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Lady Gaga and Jennifer Lopez to Perform at Joe Biden’s Inauguration

Sonia Pantiss
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0
Lady Gaga and Jennifer Lopez to Perform at Joe Biden’s Inauguration
Image source Wikimedia

Lady Gaga and Jennifer Lopez are to perform at the inauguration ceremony for President Joe Biden.

It is well-known that Lady Gaga campaigned for Joe Biden during the election, appearing with him on the eve of the presidential election last November.

Lady Gaga will sing the national anthem at the ceremony on January 20. Jennifer Lopez, who also endorsed Joe Biden last year, will give a separate musical performance.

After the ceremony, Tom Hanks will host a star-studded TV special.

Titled Celebrating America, the 90-minute prime-time program will also feature musicians Jon Bon Jovi, Demi Lovato, Justin Timberlake and Ant Clemons, and will be broadcast live by ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC and MSNBC.

Joe Biden’s inaugural committee said it would “celebrate the beginning of a new national journey toward an America united” and “showcase the American people’s resilience, heroism, and unified commitment to coming together as a nation to heal and rebuild”.

FBI Warns of Possible Armed Protests Before Joe Biden’s Inauguration

Trump Inauguration: More than 50 House Democrats Boycott Ceremony

When Joe Biden is inaugurated, Washington DC will still be under a state of emergency after a mob stormed the Capitol on January 6. More than 10,000 National Guard troops will be in the city, with about 5,000 more on standby.

Otherwise, the ceremony’s attendance will be “extremely limited” in line with social distancing due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Biden team, which has urged Americans to avoid travelling to the capital.

Donald Trump announced last week that he will avoid the ceremony after disputing the election result, becoming the first president to skip the inauguration of his successor since 1869.

When President Donald Trump was inaugurated four years ago, 16-year-old former American Idol contestant Jackie Evancho sang the national anthem, while country stars Toby Keith and Lee Greenwood, and rock band 3 Doors Down were among the attractions at a special concert the night before.

Trump Becomes First Sitting President to Be Impeached Twice

Diane A. Wade
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Trump Becomes First Sitting President to Be Impeached Twice
Image source Wikipedia

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has signed the article of impeachment against President Donald Trump.

Donald Trump has become the first sitting president to be impeached twice by the House of Representatives.

Congress voted 232 to 197 on the sole article of impeachment.

Now, President Trump faces trial in the senate.

Ten Republicans voted with Democrats to impeach the president, making this vote the most bipartisan impeachment vote in US history.

They are:

  • Liz Cheney of Wyoming (the third highest-ranking Republican in the House)
  • Adam Kinzinger of Illinois (the only Republican that voted on a bill calling for Vice-President Mike Pence to take over as president yesterday)
  • John Katko of New York (the first House Republican to say he’d vote to impeach)
  • Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio
  • Tom Rice of South Carolina
  • Dan Newhouse of Washington State
  • Jaime Herrera Beutler of Washington State
  • Fred Upton of Michigan
  • David Valadao of Florida
  • Peter Meijer of Michigan

Senators will then act as jurors during the trial and ultimately decide whether or not to convict the president on the charge.

The lead manager is Jamie Raskin. He’s joined by Diana DeGette, David Cicilline, Joaquin Castro, Eric Swalwell, Madeleine Dean and Joe Neguse.

“Today the House demonstrated that no one is above the law, not even the president of the United States,” Nancy Pelosi said before signing.

“That Donald Trump is a clear and present danger to the country and that once again we honor that oath of office to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.

“And now, I sadly and with a heart broken over what this means to our country, of a president who would incite insurrection, will sign the engrossment of the article of impeachment.”

Trump Impeachment: Democrats Call on VP Pence to Invoke 25th Amendment

Pro-Trump Protesters Storm Capitol Building

In a video message posted to the White House’s Twitter account, President Trump has condemned the violence in the Capitol last week, saying “violence and vandalism have absolutely no place in our country and no place in our movement”.

He did not make any reference to impeachment.

The president ends with a call for unity.

“All of us can choose by our actions to rise above the rancor and find common ground and shared purpose. We must focus on advancing the interests of the whole nation, delivering the miracle vaccines, defeating the pandemic, rebuilding the economy, protecting our national security and upholding the rule of law,” Donald Trump said.

