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      What has the January 6 House panel done so far – and what’s next?

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      ExplainerWhat has the January 6 House panel done so far – and what’s next?The final meeting will determine if Trump will be criminally referred to the US justice department The US House committee investigating the January 6 attack on the US Capitol is holding a final public meeting on Monday, when it’s expected to decide whether to issue criminal referrals for former president Donald Trump and his allies.House January 6 panel to issue criminal referrals to DoJ as tensions heightenRead moreThe event, which comes just before the release of the committee’s final report, marks the end of a panel which has led the inquiry into the riots since the January day when more than 2,000 rioters breached the US Capitol building.Here is an explanation of what the panel is and what work it has done.How did the panel come together?In the days and months after the riots at the US Capitol, members of Congress began calling for a committee to investigate the attack and how Trump supporters were able to breach one of the nation’s most significant governmental buildings. But from the beginning, Democrats and Republicans couldn’t agree on how the investigation should look.In February 2021, leaders on the House homeland security committee tried to convene a bicameral commission modeled after the one that investigated the 9/11 terrorist attacks, but disputes between Democrats and Republicans over its makeup and focus derailed negotiations. The commission was ultimately blocked by Senate Republicans.Democrats pivoted to launching a special investigative committee, and in June 2021, House Democrats voted 220-to-190 to establish the select committee to investigate the January 6 attack on the United States Capitol.Who served on the panel?Two Republican lawmakers – Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois – joined Democrats in voting to create the select committee, and both became members of the panel. They were joined by seven Democrats: Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, Zoe Lofgren of California, Adam Schiff of California, Pete Aguilar of California, Stephanie Murphy of Florida, Jamie Raskin of Maryland, and Elaine Luria of Virginia. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi selected Thompson to chair the committee and Cheney to serve as vice chair.How did the panel conduct its investigation?Committee members and staff conducted more than 1,000 witness interviews and reviewed over a million documents and hundreds of hours of video. They obtained a massive number of call records, text messages, and emails through subpoenas and also got access to White House records from the National Archives.What was the focus of its investigation?The committee assembled five teams to investigate different topic areas and assigned each team a color, the Guardian has previously reported. The issues ranged from efforts by Trump and his associates to pressure federal, state, and local officials to overturn the election to law enforcement and intelligence agency failures. They also examined domestic extremist groups like QAnon, and online misinformation, those who planned the January 6 rally, the “Stop the Steal” movement and the money behind efforts to overturn the election.How many public hearings did the panel hold?The committee held one public hearing in July 2021 on the law enforcement experience on January 6 and then nine public hearings from June to October 2022. The final hearing is scheduled for 19 December, when the committee is expected to issue criminal referrals and cue up its final report for full release on 21 December.Who served as witnesses and who provided some of the most notable interviews?The committee has interviewed over 1,000 witnesses, many of whom are close allies of Trump, Department of Justice officials, or Republicans serving on the state and local level. They interviewed members of Trump’s family, including his daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner, former attorney general Bill Barr, Trump’s 2020 campaign manager Bill Stepien, and Greg Jacob who served as general counsel for former Vice-President Mike Pence.Cassidy Hutchinson, a former White House aide, provided compelling testimony during a televised hearing about Trump’s alarming behavior during the riots and how White House officials knew that attendees would be armed and were planning for violence.US Capitol police officers also provided testimony, including Carolina Edwards, who was the first officer injured in the riots and described the scene at the US Capitol as an “absolute war zone”.Former Fulton county, Georgia election officer Wandrea “Shea” Moss testified about the harassment she and her family faced by Trump supporters in the wake of the 2020 election.Notably missing from the witness list is Trump himself, who the committee voted to subpoena in October. Trump has refused to cooperate and sued the committee to block the subpoena.January 6 report expected to focus on Trump’s role and potential culpabilityRead moreHow did the panel handle Trump allies who denied its subpoenas?The committee has referred four Trump allies to the Justice Department for refusing to cooperate. Two of them, Steve Bannon and Peter Navarro, have been criminally charged, and Bannon was sentenced to four months in prison in October but is currently free while he appeals his conviction. The Justice Department chose not to charge former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and former deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino.Before Meadows stopped cooperating, he provided the committee with thousands of emails and text messages implicating prominent Republicans in an effort to overturn the results of the election.What will be in the final report?While the exact contents of the final report are still unknown and could change, it’s expected to be eight chapters and include information that hasn’t yet been made public. The committee is also expected to eventually release transcripts of many of its witness interviews.TopicsUS Capitol attackDonald TrumpUS politicsDemocratsRepublicansexplainersReuse this content More

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      Joe Manchin says he doesn’t intend to leave Democratic party for now

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      Joe Manchin says he doesn’t intend to leave Democratic party for nowRemarks comes after fellow centrist Kyrsten Sinema announced she was leaving party and becoming an independent The centrist Democratic senator Joe Manchin does not intend to change his party affiliation – at least for now, he said Sunday.Manchin’s remarks on CBS’s Face the Nation came after fellow centrist senator Kyrsten Sinema sent shock waves through Congress by announcing that she was leaving the Democratic party and listing herself as an independent.“I’ll let you know later what I decide to do, but right now, I have no intentions of changing anything,” Manchin told host Margaret Brennan, who had asked the West Virginian if there was any political advantage to becoming an independent like Sinema.”Do you see an advantage in this environment to becoming unaffiliated, to becoming an independent?” @margbrennan asks Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin.”I’ll let you know later what I decide to do, but right now I have no intentions of changing anything,” Manchin says. pic.twitter.com/smbJCuTpl1— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) December 18, 2022
      Sinema declared her defection right after Democratic Georgia incumbent Raphael Warnock staved off a challenge for his seat on 6 December, a result that left the party thinking it had a clear one-seat majority in the Senate.Like Sinema, Manchin has at times torpedoed the ambitions of the Joe Biden White House and other progressives, occasionally voting against his party’s interests in a chamber that has been split 50-50 during the last two years, with Vice-President Kamala Harris breaking ties in the Democrats’ favor. Notably, in July, the millionaire coal-trading company founder killed off sweeping climate change legislation staunchly opposed by Republicans before later helping push through a less ambitious bill.Manchin more recently tried to force through legislation that would weaken environmental protections while fast-tracking energy projects, but his effort to salvage his so-called “dirty deal” – which had failed once earlier – was unsuccessful.Manchin spent some of his appearance on Brennan’s show Sunday criticizing the concept of congressional partisanship.“I really don’t much validity in the identity of being a Republican or Democrat,” Manchin said. “I think we’re all Americans.”But then he took aim at Republicans who didn’t support his attempt to save his dirty deal by attaching it to the National Defense Authorization Act, an annual appropriations bill.“Only seven Republicans voted for something that all 50 had supported before,” Manchin said to Brennan on Sunday. “So you tell me if it’s about policy or is it about politics.”The impact of Sinema’s abandonment of the Democratic party remains to be seen. She has said she doesn’t intend to caucus with Republicans, which could frustrate their hopes of overcoming the majority which Democrats hold with the cooperation of other independents like Bernie Sanders and Angus King.Sinema, of Arizona, and Manchin are up for re-election in 2024, when the next presidential race is set to be held. Manchin’s state is conservative, having sided with the Republican candidate in the last four presidential elections.TopicsJoe ManchinUS politicsDemocratsUS SenateUS CongressnewsReuse this content More

