Mike Pompeo cancels Europe trip after officials decline to meet with him | The Independent |

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has cancelled a trip to Europe trip at the last minute.

Mr Pompeo had been due to fly out on Tuesday but Reuters reports that Luxembourg's foreign minister and several top European Union officials have declined to meet with him.

Diplomats and people familiar with the matter confirmed the news to the wire service. The secretary was supposed to meet with his counterpart in Luxembourg before travelling on to Brussels.

The extraordinary snub to Washington comes just days after the storming of the Capitol by thousands of supporters of Donald Trump, an unprecedented attack on American democracy that stunned many world leaders and US allies.

Had another great visit to Poland--- one of our closest Allies! Our common history and values have built a solid foundation for a future I'm optimistic about. Now, wheels up, back home to the United States. pic.twitter.com/bd6xGKRVtE

— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) August 15, 2020

Fortunately with the Trump administration all of Pompeo appointed ambassadors will be pulled. Exit the regime of harsh economic sanctions which kills tens of thousands across the region of the Middle-East and Persian Gulf. Hopefully America returns to participate in multilateral effort for Human Rights and a foreign policy not leaving out a diplomatic effort. Great relief!

BREAKING: Pres. Trump: "In light of reports of more demonstrations, I urge that there must be NO violence, NO lawbreaking and NO vandalism of any kind...I call on ALL Americans to help ease tensions and calm tempers. Thank You." [_link] pic.twitter.com/VO97BJ2nn0

— ABC News (@ABC) January 13, 2021

WOW! A number of Republican members thinking we are idiots quote this BS statement coming from the White House. Suck to my stomach of this political haranguing. 😡

Republicans Rediscover the Dangers of Selling Bunk to Their Constituents | The Atlantic - Nov. 25, 2020 |

..#Exclusive @FBI bulletin warns
agencies moving in to arrest suspects in the Capitol Attack "to use caution and consider the use of SWAT" when making arrests. It's arsenals like the one pictured that has investigators urging agencies to use caution. @CBSNews @CBSEveningNews pic.twitter.com/bRjGsNTuBO

— Jeff Pegues (@jeffpeguescbs) January 13, 2021

"Many of us merely and narrowly escaped death." [_link]

— ABC News (@ABC) January 14, 2021

Sen. Mitch McConnell signaled in a letter to his colleagues that he has not ruled out voting to convict Pres. Trump in an upcoming Senate impeachment trial, even as he made it clear he thinks that no trial should start until after Trump leaves office. [_link

— ABC News (@ABC) January 14, 2021

Ten members of the GOP joined with Democrats in the vote. [_link]

— ABC News (@ABC) January 13, 2021

NEW: The White House just released a recorded video message from Pres. Trump in which he says nothing about his second impeachment but instead -- a week after the assault on the Capitol -- is now condemning the violent insurrection more forcefully.@benstracy has the latest pic.twitter.com/c7tE47UOQt

— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) January 13, 2021

Full video ...

Trump angrily watched impeachment proceedings while asking about path forward: Sources | ABC News |

My 10 years of turmoil in the States ...

Dozens of B-52's ready for a nuclear attack on the Soviet Union

President Kennedy Assassination - my early college years

Civil Rights legislation under Johnson

Assassination Martin Luther King

Assassination of Robert Kennedy

Space projects McDonnell (St. Louis) and landing on the Moon

Vietnam War - use Agent Orange - Christmas bombing Hanoi

Impeachment President Nixon and the House hearings with Sam Ervin - great Civic lesson

We'll survive the coming days ... great anti-terror campaign of Law Enforcement, FBI, DOJ, National Guard ... I expect the greatest intent for violence on Inauguration Day has been mooted.

Militia members used walkie-talkie app Zello:

This fall, an employee said, @Zello CEO Bill Moore "said essentially that because the platform was not legally responsible for harm caused by those far right groups, it would not kick them off the site." [_link]

— Lois Beckett (@loisbeckett) January 14, 2021

Armed U.S. troops in the streets of Washington gird for suicide aircraft, armed drones, pipe bombs and other mayhem in the run-up to Biden's inauguration w/@helenecooper, @sangerNYT, @KannoYoungs [_link]

— Eric Schmitt (@EricSchmittNYT) January 14, 2021

Biden to unveil $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief plan with more stimulus checks

Biden is expected to announce the wage push, a mainstay of the Democratic Party since Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) popularized it during his 2016 presidential bid, in a Thursday evening speech outlining the broader $1.9 trillion relief proposal.

