist or ankle to deliver silent, soothing vibrations that help train your nervous system to feel safe and in control. It’s like a wearable hug for your nervous system to help you sleep, focus, relax, and stay calm.

 

And now, they’re making it easier than ever to build healthy habits, with the Apollo Scheduling feature. Just wear Apollo on your wrist or ankle, and let your scheduled modes help you flow through the day. Your Apollo schedule can help you achieve small wins, helping you meet milestones and keeping you on track easily—just set it and forget it—Apollo will do the rest. Start working health into your days and nights and try the Apollo wearable for 10% off with code 1440.

Please support our sponsors!

ETCETERA

What experts see coming in 2022.

 

Americans are reading fewer books.

 

The National Zoo’s panda cub frolics in the snow.

 

Meet Ameca, the humanoid robot. (via YouTube)

 

The fantasy-like beauty of the Faroe Islands.

 

Pilot rescued from downed plane seconds before an oncoming train. (w/video)

 

World faces growing potato shortage.

 

Escaped ostrich herd stampedes through Chinese city.

 

Clickbait: Why you should never film a commercial on ice.

 

Historybook: Alexander Hamilton born (1755 or 1757); Grand Canyon becomes a national monument (1908); First use of insulin to treat diabetes in humans (1922); HBD Mary J. Blige (1971); RIP Sir Edmund Hillary, one of the first two people to reach the summit of Mount Everest (2008).

“You don’t have to be a fantastic hero to do certain things—to compete. You can be just an ordinary chap, sufficiently motivated to reach challenging goals.”

– Sir Edmund Hillary
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63.) AMERICAN INSTITUTE FOR ECONOMIC RESEARCH

 


64.) NATIONAL REVIEW

 


65.) POLITICAL WIRE

 


66.) RASMUSSEN REPORTS

 


67.) ZEROHEDGE

 


68.) GATEWAY PUNDIT

 


69.) FRONTPAGE MAG

 


70.) HOOVER INSTITUTE

 


71.) DAILY INTELLIGENCE BRIEF

 


72.) FOUNDATION FOR ECONOMIC EDUCATION

 


73.) POPULIST PRESS

As a result of declining poll numbers for Biden, rising prices, and the departure of over two dozen members of his caucus, keeping this advantage is becoming increasingly challenging.

 

IN DEPTH… 

  1. NY Post: Pelosi Makes Up to $30 Million on Insider Stock Trades  New
  2. Democratic pressure on Sens. Manchin and Sinema to alter filibuster rules is not working  New
  3. Man Who Threatened to Murder Trump is Charged…  60 mins ago
  4. California Democrats Seek to Double Taxes…  1 hour ago
  5. Georgia Secretary of State Calls for Federal Election Reform  New
  6. SOCOM’s Specialists Arctic-Capable?  3 hours ago
  7. Huge Bill for Afghan Refugees  3 hours ago
  8. Army Drones to Deliver Meds  3 hours ago
  9. Data Poisoning & Machine Learning  3 hours ago
  10. CA Plan to DOUBLE Taxes  3 hours ago
  11. Eurozone Record 5% Inflation  3 hours ago
  12. Sen. Kaine Shock Statement on Northam  3 hours ago
  13. U.S. Warns Iran, Don’t Attack  3 hours ago
  14. Dems must abandon assault on police  3 hours ago
  15. WWII soldier’s letter to mom 80 years late  3 hours ago
  16. Sarah Silverman: ‘Harry Potter’ = Nazi  3 hours ago
  17. ‘Spider-Man’ Passes ‘Titanic’  3 hours ago
  18. CDC Doesn’t Know Covid Deaths  3 hours ago
  19. Shania Twain congratulates Taylor Swift  3 hours ago
  20. Woodstock Co-Creator Dies  3 hours ago
  21. Zuckerberg’s Advocates Shock On Election  3 hours ago
  22. Biden Rants About Windmills  3 hours ago
  23. Pelosi says Repubs still doing J6  3 hours ago
  24. Biden To Attack GA Voting Integrity Laws  4 hours ago
  25. Biden fewer pressers than last 5 presidents  4 hours ago
  26. Inflation: Fed Unites Left & Right  4 hours ago
  27. Royal Caribbean pauses some cruises  4 hours ago
  28. PayPal Explores Own Stablecoin  4 hours ago
  29. Joe Rogan: CNN = ‘yellow journalism’  4 hours ago
  30. No action on fraudulent PPP loans  4 hours ago
  31. Biden associate arrested for treason  4 hours ago
  32. Rural homelessness increasing  4 hours ago
  33. Chinese firms banned on U.S. exchanges?  4 hours ago
  34. Space Force license plates in Illinois  4 hours ago
  35. BREAKING: AOC POSITIVE FOR COVID  4 hours ago
  36. Politician tweets Shock photo of wife  4 hours ago
  37. #BareShelvesBiden trends on Twitter  4 hours ago
  38. Jim Jordan refuses J6 request  4 hours ago
  39. ‘Deltacron’ discovered in Cyprus…  4 hours ago
  40. Where you are most likely to catch?  4 hours ago
  41. Evidence against mandates piles up  4 hours ago
  42. Australian judge Shocks Djokovic  4 hours ago
  43. CAUSE UNKNOWN  4 hours ago
  44. How Trump Social-Media Ban Paid Off…  4 hours ago
  45. FOX hosts’ texts to Trump WH  4 hours ago
  46. Pentagon office splits ufologists…  4 hours ago
  47. Hotel replaces staff with robots  4 hours ago
  48. 1 in 4 plan to quit job  4 hours ago
  49. New Civil War About What?  4 hours ago
  50. Wave Goodbye to Blue States  11 hours ago
  51. The U.S. Economy Remains #1  11 hours ago
  52. Cruz Right About Impeachment?  11 hours ago
  53. Charles Lipson: Danger of Build Back Better  1 day ago
  54. Biden moderates cozy up to leftists  1 day ago
  55. Voting Rights for 1 Million Noncitizens  1 day ago
  56. Iran: Revenge For Soleimani Death  1 day ago
  57. Gingrich — Resolutions for America  1 day ago
  58. Bongino: Dems blame ‘failing democracy’  1 day ago
  59. Teachers Union delegate vows to Snitch  1 day ago
  60. Office Phones Leak Info to CCP?  1 day ago
  61. Message Putin Needs to Hear  1 day ago
  62. Rep. Mast: Biden failing Afghan Commandos  1 day ago