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      Schiff: ‘Sufficient evidence’ to criminally charge Trump over efforts to overturn election

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      Schiff: ‘Sufficient evidence’ to criminally charge Trump over efforts to overturn electionDramatic statement comes one day before January 6 panel set to release outline of its investigative report on US Capitol attack California congressman Adam Schiff said Sunday that he believes there is “sufficient evidence” to criminally charge Donald Trump in relation to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election.Schiff’s dramatic statement on CNN’s State of the Union came one day before the House January 6 select committee to which he belongs is poised to release an outline of its extensive investigative report on the US Capitol attack, which has been linked to nine deaths, including the suicides of traumatized law enforcement officers.January 6 committee to use last meeting to refer Trump to justice departmentRead moreThe committee is expected to use its last meeting on Monday to refer Trump, as well as others, to the US justice department in relation to the former president’s attempts to reverse his 2020 defeat to Joe Biden.During this final meeting, the panel is expected to outline an executive summary of its findings, propose legislative recommendations, vote to adopt the report – and then vote on possible criminal and civil referrals. Schiff is one of nine members, seven of whom are Democrats like him, serving on the January 6 committee.The potential referrals involving Trump are expected to involve obstruction of an official congressional proceeding as well as conspiracy to defraud the United States. The Guardian first reported the nature of these referrals.Schiff told CNN host Jake Tapper that he “can’t comment” on specifics of any possible referrals. The predicted criminal referrals are effectively symbolic because Congress can’t force prosecutors to pursue charges.“I think that the evidence is there that Trump committed criminal offenses in connection with his efforts to overturn the election,” said Schiff, who chairs the House intelligence committee. “And viewing it as a former prosecutor, I think there’s sufficient evidence to charge the [former] president.”Tapper asked Schiff whether this was enough to secure a conviction.“Well, I don’t know what the justice department has. I do know what’s in the public record. The evidence seems pretty plain to me, but I would want to see the full body of evidence, if I were in the prosecutor’s shoes, to make a decision,” Schiff responded. “But this is someone, who in multiple ways, tried to pressure state officials to find votes that didn’t exist. This is someone who tried to interfere with a joint session, even inciting a mob to attack the Capitol.“If that’s not criminal, then – then I don’t know what it is.”Asked whether he thought Trump would face criminal charges, Schiff said: “The short answer is, I don’t know. I think that he should. I think he should face the same remedy, force of law that anyone else would.”Schiff said he was worried, however, that “it may take until he is no longer politically relevant for justice to be served. That’s not the way it should be in this country, but there seems to be an added evidentiary burden with someone who has a large enough following.”“That simply should not be the case, but I find it hard, otherwise, to explain why, almost two years from the events of January 6, and with the evidence that’s already in the public domain, why the justice department hasn’t moved more quickly than it has,” Schiff also said.The Guardian previously reported that the Trump allies who might face criminal referrals include former high-ranking White House staffers. The panel is also expected to make civil referrals to the House ethics committee involving Republican Congress members – as well as suggest disbarment for some of Trump’s attorneys.Exclusive: January 6 panel considering Trump referral to justice department for obstruction of CongressRead moreThe January 6 committee has largely concluded that the insurrection was rooted in a conspiracy, sources previously told the Guardian. The panel found that Trump oversaw a “political” plan for his Vice-President Mike Pence to refuse to certify election results in a joint session on January 6 as well as a “coup” plot to force Congress’s hand if he refused.Committee investigators think that Trump’s alleged desire to illegally thwart the certification of the election he lost was obvious months before January 6. They believe it extended from the time he agreed with a fake elector plot so states would swap Biden’s electoral college votes for him until he refused for hours to call off Capitol attackers, sources had told the Guardian.Trump did not leave documentary evidence of his alleged involvement, but his staffers left a paper trail. During Trump’s presidency, he used his power to stifle inquiries, the committee is expected to say. One of Trump’s attorneys did not immediately respond to a request for comment.TopicsJanuary 6 hearingsUS Capitol attackUS elections 2020Donald TrumpUS politicsDemocratsnewsReuse this content More

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      Federal investigators focus on emails between Trump lawyers and congressman – as it happened

