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Lisa Vanderpump weighs in on 'Pump Rules' firings, says she doesn't 'like this cancel culture'
Lisa Vanderpump understands why three original cast members were axed from "Vanderpump Rules" but insinuated the punishment might not fit the crime.
Lisa Vanderpump understands why three original cast members were axed from "Vanderpump Rules" but insinuated the punishment might not fit the crime.
The possible Marvel mistake is a hot-button issue.
The first month of the new year has not even ended yet, and Wall Street firms are already getting more bullish on stocks for 2021.
Incoming President Joe Biden on Wednesday will immediately reset the nation's response to the COVID-19 crisis after he is sworn in to lead a country reeling from its worst public health crisis in more than a century. As part of a first sweep of executive actions, Biden will order that all federal employees wear masks and make face coverings mandatory on federal property. The orders signal that Biden aims to fulfill his campaign promise to make COVID-19 relief a top priority and will mark a sharp divergence from the Trump administration's pandemic response, which critics say was ineffectual, uncoordinated and at least partly responsible for the death of more than 400,000 Americans.
More steps are needed to protect a fragile ceasefire in eastern Ukraine as violations are rising, Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde told Reuters during a trip to the region on Wednesday. Linde was on her first visit to Ukraine since taking over as the rotating head of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which monitors the conflict in the Donbass region between Ukraine and Russian-backed forces. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was elected in 2019 on a pledge to end the conflict, which has killed 14,000 people since 2014 and poisoned relations between Kyiv and Moscow.
WASHINGTON — Quite suddenly, if only for a freeze-frame moment, everything old was new again, starting when Joe Biden stepped outside into his day and Donald Trump vanished inside Air Force One for his flight to private life in Florida. Democratic and Republican leaders worshipped together at church, just one tradition dusted off. The centuries-old rituals of a peaceful transfer of power unfolded from the high platform of the flag-bedecked Capitol, still recovering from insurrection. With Trump gone, calls for and scenes of unity and grace were the order of the day, exactly four years after his dark talk of “American carnage.” As if their footsteps had been choreographed, Biden emerged from Blair House across the White House on his way to church just as the outgoing president disappeared into the plane at Joint Base Andrews. But the outgoing president was not one to co-ordinate anything with the incoming one. And not long later, Trump issued one more pardon. Trump never conceded the election, declined to attend the inauguration, upended the tradition of sending a government plane to bring the president-elect to Washington and didn’t extend the usual invitation to greet the almost-president to the White House before the swearing in. Biden was opening his presidency without a welcome or even personal acknowledgment from the man he defeated. Under threat of conviction from the Senate on an accusation of inciting insurrection, Trump departed with a perfunctory nod to those who have died from the coronavirus, a obligatory mention of wishing “luck” to the next administration without mentioning Biden’s name, a premature claim on any success Biden might have, and the cloudy threat of a return. “Have a nice life,” Trump said in remarks to well-wishers upon his departure. As Air Force One flew low along the coast, Biden’s inauguration played on Fox News on television aboard the flight. Trump’s family was on board. He spent some of the flight with flight staff who went up to him to say goodbye. Rituals of the republic went on without him. In a striking tableau at the Capitol, three former presidents and first ladies of different parties mingled as though at a cocktail party. The inauguration crowds were sparse by design, with invitation-only guests at the immediate scene and 200,000 small flags standing in place of the citizens who would have come if the capital’s core hadn’t been under military lock and key and if no pandemic had been sweeping the country. Yet Raelyn Maxwell of Park City, Utah, came with an American flag, a poster board sign reading "Dear Women of Color, thank you” and a bouquet of roses she hoped to toss to Kamala Harris if she could somehow get close enough to the incoming vice-president. “I protested 45’s inauguration," she said of Trump, the 45th president, "and I wanted to be here when he left. “And I wanted to celebrate the new president.” She also carried Champagne to roast the occasion with friends here from France. Biden, the second Roman Catholic president, attended a morning mass at St. Matthews Church with at least three Baptists — Harris and Republican leaders Mitch McConnell from the Senate and Kevin McCarthy from the House — and the Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, who is Jewish. It was one of those bipartisan, not to mention multifaith, events that Washington is known for, coexisting with searing political division. St. Matthew, patron saint of civil servants, was a tax-collector and, on the brighter side, an apostle who exhorted, “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you,” according to the church's teachings. There were stirrings of that Wednesday. ___ Associated Press writers Ben Fox and Jill Colvin contributed to this report. Calvin Woodward, The Associated Press
Here are photos from the 59th Presidential Inauguration at the US Capitol.