The federal minimum wage has been stuck at $7.25 since 2009, though several states and municipalities have implemented their own increases.

Democrats argue that the stagnant rate is one reason why wages overall have shown little sign of improvement over the past 12 years.

Biden's proposal, called the American Rescue Plan

Sucks to be an insurrectionist. pic.twitter.com/B9WLisG0Eu

— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) January 14, 2021

Capitol rioters communicated using military hand signals, a law enforcement official says | CBS News |

Retired Air Force officer at Capitol riot intended "to take hostages," prosecutor says [_link]

— CBS News (@CBSNews) January 15, 2021

#CapitolRiot Law enforcement official tells @CBSNews police officer witnessed rioters using military style hand signals to communicate INSIDE Capitol NOTE: 1/13 @CBSNews first reported identification rioters who used military style tactics is priority @USAO_DC Sedition Task Force

— Catherine Herridge (@CBS_Herridge) January 15, 2021

Both groups will be documented and repelled by fencing or walls ... of all times, the Chinese build a wall in ancient times.

A 7-foot non-scalable fencing around the Capitol has been topped with razor wire, and behind it, hundreds of armed National Guardsmen. [_link]

— ABC News (@ABC) January 15, 2021

A conspiracy to overthrow not only the US Government but "the country for which it stands," to quote from the Pledge of Allegiance, must be met with every tool at our disposal, including conviction and permanent disqualification of the Conspirator in Chief [_link]

— Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) January 14, 2021

The first boxes are packed and moved from the EEOB on the White House grounds. For @Reuters pic.twitter.com/FIRyE22znU

— Erin Scott (@erinscottphoto) January 14, 2021

Billionaires backed Republicans who sought to reverse US election results [_link]

— The Guardian (@guardian) January 15, 2021

Richard Viguerie Commentary: The Democrats' War To Drive Christians Out Of Government

Thanks for your tips! The #FBI has arrested multiple people in connection with the violence at the U.S. Capitol last week. We need your help to identify more individuals at https://t.co/wodKjExKua. If you know someone on these posters, submit a tip at [_link]. pic.twitter.com/xjWZephG78

— FBI (@FBI) January 15, 2021

Acting Attorney General Jeffrey A. Rosen Attends Security Briefing at FBI's Strategic Information and Operations Center on Inauguration Planning and Recent Capitol Attack [_link] pic.twitter.com/zd7kSZ8a4u

— Justice Department (@TheJusticeDept) January 15, 2021

"The ugly infection that has always sapped America's strength burst to the surface last week," @BillMcKibben writes. "Simply bandaging it will be a mistake."[_link]

— The New Yorker (@NewYorker) January 15, 2021

The attack on the Capitol shows that white riotous violence, brutally epitomized by the Tulsa Race Massacre, has never been relegated to history.[_link]

— The New Yorker (@NewYorker) January 15, 2021

Remembering 'Red Summer,' when white mobs massacred Blacks from Tulsa to D.C.

Longtime Trump advisers connected to groups behind rally that led to Capitol attack | ABC News |

Roger Stone, Steve Bannon, and retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn all participated in efforts to promote the Jan. 6 "Stop the Steal" event that ultimately devolved into a riotous and deadly melee at the United States Capitol, leaving five dead and causing Trump to become the only president to be impeached for a second time.

While none of them spoke at the actual rally, Stone whipped up a crowd of Trump supporters in Washington the night before, telling them the president's enemies sought "nothing less than the heist of the 2020 election."

"And we say, No way!" Stone said at the Jan. 5 rally.

Flynn promoted the so-called "Jericho March," a rally of Christians to "pray, march, fast, and rally for election integrity," according to the group's website, that also took place on Jan. 6 in the shadow of the Capitol. In the weeks leading up to the event, Flynn told his supporters that they would "need to be fearless as Americans."

Speaking at a Dec. 12 rally in Washington to promote the Trump effort to overturn the election, Flynn told supporters they had reached a "crucible moment" and "there has to be sacrifice."

Justice Dept. watchdog opens probe of response to Capitol riot | ABC News |

Corporate donors flee Republican Party following Capitol Hill riot, and it's only the beginning

Disney has had enough.

