January 7, 2021

What is Pence doing?

He's not talking to Pelosi or Schumer, Trump banned him from the White House, and CNN reports Pence hasn't talked to members of the Cabinet. What do you think Pence is doing?

January 7, 2021

Pence has not discussed invoking 25th Amendment with any Cabinet members

Pence has not discussed invoking 25th Amendment with any Cabinet members

From CNN's Kaitlan Collins

Vice President Mike Pence has not discussed invoking the 25th Amendment with any Cabinet officials, an administration official tells CNN.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called for invoking the 25th Amendment in a news conference today, and said that if that doesn’t happen, Congress may move to impeach President Trump.

“I join the Senate Democratic leader in calling on the vice president to remove this President by immediately invoking the 25th Amendment. If the vice president and the Cabinet do not act, the Congress may be prepared to move forward with impeachment that is the overwhelming sentiment of my caucus and the American people," Pelosi said.

Remember: Invoking the 25th Amendment would require Pence and a majority of the Cabinet to vote to remove Trump from office due to his inability to "discharge the powers and duties of his office."

Any 25th Amendment push faces an unprecedented steep hill to come to fruition with little time left before Joe Biden's inauguration on Jan. 20. The calls in Congress, however, underscore the extent to which lawmakers are reeling and furious with the President in the wake of the devastation at the Capitol on Wednesday.

https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/washington-dc-election-riots/index.html

January 7, 2021

FAA warns fliers against "unruly behavior" after several incidents involving Trump supporters

CNN

From CNN's Pete Muntean

As some Trump supporters leave Washington, DC, after yesterday’s attack on the Capitol, the Federal Aviation Administration is warning fliers not to act up.

“Unruly behavior on an airplane may violate federal law,” the FAA posted in a travel alert on Twitter, warning of a possible $35,000 fine. “Always follow crew instructions.”

The warning comes after social media posts of pro-Trump passengers flying to Washington, DC, shouting down fellow passengers, flight attendants struggling to enforce mask rules, and other Trump supporters harassing GOP Sen. Mitt Romney in an airport terminal.

On Wednesday, the head of the largest association of flight attendants said that those who participated in the assault on the Capitol should be banned from commercial flights. CNN observed a ramped up police presence at Reagan National Airport, but the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority reports no arrests on Thursday at Reagan or Dulles.

https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/washington-dc-election-riots/index.html

January 7, 2021

CNN:House Democrats discussing quick impeachment

CNN reporter just said Democratic leaders in the House are discussing ways to force President Trump from ofice, including a quick impeachment -- without committee proceedings. This would mean bringing a vote directly to the House floor.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is reportedly open to a quick impeachment if Pence does not take steps to invoke the 25th amendment.

Reporter Jim Acosta says sources tell him the vice president thinks using the 25th Amendment is unlikely to succeed.

January 7, 2021

Trump cancels planned trip to Camp David this weekend

Trump cancels planned trip to Camp David this weekend

From Kate Bennett, Pete Muntean, and Betsy Klein

President Trump has canceled plans to travel to Camp David on Friday, according to a source familiar with the plans.

Earlier Thursday a White House official told CNN that the President had planned to be away for the weekend, and a temporary flight restriction from the Federal Aviation Administration had been in place over the presidential retreat beginning Friday — meaning civilian aircraft are directed not to fly over the area.

A separate source familiar with the President’s schedule says this trip to Camp David was on Trump's calendar, prior to Wednesday's siege of the US Capitol.

https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/washington-dc-election-riots/index.html

January 7, 2021

Democratic senator fears Trump may get the US "into some sort of conflict" in his last days

CNN

Sen. Chris Coons, a Democrat from Delaware, fears that President Trump may put the US in a precarious position during his last days in office.

"After the events of yesterday, all of us have to step back and pause and say what else is President Trump capable of in the remaining 13 days of his presidency?" Coons told CNN this afternoon. "My concern would be that President Trump would get us into some sort of conflict in his last 13 days that would then leave President-elect Biden not only with the challenge of responding to a pandemic, but getting us out of or unwinding an unplanned and unnecessary and needlessly disruptive conflict somewhere in the world."

Coons remarks come after White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany walked into the briefing room and made no apology for the President's behavior, or his rhetoric, or his administration, in the wake of the riot Wednesday at Capitol Hill.

https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/washington-dc-election-riots/index.html

January 7, 2021

Five House committees request FBI briefing on plans to investigate Capitol riot

Washington Post
By Felicia Sonmez

The chairs of five House committees sent a letter Thursday to FBI Director Christopher A. Wray requesting a briefing on the agency’s efforts to investigate the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday.

In the letter, the committee chairs demanded to know what steps the FBI is taking “to investigate and pursue for prosecution the instigation, planning, and execution of the deadly terrorist attack on the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021, by President Donald Trump, his supporters, and outside groups, as well as to disrupt any further activity designed to attack our government.”