WASHINGTON — Joe Biden swears the oath of office at noon Wednesday to become the 46th president of the United States, taking the helm of a deeply divided nation and inheriting a confluence of crises arguably greater than any faced by his predecessors. In a time of national tumult and uncertainty, there were comforting signs of tradition for the hallowed American democratic rite now underway at a U.S. Capitol battered by an insurrectionist siege just two weeks ago. On a chilly Washington day dotted with snow flurries, a bipartisan trio of ex-presidents along with the elite of nation's government gathered, ensuring the quadrennial ceremony persevered, even though it was encircled by security forces evocative of a war zone and devoid of crowds because of the coronavirus pandemic. Stay home, Americans were exhorted, to prevent further spread of a surging virus that has claimed more than 400,000 lives in the United States. Biden will look out over a capital city dotted with empty storefronts that attest to the pandemic’s deep economic toll and where summer protests laid bare the nation’s renewed reckoning on racial injustice. And he will not be applauded by his predecessor. Flouting tradition, Donald Trump departed Washington on Wednesday morning ahead of the inauguration rather than accompany his successor to the Capitol. Though three other former presidents — Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama — gathered to watch the ceremonial transfer of power, Trump, awaiting his second impeachment trial, instead flew to Florida after stoking grievance among his supporters with the lie that Biden’s win was illegitimate. Biden, in his third run for the presidency, staked his candidacy less on any distinctive political ideology than on galvanizing a broad coalition of voters around the notion that Trump posed an existential threat to American democracy. On his first day, Biden will take a series of executive actions — on the pandemic, climate, immigration and more — to undo the heart of Trump's agenda at a moment with the bonds of the republic strained. “Biden will face a series of urgent, burning crises like we have not seen before, and they all have to be solved at once. It is very hard to find a parallel in history,” said presidential historian Michael Beschloss. “I think we have been through a near-death experience as a democracy. Americans who will watch the new president be sworn in are now acutely aware of how fragile our democracy is and how much it needs to be protected.” Biden will come to office with a well of empathy and resolve born by personal tragedy as well as a depth of experience forged from more than four decades in Washington. At age 78, he will be the oldest president inaugurated. More history will be made at his side, as Kamala Harris becomes the first woman to be vice-president. The former U.S. senator from California is also the first Black person and the first person of South Asian descent elected to the vice presidency and will become the highest-ranking woman ever to serve in government. The two will be sworn in during an inauguration ceremony with few parallels in history. Tens of thousands of troops are on the streets to provide security precisely two weeks after a violent mob of Trump supporters, incited by the Republican president, stormed the Capitol in an attempt to prevent the certification of Biden’s victory. The tense atmosphere evoked the 1861 inauguration of Lincoln, who was secretly transported to Washington to avoid assassins on the eve of the Civil War, or Roosevelt's inaugural in 1945, when he opted for a small, secure ceremony at the White House in the waning months of World War II. The day began with a reach across the aisle after four years of bitter partisan battles under Trump. At Biden's invitation, congressional leaders from both parties bowed their heads in prayer in the socially distanced service just a few blocks from the White House. Once at the Capitol, Biden will be administered the oath by Chief Justice John Roberts; Harris will be sworn in by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the first Latina member of the Supreme Court. Vice-President Mike Pence, standing in for Trump, was sitting nearby as Lady Gaga sang the National Anthem accompanied by the U.S. Marine Corps band. The theme of Biden’s approximately 30-minute speech will be “America United,” and aides said it would be a call to set aside differences during a moment of national trial. Biden will then oversee a “Pass in Review,” a military tradition that honours the peaceful transfer of power to a new commander in chief. Then, Biden, Harris and their spouses