So has Coca-Cola, Walmart, Hallmark, Amazon, Airbnb and Mastercard.

After last week's violent insurrection on Capitol Hill in Washington DC, which left five people dead, dozens of the world's biggest corporations are pulling their political donations from America's Republicans.

The companies -- many consistent Republican donors in the past -- are targeting the 147 Republicans who still challenged the results of America's presidential election after the Capitol building was stormed by Donald Trump's supporters on January 6.

Some companies say those Republicans will receive no donations for the rest of their political lives.

"The insurrection at our nation's Capital was a direct assault on one of our country's most revered tenets: the peaceful transition of power," a Disney spokesman told Politico this week.

"In the immediate aftermath of that appalling siege, Members of Congress had an opportunity to unite -- an opportunity that some sadly refused to embrace.

Amazon, Intel Join Other Major Companies Suspending Donations To Republicans Involved In Biden Certification Challenge | Forbes |

Hotel giant Marriott International, the health insurance network Blue Cross Blue Shield and bank holding company Commerce Bancshares were the first to indefinitely suspend donations to members of Congress who objected to the certification of the Electoral College vote on Jan. 6, as reported Sunday by Popular Information, a political newsletter run by ThinkProgress founder and editor Judd Legum.

Major airlines banning guns in checked bags to D.C.-area airports ahead of Inauguration Day [_link]

— CBS News (@CBSNews) January 15, 2021

BREAKING: National Rifle Association files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. [_link]

— ABC News (@ABC) January 15, 2021

Health Secretary Alex Azar resigning on Jan. 20 [_link]

— CNBC (@CNBC) January 16, 2021

Extraordinary security measures in place nationwide ahead of Biden's inauguration [_link]

— CBS News (@CBSNews) January 16, 2021

Great new State Department team. Proud to see ⁦⁦@PennBiden⁩ Senior Director @bpmckeon64⁩ nominated as Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources. Congrats to all! [_link]

— Michael Carpenter (@mikercarpenter) January 16, 2021

With troops in D.C., would-be rioters are looking to state capitols, write @jimananich and @SenatorHughes.

Local GOP leaders can't stay silent: [_link]

— NBC News THINK (@NBCNewsTHINK) January 16, 2021

#BREAKING Capitol Police arrested a Virginia man as he attempted to pass through a police checkpoint in Washington with fake inaugural credentials, a loaded handgun and over 500 rounds of ammunition: CNN

— Guy Elster (@guyelster) January 16, 2021

CBS News has learned that Pres. Trump is contemplating a final sendoff on the morning of President-elect Biden's inauguration.@NikolenDC has more on the president's final weekend in office. pic.twitter.com/ucGqtmCBk8

— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) January 17, 2021

Biden inauguration: 25,000 National Guard vetted over insider attack fears as state protests fizzle | The Guardian |

On Sunday, the only far-right groups that were visible at the protests were the ones who had first promoted the event: members of the "Boogaloo Bois", an extremist pro-gun and anti-government movement fixated on a coming civil war. Their desire to make the protest happen across all 50 states was not realized, and even in the states where protests took place, they were unable to muster significant numbers.

In Salem, Oregon, where the state capitol was breached in December, and where dozens of far-right protesters clashed with Oregon state police on 1 January, the entire protest consisted of eight heavily armed Boogaloo Bois, compared with more than 20 reporters.

In Lansing Michigan, about a dozen Boogaloo Bois showed up to protest, according to local news reports. One journalist estimated the Boogaloo Bois stayed for about 30 minutes.

A lone MAGA protester left his sign near the statehouse in Trenton after he realized no one else showed up to the pro-Trump state capital rally today. pic.twitter.com/hUj6FvlW2U

— Matt Katz (@mattkatz00) January 17, 2021

...

The National Guard vetting process began as the first troops began deploying to DC more than a week ago, according to multiple officials.

"The question is, is that all of them? Are there others?" said McCarthy. "We need to be conscious of it and we need to put all of the mechanisms in place to thoroughly vet these men and women who would support any operations like this."

"This is a national priority. We have to be successful as an institution," said McCarthy. "We want to send the message to everyone in the United States and for the rest of the world that we can do this safely and peacefully."

Twitter Temporarily Suspends Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's Account [_link]

— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) January 18, 2021

Greene has been criticized by those her party. In an op-ed in The Atlantic, Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb. wrote: "She's cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs" while criticizing House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy for not disavowing her campaign.