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      Federal investigators have been scrutinizing emails between lawyers for Donald Trump and a loyalist Republican congressman for months, it emerged on Friday, casting new light on the direction of the criminal inquiry into the former president’s insurrection efforts.US district court chief judge Beryl Howell granted a request from the justice department to unseal an order she made in June.Just in: Federal prosecutors got access to House Republican Scott Perry’s email accounts, materials concerning 2020 election with Trump lawyer John Eastman and ex DOJ officials Jeff Clark and Ken Klukowski, per newly unsealed docs https://t.co/jPXlR7MpgU— Hugo Lowell (@hugolowell) December 16, 2022
      That order allowed the inquiry access to 37 emails exchanged between Jeffrey Clark and Ken Klukowski, both justice department officials for Trump, the conservative attorney John Eastman, and Pennsylvania congressman Scott Perry, a Trump loyalist who chairs the rightwing House freedom caucus.Perry has previously been implicated in Trump’s efforts overturn his election defeat to Joe Biden. Earlier this week, some of his texts sent to Mark Meadows, former White House chief of staff, came to light, showing increasingly desperate efforts to try to keep Trump in power around the time of the 6 January insurrection.Those efforts included seizing voting machines, and a suggestion the US government should investigate an outlandish conspiracy theory in which Italian satellites were used to zap the machines from space and flip votes for Trump to Biden.Eastman and his allies had claimed the emails were protected by presidential privilege but Washington DC judge Howell, in her order, rejected it.The development comes as the bipartisan panel investigating the 6 January Capitol attack and Trump’s subversion prepares to release on Monday its final report, and make civil and criminal referrals.Trump, Eastman and Clark, who sought to become acting attorney general in the waning days of the Trump presidency, are all thought to be among those who could be referred for charges.Politico reports that Howell unsealed a second opinion, issued in September, in which she determined that 331 documents from Clark were also not protected by attorney-client privilege.The contents of the emails and documents are not known, but the revelation they were in the hands of the criminal inquiry provides a clue to investigators’ thinking over Trump’s plotting.Federal agents seized Eastman’s phone in June, the same time as Howell made her order. Perry’s phone was seized in August. Both lost legal challenges to reclaim them, Politico says.We’re closing the politics blog now for the day, and indeed the week. Thanks for reading along with us.It was, again, not a great day for Donald Trump. A judge unsealed an order that granted the justice department access to emails between several of his allies over the January 6 insurrection; and a Guardian exclusive revealed that the former president could face referral for criminal conspiracy charges when the House panel publishes its final report into his election meddling next week.Join us again on Monday for what’s certain to be a high-octane week in US politics.Here’s what else we covered today:
      The United Nations said it was “very concerned” for press freedoms, as a global backlash grew against Elon Musk for throwing a number of prominent journalists off Twitter. European leaders hinted at sanctions against the social media giant.
      Joe Biden spoke at a National Guard center in Delaware, touting the Pact Act that supports veterans’ healthcare, and getting emotional speaking about his late son Beau, a former Guard major.
      Senators discussed a long-term, $1.7tn package to keep the government funded for another year. Democratic Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer wants the Electoral Count Act included to preserve the integrity of future elections.
      Biden signed a one-week, stopgap funding bill to avert a government shutdown on Friday afternoon, after the Senate passed it on Thursday night, one day after the House approved the measure. Congress has until 23 December to negotiate the longer-term agreement.
      Joe Biden is seeking to elevate Cindy McCain, widow of the late Republican Senator John McCain, as the executive director of World Food Program, Axios reported on Friday.McCain is currently serving as the US ambassador to the United Nations agencies for food and agriculture.The president is also recommending David Lane, former US ambassador to the WFP for the post, Axios said, citing people familiar with the matter.David Beasley, the Republican former South Carolina governor, currently serves in WFP’s top role but is set to leave that post when his term ends in April next year. Officials are now pushing for McCain to take on the role and get to work raising funds in this time of crisis. “Cindy deserves a promotion. She’s doing a great job,” Lindsey Graham, South Carolina’s Republican senator, told Axios.Donald Trump could face criminal referrals for obstructing Congress and conspiracy to defraud the US when the January 6 House panel delivers its final report on Monday. Here’s an exclusive from The Guardian’s Hugo Lowell:The House January 6 select committee is considering a criminal referral to the justice department against Donald Trump for obstruction of an official proceeding of Congress and conspiracy to defraud the United States on the recommendation of a special subcommittee, according to sources familiar with the matter.The recommendations on the former president – made by the subcommittee examining referrals – were based on renewed examinations of the evidence that indicated Trump’s attempts to impede the certification of the 2020 election results amounted to potential crimes.The select committee could pursue additional criminal referrals for Trump and others, given the subcommittee raised the obstruction of an official proceeding and conspiracy to defraud statutes among a range of options and discussions about referrals continued on Thursday, said the sources.The referrals could also largely be symbolic since Congress has no ability to compel prosecutions by the justice department, which has increasingly ramped up its own investigations into Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election and subpoenaed top aides to appear before federal grand juries.The recommendations presage a moment of high political drama next Monday, when the full panel will vote publicly to adopt its final report and formally decide on making referrals, and increase pressure on the attorney general, Merrick Garland, to seek charges over January 6.Trump could be referred for obstruction of an official proceeding, the subcommittee is said to have concluded, because he attempted to impede the certification and did so with a “consciousness of wrongdoing” – as the panel has previously interpreted the intent thresholdThe former president was seen to have met the elements of the offense since he relentlessly pressured Mike Pence to refuse to count electoral college votes for Joe Biden, despite knowing he had lost the election and had been told the plan was illegal.Trump could also be referred for conspiracy to defraud the United States, the subcommittee suggested, arguing the former president violated the statute that prohibits entering into an agreement to obstruct a lawful function of government by dishonest means.Read the full story:Exclusive: January 6 panel considering Trump referral to justice department for obstruction of CongressRead moreFederal investigators have been scrutinizing emails between lawyers for Donald Trump and a loyalist Republican congressman for months, it emerged on Friday, casting new light on the direction of the criminal inquiry into the former president’s insurrection efforts.US district court chief judge Beryl Howell granted a request from the justice department to unseal an order she made in June.Just in: Federal prosecutors got access to House Republican Scott Perry’s email accounts, materials concerning 2020 election with Trump lawyer John Eastman and ex DOJ officials Jeff Clark and Ken Klukowski, per newly unsealed docs https://t.co/jPXlR7MpgU— Hugo Lowell (@hugolowell) December 16, 2022
      That order allowed the inquiry access to 37 emails exchanged between Jeffrey Clark and Ken Klukowski, both justice department officials for Trump, the conservative attorney John Eastman, and Pennsylvania congressman Scott Perry, a Trump loyalist who chairs the rightwing House freedom caucus.Perry has previously been implicated in Trump’s efforts overturn his election defeat to Joe Biden. Earlier this week, some of his texts sent to Mark Meadows, former White House chief of staff, came to light, showing increasingly desperate efforts to try to keep Trump in power around the time of the 6 January insurrection.Those efforts included seizing voting machines, and a suggestion the US government should investigate an outlandish conspiracy theory in which Italian satellites were used to zap the machines from space and flip votes for Trump to Biden.Eastman and his allies had claimed the emails were protected by presidential privilege but Washington DC judge Howell, in her order, rejected it.The development comes as the bipartisan panel investigating the 6 January Capitol attack and Trump’s subversion prepares to release on Monday its final report, and make civil and criminal referrals.Trump, Eastman and Clark, who sought to become acting attorney general in the waning days of the Trump presidency, are all thought to be among those who could be referred for charges.Politico reports that Howell unsealed a second opinion, issued in September, in which she determined that 331 documents from Clark were also not protected by attorney-client privilege.The contents of the emails and documents are not known, but the revelation they were in the hands of the criminal inquiry provides a clue to investigators’ thinking over Trump’s plotting.Federal agents seized Eastman’s phone in June, the same time as Howell made her order. Perry’s phone was seized in August. Both lost legal challenges to reclaim them, Politico says.An Iowa construction worker and QAnon follower was sentenced earlier today to five years in prison for his role in the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the US Capitol, when he led a crowd chasing police officer Eugene Goodman, who courageously diverted rioters away from lawmakers.Wearing a T-shirt celebrating the conspiracy theory, with his arms spread, Douglas Jensen became part of one of the most memorable images from the riot, the Associated Press reports.As he handed down the sentence, judge Timothy Kelly said he wasn’t sure Jensen understood the seriousness of a violent attack in which he played a “big role.”