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Vaccine reserve was already exhausted when Trump administration vowed to release it, dashing hopes of expanded access  —  States were anticipating a windfall after federal officials said they would stop holding back second doses.  But the approach had already changed, and no stockpile exists.

Longtime Trump advisers connected to groups behind rally that led to Capitol attack  —  Roger Stone, Steve Bannon and Michael Flynn all promoted the Jan. 6 rally.  —  US Capitol riots: Tracking the insurrection  —  On Jan. 6, rioters coming from a pro-Trump rally broke into the U.S. Capitol …

Biden Begins Presidency With Positive Ratings; Trump Departs With Lowest-Ever Job Mark  —  68% of public does not want Trump to remain a major political figure in the future  —  Pew Research Center conducted this study to examine the public's reactions to the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election …

Pence, occupying a leadership void, calls Harris to offer assistance — as Trump plans his Inauguration Day getaway.  —  Vice President Mike Pence telephoned Vice President-elect Kamala Harris Thursday to congratulate her and offer his belated assistance — filling a leadership role …

Biden to deploy FEMA, National Guard to set up Covid vaccine clinics across the U.S.  —  President-elect Joe Biden plans to use FEMA and the National Guard to build coronavirus vaccine clinics across the United States, according to new details of his Covid-19 vaccination plan released by his transition team on Friday.

Trump's GOP has an ugly authoritarian core.  A new poll exposes it.  —  In the wake of President Trump's incitement of a violent insurrectionist assault on our seat of government, a new Post-ABC News poll offers perhaps the most detailed look yet at public attitudes about the attack …

Kudlow Criticizes Trump for Handling of Riot, Treatment of Pence  —  President's top economic adviser faulted his boss for recent actions, praised administration policy legacy on taxes and trade  —  WASHINGTON—President Trump's top economic adviser criticized his boss's handling of the riot …

John Weaver, former McCain aide, acknowledges “inappropriate” messages  —  John Weaver, a veteran Republican operative who co-founded the Lincoln Project, declared in a statement to Axios on Friday that he sent “inappropriate,” sexually charged messages to multiple men.

How the rioters who stormed the Capitol came dangerously close to Pence  —  The violent mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 came perilously close to Vice President Pence, who was not evacuated from the Senate chamber for about 14 minutes after the Capitol Police reported …

James Murdoch blasts US media for unleashing ‘insidious forces’  —  Comments from Rupert's son are his strongest rebuke of industry practices since leaving the family business  —  James Murdoch has castigated the US media for the “toxic politics” threatening American democracy …

Feds walk back claims Capitol rioters meant to ‘capture and assassinate’ elected officials  —  Matthew Brown Kevin Johnson Richard RuelasUSA TODAY  —  Federal authorities said Friday that there is “no direct evidence of kill and capture teams” among the Capitol rioters …

NRA declares bankruptcy, says it will reincorporate in Texas  —  The National Rifle Association said Friday it has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and will seek to reincorporate in Texas, calling New York, where it is currently registered, a “toxic political environment.”

Manhattan DA expands criminal investigation into Trump Organization finances to include family compound in Westchester County  —  (CNN)The Manhattan district attorney's office has expanded its criminal investigation into the Trump Organization's finances to include the family's compound in Westchester County …

Press Gaggle With Acting Secretary Miller En Route to Washington, D.C.  —  Acting Secretary of Defense Chris Miller  —  ACTING SECRETARY OF DEFENSE CHRISTOPHER C. MILLER: Okay, are you guys ready?  My statement is just, I made some notes.  I went out, you know, met with the General VanHerck today, and his team.

A former president Trump won't ‘need to know.’ Cut off his intelligence.  —  Susan M. Gordon was the principal deputy director of national intelligence from 2017 to 2019.  —  Every former president in the modern era has benefited from a unique national security perk after leaving the White House …

The F.B.I. is investigating 37 in the killing of a Capitol Police officer by a pro-Trump mob.  —  The F.B.I. is investigating 37 people related to the killing of Officer Brian Sicknick, the Capitol Police officer who died after being injured during the pro-Trump riot on Jan. 6 …

Online far-right movements fracture in wake of Capitol riot  —  Online far-right movements are splintering in the wake of last week's Capitol riot, as some radical anti-government movements show signs of disillusionment with the relatively hands-off approach of some QAnon conspiracy theorists amid warnings of future violence.

A pillow salesman apparently has some ideas about declaring martial law  —  The galaxy of individuals who have orbited President Trump over the past five years is not lacking for unusual characters.  Few, though, have had quite the same trajectory as businessman Michael Lindell.

Among the Insurrectionists  —  The Capitol was breached by Trump supporters who had been declaring, at rally after rally, that they would go to violent lengths to keep the President in power.  A chronicle of an attack foretold.  —  By the end of President Donald Trump's crusade against American democracy …

The world will take away a tragic truth from Biden's inauguration  —  This was excerpted from the January 15 edition of CNN's Meanwhile in America, the daily email about US politics for global readers.  Click here to read past editions and subscribe.  —  (CNN)There'll be no arguments …

As of now, Publix is only offering vaccine in Florida counties won by Republicans  —  DeSantis said the initial rollout has focused on areas where hospital systems might need assistance and where there are large senior populations.  —  Photo via DeSantis/Twitter

Worst Secretary of State Ever  —  It's an open question whether Donald Trump will go down as the worst president in American history (James Buchanan and Andrew Johnson remain formidable contenders), but there's no question that Mike Pompeo, his most fervid lapdog, is the worst secretary of state.

Lauren Boebert wants you to know that she's totally NOT GUILTY of that thing that she definitely didn't do  —  QAnon conspiracy nut and gun fetishist Lauren Boebert went off half-cocked (snicker) at Rep. Sean Patrick Mahoney (D-Reality), claiming that Mahoney had slandered her in the most base and vile way:

Letter from 68 Colorado elected officials requests investigation into Boebert's actions  —  The letter to House leaders says “there is deep concern about her actions leading up to and during the protests that turned into a violent and deadly mob.”  —  COLORADO, USA — In a letter …

Pelosi says any lawmaker who helped insurrectionists could face criminal prosecution  —  The speaker also wouldn't comment on when she would transmit the article of impeachment to the Senate.  —  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaks during a press conference at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 15, 2021 in Washington, D.C.

A Form in Xinjiang  —  A poet from China's persecuted Uyghur community recalls filling out the government form  —  Tahir Hamut Izgil is a prominent modernist Uyghur poet, filmmaker, and activist  —  At 9 a.m. on June 28, 2017, in the city of Ürümchi in China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region …

Sens. Ted Cruz, John Cornyn will attend President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration  —  AUSTIN (KXAN) — Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, will attend President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration on Jan. 20, sources tell KXAN.  —  Cruz defended President Donald Trump's claim that the 2020 presidential election …

Top FEMA official attended Trump's ‘Stop the Steal’ rally  —  A top official at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which has been assisting in preparations for the Inauguration next week, attended President Donald Trump's “Stop the Steal” rally on Jan. 6.

Politico's revolt over Ben Shapiro guest-hosting Playbook went too far  —  Ben Shapiro once tweeted, “Israelis like to build.  Arabs like to bomb crap and live in open sewage.  This is not a difficult issue. #settlementsrock.”  He once belittled Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown as …