As the nation 🔥🔥the jokers are acting 🎭

Good god @LindseyGrahamSC you know Capitol Police staffing is not directed by @senatemajldr or Speaker Pelosi - and tellingly you only lied about the woman. You are right about 1 thing: we WILL "get to the bottom of this" - and what YOU knew about Trump's "hang Mike Pence" mob. [_link]

— Christine Pelosi🗽 (@sfpelosi) January 17, 2021

President-elect Joe Biden has the most racially diverse presidential Cabinet in the history of the US, a historic feat that observers hope will help begin the process of repairing a broken country, CNN's Nicquel Terry Ellis writes [_link]

— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) January 18, 2021

Executive Order 13769, titled Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States, politically labeled as a Muslim Ban by detractors or a travel ban by supporters, was an executive order by United States President Donald Trump. Except for the extent to which it was blocked by various courts, it was in effect from January 27, 2017.

Trump managed to finalize all wars on foreign soil and pulled thousands of troops ... due to domestic terror, Washington DC has more National Guard forces than all military combined in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria. Now therewill be extreme vetting to guard against insider attacks ... brother against brother ⁉️

FBI vetting National Guard members involved in securing US Capitol | @ZcohenCNN [_link]

— State of the Union (@CNNSotu) January 18, 2021

Right! Trump kent his promise: "America First" ...

The weirdest presidential transitions in history, explained | CNN News |

The transition that took place in early 1829 was like no other in American history. For nearly three decades, presidential successions had been anointings, with each president handing power to his favorite, and the president's party and the electoral college endorsing the selection.

Andrew Jackson's inauguration marked a distinctly hostile takeover of the government. Jackson had been denied victory in 1824 as a result of what the Jacksonians called a "corrupt bargain" between John Quincy Adams and Henry Clay, an inside deal that gave Adams the presidency and made Clay the heir apparent.

The Jacksonians' resentment mounted during the next four years, and it fueled a mean, dirty campaign for the 1828 election. The Jacksonians assailed Adams as a fraud and an aristocrat; the Adams side attacked Jackson as a closet Caesar and his wife, Rachel, as a slut and a bigamist. Rachel, who hated politics, broke down and died under the strain, understandably magnifying Jackson's anger at his opponents.

Jackson won handily, and his supporters surged to Washington to prevent eleventh-hour shenanigans by the Adams men. To the residents of the capital, these calloused farmers, many from beyond the mountains that separated the East from the West in those days, seemed a horde of barbarians. They acted the part.

At Jackson's inauguration they swarmed the White House in their muddy boots, soiling the carpets, ruining the furniture and breaking the china. When the doors couldn't handle the pressure of their desire to congratulate their hero, they came in the windows. Jackson was forced to flee the celebration lest he be crushed.

Andrew Jackson Campaigns and Elections | Miller Center |

Months ago, #ChicagoPolice officers from districts and units across the City volunteered to use their own personal time to provide security for Wednesday's Presidential #Inauguration .

Tonight, these officers were sworn in as Special Deputy @USMarshalsHQ. #CPDMediaCar pic.twitter.com/wMZhfGQVuT

— Chicago Police (@Chicago_Police) January 19, 2021

A viewers' guide to Biden's Inauguration Day: Here's what to expect. [_link]

— NBC News (@NBCNews) January 19, 2021

He said it... #MitchMcConnell [_link]

— Lou Stools® (@Lou_S_Stools) January 19, 2021

What changed was not Trump's behavior, but rather the facts on the ground: With the Capitol in shambles and blood spilled, the hypothesis that Trump's language could lead to violence had been replaced by the straightforward fact that it had.
[_link]

— WIRED (@WIRED) January 9, 2021

Blinken on China: "There is no doubt it poses the most significant challenge of any nation state to the United States."

— Josh Rogin (@joshrogin) January 19, 2021

"I'm truly honored to be your next president and commander in chief and I'll always be a proud son of the state of Delaware," President-elect Joe Biden said as he bid an emotional farewell to his home state and left for Washington, D.C. [_link] pic.twitter.com/DgFQpI3A77

— The New York Times (@nytimes) January 19, 2021

#Multiculturalism is one of our greatest strengths as a country, and I go to that well often as an American diplomat. It's hard to overstate the global soft power impact of America's cultural diversity. We need to do a better job of representing that, not reject it.

