Jenna Ryan, a Texas real estate broker who took a private jet to Washington to join the attack on the US Capitol, pleaded with Donald Trump to pardon her after she was arrested by federal authorities. Ryan said she thought she was following what her president ‘asked us to do’ and that she had been 'displaying my patriotism' in travelling to Washington DC, where she filmed herself entering the Capitol building. 'I'm facing a prison sentence,' she told CBS 11 News at her home in Dallas. 'I do not deserve that'
The F-word is one we are rightly wary of using, but how else to describe the disgraced president?Assurances that “fascism couldn’t happen here” are always appealing in Anglo-Saxon countries that think themselves immune because “it” never did. The US and UK did not experience rule by Nazism or communism in the 20th century and the ignorance our lucky histories fostered has weakened our defences in the 21st.Even after all that has happened in Washington, apparently serious voices insist we cannot compare Donald Trump to any variety of fascist. Conservatives habitually say that liberals call everything they don’t like fascist, forgetting that the moral of Aesop’s fable was that the boy who cried wolf was right in the end. They used to chortle about “Trump derangement syndrome” that spreads in stages like cancer until sufferers “cannot distinguish fantasy from reality”. They have bitten their tongues now that the reality of Trumpism is deranged mobs trying to overthrow democracy. Continue reading...
Millennials, meanwhile, will continue to struggle as they to wait for their liberating jabsThe “wrong kind” of older, or middle-aged, people are supposed to be receiving the Covid vaccine by the end of March. Not the truly elderly, the vulnerable shielders, but the other lot – taking us to the 32m total who are fiftysomething and above. All those boomers/generation Xers, unleashed back on to streets and into shops, waving their Covid-secure passes, perhaps to book themselves some well-earned YOLO hols.Meanwhile, younger generations may feel left behind in more ways than one. And there’s the looming problem: the vaccine is the great liberator, but it rather depends what you’re getting liberated into, especially if you’ve no money or prospects. Could it give youth yet another reason to resent their elders for their perceived easier ride? Continue reading...
In his final months in office, Donald Trump has ramped up construction on his promised physical border between the US and Mexico – devastating wildlife habitats and increasing the migrant death toll
A Washington DC police officer who tried to stop rioting Trump supporters from entering the Capitol building on 6 January has revealed that some shouted 'kill him with his own gun' as he lay injured on the ground. Michael Fanone told CNN he considered using his weapon as he was overwhelmed by the mob, but decided against it out of fear for his own life. 'I tried to appeal to their humanity,' Fanone said. 'I just remember yelling out that I have kids, and it seemed to work.'
Prudish opposition to steamy scenes overlooks how desire is part of the cinematic experienceNot one, but two shower sex scenes take place in Michael Mann’s 2006 adaptation of Miami Vice. For Jamie Foxx and Naomie Harris, a hard day’s work ends with tender lovemaking, their bodies glistening beneath the showerhead. Later, the film’s star-crossed lovers, Colin Farrell and Gong Li, cap off a rapturous night in Havana by canoodling as they rinse and repeat. Although these scenes aren’t essential to the film’s plot of undercover cops trying to bring down an international drug cartel, I can’t imagine Mann’s brooding, trigger-happy crime drama without the electrifying passion and evocative romance to balance out its steely, macho posturing.Anyone with a pulse knows that in most contexts sex can make a movie a lot less dull. Desire, after all, fuels the cinematic experience; it pulls us into the screen like voyeurs. Yet on social media a not-marginal opposition to sex in the movies has taken off among some film buffs, whose quibbles go hand-in-hand with a more general decline in sexuality on the big screen. Their rationale? That most steamy scenes are gratuitous and don’t meaningfully contribute to the story. Continue reading...
Experts were not surprised that officers were part of the mob, given the ties between some police and white supremacist groups in recent yearsFor years, domestic terrorism researchers have warned that there are police departments in every region of America counting white supremacist extremists and neo-Nazi sympathizers among their ranks.To these experts, and the activists who have been targeted by law enforcement officers in past years, it came as no surprise that police officers were part of the mob that stormed the US Capitol on 6 January. In fact, the acceptance of far-right beliefs among law enforcement, they say, helped lay the groundwork for the extraordinary attacks in the American capital. Continue reading...
Immigration and Customs Enforcement has stepped up removals of Africans and could send a final flight on TuesdayThe Trump administration is continuing to deport African asylum seekers in its last few days before the inauguration of Joe Biden, who has promised a 100-day suspension of deportations, amid allegations of abuse of detainees, insufficient legal protections and inadequate precautions against Covid infection.US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) confirmed a “removal flight” left Louisiana on Thursday bound for Nairobi. The charter plane believed to be carrying Somali, Ethiopian and Kenyan deportees made a refuelling stop in Sofia. Immigrant support activists believe the deportees were transferred to commercial planes in Nairobi for transfer to other countries. Continue reading...