“Today I am calling on all Americans to overcome the passions of the moment, and join together as one American people,” he said.

“God bless you, and God bless America.”

When he was first impeached in 2019, President Trump became part of a small group of rebuked US leaders.

After today, President Trump is the first president to be impeached twice.

Only two other presidents in history have been impeached by the House of Representatives – Andrew Johnson, back in 1868, and Bill Clinton in 1998.

President Richard Nixon stepped down and resigned.

But to date, no president has ever been removed from the White House by Congress.

Lisa Montgomery: US Government Carries Out Its First Execution of A Female Inmate Since 1953

Diane A. Wade
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Lisa Montgomery: US Government Carries Out Its First Execution of A Female Inmate Since 1953
Photo credit: EPA

Lisa Montgomery, the only woman on federal death row in the US, has been executed for murder.

She received a lethal injection at a prison in Terre Haute, Indiana, after a last-minute stay of execution was lifted by the Supreme Court.

Her case attracted attention because her lawyers argued she was mentally ill and suffered serious abuse as a child.

Lisa Montgomery, 52, strangled a pregnant woman before cutting out and kidnapping her baby in Missouri in 2004.

Her victim, 23-year-old Bobbie Jo Stinnett, bled to death.

Brandon Bernard Executed After Last Minute Clemency Pleas Were Rejected

Lisa Montgomery was the first female federal inmate to be put on federal death row in 67 years.

According to witnesses, a woman standing next to Lisa Montgomery during the execution process, removed the inmate’s face mask and asked her if she had any last words. Lisa Montgomery responded “no”, and said nothing else.

Lisa Montgomery was pronounced dead on January 13, at 01:31 AM. Her lawyer, Kelley Henry, said that everyone who had participated in the execution “should feel shame”.

The lawyer said in a statement: “The government stopped at nothing in its zeal to kill this damaged and delusional woman.

“Lisa Montgomery’s execution was far from justice.”

Lisa Montgomery’s latest execution was postponed twice – first by Covid-19, then by a judge – until a Supreme Court ruling cleared the way for it to take place in the early hours of January 13.

In a dramatic move on January 11, an Indiana judge had halted the scheduled injection until a mental competency hearing could be held.

Lisa Montgomery’s lawyers argued that she had been born brain-damaged and was too mentally ill to be executed.

As a child Lisa Montgomery was routinely abused by her father and trafficked by her mother, family members said. Her treatment was so violent that it amounted to torture, her lawyers say.

Her defense team believe that at the time of her crime, Lisa Montgomery was psychotic and out of touch with reality. That opinion is supported by 41 current and former lawyers as well as human rights groups like the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.

However, Bobbie Jo Stinnett ‘s family and friends say the murder committed by Montgomery was so horrific that she deserved to be put to death regardless of her mental health.

Lisa Montgomery killed Bobbie Jo Stinnett in Skidmore, Missouri, after befriending the pregnant woman online over a shared love of dogs. After driving to Stinnett’s house, Lisa Montgomery overpowered the pregnant woman, strangled her with a piece of rope, and cut the baby out of her womb.

Police found Lisa Montgomery cradling a new-born girl she claimed to have given birth to the day before. After her story fell apart, she confessed to the killing.

Lisa Montgomery was found guilty of the crime in 2007. The next day, she was sentenced to death.

Trump’s YouTube Channel Suspended

Nancy Clayson
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Trump’s YouTube Channel Suspended
Image source Wikipedia

Google-owned video service YouTube has become the latest platform to suspend President Donald Trump’s account.

YouTube has prevented the president’s account from uploading new videos or live-streaming material for a minimum of seven days, and has said it may extend the period.

It said Donald Trump’s channel had broken its rules over the incitement of violence.

The president had posted several videos on January 12, some of which remain online.

Google has not provided details of what President Trump said in the video it banned.

The move came hours after civil rights groups had threatened to organize an ads boycott against YouTube.

Jim Steyer – who previously helped coordinate similar action against Facebook last year – had called on Google to go further and take President Trump’s channel offline.

He tweeted after the suspension: “We hope they will make it permanent. It is disappointing that it took a Trump-incited attack to get here, but appears that the major platforms are finally beginning to step up.”