 

IN DEPTH… 

  1. NY Post: Pelosi Makes Up to $30 Million on Insider Stock Trades  New
  2. Democratic pressure on Sens. Manchin and Sinema to alter filibuster rules is not working  New
  3. Man Who Threatened to Murder Trump is Charged…  60 mins ago
  4. California Democrats Seek to Double Taxes…  1 hour ago
  5. Georgia Secretary of State Calls for Federal Election Reform  New
  6. SOCOM’s Specialists Arctic-Capable?  3 hours ago
  7. Huge Bill for Afghan Refugees  3 hours ago
  8. Army Drones to Deliver Meds  3 hours ago
  9. Data Poisoning & Machine Learning  3 hours ago
  10. CA Plan to DOUBLE Taxes  3 hours ago
  11. Eurozone Record 5% Inflation  3 hours ago
  12. Sen. Kaine Shock Statement on Northam  3 hours ago
  13. U.S. Warns Iran, Don’t Attack  3 hours ago
  14. Dems must abandon assault on police  3 hours ago
  15. WWII soldier’s letter to mom 80 years late  3 hours ago
  16. Sarah Silverman: ‘Harry Potter’ = Nazi  3 hours ago
  17. ‘Spider-Man’ Passes ‘Titanic’  3 hours ago
  18. CDC Doesn’t Know Covid Deaths  3 hours ago
  19. Shania Twain congratulates Taylor Swift  3 hours ago
  20. Woodstock Co-Creator Dies  3 hours ago
  21. Zuckerberg’s Advocates Shock On Election  3 hours ago
  22. Biden Rants About Windmills  3 hours ago
  23. Pelosi says Repubs still doing J6  3 hours ago
  24. Biden To Attack GA Voting Integrity Laws  4 hours ago
  25. Biden fewer pressers than last 5 presidents  4 hours ago
  26. Inflation: Fed Unites Left & Right  4 hours ago
  27. Royal Caribbean pauses some cruises  4 hours ago
  28. PayPal Explores Own Stablecoin  4 hours ago
  29. Joe Rogan: CNN = ‘yellow journalism’  4 hours ago
  30. No action on fraudulent PPP loans  4 hours ago
  31. Biden associate arrested for treason  4 hours ago
  32. Rural homelessness increasing  4 hours ago
  33. Chinese firms banned on U.S. exchanges?  4 hours ago
  34. Space Force license plates in Illinois  4 hours ago
  35. BREAKING: AOC POSITIVE FOR COVID  4 hours ago
  36. Politician tweets Shock photo of wife  4 hours ago
  37. #BareShelvesBiden trends on Twitter  4 hours ago
  38. Jim Jordan refuses J6 request  4 hours ago
  39. ‘Deltacron’ discovered in Cyprus…  4 hours ago
  40. Where you are most likely to catch?  4 hours ago
  41. Evidence against mandates piles up  4 hours ago
  42. Australian judge Shocks Djokovic  4 hours ago
  43. CAUSE UNKNOWN  4 hours ago
  44. How Trump Social-Media Ban Paid Off…  4 hours ago
  45. FOX hosts’ texts to Trump WH  4 hours ago
  46. Pentagon office splits ufologists…  4 hours ago
  47. Hotel replaces staff with robots  4 hours ago
  48. 1 in 4 plan to quit job  4 hours ago
  49. New Civil War About What?  4 hours ago
  50. Wave Goodbye to Blue States  11 hours ago
  51. The U.S. Economy Remains #1  11 hours ago
  52. Cruz Right About Impeachment?  11 hours ago
  53. Charles Lipson: Danger of Build Back Better  1 day ago
  54. Biden moderates cozy up to leftists  1 day ago
  55. Voting Rights for 1 Million Noncitizens  1 day ago
  56. Iran: Revenge For Soleimani Death  1 day ago
  57. Gingrich — Resolutions for America  1 day ago
  58. Bongino: Dems blame ‘failing democracy’  1 day ago
  59. Teachers Union delegate vows to Snitch  1 day ago
  60. Office Phones Leak Info to CCP?  1 day ago
  61. Message Putin Needs to Hear  1 day ago
  62. Rep. Mast: Biden failing Afghan Commandos  1 day ago