will be joined by that bipartisan trio of former presidents to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Ceremony. Later, Biden will join the end of a slimmed-down inaugural parade as he moves into the White House. Because of the pandemic, much of this year's parade will be a virtual affair featuring performances from around the nation. In the evening, in lieu of the traditional glitzy balls that welcome a new president to Washington, Biden will take part in a televised concert that also marks the return of A-list celebrities to the White House orbit after they largely eschewed Trump. Among those in the lineup: Bruce Springsteen, Justin Timberlake and Lin-Manuel Miranda. “I protested 45’s inauguration, and I wanted to be here when he left,” said Raelyn Maxwell of Park City, Utah. ”And I wanted to celebrate the new president.” She brought a bouquet of roses she hoped to toss to Harris and some champagne to toast the occasion. Trump is the first president in more than a century to skip the inauguration of his successor. In a cold wind, Marine One took off from the White House and soared above a deserted capital city to his own farewell celebration at nearby Joint Base Andrews. There, he boarded Air Force One for the final time as president for the flight to his Florida estate. "I will always fight for you. I will be watching. I will be listening and I will tell you that the future of this country has never been better," said Trump, who wished the incoming administration well but once again declined to mention Biden's name. The symbolism was striking: The very moment Trump disappeared into the doorway of Air Force One, Biden stepped out of the Blair House, the traditional guest lodging for presidents-in-waiting, and into his motorcade for the short ride to church. Trump did adhere to one tradition and left a note for Biden in the Oval Office, according to the White House, which did not release its contents. And Trump, in his farewell remarks, hinted at a political return, saying “we will be back in some form.” And he, without question, will shadow Biden’s first days in office. Trump’s second impeachment trial could start as early as this week. That could test the ability of the Senate, poised to come under Democratic control, to balance impeachment proceedings with confirmation hearings and votes on Biden’s Cabinet choices. Biden was eager to go big early, with an ambitious first 100 days that includes a push to speed up the distribution of COVID-19 vaccinations to anxious Americans and pass a $1.9 trillion virus relief package. On Day One, he’ll also send an immigration proposal to Capitol Hill that would create an eight-year path to citizenship for immigrants living in the country illegally. He also planned a 10-day blitz of executive orders on matters that don’t require congressional approval — a mix of substantive and symbolic steps to unwind the Trump years. Among the planned steps: rescinding travel restrictions on people from several predominantly Muslim countries; rejoining the Paris climate accord; issuing a mask mandate for those on federal property; and ordering agencies to figure out how to reunite children separated from their families after crossing the border. ___ Additional reporting by Associated Press writers Jill Colvin and Darlene Superville. ___ Follow Lemire on Twitter at http://twitter.com/@JonLemire. Jonathan Lemire, Zeke Miller And Alexandra Jaffe, The Associated Press
Biden is being sworn in as the new president of the United States, with Lady Gaga, Demi Lovato, Tom Hanks and more taking part in the celebrations
Former first lady seemed delighted to greet members of the Biden family
Eugene Goodman becomes the second highest security official in Congress following promotion
The 18-year-old Swedish environmental activist bid the 45th president farewell on social media.
Signing George Springer will not just help the Blue Jays win more ballgames, it represents an entire paradigm shift for the franchise.
Germany's unlisted Schott AG, the world's biggest supplier of speciality glass for medical bottles and syringes, said on Wednesday it did not see any shortage of vials for bottling COVID-19 vaccines. Drugmakers last year warned of limited supplies of vials to bottle future COVID-19 vaccines, but Schott said at the time that their rush to secure supplies early risked making matters worse. Schott, whose founder Otto Schott invented heavy-duty borosilicate glass in the 1890s, delivered 110 million vials for COVID-19 vaccines during the second half of last year and was now scheduled to clear an order backlog of 600 million vials for that purpose well into 2022.