Google said that President Trump could still face his page being closed if he falls foul of its three-strikes policy.

It said in a statement: “After review, and in light of concerns about the ongoing potential for violence, we removed new content uploaded to Donald J. Trump’s channel for violating our policies.

“It now has its first strike and is temporarily prevented from uploading new content for a minimum of seven days.

“Given the ongoing concerns about violence, we will also be indefinitely disabling comments on President Trump’s channel, as we’ve done to other channels where there are safety concerns found in the comments section.”

President Trump had already been suspended by Facebook and Instagram following January 6 rioting on Capitol Hill, until at least the transition of power to Joe Biden on January 20.

Twitter has gone further by imposing a permanent ban on the president’s account.

Amazon’s Twitch has also disabled Donald Trump’s account on its platform. And Snapchat has locked his account.

Shopify, Pinterest, TikTok and Reddit have also taken steps to restrict content associated with the president and his calls for the results of the election to be challenged.

FBI Warns of Possible Armed Protests Before Joe Biden’s Inauguration

Diane A. Wade
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FBI Warns of Possible Armed Protests Before Joe Biden’s Inauguration
Image source: Anadolu Agency

The FBI has warned of possible armed protests across the US as Trump supporters and far-right groups call for demonstrations before Joe Biden’s January 20 inauguration.

According to the agency, armed groups are planning to gather at all 50 state capitols and in Washington DC in the run-up to Biden’s inauguration.

Security will be tight for the event after a pro-Trump mob stormed Congress on January 6.

House Democrats say a vote to impeach President Donald Trump will happen on January 13.

Democrats accuse President Trump of “incitement of insurrection” and say the vote will be held unless VP Mike Pence invokes constitutional powers to remove President Trump from office. There is no sign Mike Pence is prepared to do so.

Joe Biden and VP-elect Kamala Harris are expected to be sworn in at a ceremony at the Capitol. The Biden team had already urged Americans to avoid travelling to the capital because of the Covid-19 pandemic, a call that is now being repeated by local authorities.

According to security officials, there will be no repeat of the breach seen on January 6, when thousands of pro-Trump supporters were able to break into the building where members of Congress were voting to certify the election result.

Pro-Trump Protesters Storm Capitol Building

Five people died in the riot, which happened after President Trump repeated unsubstantiated claims of fraud in the November vote and encouraged his supporters to march on the Capitol.

Since then, calls for Donald Trump’s resignation, removal from office or impeachment have grown among Democrats and some Republicans.

President Trump has made no public statements since he was banned from several social media platforms – including Twitter – on January 8.

Donald Trump became the third president to be impeached in December 2019 over charges of breaking the law by asking Ukraine to investigate his rival in the presidential election. The Senate cleared him.

Florida Manatee with “Trump” Carved into Its Skin Prompts Investigation

James J. Williams
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Florida Manatee with “Trump” Carved into Its Skin Prompts Investigation
Image by PublicDomainImages from Pixabay

The US Fish and Wildlife Service has launched an investigation after a manatee in Florida was discovered with the word ‘Trump’ scraped on its back.

The marine mammal was spotted on January 10 in Florida’s Homosassa River, with the president’s surname on its body.

According to officials, the animal does not appear to be seriously injured, and the word was scraped onto algae growing on its skin.

But a video of the West Indian manatee has led to public outcry.

Manatees, nicknamed “sea cows,” are protected under US law, and anyone found guilty of harassing them faces up to a year in prison and a $50,000 fine.

Images of the manatee were first shared by the Citrus County Chronical, a local newspaper, and have been widely shared on social media.

The Centre for Biological Diversity, a conservation charity, is also offering a $5,000 for information leading to the conviction of those responsible.

Neopalpa Donaldtrumpi: California Moth Becomes First Creature Named after Donald Trump

Amphibian Named After President Donald Trump

The manatee is a large, slow-moving mammal which has become an unofficial mascot for Florida. According to the USFWS, there are around 6,300 currently in the state.

The animals typically gather in warmer waters around the state during the winter time as temperatures drop.

However, their numbers have fallen in recent years due to habitat loss, algae blooms and strikes by fast-moving boats.