.css-cumn2r{height:1em;width:1.5em;margin-right:3px;vertical-align:baseline;fill:#C70000;}It snapped our previously unbroken tradition of peaceful transfer of power. We can’t get that back. I wish I could say I had evidence you understood this cannot be repeated,” Kelly said.Jensen was convicted at trial of seven counts, including felony charges that he obstructed Congress from certifying the Electoral College vote and that he assaulted or interfered with police officers during the siege. His sentence also includes three years of supervised release and a $2,000 fine.He gave a brief statement to the judge, saying that he wanted to return to “being a family man and my normal life before I got involved with politics.”Jensen scaled a retaining wall and entered through a broken window so he could be one of the first people to storm the Capitol that day, Kelly said.He led a group that chased Capitol Police officer Goodman up a staircase. He would later re-entered the building and scuffle with police..css-cumn2r{height:1em;width:1.5em;margin-right:3px;vertical-align:baseline;fill:#C70000;}Doug Jensen wanted to be the poster boy of the insurrection,” prosecutor Emily Allen said.Jensen wore a T-shirt with a large “Q” on it because he wanted the conspiracy theory to get credit for what happened that day, his defense attorney Christopher Davis said.Davis has argued Jensen was dressed as a “walking advertisement for QAnon” and not intending to attack the Capitol.He did not physically hurt people or damage anything inside the Capitol, Davis said, and many friends and family members wrote letters to the judge on his behalf.Goodman’s quick thinking that day — to divert the rioters away from the Senate and then find backup — avoided “tremendous bloodshed,” Capitol Police inspector Thomas Lloyd said today.The United Nations is “very disturbed” by the arbitrary suspension of journalists on Twitter, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said on today, adding that media voices should not be silenced on a platform professing to give space for freedom of speech..css-cumn2r{height:1em;width:1.5em;margin-right:3px;vertical-align:baseline;fill:#C70000;}The move sets a dangerous precedent at a time when journalists all over the world are facing censorship, physical threats and even worse,” Dujarric told reporters.UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric says the body is “very concerned” about Twitter’s journalist suspensions and adds that it sets “a dangerous precedent” amid rising threats to press freedom globally. At 39:30-ish during today’s press briefing stream, here: https://t.co/FqkSQytzjI— Brian Fung | @b_fung@masto.ai (@b_fung) December 16, 2022
      Dujarric is the spokesman for UN secretary-general António Guterres, a position he has held since 2014, when he was appointed by previous secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon.Time to take stock of developments midway through Friday. There’s a growing global backlash against Elon Musk for suspending the accounts of several prominent journalists from Twitter. European leaders are threatening sanctions, while Musk’s company insists it only acted after a careful manual review.Here’s what else we’ve been following:
      Joe Biden has been speaking at a National Guard center in Delaware, touting the Pact Act that supports veterans’ healthcare, and getting emotional speaking about his late son Beau, a former Guard major.
      The bipartisan House committee investigating Donald Trump’s January 6 insurrection is making final preparations ahead of Monday’s last public hearing, the publication of its report and civil and criminal referrals for certain individuals possibly including Trump.
      Senators have been discussing a long-term, $1.7tn package to keep the government funded for another year. Democratic Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer wants the Electoral Count Act included to preserve the integrity of future elections.
      Joe Biden is at a town hall for veterans in New Castle, Delaware, choking with emotion when talking about his late son Beau, a former National Guard major for whom the center he was speaking at is named.The president kept his comments tightly focused on the expansion of benefits and services for veterans resulting from the Pact Act, introducing a second world war pilot, and talking of the need to support and improve the physical and mental health of retired military members.The law helps veterans get screened for exposure to toxins, such as agent orange, which was used for deforestation during the Vietnam War; and burn pits, where poisonous trash was destroyed on military bases in Iraq and Afghanistan.Biden said:.css-cumn2r{height:1em;width:1.5em;margin-right:3px;vertical-align:baseline;fill:#C70000;}The Pact Act was the first step of being sure that we leave no-one behind.
      We also need to pass the bipartisan government funding bill so we can deliver on the act’s promise.It was a more somber, subdued delivery from Biden as he delivered anecdotes about military families who have struggled to get care, and remembered his son Beau, who died of brain cancer in 2015.Joe Biden is about to speak in Delaware. You can follow his comments live here:Happening Now: President Biden participates in a town hall with veterans and discusses the historic expansion of benefits in the PACT Act. https://t.co/PlsF9hwHrG— The White House (@WhiteHouse) December 16, 2022
      Happy Wright Brothers Day everyone, for tomorrow! The White House has issued a proclamation to commemorate the first powered fight, in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, on 17 December, 1903.“On Wright Brothers Day, we celebrate the ingenuity and perseverance of Orville and Wilbur Wright, whose aircraft expanded the limits of human discovery and lifted this nation to new heights,” the statement, signed by Joe Biden, says.“When their Wright Flyer finally took to the skies… they launched the future of aviation and helped define the American spirit: bold, daring, innovative, and always asking what is next”.On Dec. 17 at 9 a.m., Wright Brothers National Memorial will celebrate the accomplishments of Wilbur and Orville Wright on the 119th anniversary of their first heavier-than-air, controlled, powered flight. Park entrance fees are waived on this special day. https://t.co/qWYYHVntxS pic.twitter.com/MnMbwBxVEO— Wright Brothers National Memorial (@WrightBrosNPS) December 5, 2022
      Never missing an opportunity to brag, the White House is using the occasion to tout some of its own achievements.“[The] Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is investing $25bn to renovate airport terminals; upgrade air traffic control facilities; and improve runways, taxiways, and other vital infrastructure that make flying easier and more secure,” it says.“We have pushed airlines to rebook travelers’ tickets for free when flights are significantly delayed or canceled, and to disclose fees, like for checked baggage, clearly and up front. And we are exploring new technologies that can decrease carbon emissions coming from airplanes.”Read the White House proclamation here.It’s the final countdown for the bipartisan House committee investigating Donald Trump’s January 6 insurrection as it prepares for its last public hearing and report publication next week. Also coming soon: criminal referrals.The panel has set a 1pm date on Monday for a “business meeting” at which it will make finishing touches to its report and recommendations for legislative changes, and prepare to announce much-anticipated referrals for civil and criminal charges, which many expect to include Trump himself and a number of close allies.But it is unclear if the final report’s release will also come on Monday. Bloomberg’s congressional correspondent Billy House says there’s doubt, as some important discussions still need to take place.Release of the full J6 report on Monday is not a settled matter, it turns out. Discussions on what will be released as the committee meets on Monday publicly still under way.— Billy House (@HouseInSession) December 15, 2022
