Dow Opens Up 133 Points As Markets Look Beyond Us Capitol Siege
The major US stock indexes opened higher on Thursday, as investors continued to look beyond the storming of the US Capitol on Wednesday by supporters of President Donald Trump.
While Wednesdays chaos in Washington, DC saw US stocks move off of session highs, the Dow Jones Industrial Average still managed to finish in record territory.
The 30-share index continued its advance on Thursday, jumping more than 133 points at the open of trading on Wall Street to 30,962.95.
The S&P 500 edged up 0.70 percent at the open, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index gained 1.02 percent.
Speculation abounds as to why the stock market continues to move higher in the face of Wednesdays events.
Read the analysis of Al Jazeeras managing business editor Patricia Sabga here.
7 Jan 2021 – 15:08 GMT
The State Department Labels Cuba A State Sponsor Of Terrorism In A Last
The State Department has designated Cuba a state sponsor of terrorism, a last-minute foreign policy stroke that will complicate the incoming Biden administrations plans for dealing with Havana.
With this action, we will once again hold Cubas government accountable and send a clear message: The Castro regime must end its support for international terrorism and subversion of U.S. justice, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement.
The New York Times reported last month that Mr. Pompeo was weighing the move and had a plan to do so on his desk. The action, announced with just over a week left in the Trump administration, reverses a step taken in 2015 after President Barack Obama restored U.S. diplomatic relations with Cuba, calling its decades of isolation an archaic relic of the Cold War.
Once in office, President Trump acted swiftly to undermine Mr. Obamas policy of openness, which Republicans said Havana forfeited by failing to implement promised reforms and continuing to crack down on political dissent. The designation requires a finding that a country has repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism, according to the State Department. The move automatically triggers U.S. sanctions against Cuba, including limits on U.S. foreign assistance, export controls and financial restrictions.
Congressman Who Was Inside Capitol During Riot Says Extremism In The Us Is The True Problem
From CNN’s Josiah Ryan
Democratic Rep. Adam Smith said he quickly realized that extremism in the US is the true threat, as he learned the US Capitol building, which he was in, was being stormed by a violent pro-Trump mob.
“What was going through my mind is extremism is an enormous problem in this country, and Donald Trump is just throwing matches all over the powder kegs,” he said, speaking with CNN’s Erin Burnett this evening.;
“The rest of the country that enabled him is what we really need to work to fix,” continued Smith,;who is the the chairman of the Armed Services Committee. “You need to understand the dangers of extremism. We have gotten to the point we don’t understand rule of law matters.”
“It isn’t that you get your way all the time and if you don’t get your way you have to fight until you do.” he continued. “You play by the rules and when it’s over, you accept the outcome and you govern this country.”
“We need to push back on the extremism,” he concluded.
But Smith also reserved harsh words for President Trump.
“Donald Trump, is a narcissistic psychopath, let’s just be clear about that,” said the congressman. “He stumbled his way into the presidency. What he believes from a policy standpoint is irrelevant. He is an egotist, cares about himself, period.”
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Army Officer Who Led Group To Washington Rally Now Under Investigation
The Army is investigating one of its officers after she led a group from North Carolina to the pro-Trump rally in Washington.
Commanders at Fort Bragg are reviewing psychological operations officer Capt. Emily Rainey‘s involvement in last week’s events that led to the;deadly riot in the U.S. Capitol.
“I was a private citizen and doing everything right and within my rights,” Rainey told The Associated Press on Sunday.
Rainey said she led 100 members of Moore County Citizens for Freedom, which describes itself online as a nonpartisan network promoting conservative values, to Washington to “stand against election fraud” and support Trump.;
She said she acted within military regulations and that no one in her group broke the law. Valerie Block
Shadowy Conservative Pac Pushed Supporters To Go To Rally March That Led To Riot
A political action committee once funded by conservative millionaire Robert Mercer promoted both the rally featuring President;Donald Trump;and the ensuing march on Capitol Hill that led to a deadly riot last week.
The PAC, called the Black Conservatives Fund, promotes itself as “committed to turning out the black vote and elect black conservatives at every level of government.” The PAC didn’t raise or spend any money in 2020, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics. It has shifted primarily to encourage its followers to attend pro-Trump rallies, and it’s not clear who runs the group.
Through social media posts, the committee pushed tens of thousands of its followers to attend the rally in front of the White House on Wednesday and then to participate in the march on Capitol Hill that led to a riot, leaving at least five people dead, including a police officer.
The Black Conservatives Fund’s biggest previous donation came from Mercer in 2014. He gave;more than $150,000 to the committee;at the time. Brian Schwartz
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Republican Voters Want To Impeach The President Good Luck With That
Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and other Republicans calling for the impeachment of President Barack Obama might want to take a look at the history books and the U.S. Constitution before getting too excited about the idea.
Congress rarely uses its power to impeach, and when it has, impeachment has only infrequently and in the case of a president, never resulted in removal from office. Congress has initiated impeachment proceedings more than 60 times in the history of the United States. Just 19 of those cases have been tried by the Senate, and only eight federal judges have ever been convicted and removed from office.