WASHINGTON — Donald Trump, in one of his final acts as president, released current and former members of his administration from the terms of their ethics pledge, a move that once again laid bare the failure to meet his 2016 campaign promise to “drain the swamp.” Trump won the presidency, in part, on a pledge to take on entrenched special interests in Washington, and his ethics policy was one of his first acts after assuming office. But in practice it proved to be little more than bluster. Trump instituted a major loosening of ethics standards when compared with the administration of his predecessor, Barack Obama, as well as the rules that will govern Joe Biden's White House. While Trump's policy ostensibly included a five-year ban on former officials lobbying their former agencies, it also included large loopholes that allowed many to skirt the rules. The administration also avoided enforcing it, government watchdog groups say. By rescinding his ethics executive order before leaving office, Trump is freeing former officials from any lingering concern that they could face consequences for running afoul of the ethics policy as they return to the private sector. Many of them will now try to leverage their experience to secure high-paying jobs in Washington's influence industry. “The first rule of ethics enforcement is you need to have strong standards. Then you need to back them up with intense transparency. And you also need to reinforce the whole thing with tone from the top. Trump did the opposite on all three,” said Norm Eisen, Obama's former ethics czar. “He made a mockery of it by having a corrupt tone at the top.” Unlike his predecessors, Trump refused to divest from his sprawling business empire. That set the tone for his tenure, while making it easy for foreign and domestic interests to try to influence U.S. policy by patronizing his hotels, restaurants, golf courses and private clubs. Trump signed the one-page revocation of the ethics order on Tuesday, and it was released by the White House shortly after 1 a.m. Wednesday, hours before his term ends. The decision is not without precedent. President Bill Clinton signed a similar order with weeks left on his final term, allowing former aides to go directly into lobbying after leaving his administration. The White House did not respond to a request for comment on Wednesday morning. Appointees who join Biden's administration will face far more stringent ethics rules that are more in line with those of Obama's administration — and in some ways go further. Under an order Biden is expected to issue, officials who leave the administration will be prohibited from lobbying the White House or executive branch agencies for Biden’s duration in office. Those who depart toward the end of Biden’s tenure will be prohibited from lobbying the White House for at least two years. One provision prohibits incoming administration officials from accepting “golden parachute” payments from their former employers for taking a government job. Another restricts former senior level staffers not just from lobbying the administration for at least two years, but also prohibits for a period of one year working behind the scenes to materially assist others who do lobby the executive branch. That’s a practice often referred to as “shadow lobbying.” Typically such people do not have to register as lobbyists, even though they play a key role. The ethics order was described by a Biden transition official on the condition of anonymity because the order has not yet been made public. One key area that Biden has not addressed in detail is how his White House will address potential conflicts of interest posed by members of his family, some of whom have personally profited by leveraging the Biden name. Biden repeatedly said on the campaign trail that during his decades in public office, he has never talked to any family members about their private business dealings. And he promised “an absolute wall” between government and his family’s financial interests. But specifics of how his pledge will be enforced remain unclear. A person familiar with the incoming administration’s plans said Biden’s family members will not serve as employees or as board members for foreign companies. Additionally, the person said there will be a review process to ensure the Biden family’s business dealings do not present even the appearance of a conflict of interest. The person insisted on anonymity to discus internal deliberations. Biden’s son, Hunter, has worked for foreign entities in the past, including serving on the board of the Ukrainian gas company Burisma when Biden was Obama’s vice-president. Hunter Biden is currently under investigation by the Justice Department, which is probing his finances, including some of his Chinese business dealings. Biden’s son-in-law Howard Krein, who is married to his daughter, Ashley, is a high ranking executive at StartUp Health, a venture capital and health tech firm, which lobbied the government on health industry technology regulations. And his brother James has repeatedly found lucrative work over the years by invoking the Biden name. Family members also serve on two nonprofits, The Biden Institute at the University of Delaware, and the Beau Biden Foundation for the Protection of Children. “The conflict of interest is there,” said Craig Holman, a government affairs lobbyist with good-governance watchdog Public Citizen. “As long as the Biden family is in charge of a non-profit it provides an opportunity for special interests to make large donations to that foundation in the hopes of currying favour.” Holman otherwise praised Biden’s ethics order as a “night and day” difference from Trump. Brian Slodysko, The Associated Press
The president of the EU executive said on Wednesday she looked forward to having a friend in the White House who could work with Europe on fighting climate change, quashing the COVID-19 pandemic and rebuilding multilateralism. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she hoped incoming U.S. President Joe Biden would join forces with the European Union to impose legal standards and norms on the digital world to rein in hatred, lies and fake news. "In a few hours Trump will be history, but his supporters are there," von der Leyen told a group of reporters in Brussels ahead of Biden's inauguration to succeed Donald Trump.
New Delhi [India], January 20 (ANI): A Delhi Court on Wednesday remanded three accused including two Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials to five days CBI custody in connection with an illegal gratification case.
It’s an all-American affair
A decade on the Arab Spring, the North African country is once again rocked by demonstrations
According to AFP, the explosion seems to have been caused by a gas leak.
Protests continued for a fifth night over high unemployment and an economic crisis.