      The Guardian reported last month there was something of a rift on the panel, with members split over focusing on Trump and the efforts he made to cling on to power after losing the 2020 election; and issues such as intelligence failures by the FBI and others that allowed Trump’s mob of supporters to easily overrun law enforcement defending the Capitol on 6 January 2021.Bennie Thompson, the Mississippi Democrat who chairs the panel, urged observers this week to “stay tuned” as he refused to give clues about referrals or conclusions. “We’re going with what we think are the strongest arguments,” he said, according to the New York Times.The referrals could follow two tracks, the Guardian’s Hugo Lowell reported last week: citations for things that Congress can request prosecution by statute, such as perjury or witness tampering, or wider-ranging recommendations such as making the case that Trump obstructed an official proceeding on 6 January.The select committee held its first meeting in July 2021.Read more:House January 6 panel to issue criminal referrals to DoJ as tensions heightenRead moreJoe Biden is in Delaware, where he’s meeting with veterans at a National Guard facility named for his late son. The president is urging them to take advantage of new healthcare opportunities under legislation he signed in August.Biden is scheduled to make public remarks at noon. We don’t know if he’ll restrict his comments only to the Pact Act, a law that helps veterans get screened for exposure to toxins, and which Senate Republicans famously blocked earlier this year in a political stunt, before relenting.The toxins include agent orange, which was used for deforestation during the Vietnam War, and burn pits, where trash was destroyed on military bases in Iraq and Afghanistan.According to the Associated Press, the Biden administration has been hosting scores of events around the country to draw attention to the new benefits. More than 730,000 veterans have already received screenings, the White House says.Beau Biden, the president’s elder son, served as a major in the Delaware National Guard. He died of brain cancer in 2015, and the president has suggested that exposure to burn pits on his base in Iraq may have been the cause.Hundreds of thousands of railroad jobs disappeared in the US over the last 50 years, while railroad carriers made record profits. After their recent strike was blocked, workers are fighting back. Michael Sainato reports: Railroad workers and unions are ramping up pressure on the US Congress and Joe Biden to address poor working conditions in the wake of the recent move to block a strike when Congress voted to impose a contract agreement.Workers and labor activists in America have criticized that action for undermining the collective bargaining process in the US and workers’ right to strike.Twelve labor unions representing about 115,000 railroad workers across the US had been negotiating with railway carriers since 2019 on a new union contract. By September the prospect of a strike threatened to shut down down the US railroads and hit the US economy to an estimated $2bn a day. That eventually prompted Congress – backed by the president – to impose the settlement.Workers are courageously standing up to corporate greed. Congress must have their backs. pic.twitter.com/99mIpvgQpZ— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) December 15, 2022
      “You always knew that this was the culmination of the process, you knew that Congress was going to push you back to work, you just didn’t know when and under what conditions that you’d be put back to work,” said Ross Grooters, a locomotive engineer based in Iowa and co-chair of Railroad Workers United.Railroad workers had pushed for paid sick days to provide relief for grueling schedules caused by of labor cuts, with many workers on call 24/7 every day of the year, often having to work while sick or forgo doctor’s appointments because of their scheduling demands and strict disciplinary policies around attendance.As conditions have worsened, railroad carriers have made record profits and spent billions of dollars on stock buybacks and dividends to shareholders. Meanwhile, US railroad jobs have declined significantly in recent years, from 1m in the 1950s to fewer than 150,000 in 2022, with drastic recent losses as the industry experienced a reduction of 40,000 workers between November 2018 and December 2020.Now the imposed contract provides just one extra day of personal time off, with no days allotted for illnesses, and three days a year for doctor appointments with stipulations.Read the full story:Railroad workers pressure Congress and Biden to address working conditionsRead moreProtecting the integrity of elections, and preventing another January 6-style insurrection, are up for discussion Friday as senators weigh an omnibus funding package to keep the government funded for another year.The chamber passed a short-term deal late on Thursday to extend funding until 23 December, which Joe Biden will approve today after the House approved the same measure the day before.It provides breathing space for a bipartisan team negotiating the longer-term deal, which Democratic Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer wants to see include the Electoral Count Act.Among other measures, the law would clarify the role of the vice-president in the certification of general election results. The 2021 riot by Donald Trump supporters was sparked, at least in part, by the outgoing president’s false claim that his vice-president Mike Pence could refuse to certify Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory, and keep him in office.“I expect an omnibus will contain priorities both sides want to see passed into law, including more funding for Ukraine and the Electoral Count Act, which my colleagues in the Rules Committee have done great work on. It will be great to get that done,” Schumer told reporters.Mitch McConnell, the Republican Senate minority leader, has said he could support a omnibus bill, which will come in around $1.7tn, as long as it doesn’t contain any “poison pills”. It would finance day-to-day operations of government agencies for the current fiscal year that began 1 October. Federal spending on programs such as social security and Medicare is not part of the annual appropriations process and is not included in the package.Read more:US Senate passes legislation to keep government afloat for another weekRead moreWhile it’s been quiet from politicians in the US (so far) over Elon Musk’s suspension of prominent journalists’ accounts from Twitter, European leaders are not holding back, and are threatening sanctions against the social media giant.“News about arbitrary suspension of journalists on Twitter is worrying,” Věra Jourová, vice-president of the European Commission tweeted.“EU’s Digital Services Act requires respect of media freedom and fundamental rights. This is reinforced under our #MediaFreedomAct. @elonmusk should be aware of that. There are red lines. And sanctions, soon.”News about arbitrary suspension of journalists on Twitter is worrying. EU’s Digital Services Act requires respect of media freedom and fundamental rights. This is reinforced under our #MediaFreedomAct. @elonmusk should be aware of that. There are red lines. And sanctions, soon.— Věra Jourová (@VeraJourova) December 16, 2022
      She did not specify what the sanctions could entail.The Digital Services Act (DSA) compels companies using serving European web users to meet strict regulations in tackling manipulative algorithms, disinformation and other cyber harm.Meanwhile, France’s industry minister Roland Lescure tweeted on Friday he would mothball his account. “Following the suspension of journalists’ accounts by @elonmusk, I am suspending all activity on @Twitter until further notice”, he wrote.Suite à la suspension de comptes de journalistes par @elonmusk, je suspends toute activité sur @Twitter jusqu’à nouvel ordre.— Roland Lescure (@RolandLescure) December 16, 2022
      Twitter insisted on Friday that the company “manually reviewed” every account it suspended last night, ranging from prominent journalists from the New York Times, CNN and Washington Post, and a number of popular liberal commentators.Ella Irwin, Twitter’s head of trust and safety, made the claim in an email to Reuters, stating the manual review was on “any and all accounts” it said violated its new privacy policy by posting links to a Twitter account called ElonJet, which tracked Elon Musk‘s private jet using information in the public domain.Musk, formerly the world’s richest man, who bought the social media platform for $44bn earlier this year, accused the journalists of posting “assassination coordinates” by publicizing the ElonJet account, which was suspended earlier.“Criticizing me all day long is totally fine, but doxxing my real-time location and endangering my family is not,” Musk tweeted.He did clarify how he thought they had done so. And he hung up on a Twitter Spaces audio chat after clashing with some of the journalists he banned. The suspension of the accounts late Thursday has prompted outrage on both sides of the Atlantic about Musk’s curbing of press freedoms.Statement on tonight’s suspension of CNN’s @donie O’Sullivan: pic.twitter.com/TQGsysxvpf— CNN Communications (@CNNPR) December 16, 2022
      Also suspended were accounts run by liberal commentators Keith Olbermann and Aaron Rupar. Irwin’s letter to Reuters offered little by way of further explanation.“I understand that the focus seems to be mainly on journalist accounts but we applied the policy equally to journalists and non-journalist accounts today,” she wrote.The Washington Post reported Friday that the suspensions, which included its technology reporter Drew Harwell, were instigated at the “direction of Ella”.Read more:Twitter suspends accounts of several journalists who had reported on Elon MuskRead moreGood morning and happy Friday to all politics blog readers! After Elon Musk’s purge of several prominent US journalists’ Twitter accounts, the EU was quick to react, promising sanctions against the social media giant.“We have a problem @Twitter,” the German foreign ministry tweeted, while a raft of other senior European officials are expressing their concern at curbed press freedoms.Media outlets this side of the Atlantic are similarly outraged, and we’re waiting to see what US politicians have to say about it all. We’ll bring you reaction and developments through the day.Here’s what else we’re watching on what’s shaping up to be a busy, and consequential day:
      Senators continue their discussions on an omnibus deal to keep the government funded for the next year after passing a week-long stopgap measure last night. Democrats want to include the Electoral Count Act, seeking to prevent another January 6-style insurrection.
      The House committee investigating the January 6 Capitol attack by followers of Donald Trump are wrapping up their business ahead of Monday’s final public hearing, but it’s unclear whether we’ll see the full report on that day.
      Joe Biden will meet veterans to talk about benefits and services resulting from the Pact Act during a town hall meeting at a National Guard center in Delaware named for the president’s late son Beau. He’ll speak at 12pm.
      The national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, will talk about international affairs at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace thinktank in Washington DC. More