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74.) THE POST MILLENNIAL

 


75.) BLACKLISTED NEWS

 


76.) THE DAILY DOT


77.) HEADLINE USA

 


78.) NATURAL NEWS

NaturalNews.com
Covid concentration camps now activated in America, roundups to begin soon
Mike Adams Democrats in Washington State are now pushing a bill, WAC 246-100, which would authorize “health officers” (Democrat vaccine Gestapo) to kidnap anyone at gunpoint and throw them into covid concentration camps which have already been activated. The people targeted under this tyrannical rule need not show any signs of sickness or infection to be ripped from their homes and families.

You may recall that White House spokesperson Psaki openly spoke about “strike force” operations in July of 2021. We covered it in an article entitled, “White House officially announces vaccine “strike forces” that will go door-to-door, targeting anti-vaxxers in their homes, forcing Americans to take kill shots.”

Just four months ago, Washington State’s government confirmed they were taking covid concentration camps active by issuing public job listings for “strike team” coordinators. Natural News covered this story on September 20, 2021, with a headline: Confirmed: Gov. Inslee setting up covid concentration camps in Washington state, issuing job listings for “strike team” coordinators.

We learned in that story how “quarantine strike team” coordinators were needed to staff up Washington’s covid concentration camps which were in the process of being activated. Now those concentration camps have been activated, and they’re ready to start processing anti-vaxxers, who will of course be exterminated in the death camps.

This is happening now.

Get all the facts and admissions in today’s feature story and podcast here.

New Videos from Brighteon.com
Situation Update, Jan 10, 2022 – They are taking the vaccine wars kineticWatch this video
Dr. Mike Yeadon Says 90 percent Of Vaccine Side Effects Came From Less Than 10 percent of the BatchesWatch this video
5G death towers activated: flu-like symptoms will followWatch this video
Featured Articles
We warned you: Democrat-led “strike forces” preparing to incarcerate unvaccinated Americans as young as 5 years oldBy JD Heyes | Read the full story
U.S. Postal Service asks Biden regime for vaccine requirement waiver ahead of “potentially catastrophic” staffing shortagesBy JD Heyes | Read the full story
Sponsor: Boost the mineral content of your drinking water with concentrated mineral drops
Covid-19 masks make you sick so the mask Nazis are “all in” for enforcing them in California storesBy S.D. Wells | Read the full story
Remember when the FDA approved pharmaceutical pills with digital sensors to track patients’ compliance with drug intake?By Ethan Huff | Read the full story
Sponsor: Protect yourself and your loved ones during nuclear emergencies with iOSAT Potassium Iodide Tablets.
AOC tests positive for covid despite being vaccinated and boostedBy Ethan Huff | Read the full story
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More of Today’s ArticlesCanada set to announce covid-19 vaccine mandates as Western government become more authoritarian
It’s become clear that the COVID-19 vaccines are doing next to nothing to stop the spread of the virus, but that isn’t stopping Canada from tripling down on them in an authoritarian …Employer demands all employees wear masks during zoom meetings because “unmasked faces” make other employees nervous
Someone on Twitter claims that he is now being forced to mask up on virtual Zoom call meetings with his company because one of his colleagues is petrified of unmasked human faces. The man (watch …March for Life cancels annual expo, demands vaccine compliance for indoor event, pushing same jabs that are murdering babies and causing spontaneous abortions
The “pro-life” group March for Life has called off its annual Rose Dinner Gala expo “due to COVID related complications,” which we now know occurred because the group was …Banners4Freedom putting up billboards raising awareness about covid vaccine dangers
Robert and Jaime Agee have launched a mission called Banner4Freedom that aims to raise awareness about the dangers of Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) “vaccines.” Billboards all across …

The British Medical Journal blows Facebook/Meta “fact-check” scam wide open with incredible accuracy
Any non-corporate, non-mainstream media news outlet in recent years has been hit with a so-called “fact check” from the social media behemoths that now serve as info-gatekeepers for the …

YouTube now considers music that criticizes Biden to be contraband: Platform removes song criticizing bloody, botched Afghan withdrawal
The legacy social media platforms continue to demonstrate their loyalty to the American deep state’s Ministry of Propaganda, as evidenced by a recent action taken by Google-owned YouTube. As …

New York legislator wants to criminalize the spreading of “misinformation” online… but corrupt government defines what’s “true”
Sen. Brad Hoylman, a Democrat, is pushing new legislation in New York that would make it a crime to share “misinformation” on social media. If passed, S7568 would “Hold Tech …

