Monday News: “Pelosi to move forward with impeachment if Pence doesn’t act to remove Trump”; “The Art of the Lie? The Bigger the Better”; “Schwarzenegger Compares Capitol Riot to Rise of the Nazis”; “The White Man’s Audacity”

by Lowell

Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Monday, January 11.

• Two-Mile Nosedive by a Boeing 737 in Indonesia Unexplained As of Yet
• “Cautious optimism” about fighting climate change: Salon talks with author of “The New Climate War” (“Climate scientist Dr. Michael E. Mann tells Salon that we aren’t doomed — but we need to hold polluters accountable”)
• Will China do for hydrogen what it did for solar power?
• In 5 U.S. States, Crushing Numbers and Hospitals at Capacity
• Wall Street analysts are cautiously optimistic on J&J’s ‘one-dose’ Covid vaccine
• Climate Experts Game Out Biden’s 2035 Goal in a Split Senate
• Analysis: The Art of the Lie? The Bigger the Better (Ergo, QAnon…)
• US diplomats in extraordinary protest against Trump for riot
• Trump’s Lackeys Must Also Be Punished (“The rule of law has to apply to everyone, including those in power.” Absolutely, or it really isn’t rule of law.)
• Arrests Across Nation as D.C. Mayor Warns of Further Violence
• Most of 120 arrested or identified at Capitol riot were longtime Trump supporters: AP analysis (Of course they were!)
• Democrats split on how hard to push Trump impeachment
• Democrats Eye Fast Trump Impeachment Days Before Biden Sworn In
• Pre-Nazi Germany tells us the fight to save American democracy is just beginning
• Records show fervent Trump fans fueled US Capitol takeover
• Trump’s Effort To Overturn The Election Should Be Investigated Like 9/11
• Outgoing chief says security officials impeded efforts to call in National Guard (“Even as rioters violently overran his forces, outgoing Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund said in an exclusive interview, the sergeants at arms for the House and Senate took more than an hour to approve his request”)
• Trump’s demoralized staff count down the final days
• ‘Stop the Steal’ Organizer in Hiding After Denying Blame for Riot
• DC Lawmakers Were Briefed That Trump Might Go To Extremes
• As Trump leaves office weakened, Republicans wonder if his political wounds are fatal
• The Memo: GOP and nation grapple with what comes next
• Army investigating officer who led group to Washington rally
• Georgia secretary of state describes call where Trump pressured him to find evidence of voter fraud
• Pelosi to move forward with impeachment if Pence doesn’t act to remove Trump
• Speaker Pelosi: Dear Colleague on Next Steps in Protecting Our Democracy
• Sorry, Joe, but We Can’t Move On Without Punishing Trump for His Crimes Against Democracy (“I’m sure Biden doesn’t want this mess given all the things he needs to do in short order, but this isn’t just about him. It’s about ensuring the survival of our democracy.”)
• The Lies We Tell Ourselves About Race (“There is a lie some Americans tell themselves when America is on its worst behavior: ‘This isn’t America!’ or ‘This isn’t who we are!’ or ‘We’re better than this!'” Why do smart people say stupid shit like “this is not who we are?”)
• Beyond Impeachment, a Push for Ethics Laws That Do Not Depend on Shame (“Congressional Democrats and a slew of groups are preparing to push for the kinds of ethics and governance changes not seen since the post-Watergate era.”)
• Biden announces William Burns as nominee for CIA director
• The White Man’s Audacity (“When pro-Trump rioters stormed the Capitol Building, it showed, yet again, what the white man thinks he deserves.”)
• Trump’s voter fraud lies encouraged a riot. GOP allies are still giving them oxygen. (They’re “baseless,” yes, but why not just say they are FALSE and in fact WILDLY FALSE, COMPLETELY FALSE, etc?)
• Republican civil war: what’s the party’s future after the US Capitol attack?
• Nancy Pelosi on the riot at the Capitol, Congress’ mandate under Joe Biden and the youth in the Democratic party
• Pelosi Describes Harrowing Moments From Insurrection: A ‘Violation Of The Capitol’
• FBI, NYPD told Capitol Police about possibility of violence before riot, senior officials say
• At least 25 troops under investigation for terrorism in connection with Capitol riot
• The unfolding of ‘home-grown fascism’ in Capitol assault
• Capitol police were overrun, ‘left naked’ against rioters
• Stripe Stops Processing Payments for Trump Campaign Website
• Stripped of Twitter, Trump Faces a New Challenge: How to Command Attention
• Inside a Deadly Siege: How a String of Failures Led to a Dark Day at the Capitol (“Poor planning among a constellation of government agencies and a restive crowd encouraged by President Trump set the stage for the unthinkable.”)
• Trump’s farewell tour includes border wall stop in Alamo, Texas, on Tuesday
• Trump Regulator’s Rule Would Force Banks To Lend To Gun-Makers And Oil Drillers (Reverse that immediately.)
• Off-duty Death of USCP Officer Howard Liebengood
• Twitter, Facebook and Others Silenced Trump. Now They Learn What’s Next.
• Parler CEO Warns of Long Outage
• Parler CEO Says Service Dropped By “Every Vendor” And Could End His Business
• Rashid: Why Do We Refuse to Fight Right-Wing Terrorism?
• The Phrase “Storm the Capitol” Was Used 100,000 Times Online in the Month Leading Up to the Mob (“Far-right Trump supporters are already organizing their next attack.”)
• In blow to Trump, golf’s PGA strips major championship from Trump-owned course
• Staffers Begged Melania to Intercede with Trump During Riots — She Refused and Continued Her Photoshoot (Melania seems to be as evil as Donald.)
• JPMorgan and Citigroup join U.S. corporations halting political donations after Capitol riot (Why halt them to Democrats? That’s really stupid “both sidesism,” when this problem is 100% Republican/right wing.)