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      Can Republicans come back from the extreme in 2023? Politics Weekly America podcast

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      As 2022 draws to a close, Jonathan Freedland speaks to Simon Rosenberg and Sarah Longwell about their predictions for how US politics will shake out in 2023. Can the Democrats capitalise on a weary electorate, can the Republicans finally get rid of the spectre of Donald Trump, and who will announce their intention to run in 2024?

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      The Guardian and Observer charity appeal for 2022 is the cost of living crisis, and you can donate here Send your questions and feedback to podcasts@theguardian.com Help support the Guardian by going to theguardian.com/supportpodcasts More

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      Senate passes $858bn defense bill that rescinds army Covid vaccine mandate

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      Senate passes $858bn defense bill that rescinds army Covid vaccine mandateDemocrats agreed to Republican demands to scrap vaccination requirement for service members to win support for the bill A bill to rescind the Covid-19 vaccine mandate for members of the US military and provide nearly $858bn for national defense passed the Senate on Thursday and now goes to President Joe Biden to be signed into law.The bill provides for about $45bn more for defense programs than Biden requested and roughly 10% more than last year’s bill as lawmakers look to account for inflation and boost the nation’s military competitiveness with China and Russia. It includes a 4.6% pay raise for servicemembers and the defense department’s civilian workforce.Petraeus: US would destroy Russia’s troops if Putin uses nuclear weapons in UkraineRead moreThe Senate passed the defense policy bill by a vote of 83-11. The measure also received broad bipartisan support in the House last week.To win GOP support for the 4,408-page bill, Democrats agreed to Republican demands to scrap the requirement for service members to get a Covid-19 vaccination. The bill directs Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to rescind his August 2021 memorandum imposing the mandate.Before approving the measure, the Senate voted down a couple of efforts to amend it, including a proposal from West Virginia senator Joe Manchin, to speed the permitting process for energy projects. The effort had drawn fierce opposition from some environmental advocacy groups who worried it would accelerate fossil fuel projects such as gas pipelines and limit the public’s input on such projects.Manchin, who chairs the Senate energy committee, secured a commitment from Biden and Democratic leaders last summer to support the permitting package in return for his support of a landmark law to curb climate change.Machin’s legislation sets deadlines for completion of National Environmental Policy Act reviews for major energy and natural resource projects. It would require courts to consider litigation involving energy project permits on an expedited basis. It also directs federal agencies to permit the completion of a natural gas pipeline in his home state and Virginia “without further administrative or judicial delay or impediment”.“We’re on the verge of doing something unbelievable, but let me tell you, most of it will be for naught. Because without permitting reform, the United States of America is more litigious than any nation on earth,” Manchin told colleagues.Biden voiced his support for Manchin’s legislation a few hours before Thursday’s vote. He said far too many projects face delays and described Manchin’s amendment “as a way to cut Americans’ energy bills, promote US energy security and boost our ability to get energy projects built and connected to the grid”.Not only did some environmental advocacy groups bash Manchin’s proposal, but so did many Republicans. Minority leader Mitch McConnell said it didn’t go far enough, calling it “reform in name only”.The amendment fell short of the 60 votes needed for passage, 47-47.An amendment from senators Ron Johnson and Ted Cruz, also went down to defeat. It would have allowed for the reinstatement of those service members discharged for failing to obey an order to receive the Covid-19 vaccine and compensate them for any pay and benefits lost as a result of the separation.“People serving our military are the finest among us. Over 8,000 were terminated because they refused to get this experimental vaccine, and so I’m urging all of my colleagues to support Senator Cruz’s and my amendment,” Johnson said.But opponents worried about the precedent of rewarding members of the military who disobeyed an order. Rhode Island senator Jack Reed, the Democratic chairman of the Senate armed services committee, said orders are not suggestions, they are commands.“What message do we send if we pass this bill? It is a very dangerous one,” Reed said. “What we’re telling soldiers is, ‘if you disagree, don’t follow the order, and then just lobby Congress, and they’ll come along and they’ll restore your rank, or restore your benefits, or restore everything.’”The amendment failed, with 40 senators supporting it and 54 opposing it.The defense bill sets policy and provides a roadmap for future investments. Lawmakers will have to follow up with spending bills to bring many provisions to reality. It’s one of the final bills Congress is expected to approve before adjourning, so lawmakers were eager to attach their top priorities to it.The directive to rescind the vaccine mandate for service members proved to be among the most controversial provisions, but Democrats agreed to it to allow the bill to advance.As of early this month, about 99% of the active-duty troops in the navy, air force and marine corps had been vaccinated, and 98% of the army. Service members who are not vaccinated are not allowed to deploy, particularly sailors or marines on ships. There may be a few exceptions to that, based on religious or other exemptions and the duties of the service member.The vaccination numbers for the guard and reserve are lower, but generally all are more than 90%.TopicsUS politicsUS national securityJoe BidenDemocratsRepublicansReuse this content More

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      Nancy Pelosi tells of ‘proud’ record as speaker in likely final press conference – as it happened