The information battle of 2022 will be the war for what is left of America as big tech starts the year off with a devious new mass censorship campaign
The image above underscores the danger of big tech and MSM’s refusal to allow any opinion other than their own narrative to be discussed, debated, searched for or shared, with social media …

      
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79.) POLITICHICKS

 


80.) BLACKPRESSUSA

 


81.) THE WESTERN JOURNAL

 


82.) CNN


83.) THE DAILY CALLER

 


84.) POWERLINE

 


85.) THE POLITICAL INSIDER – WAKE UP EDITION

 


86.) THE PATRIOT POST

 


87.) DECISION DESK HQ

 


88.) DIGG

 


89.) THE POLITICAL INSIDER – LUNCH BREAK

 


90.) CONSERVATIVE TRIBUNE

 


91.) USA TODAY

usatoday.com
Daily Briefing
TUESDAY, JANUARY 11
A voting rights activist demonstrates near the U.S. Capitol on Sept. 14, 2021.
Voting rights groups want action, not ‘platitudes’
President Biden will speak on voting rights, Fauci and Walensky will testify on COVID variants and more news to start your Tuesday.
click here
Good morning, Daily Briefing readers! Days after warning of “a dagger at the throat of democracy,” President Biden heads to Atlanta to make an urgent call to protect the constitutional right to vote. And, teachers in Chicago are expected to return to work, as L.A. students head back to class – if they test negative for COVID-19.
It’s Steve and Jane, with Tuesday’s news.
🚨 “Unspeakable” tragedy: Bronx apartment blaze that killed 17 raises questions about safety doors, lack of sprinklers and fire escapes.
🐖 “Nothing short of a miracle”: A Maryland man has a pig heart beating inside his chest, offering hope for thousands in need of organs.
🎤Clay Aiken, the North Carolina teacher and former contestant on “American Idol,” is making a second bid for a seat in Congress.
Body Image
Clay Aiken
🥗 Dole Fresh Vegetables, Inc. is voluntarily recalling dozens of types of prepackaged salad for a “possible health risk” from listeria from dozens of states.
🌪 2021 was a deadly year for weather: 20 disasters killed more than 600 Americans.
🔵 Maya Angelou coins distributed by the U.S. Mint make her the first Black woman to appear on quarters.
🎧On today’s 5 Things podcast, health reporter Ken Alltucker talks through which at-home COVID tests are easiest to use. You can listen to the podcast every day on Apple PodcastsSpotify, or on your smart speaker.
Here’s what’s happening today:

Biden to address voting rights in Georgia amid mounting pressure

President Joe Biden will issue an urgent call to protect the constitutional right to vote and safeguard the integrity of the nation’s elections while in Atlanta Tuesday. Biden’s planned remarks, on the heels of his blunt post-mortem on the Jan. 6 2021 mob attack on the U.S. Capitol, will come as he braces for a bruising fight over voting rights legislation that has stalled in the Senate. Biden’s choice of Georgia for a major voting rights address is no accident. The state has a rich history entwined with the struggle for civil rights – one that activists warn is under assault. After Biden beat former President Donald Trump in Georgia by less than 12,000 votes in 2020, the state became one of the first to put in place more restrictive voting laws.

Students in LA return to schools; Chicago isn’t far behind

Los Angeles students will return to in-person instruction Tuesday – as long as they produce a negative COVID-19 test, regardless of vaccination status. Meanwhile, students in Chicago, the nation’s third-largest school system, are due back in school Wednesday after city and union leaders reached a tentative agreement late Monday on COVID-19 safety protocols. Teachers were expected to return to work Tuesday, but the union’s 25,000 members must still vote on the agreement. With COVID infections fueled by the omicron variant surging after holiday breaks, about 5,400 public schools nationwide closed or shifted to remote instruction last week, Burbio, a tracking site, reports.

Just for subscribers:

🔵 Voting rights groups tell Biden they want action, not “platitudes,” as he travels to Georgia.
🚨 Bronx fire: How smoke caused by a space heater fire killed 17 in a New York apartment building.
🌏What’s happening in Ukraine? Russian troops at the border raise a new invasion fear.
🔵 Voices: I suffer from depression and anxiety. Our mental health is no joke.
These articles are for USA TODAY subscribers. You can sign up here. Here is all of our subscriber content. 

Fauci, Walensky to testify before Senate on COVID variants

Dr. Anthony Fauci, Dr. Rochelle Walensky and others will testify before a U.S. Senate committee Tuesday about the federal response to COVID-19 variants . The U.S. is now averaging more than 700,000 new coronavirus cases per day, a USA TODAY analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows, as the more transmissible omicron variant sweeps across the nation. President Joe Biden has faced recent criticism for a shortage of at-home rapid tests and the administration is now working to make the tests more accessible.  Later this month, the federal government will launch a website to begin making 500 million at-home COVID-19 tests available via mail. And starting Saturday, private health insurers will be required to cover up to eight home COVID-19 tests per month for people on their plans.