Although House Speaker John Boehner has maintained he is not interested in pursuing impeachment, a top White House aide said Friday that he expected House Republicans to do just that. And a recent HuffPost/YouGov poll shows that one-third of Americans and two-thirds of Republicans believe Obama should be impeached. These numbers reflect an increasingly popular view in conservative circles, which Palin gave voice to earlier this month when she claimed the recent surge of undocumented immigrants at the border was an example of the presidents rewarding of lawlessness.
So, why do some conservatives appear to think this would be more of a Nixon than a Clinton situation?
Rep. Bob Goodlatte , chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, earlier this month offered perhaps the most sober rebuke to the calls for impeachment.
Biden Harris Certified As Winners Of 2020 Election: A Timeline
Trump promises an orderly transition after the Congress certifies the Electoral College win of Biden and Harris officially making them the next president and vice president.
- Supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the US Capitol as Congress gathers to certify President-elect Joe Bidens presidential win.
- Four people are dead, 52 arrested as protesters entered US Capitol building as legislators meet.
- Chaos comes after Trump encouraged the crowd to march to Capitol.
- The US House and Senate rejected the Republican objection to Pennsylvanias vote results.
Heres Al Jazeeras coverage of the US elections. This is Tamila Varshalomidze taking over from Creede Newton.
We are closing this blog now. These were the updates up to 16:00 GMT on Thursday, January 7. For the latest news look here.
7 Jan 2021 – 16:10 GMT
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Mcconnell: We Will Certify The Winner Of The Election
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell offered up a defiant tone when the Senate returned after rioters stormed the US Capitol, saying the Senate will not be intimidated.
We will not be kept out of this chamber by thugs, mobs or threats, McConnell said. We will not bow to lawlessness or intimidation.
The US and US Congress has faced down much greater threats than the unhinged crowd we saw today. They tried to disrupt our democracy. They failed. They failed.
Now we are going to finish what we started, said McConnell. And we will certify the winner of the 2020 presidential election.
Members Of Congress Inside House Chamber Told By Police To Put On Gas Masks
Members of Congress inside House chamber told by police to put on gas masks after tear gas dispersed in Capitol Rotunda.
The tear gas had been used after protesters entered the Capitol building.
Protesters broke windows looking into the House chamber, with images from inside the chamber showing security with guns drawn.
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Trump Warns Of Riots Pulls Plug On Republican Presidential Debate
7 Min Read
PALM BEACH, Fla. – Republican front-runner Donald Trump warned on Wednesday of riots if he is denied the partys presidential nomination and pulled the plug on a scheduled debate among candidates, raising the temperature even more in a heated White House race.
The outspoken New York businessman scored big wins in primaries in Florida, Illinois and North Carolina on Tuesday, bringing him closer to the 1,237 convention delegates he needs to win the nomination.
Trump also claimed victory in Missouri but lost the crucial state of Ohio, and left the door open for those in the party trying to stop him from becoming the Republican nominee for the Nov. 8 election.
Trump might fall short of the majority of delegates required, enabling the partys establishment to put forward another name at the July convention in Cleveland to formally pick its candidate.
In an interview with CNN on Wednesday, Trump said the party could not deny him the nomination should he fail to win enough delegates.
I dont think you can say that we dont get it automatically. I think youd have riots. I think youd have riots. Im representing many, many millions of people.
While the Republicans were mired deeper in turmoil, Hillary Clinton won victories in at least four states on Tuesday that put her in good shape to defeat Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont and win the Democratic Partys nomination.
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Video Shows Trump Supporters Heckling Mitt Romney On Flight
A viral video shows Republican Senator Mitt Romney, one of the few vocal critics of the president in the party, heckled by a group of Trump supporters on a flight.
The group of Trump supporters, who reportedly on their way to the protest in Washington, DC, chanted Traitor! Traitor! Traitor at Romney on the flight from Salt Lake City, Nevada to the US capital.
Romney, who has criticised a Republican plot to object the certification of the Electoral College vote on Wednesday, was also approached by Trump supporters in the airport before the flight took off, video shows.
heres a clip purportedly of Trump patriots harassing Sen. Mitt Romney *ON A FLIGHT* on way to DC.
our Republic had a decent run.
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Green Light For Bidens Nominees
While the filibuster will be a continued thorn in Democratic sides when it comes to legislation, it no longer applies to presidential nominations. That means Bidens selection for his administration, from the Cabinet on down, can be confirmed solely with Democratic votes . Thats good news for nominees who might have been controversial, like Neera Tanden, Bidens budget office pick.
Since several centrist Republicans have already said they will usually defer to the new presidents appointments, it should be smooth sailing for most of his nominees.
The same goes for Bidens judicial appointments, including any Supreme Court vacancies that open up in the near future. Donald Trump in his four years placed 234 judges on the federal bench, including three to the Supreme Court. That has given him a political legacy that will long outlast his one term in office. Biden, thanks to Georgia, should have the opportunity to start rolling back some of those gains.
