It’s Wednesday.
In One-Week…
It’s What Fresh Hell is This?, Day 69.
We start our journey one-week after lied to Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol, where a police officer was killed, a Trump supporter/QAnon member was shot and killed inside the Capitol, and where 3 others lost their lives that day.
In light of the mayhem that followed President Inciter inciting his followers CNN is reporting that the Department of Defense announced on Tuesday that the National Guard members “supporting US Capitol security in Washington, DC, ahead of Inauguration Day will be armed.”
The New York Times was the first to report the news. According to their report:
As up to 15,000 troops continued to arrive in Washington from all over the country, Defense Department officials had been weighing whether to deploy them with arms. Mr. McCarthy has decided that at the very least those around the Capitol building will carry weapons, said the officials, who confirmed the decision on the condition of anonymity. Mr. McCarthy’s decision came after a meeting with Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Democrat of California. Ms. Pelosi, according to congressional staff members, demanded that the Pentagon take a more muscular posture after a mob, egged on by President Trump last week, breached the Capitol.
New York Times. 1/12/2021.
Speaking of storming the Capitol CNN is reporting that a rioter wearing a “Camp Auschwitz” sweatshirt was arrested on Wednesday morning in Virginia.
Robert Keith Parker was arrested in Newport News, Virginia according to a law enforcement official.
An image of Packer inside the Capitol, whose sweatshirt bore the name of the Nazi concentration camp where about 1.1 million people were killed during World War II, has evoked shock and disbelief on social media. The bottom of his shirt stated, “Work brings freedom,” which is the rough translation of the phrase “Arbeit macht frei” that was on the concentration camp’s gates.
CNN. 01/13/2021.
Politico reported this morning according to an official familiar with the plans, that in lieu of an inaugural ball, the Biden team plans a celebrity TV special honoring American Heroes.
The 90-minute program, hosted by Tom Hanks and beginning at 8:30 p.m., will include performances by Demi Lovato, Justin Timberlake, Ant Clemons and Jon Bon Jovi. Besides the celebrities, the program, dubbed “Celebrating America,” will “spotlight American heroes,” according to a description of the event.
Politico. 01/13/2021.
“We have witnessed countless heroes this past year step up to the frontlines and serve their fellow Americans, so we are telling their stories, spreading their collective light, and celebrating the best of our country and its people with this prime-time program,” Tony Allen, the CEO of Biden’s presidential inaugural committee, said in a statement.
They say the prime-time event will air on ABC, CBS, and NBC with coverage on cable networks CNN and MSNBC. Fox and Fox News will not broadcast the event. It’s not clear in their article if it was a Fox decision to pass on the event or if Team Biden decided not to allow Fox to broadcast the event.
Speaking of Inauguration news, Airbnb announced in a statement on Wednesday that they will cancel reservations in Washington D.C. metro area during inauguration week. They also will prevent any new reservations from being booked.
They say this decision is in response to local, state and federal officials asking folks not travel to D.C., next week.
The company which also owns HotelTonight who is also cancelling reservations says that anyone with reservations will get a full refund, as well as reimbursing hosts.
Today, in response to various local, state and federal officials asking people not to travel to Washington, D.C., we are announcing that Airbnb will cancel reservations in the Washington, D.C. metro area during the Inauguration week. Additionally, we will prevent any new reservations in the Washington, D.C. area from being booked during that time by blocking such reservations.
Guests whose reservations are canceled will be refunded in full. We also will reimburse hosts, at Airbnb’s expense, the money they would have earned from these cancelled reservations. HotelTonight reservations also will be canceled.
Airbnb News. 01/13/2021.
Also happening this Wednesday…
The House is currently debating an article of impeachment against President Trump for inciting insurrection.
Full coverage of the House debate can be found @ the News Blender.
While some Republicans have signaled their intent to vote in favor of the article of impeachment, others, channeling their never ending well of hypocrisy are calling the move rushed, divisive, and accuses Democrats of having a double-standard, considering they supported the riots over the summer.
My thoughts are reflected in this tweet.
Speaking of the Mob….
And continuing focusing on Mobs…
The Washington Post is reporting that according to Ali Alexander aka a felon who has been reported by the media to use the name Ali Akbar, three Republican Congressmen helped him plan a rally in D.C., on the 6th of January.
Andy Biggs of Arizona through a spokesman told the Washington Post: Congressman Biggs is not aware of hearing of or meeting Mr. Alexander at any point — let alone working with him to organize some part of a planned protest.
Mo Brooks of Alabama and Paul Gosar of Arizona declined to comment though Brooks has denied his words or actions led to insurrection taking place last Wednesday.
While reading the article I found these two tweets from Gosar both remain posted at this time.
November 30th, 2020.
This was posted on January 6th, 2021.
The @ali account has been suspended by Twitter.
Recounting the riot in a video on Periscope over the weekend, Alexander said he wished people had not entered the U.S. Capitol or even gone on the steps. He also argued the rioters had not necessarily violated the law, even though dozens have now been charged by federal prosecutors.
Washington Post. 01/13/2021.
In an email to The Post, Alexander said he had “remained peaceful” during the riots and claimed his earlier speeches “mentioned peace” and were being misrepresented.
The video has been taken down by Periscope.
This is an Open Thread.