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      Nancy Pelosi has given what she suggests will be her final press conference as House speaker, telling reporters this is “maybe the last time I see you in this way”.She’s been reflecting on some of the successes of her tenure, and paying tribute to Joe Biden and Barack Obama for most of them, from the passing of the Affordable Care Act to this week’s signing of the same-sex Respect for Marriage Act.Pelosi said she was “proud” to have her signature below Biden’s on that law:.css-knbk2a{height:1em;width:1.5em;margin-right:3px;vertical-align:baseline;fill:#C70000;}He has been a remarkable president. He has a record that is so outstanding, and for such a short period of time as well.
      People compare him to Lyndon Johnson, to Franklin Roosevelt, but I’d remind you all that Roosevelt had 319 Democrats in the House, President Biden 222, whatever it is, and even fewer now.She went on to list many of the items of legislation she was most proud of, under Biden’s leadership:.css-knbk2a{height:1em;width:1.5em;margin-right:3px;vertical-align:baseline;fill:#C70000;}Passing the American rescue plan, getting vaccines at arms, money in pockets, children back to school and people safely back to work, the bipartisan infrastructure law, building roads, bridges, ports and water systems…
      Bringing people together, not projects that divide communities but bringing people together, and this such a source of pride, putting justice and equity front and center.Of her regrets, the inability to pass comprehensive gun reform saddened her, she said. Speaking one day after the 10th anniversary of the Sandy Hook shooting that killed 20 elementary school children and six adults, she said:.css-knbk2a{height:1em;width:1.5em;margin-right:3px;vertical-align:baseline;fill:#C70000;}We won’t relent until the job is done, until we can have background checks, and have banned assault weapons.Pelosi doesn’t leave office until early next month, and didn’t rule out speaking with the media again, particularly if there’s a resolution to threat of a government shutdown. The speaker says she’s optimistic that a “bipartisan, bicameral” omnibus spending deal will pass next week to keep the government funded for a year.We’re closing our politics blog now. Thanks for joining us. So far there’s no sign of a deal in the Senate over a stopgap funding agreement that would keep the government running. The House passed the measure last night.Here’s what we’ve been following:
      Nancy Pelosi praised Joe Biden and Barack Obama as she reflected on their legislative accomplishments during her time a House speaker. Pelosi, who steps down next month, gave what could be her last press conference in the job.
      Republican Florida governor Ron DeSantis indicated he was ready to sign the nation’s most restrictive abortion law, a Texas-style “heartbeat ban” that outlaws the procedure as soon as a fetal heartbeat is detected, usually around the sixth week of pregnancy.
      The House voted 233-191 to allow Puerto Rico to hold a vote on becoming the 51st state, a largely symbolic measure because the Puerto Rico Status Act is unlikely to get a hearing in the Senate.
      Joe Biden said he’ll be heading to sub-Saharan Africa soon. He was speaking at the conclusion of a summit with African leaders in which he pledged hundreds of millions of dollars for infrastructure, technology and free elections.
      First lady Jill Biden says she’s “all in” on her husband running again for the presidency in 2024, according to a report from CNN that says her position is a “tidal shift” from her reluctant feelings of just three months ago.
      Two conspirators convicted of terrorism last month in a plot to kidnap Michigan’s governor Gretchen Whitmer were sentenced to prison sentences of 12 and 10 years respectively. A third convict is yet to be sentenced.
      The state department has announced a new round of sanctions against a number of Russian oligarchs, government officials and their families for enabling president Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.
      An extreme “heartbeat” abortion ban looks to be coming to Florida after Republican governor Ron DeSantis announced his willingness Thursday to sign such a law.“I’m willing to sign great life legislation. That’s what I’ve always said I would do,” DeSantis said at a press conference in Fort Lauderdale, reported by the Florida Phoenix.A heartbeat ban outlaws an abortion once the presence of a fetal heartbeat is detected, usually around the sixth week of pregnancy.A version of the law, the nation’s most restrictive abortion legislation, took effect in Texas in 2021 after the Supreme Court, which had yet to overturn federal abortion protections, declined to block it.Rightwinger DeSantis is seen as a likely contender for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, and leads in several recent polls of party members.Despite passing a raft of culture war legislation during his first term of office, including a 15-week abortion ban, DeSantis largely avoided the issue during campaigning ahead of his landslide reelection as Florida’s governor last month.The Republican supermajority in the Florida legislature means Democrats would be unable to block any new abortion law.Free-spirited Arizona senator Kyrsten Sinema raised eyebrows last week when she announced she was leaving the Democratic party to sit as an independent. Now, it seems, she’s also become an independent trader.An extraordinary article published Thursday by Slate outs the enigmatic Sinema as a prolific seller of goods, especially shoes and clothes, on Facebook Marketplace, enough to rise to the level of a “side hustle”, the magazine says.Reporter Christina Cauterucci said she exchanged Facebook messages with the politician over the potential purchase of a pair of worn-only-once Badgley Mischka heels ($65, “in perfect condition”).Digging deeper, she found also for sale: a $215 cycling ensemble, a $25 trucker hat, and a $150 stainless steel watch with a silicone strap. Within the past six weeks, Cauterucci says, Sinema has “offloaded” a $150 fitness tracker ring, an $80 cycling jersey, and a $500 bicycle travel case. Longer ago, there were listings on Facebook for “several dozen personal items”, including a $100 pair of sunglasses (“Just too big for my tiny head!!”), two $50 puffer jackets, three $75 pairs of high-heeled boots, a $75 cycling bib, a $60 Lululemon raincoat, several mesh tanks at $55 a pop ($20 off the current retail price), and multiple bikinis, priced between $60 and $70, that ranged from “never worn” to “in great condition”.Slate is cautious and won’t state outright that it’s definitely Sinema who’s been selling off her worldly goods. “Would a sitting senator respond within seconds on a weekday morning to a message about her used heels?” Cauterucci wonders.“Would it be worth her time to photograph a pair of old shoes, write a sales listing, field inquiries from potential buyers, and arrange pickup logistics – all for just $65?”But as if to answer its own questions, Slate points out that it’s Sinema’s name on the Facebook Marketplace listing, it’s her in the profile photo, the seller’s biography says she lives in Phoenix, and she shares one mutual Facebook friend with the reporter who works for the Democratic party.The clincher, perhaps: The 4.5in, rhinestone-studded stilettoes “look as if they would fit pretty well in Sinema’s wardrobe”.It’s possible we’ll never know. According to Slate, Sinema’s staff would not confirm or deny the Facebook Marketplace account was hers, and did not respond to fact-checking queries.Here’s a video clip from Nancy Pelosi’s final press conference, definitely, maybe, as House speaker.Addressing the media on Thursday morning, Pelosi looked back on some of the main policy accomplishments that took place under her tenure, and praised presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden for getting them done.01:00“This may be the last time I see you in this way,” Pelosi said.She said she was particularly proud of the passage of the Affordable Care Act under Obama, which she said brought healthcare to tens of millions previously denied, and this week’s signing of the same-sex Respect for Marriage Act.Pelosi, a Democrat from California, became speaker in 2007. She will retire next month.Kevin McCarthy’s travails as he seeks to become House speaker when Republicans take over the majority in January are well documented, no more so than in this latest take by Politico.The California congressman has been scrambling to attract the 218 votes he needs to take the gavel, and making some pretty unsavory promises to rightwing extremists in his party to get there, if accounts are to be believed.Politico drills down on the fragile political game behind McCarthy’s maneuvering, the pledges he has had to make, and particularly something called the “motion to vacate the chair”, a potentially hazardous procedure in which any House member would be able to force a vote on deposing a sitting speaker.There’s horse trading going on between the pro and anti-McCarthy camps among House Republicans over setting a threshold of votes that would be needed for such a motion in exchange for support.One of McCarthy’s fears is that Democrats could use a motion to vacate in retaliation for his threats to remove prominent opposition congress members Adam Schiff, Eric Swalwell and Ilhan Omar from committees.Politico likens the haggling to an episode of the TV gameshow The Price is Right. You can read their report here.In what was largely a symbolic gesture, the House has voted to allow Puerto Rico to decide whether it wants to pursue becoming the 51st state.The Puerto Rico Status Act passed 233-191 in the chamber, requiring the US territory to hold a vote of its residents on three options, statehood, independence or sovereignty in free association with the US.But with little to no time left on the Senate calendar, the measure, hailed by outgoing Democratic House majority leader Steny Hoyer, is unlikely to be heard there, sounding its death knell in this current Congress at least.Statehood for Puerto Rico was supported by the Biden administration. 