The letter cites several quotes from Trump, his family members and his personal attorney, Rudolph W. Giuliani, at Wednesday’s rally outside the White House. Giuliani, for instance, encouraged Trump’s supporters to engage in “trial by combat” to achieve their goal of preventing Biden from becoming president.

It also notes that when Trump “finally released a videotaped statement several hours later, he repeated his false claim that the election was ‘stolen’ and praised the insurrectionists, telling them, ‘We love you.’ ”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/01/07/congress-election-biden-capitol-live-updates/#link-AFXU552CXRBB7ELONQL2KQIGEU

January 7, 2021

Our dear little dog Bailey is in the animal hospital Update

Quick UPDATE: Bailey is still on oxygen; at the moment he is "oxygen-dependent". They think it might be pulmonary hypertension and are starting him on some medications. I looked up the condition and found that the "prognosis is guarded." THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for all your good wishes and vibes!!!!! I'm certain they are helping.

Bailey has been an absolute sweetheart for more than 13 years, but today he woke up shaking and drooling, and peed on our daughter's bed.

My husband and daughter just took him to the emergency vet, and he's staying for 48 hours for observation. He must be so frightened. He's never been away overnight, let alone hospitalized. My daughter is terrified for his sake - he's her dog. She is crying in her room now.

They don't know what's wrong yet, but one possibility is congestive heart failure; another might be cancer. They're giving him oxygen and running tests.

I feel like I've been kicked in the gut. I realize he's getting on in years, but he's still so spry and agile. He's a beautiful dog too, half Cavalier spaniel and half chihuahua; looks like a small black and white beagle. He is the cuddliest dog I've ever known. He comes to me every day for a back massage. And every time, he brings me one of his toys, as a thank you gift.

I'm writing this through tears. Our two other dogs seem worried too.

If any of you can send Bailey some good vibes, please do.

Thank you.

January 7, 2021

CNN: First federal charges filed in US Capitol riot

First federal charges filed in US Capitol riot

From CNN’S Kara Scannell and Katelyn Polantz and Austen Bundy

Two men became the first people to be hit with federal charges on Thursday for their actions in a riot at the US Capitol building one day earlier in which pro-Trump supporters overran the building leading to officers being injured and four deaths.

The men, identified as Christopher Alberts and Mark Jefferson Leffingwell, were both scheduled to appear in federal court in Washington, DC, Thursday afternoon.

Alberts, of Maryland, was charged with one count of carrying or having access to firearms or ammunition on US Capitol Grounds, according to the complaint sworn by an officer with the Metropolitan Police Department.

Alberts, who was wearing a bulletproof vest and wearing a backpack, was approached by the MPD officer after the officer identified a bulge on Albert’s right hip.

The officer said Albert’s tried to flee and after he was apprehended with the help of two other officers they found with a black Taurus G2C 9mm handgun and a magazine of ammunition.

https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/washington-dc-election-riots/index.html

January 7, 2021

State Department political appointee fired after tweeting Trump "unfit to remain in office"

CNN

From CNN's Kylie Atwood

A State Department political appointee was fired by the White House today after tweeting last night that President Trump was unfit for office and was to blame for the mob attack on the Capitol, according to two sources familiar with the firing.

“President Trump fomented an insurrectionist mob that attacked the Capitol today. He continues to take every opportunity to obstruct the peaceful transfer of power,” Gabriel Noronha, who worked on Iran at the State Department and was previously a staffer on Capitol Hill, tweeted. “These actions threaten our democracy and our Republic. Trump is entirely unfit to remain in office, and needs to go.”

Noronha also said that all government officials must uphold the Constitution, not a political party.

“All government officials swear to uphold and defend the constitution. That is where our loyalties must lie – not to any man or political party. @JoeBiden has won the election for President and we must all work together to rebuild our economy and defend our nation,” Noronha wrote in his second tweet.

Noronha was notified that he would be fired in a letter from the State Department liaison to the White House today, said a source familiar with the letter. He was given no explicit reason for his ouster, the source said.

Noronha’s bosses at the State Department did not object to him posting his opinion on his personal Twitter account, the sources said. It is unclear who at the White House made the decision to fire him.

Together his two tweets received almost 30,000 retweets as of Thursday afternoon.

Noronha, the State Department and White House did not immediately reply to request for comment.

See his tweet:

President Trump fomented an insurrectionist mob that attacked the Capitol today. He continues to take every opportunity to obstruct the peaceful transfer of power. These actions threaten our democracy and our Republic. Trump is entirely unfit to remain in office, and needs to go.
— Gabriel Noronha (@GLNoronha) January 7, 2021

https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/washington-dc-election-riots/index.html

The Empire strikes back - WB