— Conrad Tribble (@conradtribble) January 19, 2021

Follow White Supremacist doctrine of Trumpism and Pompeo-ism  🤡 😡

The U.S. is stronger when we acknowledge the failings of international institutions like @UN and try to fix them. Multilateralism for multilateralism's sake doesn't help anyone but bureaucrats, globalists, and lawyers. pic.twitter.com/LxGU1a9m8u

— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) January 19, 2021

"The path to peace in #Yemen was never easy," M. Griffiths said in the Security Council today. "We must remember that, even after all the tragedies that Yemenis across the country have suffered, peace is possible where there is the will to make it happen."[_link] pic.twitter.com/B42VeCJtic

— UN Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (@UNDPPA) January 14, 2021

¿Por qué en EE.UU. transcurre tanto tiempo entre la elección y la investidura del presidente?

Mientras muchas democracias cambian sus líderes rápidamente en EE.UU. transcurre un período de transición de once semanas.

Lea los detalles aquí: [_link]

— Embajada de los Estados Unidos en Cuba (@USEmbCuba) January 16, 2021

Report: Michael Flynn's Brother Was Involved Military Response To The Capitol, Despite Army Denials | Forbes |

As investigations into the security failures during the Capitol riots continue, the <emWashington Post</em> reports that the U.S. Army repeatedly and falsely denied that Lt. Gen. Charles Flynn, the brother of Trump's disgraced former national security adviser Michael Flynn, participated in a key meeting where Army officials were reportedly reluctant to deploy the National Guard because of the optics of a military response at the Capitol. 

JUST IN: Washington Post reports that Michael Flynn's brother, Gen. Charles Flynn, was on the Pentagon call with Capitol Police that resisted their emergency pleas for calling in the National Guard during the Capitol attack. The Army previously denied that Flynn was on the call. pic.twitter.com/qyMFFhT4YM

— MSNBC (@MSNBC) January 21, 2021

Former Florida GOP candidate arrested in storming of U.S. Capitol | Tampa Bay Times |

Ted Cruz echoes Trump to slam Biden for rejoining Paris climate accord

When Trump announced the U.S. withdrawal from the agreement, the biggest international effort to curb climate change, in 2017 he said: "I was elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh, not Paris."

Today, President Biden rejoined the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. pic.twitter.com/V4fVV2i2jZ

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 21, 2021

Five years on from Paris Climate Agreement

Is participation in an insurrection not sufficient to keep alleged domestic terr

Release of alleged "zip tie guy" from Capitol riot blocked [_link]

— CBS News (@CBSNews) January 25, 2021

Man charged in DC riot reportedly has brother in Secret Service who led Michelle Obama detail

Scott Kevin Fairlamb of Stockholm, N.J., who fought under the name "Wildman,"  was charged in federal court in Washington, DC, according to court documents.

Proud Boys leader was `prolific' informant for the FBI, report says [_link]

— The Independent (@Independent) January 27, 2021

The Department of Homeland Security issued a national terrorism alert warning that the U.S. faces a heightened threat of domestic extremist violence from people who are angry at the outcome of the presidential election [_link] pic.twitter.com/1tT73iXPUA

— Reuters (@Reuters) January 28, 2021

Florida Messianic "rabbi" arrested for participating in U.S. Capitol riot [_link]

— Tikun Olam (@richards1052) January 30, 2021

New charges allege Proud Boys prepped for Capitol insurrection

The Justice Department unveiled the new conspiracy charge in a federal grand jury indictment of Nicholas Ochs and Nicholas DeCarlo.

The indictment alleges the two conspired to block Congress' certification of the electoral votes on January 6. Prosecutors say they planned and fundraised for the effort, then came to Washington, DC, and stormed past police and into the Capitol building as part of the violent crowd, according to a copy of the indictment.

Wednesday's indictment came shortly after the Justice Department made clear it had taken more investigative steps against Proud Boys affiliates related to the insurrection. The Proud Boys are a far-right group known for their clashes with Antifa and general support of former President Donald Trump, who even mentioned them in a presidential debate, telling them to "stand back and stand by."

Trump's debate callout bolsters far-right Proud Boys

Canada names Proud Boys a terrorist organization ...

Canada labels the Proud Boys, neo-Nazi groups as terrorists | CBC News |