Newsmakers in their own words: Georgia’s Bennett on rebounding from his mistake

Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett celebrates with the championship trophy after defeating Alabama during the 2022 CFP title game on Monday night in Indianapolis.
Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett celebrates with the championship trophy after defeating Alabama during the 2022 CFP title game on Monday night in Indianapolis.
USA TODAY Sports photo and graphic
Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett shook off a fumble that could have doomed his team’s championship chances and came back to throw two fourth-quarter touchdown passes as the Bulldogs pulled away for a 33-18 victory over the Alabama Crimson Tide on Monday night. This is Georgia’s first national title victory since the 1980 season.
Bennett threw for 224 yards, took home offensive MVP honors and shed a few tears on the sideline in the game’s waning moments.
Additional coverage from the CFP title game:
🏈 Looking ahead: Georgia wore down Alabama using the Crimson’s Tide’s formula and potentially kickstarts a new dynasty.
🏈 From the Alabama side: The Crimson Tide couldn’t overcome the loss of star wide receiver Jameson Williams in the championship game.
🏈 SportsPulse video: Columnist Dan Wolken looks at how Georgia finally reached the mountain top and more.
📺 “SportsCenter” anchor misses postgame broadcast: Longtime ESPN broadcaster Scott Van Pelt said he is “OK” following a “medical scare,” but was “bummed to miss one of (his) favorite shows of the year.”

US, Russia still far apart on Ukraine. What’s next?

Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman will brief NATO and European Union allies Tuesday after an intense day of high-stakes talks in Geneva over Russia’s military buildup on its border with Ukraine . On Monday, Russia’s deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said “no progress” was made on Moscow’s central demand: that Ukraine is permanently barred from joining NATO. But Sherman called that proposal a “non-starter.” Though this week’s talks are not expected to yield any major progress, it may buy more time as the U.S. looks to rally more allies behind potential economic sanctions should Russian President Vladimir Putin decide to escalate tensions. Sherman said while Russian officials have expressed a desire to move swiftly, “we must give diplomacy and dialogue the time and space required to make progress on such complex issues.”

ICYMI: Some of our top stories yesterday

🔴 “The most intense violation of my life”: A beloved camp, a lost boy and the lifelong impact of child sexual trauma.
📺 “My absolute everything”: Wife Kelly Rizzo, Olsen twins, John Stamos, more mourn “Full House” dad Bob Saget.
🌎 At least 10 people died and dozens were injured in Brazil when a rock formation tore away from a cliff and slammed onto boats packed with tourists.
🚨 Officers in California saved a pilot who crashed onto railroad tracks, seconds before a train smashed the wreckage into pieces.

Ahead of hearing, Fed’s Powell says high inflation ‘exacts a toll’ on families

High inflation is taking a toll on American families, “particularly for those less able to meet the higher costs of essentials like food, housing, and transportation,” Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell acknowledged in remarks to be delivered at a Tuesday congressional hearing. The Senate Banking Committee will hold a hearing on Powell’s nomination to a second four-year term Tuesday. President Joe Biden announced Powell’s reappointment in late November. Inflation has soared to the highest levels in four decades, and on Wednesday the government is expected to report that consumer prices jumped 7.1% over the past 12 months, up from November’s 6.8% annual increase . Powell’s nomination is likely to be approved by the Senate with bipartisan support but members of Congress are sure to interrogate him during the hearing.
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell is asking Congress to tackle the growing budget deficit.
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell
APDM

Moving on: Several NFL teams fire coaches

The day after the NFL regular season ends is one that coaches dread more than any other. It’s when teams unhappy with their results announce that they’re “moving in a different direction” or “seeking a fresh start” by firing their head coaches (and most likely the rest of the coaching staff). Here are the notable moves made Sunday and Monday:
🏈 Minnesota Vikings: Coach Mike Zimmer and general manager Rick Spielman were fired Monday, marking a new era for the franchise after it missed the playoffs in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2013-14. Columnist Jarrett Bell suggested quarterback Kirk Cousins is the Vikings’ real problem.
🏈 Miami Dolphins: Despite an 8-1 finish to the season and a 9-8 record overall, Brian Flores was fired. Owner Stephen Ross announced the coaching change and added he won’t be taking Jim Harbaugh from Michigan .
Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores directs his team during the second half of an NFL football game against the New England Patriots, Sunday, Jan. 9, 2022, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Brian Flores, then the head coach of the Miami Dolphins, directs his team during the second half against the New England Patriots on Sunday, Jan. 9, 2022, in Miami Gardens, Florida.
The Associated Press
🏈 Chicago Bears: In a long-anticipated move, head coach Matt Nagy and GM Ryan Pace both were fired, the team announced. Columnist Nancy Armour said the firings were the right moves, but everything else still is wrong.
🏈 Denver Broncos: Vic Fangio was fired Sunday, a day after losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in the team’s final game of the season. Fangio finished his Broncos tenure with a 19-30 record and having never compiled a winning season. The Broncos have already begun lining up interviews for their coaching vacancy. 