They are also vulnerable to attacks by humans while they congregate in the shallow water of local rivers and canals.

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 637 manatees died in 2020, 90 of which were victims of boat collisions. Another 15 were killed by other interactions with humans.

Trump Impeachment: Democrats Call on VP Pence to Invoke 25th Amendment

Diane A. Wade
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Trump Impeachment: Democrats Call on VP Pence to Invoke 25th Amendment
Image source Flickr

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has stepped up the pressure on VP Mike Pence to act to remove President Donald Trump from office over his role in last week’s storming of Congress.

Lawmakers are expected to bring up a resolution asking VP Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment to declare the president unfit for office.

Mike Pence is said to oppose the idea.

If he refuses, the House will hold a vote to impeach President Trump who had urged supporters to march on the Capitol.

Donald Trump has been accused by Democrats and an increasing number of fellow Republicans over the riot, following a rally in which the president repeated unsubstantiated allegations of vote fraud. Five people died in the attack, including a Capitol police officer.

President Trump has made no public statements since he was banned from social media platforms on January 8.

He is due to leave office on January 20, when Joe Biden will be sworn in as president.

Donald Trump has said he will not attend Joe Biden’s swearing-in ceremony.

Pro-Trump Protesters Storm Capitol Building

Nancy Pelosi wrote to lawmakers saying the House of Representatives would present a resolution on January 11 to formally request that VP Pence invoke the 25th Amendment to the Constitution, which would allow him to remove President Trump from the White House and become acting president.

The House could vote on the resolution on January 12. After that, Mike Pence and the cabinet would be given 24 hours to act before the House’s potential move toward impeachment.

Nancy Pelosi wrote in her letter: “We will act with urgency, because this president represents an imminent threat to both.

“The horror of the ongoing assault on our democracy perpetrated by this president is intensified and so is the immediate need for action.”

Although Mike Pence has appeared to distance himself from the president by saying on January 10 he planned to attend Joe Biden’s inauguration, there is no sign that the vice-president is prepared to invoke the amendment.

In a separate development, First Lady Melania Trump, who rarely makes public comments about political events, condemned January 6 violence, saying the “nation must heal in a civil manner”.

Melania Trump said in a statement called Our Path Forward released by the White House: “I implore people to stop the violence, never make assumptions based on the color of a person’s skin or use differing political ideologies as a basis for aggression and viciousness.”

House Democrats have vowed to press ahead quickly with impeachment. To impeach, in this context, means to bring charges in Congress, and Nancy Pelosi said Democrats could introduce a charge of “incitement of insurrection” against President Trump.

Senior lawmakers say a vote to impeach President Trump in the House could be held by mid-week.

Donald Trump could become the only president in US history to have been impeached twice.

Joe Biden has said impeachment is for Congress to decide, even though he has thought “for a long time President Trump was not fit to hold the job”.

China Reacts to US Sanctions with New Law Protecting Its Companies

Clyde K. Valle
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China Reacts to US Sanctions with New Law Protecting Its Companies
Image source Flickr

China is reacting against a flurry of US sanctions with new rules that protect its companies from “unjustified” foreign laws.

Changes announced over the weekend allow Chinese courts to punish companies that comply with such restrictions.

President Donald Trump has continued to target Chinese companies he believes are a threat to US national security.

Measures include punishing companies that supply parts to blacklisted companies.

On January 11, three large Chinese telecoms firms listed on the NYSE are expected to see their shares delisted based on alleged ties with its military.

The NYSE is removing China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom Hong Kong, based on an executive order signed by President Trump in November.

The de-listings follow a raft of actions against Chinese firms in recent months including TikTok, Huawei and microchip maker Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC).

White House to Announce Sanctions against China over Theft and Transfer of Intellectual Property

US Launches Investigation into China’s Intellectual Property Policies

Last week, President Trump signed an executive order banning transactions with eight Chinese apps including popular payments platform Alipay, as well as WeChat Pay.

President Trump claims such tech companies share data with the Chinese government – allegations they have denied.

In a statement on January 9, China’s Ministry of Commerce introduced the new rules on “counteracting unjustified extra-territorial application” of foreign laws.

Bert Hofman, director of the East Asian Institute at the National University of Singapore, explained: “Legal persons that are hurt by the application of foreign legislation can issue legal proceedings in court and claim compensation for the damage done.