• Here Are the Companies That Will Stop Donating to Republicans Who Voted Against Certifying Election (“Marriott and Blue Cross Blue Shield say they’ll suspend donations. Will AirBnB, Amazon, and Sierra Nevada follow suit?”)
• For anti-Trump Americans, calamity spurs a muted sense of vindication
• One Trump Fan’s Descent into the U.S. Capitol Mob
• Person in House lockdown during Capitol riots may have exposed lawmakers to coronavirus, attending physician says
• Man in ‘Camp Auschwitz’ sweatshirt during Capitol riot identified
• We Worked Together on the Internet. Last Week, He Stormed the Capitol.
• Two men who allegedly held zip ties in Capitol during riots being investigated by U.S. counterterrorism prosecutors
• FBI arrests Nashville zip-tie suspect from assault on U.S. Capitol
• Vogue’s Kamala Harris cover photos spark controversy: ‘Washed out mess’ (“First woman of color elected vice-president is February cover star but users complain about lighting”)
• Insurer, hotel chain say they won’t donate to lawmakers who opposed electoral college results (These people all need to be completely cut off.)
• Georgia Was A Disaster For Republicans, And It’s Not Clear Where They Can Go Next (“Republicans are in a fairly precarious position. At best, they are often fighting to a draw, and one that would often be a losing strategy without the structural advantages built into the system for rural voters. And if Republicans don’t get spectacular turnout from their base, everything else potentially starts to crumble. Even a modest decline in turnout from people who are pro-#MAGA but not necessarily part of the traditional Republican base can leave the GOP in a losing position.”)
• Democrats to Biden: Go big on executive actions, even with Senate control
• The Only Way to Save American Democracy Now (“…we need bold changes to deal with the threat to democracy from an authoritarian wing of the Republican Party that appeared ready to abet Trump’s stealing of the election, as well as the separate problem that the Republican Party can continue to consistently win elections with minority support thanks to backward American election rules we have in place.”)
• Schwarzenegger Compares Capitol Riot to Rise of the Nazis
• Worst Revolution Ever (“Attacking the U.S. Capitol is not an act of patriotism. Obviously.”)
• Some of Rep. Gosar’s siblings want him expelled from Congress after deadly riot at Capitol
• Capitol Police Officer Who Responded to Pro-Trump Insurrection Dies by Suicide
• A small group of activists had been identifying right-wing extremists long before the attack on the Capitol (Two Virginians feature prominently in this article.)
• Amazon suspends Parler, taking pro-Trump site offline
• Sen. Tim Kaine on the Capitol Attack, “American Exceptionalism,” “Bystanders” Allowing Evil to Flourish, Yet Still Being an “Optimist About Our Next Chapter”
• Video: Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA07) – “My message to my Republican colleagues is simple — stand up for our Constitution.” (“Say publicly that you know President Trump is unfit to serve.”)
• Which Corporations Are Backing Reps. Rob Wittman (R-VA01), Ben Cline (R-VA06), Morgan Griffith (R-VA09), All of Whom Pushed to Overturn the Election Results? (Corporate America appears to be rethinking its support for seditionists…)
• Video: Rep. Gerry Connolly’s Dramatic, Powerful, Moving Account of the Assault on the Capitol (“I’m determined. I’m not afraid. I will not be intimidated. And I hope you won’t either. We will stand up for the best of what America represents and we will call out its worst.”)
• Whither the GOP? Virginia will be center stage in determining party’s direction post-Trump.
• Two Virginia Residents Face Federal Charges in DC Riot
• Siobhan Dunnavant, Joe Morrissey and Chap Petersen column: It’s time to open Virginia’s schools (Yep, they’ve been saying the same thing for many many months.)
• Virginia General Assembly convenes Jan. 13: Here’s a preview of the session
• Biden’s goal, ‘Build Back Better,’ is also Democrats’ aim in Virginia and Maryland (“In General Assembly sessions, liberals want structural changes in economy, schools, policing and race relations.” We also need a clean energy economy!)
• Virginia pushes back estimate for vaccinating all residents for COVID-19 (“The governor is still hopeful that everyone will have the opportunity to be vaccinated by mid-summer to fall”)
• Sunday (1/10) Virginia Data on COVID-19: New Cases, Hospitalizations Hover Near All-Time Highs
• Regulators want to extend Virginia’s expiring pandemic workplace safety rules
• Virginia to start Phase 1b vaccinations Monday
• Student Council calls on Va. General Assembly to eliminate law that permits discrimination by faith-based organizations, among other legislative goals (“Ending the use of prison labor and implementing a tuition freeze are also top priorities for the University’s representative body”)
• A Member of the Fairfax Republicans’ Leadership Participated in Wednesday’s Insurrection at the U.S. Capitol
• Fairfax County residents call for raises, sick days for essential workers
• Vaccination of essential workers to begin Monday in Roanoke and New River valleys
• Rocky Mount police officer placed on leave for being at Capitol riot says he and fellow officer did nothing illegal
• Largest solar farm in Southwest Virginia on agenda in Pulaski County
• Editorial: How Elon Musk got paired up with Wise County
• Editorial: Botetourt County faces an unusual debate over its Confederate monument. Here’s why.
• At VCU Health, stay-at-home employees have been vaccinated, but med students have not
• A mid-January week that’s not too cold and mostly free of snow and rain