📸 Photo of the day: Celtics’ Robert Williams makes a key end-of-game play 📸

Jan. 10: Boston Celtics center Robert Williams III (44) grabs the inbound ball in the last seconds of play against the Indiana Pacers in overtime at TD Garden.
Boston Celtics center Robert Williams III (44) grabs the inbound ball in the last seconds of play against the Indiana Pacers in overtime at TD Garden in Boston on Monday, Jan. 10.
David Butler II, USA TODAY Sports
Jaylen Brown scored 26 points and Jayson Tatum had 24, carrying the Boston Celtics to a 101-98 overtime victory over the Indiana Pacers on Monday night at TD Garden in Boston.
Robert Williams III, who had 14 points, 12 rebounds, four steals and three blocks for Boston, stole Indiana’s long desperation pass from its own baseline as the horn sounded at the end of the overtime period to help secure the win for the Celtics.
Head here to see more of the best photos from the 2021-22 NBA season.
Contributing: The Associated Press
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92.) THE DAILY BEAST


93.) JUST THE NEWS


94.) SHARYL ATTKISSON

 


95.) RIGHTWING.ORG

 


96.) NOT THE BEE

 


97.) US NEWS & WORLD REPORT

 


98.) NEWSMAX

 


99.) MARK LEVIN

January 10, 2022

January 10, 2022

On Monday’s Mark Levin Show, Mr. Call Screener and ‘This Is America’ podcast host, Rich Valdes fills in for Mark Levin. The notion of destroying America to build her back better is non-negotiable. We don’t destroy which we love, and that’s what President Biden and the left want to do as if that’s a possibility. The seeds of radicalism were planted long ago by people like Saul Alinsky, and we see leftist radicals everywhere today, even in the Supreme Court with Justice Sonia Sotomayor. The communists know that Americans just want to be left alone, and they use that against us. Also, nobody fact-checks Biden and his lies, yet the left and the media want to fact-check every single thing about COVID. The CDC is finally admitting that obesity is a key factor in people dying with COVID now that the popularity of the pandemic has shifted. How much control are we going to give to government? Is it We The People in charge or They The Government? Later, Mayor Lori Lightfoot is getting called out for endless school closures in Chicago. She created the very problem that she now has to solve but will never be blamed by the left. Meanwhile, Republicans like Adam Kinzinger divide us from within and prevent Republicans from getting ahead.

THIS IS FROM:

NY Post
American Airlines apologizes about pilot with ‘Let’s Go Brandon’ sticker

KUSI
CDC Director: 75% of COVID deaths occurred in people with at least four comorbidities

The podcast for this show can be streamed or downloaded from the Audio Rewind page.

Image used with permission of Getty Images / Saul Loeb


100.) WOLF DAILY

 


101.) THE GELLER REPORT

Breaking news stories the media complex won’t cover. Share widely.

For more information on any post below, click through to read the full article on our website.


Pathology Results Show 93% of People Who Died After Being Vaccinated Were Killed By The Vaccine

On pathology exam these people definitely died from vaccine. And these criminals are mandating it for children……Suddenly the CDC admits that 75% of virus deaths were people with 4 or more comorbidities.

Seems the “science” now sees …


Watch: CDC Made It Official Policy to Withhold Covid Vaccines on Basis of Race

The CDC made it official policy to withhold Covid vaccines on the basis of race. Affirmative action now governs Covid care.TUCKER: The CDC made it official policy to withhold Covid vaccines on the basis of race. Affirmative action now governs …


White House says Biden plots ‘to sign’ voting bills ‘into law’ despite lack of votes

They must memorialize and institutionalize the steal or they will never win again.White House says Biden’s ‘plan is to sign’ voting bills Democrats struggling to pass ‘into law’

By Haisten Willis, Washington Exaomer, January 10, 2022: …


Celebrity Clown Fauci’s NIH Division Paid $205K for Researchers To Study Transgender Monkeys

This madman is the most powerful unelected official in the world. G-d help us.Fauci’s NIH Division Paid $205K for Researchers To Study Transgender Monkeys

Taxpayer-funded study aimed to explain high rate of HIV in trans women

By: …


Hospital staff wore hijabs and went to mosque four times a day… yet my little cross was deemed so dangerous I lost the job that I loved: Christian nurse forced out for wearing a crucifix

This is beyond infuriating and indicative of how horribly the West has capitulated to sharia norms.Hospital staff wore hijabs and went to mosque four times a day… yet my little cross was deemed so dangerous I lost the job that I loved: …


Former Border Commissioner: ‘We Have Lost Control of the Southwest Border”

Like the fall of the Roman empire…..Self inflicted by the Democrat party of treason.