The Nobel Peace Prize And Partisanship
In an effort to improve the image of the United States abroadwhich many believed had been much damaged during the Bush administrationObama took a number of steps that indicated a significant shift in tone. He signed an executive order that banned excessive interrogation techniques; ordered the closing of the controversial military detention facility in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, within a year ; proposed a fresh start to strained relations with Russia; and traveled to Cairo in June 2009 to deliver a historic speech in which he reached out to the Muslim world. Largely as a result of these efforts, Obama was awarded the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize. Yet some left-wing critics complained that he actually had adopted and even escalated most of the war and national security policies of his predecessor. Indeed, when Obama accepted the Nobel Prize in December, he said, Evil does exist in the world and there will be times when nationsacting individually or in concertwill find the use of force not only necessary but morally justified. Notwithstanding that tough talk, there were others who criticized Obama for issuing only a mild condemnation of the Iranian governments crackdown on pro-democracy dissidents following a disputed election in June 2009. Moreover, the Obama administrations handling of national security was questioned by some when a Nigerian terrorist trained in Yemen was thwarted in an attempt to bomb an airliner headed for Detroit on Christmas Day, 2009.
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Pence: Lets Get Back To Work
Vice President Pence resumed the session of Congress, calling Wednesday a dark day in the history of the US Capitol.
The Capitol is secured and the peoples work continues, Pence said. We condemn the violence that took place here in the strongest possible terms.
We grieve the loss of life in these hallowed halls, Pence said. To those who wreaked havoc in the US Capitol, you did not win. Violence never wins. Freedom wins. And this is still the peoples house. Lets get back to work.
Trump Warns Of ‘riots’ If He Isn’t Gop Nominee
A contested convention could ‘disenfranchise’ millions of voters, he says.
03/16/2016 10:16 AM EDT
Donald Trump on Wednesday sounded like a man ready to take the stage as the Republican Party’s nominee by acclamation at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland come mid-July, delegate math and a debate scheduled for next Monday be damned.
Denying him the GOP nomination as part of a contested convention, he declared, would “disenfranchise” the millions of people he is bringing into the party and could spark riots. The only problem: Delegate math.
Trump, who flooded the morning television shows with a deluge of off-camera telephone calls after a night of big wins that knocked Florida Sen. Marco Rubio out of the race, said that even if he doesnt amass a majority of delegates by July, the party should unite behind him anyway. But Trump has a ways to go when it comes to getting to the magic number of 1,237.
At this point in the 2012 race, which began a month earlier than this year’s, Mitt Romney was already on his way to securing a simple majority of total delegate votes, though even he did not get there until a resounding victory in Texas on May 29.
Trump said he’s bringing in all kinds of new people to the party, and those voices must be heard or else.
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Trump Issues Dc Emergency Order To Support Inauguration Security
President Donald Trump approved a Washington, D.C. emergency declaration ahead of President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration from Jan. 11 to Jan. 24 to bolster security.
The order comes after violent rioters attacked the U.S Capitol last Wednesday, using online platforms to organize.
Trump’s declaration says an “emergency exists in the District of Columbia” and orders federal assistance to supplement Washington, D.C’s response efforts due to the emergency conditions.
Trump’s action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate all disaster relief efforts if required. Riya Bhattacharjee
Taryvon Martin And The Acquittal Of George Zimmerman
Trayvon Benjamin Martin was an African American from Miami Gardens, Florida, who, at 17 years old, was fatally shot by George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer, in Sanford, Florida. On the evening of February 26, 2012, Martin had gone to a convenience store and purchased candy and a canned drink. As Martin returned from the store, he walked through a neighborhood that had been victimized by robberies several times that year. Zimmerman, a member of the community watch, spotted him and called the Sanford Police to report him for suspicious behavior. Moments later, Martin was shot in the chest. Zimmerman was not charged at the time of the shooting by the Sanford Police, who said that there was no evidence to refute his claim of self-defense and that Floridas stand your ground law prohibited law-enforcement officials from arresting or charging him. After national media focused on the tragedy, Zimmerman was eventually charged and tried in Martins death. A jury acquitted Zimmerman of second-degree murder and of manslaughter in July 2013.
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Obama’s Reaction To The Dc Riots Is Turning Heads
On Jan. 6, 2021, riots broke out at the U.S. Capitol building as supporters of President Donald Trump gathered around and within the building, creating a scene of chaos that left four people dead, according to CNN. The day was a symbolic one in the changing of hands between Trump and President-elect Joe Biden;because;Vice President Mike Pence was to count the votes from the electoral college, confirming Biden’s win.
The riots in Washington D.C. caused mayhem and havoc, and Pence was evacuated from the scene, reported;USA Today. The crowd broke through police lines and entered the building, leaving behind broken glass and battered doors. By 6 p.m. EST, the National Guard was called in to offer support to the U.S. Capitol police, who “used tear gas and percussion grenades” to stop the riots, per USA Today.
The situation was so intense that several political leaders, including Biden, spoke out against Trump and his followers, but it was former President Barack Obama’s comments that turned heads. Here’s what he said.