16 Republicans voted for the bill in a free vote.A joint statement from bipartisan negotiators of the act said: “Many of us disagree on what that future should look like, but we all accept that the decision must belong to the people of Puerto Rico and to them alone. The Puerto Rico Status Act will grant them that choice.”Read more:Statehood or independence? Puerto Rico’s status at forefront of political debateRead moreCharlie Baker, the Republican governor of Massachusetts who will soon step down after choosing not to run for a third term – or for president or any other office as a GOP candidate despite (or perhaps because of) leading a Democratic-dominated state for so long – will be the next president of the NCAA, the largest governing body in US college sports.“The NCAA is confronting complex and significant challenges but I am excited to get to work as the awesome opportunity college athletics provides to so many students is more than worth the challenge,” Baker said on Thursday, about the job he will start in March, replacing Mark Emmert.“And for the fans that faithfully fill stadiums, stands and gyms from coast to coast, I am eager to ensure the competitions we all love to follow are there for generations to come.”As the Associated Press has it, the NCAA has recently been “battered by losses in court and attacks by politicians” and is “going through a sweeping reform, trying to decentralize the way college sports is run”.“College sports leaders, including Emmert, have repeatedly asked for help from Congress to regulate name, image and likeness compensation since the NCAA lifted its ban in 2021 on athletes being paid endorsers. Now the association will be led by a politician for the first time.”Baker, the AP says, “graduated from Harvard, where he played on the junior varsity basketball team. That’s the extent of his personal experience in college sports”.Linda Livingstone, president of Baylor in Texas and chair of the NCAA board, said Baker had “shown a remarkable ability to bridge divides and build bipartisan consensus, taking on complex challenges in innovative and effective ways. These skills and perspective will be invaluable as we work with policymakers to build a sustainable model for the future of college athletics.”Futher reading:Andrew Cooper, from college star to activist: ‘The NCAA does not exist to protect athletes’ Read moreIn something close to a policy announcement – a scarce feature of a 2024 presidential run that has so far featured little of anything, particularly polling success – Donald Trump has promised to stop government “impeding the lawful speech of American citizens”, should he retake the White House. In a video shared with the New York Post (a Murdoch-owned tabloid though not the source of support it used to be), the former president said: “I will sign an executive order banning any federal department or agency from colluding with any organization, business or person to censor, limit, categorize or impede the lawful speech of American citizens. I will then ban federal money from being used to label domestic speech as mis- or disinformation.”As the Post put it: .css-knbk2a{height:1em;width:1.5em;margin-right:3px;vertical-align:baseline;fill:#C70000;}The 76-year-old Trump made the pledge as part of a broader ‘free speech’ platform … vowing also to impose a seven-year ban on former FBI and CIA workers handling private-sector US consumer records.Trump said he would fire bureaucrats deemed to have engaged in censorship, “directly or indirectly, whether they are the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Health and Human Services, the FBI, the DOJ, no matter who they are”.He also said: “If any US university is discovered to have engaged in censorship activities or election interferences in the past, such as flagging social media content for removal of blacklisting, those universities should lose federal research dollars and federal student loan support for a period of five years, and maybe more.”Free speech, or a particular rightwing version of it, is of course the much-discussed topic of the day at Twitter, where the site’s new owner, Elon Musk, is dedicated to the concept to the extent of reinstating Trump’s account – though Trump has not yet returned to tweeting.TechScape: I read Elon Musk’s ‘Twitter Files’ so you don’t have toRead moreTrump, the Post reports, thinks this month’s ‘Twitter Files’ releases have “confirmed that a sinister group of Deep State bureaucrats, Silicon Valley tyrants, leftwing activists, and depraved corporate news media have been conspiring to manipulate and silence the American People.”“The censorship cartel must be dismantled and destroyed – and it must happen immediately.”Meanwhile:‘Losing the plot’: Trump mocked after announcing superhero card collectionRead moreWe’ve reached lunchtime on a busy day in US politics, which includes ongoing discussions in the Senate on approving a short-term funding measure to keep the government open for at least another week.We’re hoping to learn more this afternoon.Also happening today:
      Nancy Pelosi has been speaking of her “pride” in a number of legislative achievements during what could be her final press conference as House speaker. She paid tribute to Joe Biden and Barack Obama.
      Biden says he’ll be heading to sub-Saharan Africa soon on the first visit there of his presidency. He was speaking at the conclusion of a summit with African leaders in which he pledged hundreds of millions of dollars for infrastructure, technology and free elections.
      Two conspirators convicted of terrorism last month in a plot to kidnap Michigan’s governor Gretchen Whitmer were sentenced to prison sentences of 12 and 10 years respectively. A third convict is yet to be sentenced.
      First lady Jill Biden says she’s “all in” on her husband running again for the presidency in 2024, according to a report from CNN that says her position is a “tidal shift” from her reluctant feelings of just three months ago.
      The state department has announced a new round of sanctions against a number of Russian oligarchs, government officials and their families for enabling president Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.
      Joe Biden will soon visit sub-Saharan Africa, he announced on Thursday. It came at the conclusion of a three-day summit with African leaders in which he announced hundreds of millions of dollars in investment in the continent for infrastructure, technology initiatives and supporting free elections.A day earlier, the president said he was “all in” on strengthening US relations with African countries, which was why he had sent many of his top advisers there, including secretary of state Antony Blinken, treasury secretary Janet Yellin and commerce secretary Gina Raimondo.“I’m looking forward to seeing you in your home countries,” Biden told the leaders of 49 African countries on Thursday about what will be the first visit there of his presidency other than a brief stopover in Egypt last month, the Associated Press reported. He did state which countries he will visit or when the trip will happen.Biden on Thursday pledged $165m in US funding to support peaceful, credible elections in Africa next year as his administration looked to underscore the importance of fair voting in countries where it sometimes has been blighted by violence. More

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      'This may be the last time': Nancy Pelosi at what she suggests is her final press conference – video

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      ‘This may be the last time I speak to you this way,’ said Nancy Pelosi in what she suggested could be her final press conference. The former Democrat house speaker defended her record in office, noting the passing of the Affordable Care Act as one of her greatest achievements. ‘Nothing in any of the years that I was there compares to the Affordable Care Act,’ Pelosi told reporters, adding: ‘It is a values issues for our country, so that for me was the highlight.’
      Pelosi announced in November that she would be stepping down as house speaker, ending a historic run as the first woman in the position. The California Democrat held the post for nearly two decades

      Nancy Pelosi tells of ‘proud’ record as speaker in likely final press conference – live More