Former Border Commissioner: ‘We Have Lost Control of the Southwest Border

By Charlotte Cuthbertson, The Epoch Times, January 9, 2022:

The …


New York Law and New NYC Mayor to Allow 800,000 Illegal Aliens to Vote in Local Election

It’s another nail in the coffin. The only way to stop it now is in the court system (Daily Mail).  From John Fund: Starting in 2023, the city will have to print separate ballots for city races, since noncitizens will still be barred from voting in …


Judge Rules FDA Can’t Keep Vaccine Docs Secret ‘Until 2096’

The idea that the USG is mandating this ‘secret’ vaccine without full transparency is a crime on a scale of unimaginable proportions.Pregnant women, babies, children are …… guinea pigs is the biggest medical experiment in the history of …


Top Kazakh Official With Biden Ties Arrested for Treason

Absolute corruption. Biden should be arrested for treason.Biden business associate, former Kazakh PM arrested on suspicion of treason

Hunter Biden referred to Massimov in a 2016 email as a “close friend.”

By: Madeleine Hubbard, …


Racist Segregationist Biden Gives Approval to Discriminate on Covid Treatment Based Upon Race

From the story: Guidance issued by the Biden administration states certain individuals may be considered “high risk” and more quickly qualify for monoclonal antibodies and oral antivirals used to treat COVID-19 based on their “race or …


New big data study of 145 countries show COVID vaccines makes things worse (cases and deaths)

They’ve been wrong all along. And what is their response? Blame the well informed unvaccinated while imposing more brutal mandates. This will not end well.New big data study of 145 countries show COVID vaccines makes things worse (cases and …


Terror-State Iran Imposes Sanctions on 51 Americans Over 2020 Killing of Terror Master Soleimani

The 51 Americans include Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as well as Central Command chief Kenneth McKenzie. Iran has the temerity to impose sanctions against Pentagon officials just ahead of another round of nuke …


WATCH: UK Health Secretary Javid Challenged by Unvaccinated NHS Doctor About Mandated COVID-19 Vax

Just like the children’s fable. the emperor’s new clothes — beautiful.WATCH: UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid Challenged by Unvaccinated NHS Doctor About Mandated COVID-19 Jabs

By: Daniel G, We Love Trump, January 9, 2022:

Health …


Radical Supreme Court Justices LIE About COVID Facts During Arguments On Mandate

Sotomayer is a disgrace to the venerated institution. What a pig. has turned the Supreme Court into a kangeroo court.Sotomayor stole the day with a bizarre false claim that there were over 100 thousand children with covid in “serious …


Israel: Breakthrough Surgery Restores Blind Woman’s Vision

Miracle nation. Israel’s medical innovations have improved and saved the lives of millions of people across the world. Yet, the UN attacks Israel more than every other nation on earth collectively.Related – In first, Israeli hospital …

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102.) CNS

 


103.) RELIABLE NEWS

 


104.) INDEPENDENT SENTINEL

Independent Sentinel

Where to begin.

Nothing is more important than the administration’s apparent efforts to begin the end of the pandemic with the truth, The CDC Director admits that over 75% of people who died with or of COV had 4 or more illnesses or comorbidities. When you lower that number of secondary illnesses or comorbidities, it’s more than 95%.

This is how the administration decided to get rid of the illness – start telling the truth

Stalincare comes to California and it will bring the state into communism.

There is a very dangerous trucker problem coming and it’s only weeks away.

Andrew McCabe who was deeply involved in the coup of the Trump presidency compares conservatives with radical Islamists. Angry parents at board meetings are domestic terrorists. As a result, he wants THE MAINSTREAM RIGHT SPIED ON AND PROSECUTED.

