The Most Damning Jan 6th Revelation Yet  —  New Emails Show Trump and Eastman Saw the Insurrectionists as the Foot Soldiers of the Coup.  They Cheered Them on and Used Them in Real Time.  —  As I have noted in other recent posts, much of the recent ‘news’ about the insurrection has not been terribly new.

Group of anti-Trump Republicans was behind tiki torches in Virginia campaign  —  A group of mostly Republican critics of former U.S. President Donald Trump claimed responsibility on Friday for a demonstration in the Virginia governor's campaign that recalled an infamous 2017 rally in the state.

Samford disinvites historian Jon Meacham after student anti-abortion protest  —  Want more state education news?  Sign up for The Alabama Education Lab's free, weekly newsletter, Ed Chat.  —  Samford University has uninvited Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Jon Meacham from inauguration ceremonies …

Joint Statement by the President of France Emmanuel Macron, Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland Boris Johnson, and President of the United States Joseph R. Biden, Jr. on Iran  —  We, the President of France, Chancellor of Germany …

911 transcripts filed in updated “Trump Train” lawsuit reveal San Marcos police refused to send escort to Biden bus  —  The highway confrontation between a Biden bus and Trump supporters made national news in the final days of the heated 2020 presidential campaign.

Merrick Garland Plays Dumb on a DOJ Atrocity  —  There is no doubt that he grasps how wrong he is.  —  NRPLUS MEMBER ARTICLE  —  M  —  errick Garland turns out to be a political hack.  —  The attorney general very much enjoys his reputation as a distinguished former federal appellate judge …

‘This is a powder keg’: AR-15-loving church aligning itself with the far right as it grows  —  According to a report from Business Insider, the Rod of Iron ministry that worships the AR-15 and is decidedly pro-Donald Trump, is increasingly aligning itself with far-right figures as evidenced by a recent …

Trump Making ‘Last Ditch’ Effort to Skip Deposition, Zervos Says  —  Former President Donald Trump is making a “last ditch” effort to avoid being deposed in a defamation lawsuit filed by a former “Apprentice” contestant who claims he sexually assaulted her, a judge was told.

How 'Let's Go Brandon' became code for insulting Joe Biden  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — When Republican Rep. Bill Posey of Florida ended an Oct. 21 House floor speech with a fist pump and the phrase “Let's go, Brandon!” it may have seemed cryptic and weird to many who were listening.

Inside the last-ditch effort by Democratic women to pressure Manchin and salvage paid family and medical leave  —  The party's still-forming $1.75 trillion economic package jettisoned the long-time priority to win over the West Virginia moderate.  But many Democrats aren't yet ready to give up the fight.

LA Sheriff Warns Of ‘Mass Exodus’ Of Deputies Because of Vaccine Mandate  —  LAist relies on your reader support, not paywalls.  —  Freely accessible local news is vital.  Please power our reporters and help keep us independent with a donation today.  —  Donate Now

The Polarization of Death  —  I'm continuing to update the covdata package in anticipation of a Data Visualization for Social Science course I'll teach next semester.  I revisited the Partisan Trajectories graph, as it seems there's more that could be done with it.  More on that in the future, I hope.

G-20 leaders endorse global minimum tax  —  Leaders of the world's largest economies are endorsing the establishment of a global minimum tax at the opening of the Group of 20 (G-20) summit in Rome on Saturday.  —  The global minimum tax seeks to block corporations from moving jobs or profits overseas in order to avoid paying taxes.

U.S. announces deal with European Union to ease steel and aluminum tariffs enacted under Trump  —  ROME - The Biden administration has struck a deal with European Union officials to lift some tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, resolving at this year's Group of 20 summit a bitter trade stand-off …

Vaccine confers better protection than natural immunity, CDC finds  —  American writer, speaker, radio and TV commentator.  —  WASHINGTON — Earlier this month, the conservative radio host Dennis Prager announced he had contracted the coronavirus.  This was, as far as he was concerned, good news.

Covid Shots Are a Go for Children, but Parents Are Reluctant to Consent  —  Vaccinating 5- to 11-year-olds could be a big step toward returning to normal life in the U.S., but even parents who got the shot are worried about how it might affect their kids.  —  The Food and Drug Administration's …