I never questioned Hilaria’s Spanish-ness, but it turns out her parents are more American than mineFor a long time, I thought of Hilaria Baldwin as my private obsession, emphasis on that last word. I must have first heard about her because she’s married to Alec Baldwin, but that’s not why she fascinated me (I like Alec Baldwin, but, c’mon, I don’t love him). No, this began five years ago, after my twins were born, because Hilaria is – or was – best known as a “mommy influencer”, as they say in the US, where she lives (and we’ll return to Hilaria’s relationship with geography shortly), with five young children and 900k Instagram followers. I would stare at the photos and videos she posted of herself in her lingerie – doing yoga, being pregnant, often both – looking as tiny and hardbodied as a nutcracker figurine, and I’d feel that almost comfortingly familiar wave of self-loathing. And then I’d look at her photos of her children in which she promoted clothing companies, or toys, or baby cream brands, and I’d think, “Well, at least I don’t use my kids to shill crap.” Self-loathing followed by self-vindication: it’s an irresistible combination, like sugar and salt, and Hilaria delivered it to me in its purest essence.So yes, I became obsessed with her – I admit it. “Did you see that Hilaria posted a picture of herself in her lingerie to announce she was having a miscarriage?” I’d ask my friends. “Who?” they’d reply. Well, no one’s asking “who” any more, are they, Hilaria? Continue reading...
Planners have been forced to be inventive after the deadly pandemic and now last week’s Capitol insurrection dictated a pared-down event amid real fears of assassinationWith nearly half a century in Washington behind him, Joe Biden has waited a long time for this moment. But when he places his hand on a Bible, repeats a 35-word oath and is sworn in as the 46th US president at noon on Wednesday, the backdrop will be nothing like he ever imagined. Continue reading...
A slew of aides have deserted the president and the Pentagon has decided not to hold an armed forces farewell tributeIt was once easy to determine Donald Trump’s mood. All it took was a look at his Twitter account. But with that gone, it has never been so difficult to gain a glimpse into the president’s mindset. Continue reading...
Following the US Capitol attack, and also due to the pandemic, Biden and Harris will be sworn in at a scaled-down eventIn the aftermath of a deadly insurrection at the US Capitol that brought about the second impeachment of Donald Trump, the US is set to usher in Joe Biden’s presidency on inauguration day, 20 January.According to the Presidential Inaugural Committee, this year’s theme centers on “America United”. Continue reading...
Justice department puts itself in between president and writer who sued after Trump dismissed 1990s rape allegation as bookselling ployThe US justice department has said Donald Trump should not be forced to defend himself against a defamation lawsuit by the author E Jean Carroll, who accused him of raping her, and that the government itself should be substituted as the defendant.In a filing with the 2nd US circuit court of appeals in Manhattan, the department said Trump qualified as a typical “employee of the government” entitled to immunity under federal law from Carroll’s claims, and was also shielded because he spoke about her in his capacity as president. Continue reading...
Azar calls attack ‘assault on our democracy’ and urges peaceful transfer of power in formal resignation letterThe US health secretary, Alex Azar, warned Donald Trump in a letter that last week’s attack on the Capitol threatened the administration’s legacy, and he urged the president to support a peaceful transfer of power.In the two-page, formal resignation letter, dated 12 January, Azar recited what he saw as the administration’s key accomplishments but voiced concern that last week’s siege in Washington and Trump’s false claims of widespread voter fraud “threaten to tarnish these and other historic legacies of this administration”. Continue reading...
President-elect calls for huge expansion of federal aid as administration faces array of obstacles to historic projectPresident-elect Joe Biden has called for a vast expansion of federal aid in order to vaccinate 100 million Americans in his first 100 days in office, an ambitious target set as a new and more transmissible strain of Covid-19 is expected to sweep the country.Seeking to mount the most complex and logistically challenging vaccination campaign in US history, Biden’s administration will have to confront vaccine hesitancy, a burned out healthcare workforce, a lack of clear information on vaccine distribution and demand that far outstrips supply. Continue reading...
The House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, has said it is possible that members of Congress could face prosecution if found to have ‘aided and abetted’ the violent attack on the Capitol earlier this month that left five people dead
Walkouts planned at restaurants owned by mega-corporations in more than a dozen cities ‘for racial and economic justice’Fast-food workers from more than a dozen US cities are striking on Friday to demand the federal minimum be increased to $15 an hour.Ahead of Monday’s holiday honoring American civil rights leader the Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr, the group known as Fight for 15 said workers from mega-corporations including McDonald’s and Starbucks had been encouraged to walk off their jobs on what would have been King’s 92nd birthday on 15 January. Continue reading...
Outgoing president expected to use Air Force One to travel to Mar-a-Lago, where he intends to liveDonald Trump is expected to leave the White House as president on Wednesday morning, just hours before Joe Biden’s inauguration, flying off on Air Force One to his beachside home in Florida.Trump’s post-presidential plans have been clouded in uncertainty. But several US news organisations reported on Friday that Trump intends to live at Mar-a-Lago, his Palm Beach resort. His daughter Ivanka Trump and son-in-law Jared Kushner are expected to join him there, at least for some of the time. Continue reading...