image Tax $$$ Used to Inject Monkeys with Transgender Hormones – Thank FauciDr. Anthony Fauci paid scientists over $400,000 to give monkeys transgender hormones. His agency, NIAID, approved a $205,562 grant for the fiscal year 2022 and $272,626 in 2021 to Scripps Research for…
image California Proposes Bill for Sanders’-Level StalincareThere is a proposed bill in California called Cal Care that will allow the state of California to take over the entire health care system for every Californian – 45…
image Dangerous Trucker Problem ComingReports of bare shelves are coming from all over the country. The supermarkets on Long Island are starting to look bare. It seems to be a problem throughout the nation.…
image Cheney Did Tell Jordan to Get Away from Her, “You F-ing Did This”Apparently, reports that Liz Cheney, now officially Pelosi’s minion, are confirmed that she screamed at Rep. Jim Jordan during the Jan. 6 riot, “Get away from me, you f—ing did…
image McCabe Threatens Conservatives, Calls for Feds to Surveil the MainstreamLast Thursday the University of Chicago invited former deputy FBI coup director Andrew McCabe to join a panel of left-wing partisans to discuss the Jan 6 “insurrection.” As The Federalist reported,…
image CNN’s Brian Stelter Says the CDC Has Turned into a “Punchline”CNN propagandist Brian Stelter slammed the Biden administration for its CDC messaging failures. On Sunday, during a panel discussion on Reliable Sources, sanctimonious Brian Stelter discussed an interview NBC’s Savannah Guthrie held with CDC…
image CDC: 95% or More Cov Deaths Included Co-morbidities or Other IllnessesThe Bret Baier interview with CDC Director Rochelle Walensky was very revealing. It appears she is the appointed truth teller after we were bombarded with mis- and disinformation for nearly…
image Vaxxed and boosted AOC tests positive for COVID after unmasked Florida tripCall it Karma. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) tested positive for COVID after she returned from a trip to Florida. AOC was seen several times in Miami attending parties without a…
image Pelosi Sees More Room for Spending After BBB Is PassedThe Insider Trading Queen Pelosi wants to spend more on ‘COVID’ after spending $6T. When asked if she will spend more on COVID, she said a formal request has not…
image Plummeting Joe! 24% of Independents Approve of Joe’s PerformanceIn a new Civiqs poll, only 24% of Independents approve of the president’s job. Independents decide the elections. The Jan. 4 poll found that nationally, 56% of registered voters disapprove of how…
image Dr. Makary on Universities’ Policies Defying Science and ReasonI can confirm what you said as my daughter is at Georgetown. This insanity has nothing to do with “science” and everything to do with centralized power, control and money.…
image Omicron Appears Less Deadly Than the Flu – Might Be the New ColdAfter a review of the research, Stephen Matthews, health editor for Mail Online, and Emily Craig, Health reporter for Mail, report Omicron could be less deadly than the flu. None of the…
image Rep. Raskin Aims to Keep Trump from Office Misusing the 14th ARep. Joel Raskin, a swamp creature of the hard left, is again pushing the 14th Amendment as a way to keep Donald Trump from ever holding office again. The J6…
image Aussies Want to Deport Novak Djokovic After He Wins His CaseBreaking News: Novak Djokovic won a legal victory in his bid to avoid deportation from Australia and compete for a record 21st Grand Slam tennis title. Unfortunately, Australia is now…
image Outstanding Summary of the Dangers We FaceExcellent summary of the State of the State by Mark Levin in two parts. Part I Part II
image Bill Bratton: Soros “effectively destroyed the criminal justice system in America”NY Dems made the state a mess on crime…and it’s going to get a lot worse. ~ former NYC Police Commissioner Bill Bratton Former NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton slammed the…
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105.) DC CLOTHESLINE

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106.) ARTICLE V LEGISLATORS’ CAUCUS

 


107.) BECKER NEWS

 


108.) SONS OF LIBERTY

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109.) STARS & STRIPES

 

 


110.) RIGHT & FREE

Michelle Obama Vows to 'Recruit and Train' Army 100,000 Strong to Carry the Dems to Midterm Victory

This person seems to be training foot soldiers to infiltrate thousands of American communities.

Time for a Mass Exodus From Facebook and Twitter

Bravo to podcast star Joe Rogan for encouraging his millions of followers on biased Twitter to join him on Gettr, an alternate social media network, in…

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113.) INSURGENT CONSERVATIVES


114.) WAKING TIMES

 


115.) UNCOVER DC

 

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Actual Journalism™

Excerpts:

The Armed Forces: We Can’t Tell You How Many Accommodations We’ve Denied

According to a new court filing, a large percentage of the military cannot provide information regarding the number of vaccine exemption or accommodations requests it has received or denied. Navy Seal 1 v. Biden was filed in court on October 15th and seeks to protect the religious liberty and health of service members in light of […]

The post The Armed Forces: We Can’t Tell You How Many Accommodations We’ve Denied appeared first on UncoverDC.

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Hemorrhagic Fever In China: Should U.S. Athletes Participate In Olympics?

In December, 2,657 cases of Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS) were reported in Shanxi Province in China in advance of the upcoming Winter Olympic Games in Beijing. HFRS “is a group of illnesses caused by hantaviruses,” and has been endemic to the province since 1995. The Global Times China reports that “human-to-human transmission is […]

The post Hemorrhagic Fever In China: Should U.S. Athletes Participate In Olympics? appeared first on UncoverDC.

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Dark To Light: A Different Take on The SCOTUS

Today, we break down the narrative, go over some more reasons why there was scrambling over the weekend (even by the left-wing media) to fact-check Justice Sotomayor and listen to some clips to round the entire thing out. Also, we also get into a discussion about the circular firing squad and why that isn’t very […]

The post Dark To Light: A Different Take on The SCOTUS appeared first on UncoverDC.

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The News of Today is the History of Tomorrow January 10, 2022

The News of Today is the History of Tomorrow IN POLITICAL NEWS 1)Wisconsin senator Ron Johnson to run for re-election, poking a big hole in DemoKKKrat plans to hold the senate. 2) Congressman Jim Jordan of Ohio becomes the latest to refuse to cooperate with the Patriot Day (January 6) Committee. 3) Outgoing Arkansas RINO […]

The post The News of Today is the History of Tomorrow January 10, 2022 appeared first on UncoverDC.

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AI System 206 Replacing Human Prosecutors in China

The Chinese government has developed the AI system 206, an artificial intelligence prosecutor designed to alleviate the workload of prosecutors in China. The system is allegedly capable of prosecuting “Shanghai’s eight most common crimes.” The AI was ‘trained’ using “17,000 real-life cases from 2015 to 2020.” Fears abound that the technology could be weaponized by […]

The post AI System 206 Replacing Human Prosecutors in China appeared first on UncoverDC.

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116.) DC DIRTY LAUNDRY