Lady Gaga to sing national anthem as Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are sworn in as Hollywood embraces president-electLady Gaga and Jennifer Lopez are among a host of celebrities set to perform at Joe Biden’s inauguration next week.Lady Gaga will sing the national anthem as the president-elect and vice-president-elect, Kamala Harris, are sworn in on the West Front of the US Capitol on 20 January, and Lopez is also expected to give a musical performance. Continue reading...
Nearly two-thirds of congressional Republicans made themselves complicit in Trump’s lie by voting to overturn the election, even after a deadly riotA little more than a week ago, most Americans – perhaps even many of Donald Trump’s supporters – were ready for the 45th president and his administration to pass into the history books. Now Trump is making us all live through history.On 6 January, the US Capitol was sacked by a pro-Trump mob, the first large-scale occupation of the citadel of American democracy since the British burned it during the War of 1812. The mob succeeded in forcing Congress to evacuate and halting the constitutional ceremony of certifying the electoral college votes – another first. Now Trump, who was charged by the House of Representatives with “incitement of insurrection” for his role in the riot that left five dead, has become the first president in history ever to be impeached twice. Continue reading...
Federal prosecutors revealed that those who stormed the Capitol last week set out ‘to capture and assassinate elected officials’. Plus, Ivanka Trump’s secret service agents forced to relieve themselves in porta-pottiesGood morning.Capitol rioters intended “to capture and assassinate elected officials”, federal prosecutors have claimed in a court filing. Prosecutors were asking for one of the rioters, Jacob Chansley, to be detained, stating that he left a note for the vice-president, Mike Pence, warning that “it’s only a matter of time, justice is coming”. Prosecutors and federal agents have started to bring more serious charges against the Trump supporters who stormed the Capitol, including charging a retired firefighter with throwing a fire extinguisher at a police officer’s head, and another with beating an officer with the pole of an American flag. Continue reading...
Cleveland are looking to shock the Super Bowl champions, while there is a battle of veteran quarterbacks down in New OrleansWhat the Rams need to do to win: Considering that Jared Goff is the almost certain starter only because John Wolford, an undrafted former AAF quarterback, is banged up tells you that the Rams aren’t going to win this one on offense. They do, however, have the best defense of any team left in the playoffs. If Aaron Donald, who has a rib injury, can pressure Aaron Rodgers, and Jalen Ramsey shuts down first-team All Pro receiver Davante Adams then the Rams could sneak a low-scoring game. Continue reading...
by Stephanie Kirchgaessner in Washington on (#5CW2S)
Guardian analysis shows Club for Growth has spent $20m supporting 42 rightwing lawmakers who voted to invalidate Biden victoryAn anti-tax group funded primarily by billionaires has emerged as one of the biggest backers of the Republican lawmakers who sought to overturn the US election results, according to an analysis by the Guardian.Related: Trump official admits family separation policy 'should never have been implemented' Continue reading...
Up to 438,000 may be killed by Covid by end of the month, CDC predicts, but epidemiologists still see reason for optimismMore Americans are dying of Covid-19 than at any time during the pandemic, the most complex mass vaccination campaign in history is off to a rocky start, and more transmissible strains of the coronavirus are emergent. January is going to be a bleak month.Related: US officials warn ‘full resurgence’ of Covid in major population centers Continue reading...
Charges so far include hurling fire extinguisher at officer and beating another with flagpoleFederal prosecutors have offered an ominous new assessment of last week’s siege of the US Capitol by Donald Trump’s supporters, saying in a court filing that rioters intended “to capture and assassinate elected officials”.Prosecutors offered that view in a filing asking a judge to detain Jacob Chansley, the Arizona man and QAnon conspiracy theorist who was photographed wearing horns as he stood at the desk of the vice-president, Mike Pence, in the chamber of the US Senate. Continue reading...
Legislation that would erode LGBTQ and reproductive rights expected to be introduced in states across America, experts warnDonald Trump is set to leave the White House and Republicans are about to relinquish control of the Senate, but experts are warning the US is facing a wave of rightwing ‘Christian nationalist’ legislation in 2021, as the religious right aims to thrust Christianity into everyday American life.Related: The Democrats owe their new control of the senate to Black voters in Georgia | Theodore R Johnson Continue reading...
A New York City bus was left hanging from an overpass after crashing off the Cross Bronx expressway, New York Emergency Management reported on Thursday night.Seven people, who were said to have been travelling in the bus, reportedly sustained minor injuries in the crash
Diaspora of expats voice loyalty, but also withering disgust over Capitol storming – and fatigueWatching history unfold in Washington DC from her home in London, Jan Halper-Hayes admitted to being slightly incredulous about the images of Donald Trump supporters storming the US Capitol.“It was kind of in some ways unbelievable,” says the long-term activist in the Republican party and former vice-president of its UK branch. She claims she has received “good information” to indicate that “Antifa people” were present at the riot. Continue reading...
Seven reported injured in Thursday night collision which left rear half of articulated bus on overpass with front end touching ground belowA New York City bus was left hanging suspended from an overpass after crashing off the Cross Bronx expressway, New York Emergency Management reported on Thursday night.Seven people sustained minor injuries in the crash, a police spokesperson told NBC New York. The fire department confirmed there were several units on scene. All of the injured were bus passengers. They have since been transported to hospital. Continue reading...
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