“The government can also take other countermeasures.”

The measures, which came into effect immediately, do not mention the US directly, although China has long complained about US sanctions and restrictions on trade.

However, legal experts say it is unclear how the new law will be implemented.

Angela Zhang, a Chinese law professor at the University of Hong Kong, said: “Consider a scenario that a European bank freezes the assets of a Chinese official that was sanctioned by the United States, the Chinese statute will allow the official to sue the European bank to recover his loss.”

Texas: Chemical Plants Intentionally Diverted Floodwaters into Sweeny Neighborhoods

Roy Siemens
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Texas: Chemical Plants Intentionally Diverted Floodwaters into Sweeny Neighborhoods
Image source: Dolcefino

Press release

Internal emails and damaging photographs detail evidence that huge chemical plants in Brazoria County intentionally diverted floodwaters into neighborhoods in Sweeny during Hurricane Harvey.

Documents obtained by Dolcefino Consulting show the massive Phillips 66 plant placed Tiger Dams around the plant, blocked culverts along Highway 35 with chunks of concrete and threw large containers into Linville Bayou, ignoring warnings that what they were doing was illegal.

A 2017 email from the general manager of the Phillips plant reveals the Old Ocean Volunteer Fire Department blamed the “increased flooding of residents in Old Ocean” on intentionally blocked culverts.

The president of West Brazoria County Drainage District #11 warned Phillips officials that what they were doing was illegal, inundating the community with water. An email shows the head of Phillips Corporate Strategy thought the plan was “great.”

The Sweeny Refinery General Manager during the hurricane was David Erfert. Erfert admitted in a sworn deposition that the plant didn’t notify the drainage district, the Army Corps of Engineers or the Coast Guard.

Image source: Dolcefino

Hurricane Harvey: President Trump and First Lady Meet Flood Victims

Houston Flooding: Five People Dead in Hurricane Harvey Aftermath

Hundreds of Sweeny residents have filed a lawsuit against Phillips 66 and Chevron Phillips Chemical next door after the storm, but three and a half years later the chemical plants haven’t paid for the damages to homes and pastureland.

“It is the same thing you hear over and over. Production and profit over people,” said Jason Gibson, the Houston attorney battling the chemical plants in court.

Damaging photographs show Phillips employees pumping oily water out of the plant and into surrounding neighborhoods. Phillips told the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality that no contaminated water escaped the plant.

Image source: Dolcefino

“They just basically said we’re going to keep the plant running for revenue, and at the end of the day we’re going to flood the community,” said Sweeny resident Marc Smyth.

The Phillips plant is the second largest taxpayer in Brazoria County. Brazoria County officials have refused to talk to Dolcefino Consulting. So have the Phillips 66 officials.

“This is a story of arrogance,” said Wayne Dolcefino, President of Dolcefino Consulting. “Three and a half years after the hurricane, we know Phillips made a conscious decision that changed the lives of people in Sweeny. It is shocking that they are trying to avoid responsibility.”

Emails show the plan to permanently change the flow of water around the two Sweeny plants began long before the hurricane, when the plants joined to build an elevated rail line along Linville Bayou.

An email sent from the general manager of Phillips to the plant manager of CP Chem next door three weeks after Hurricane Harvey admitted, “there are many issues with the drainage through the Sityard and how it affects drainage outside and inside the plant.”

The new photographs and emails raise growing questions about possible contamination of the neighborhood surrounding the plants.

Sweeny ranch owner Mark Smyth told Dolcefino Consulting he could smell the hydrocarbons in the water.

“Absolutely you could smell it, you could smell it for months afterward,” Smyth said.

5 Reasons Your Business Needs a Mobile App

Nancy Clayson
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5 Reasons Your Business Needs a Mobile App
mobile-applications

If you owned a business in 2020, you’ve definitely felt the impact of coronavirus. The pandemic has wreaked havoc on the worldwide economy, and many businesses that relied on physical locations and interacting to thrive are in danger.

To adapt to the changing economic and technological environment, you need to develop a mobile app for your business. In this article, we’ll give you five reasons to develop your own mobile app.

Mobile Apps Can Put You in the Driver’s Seat

The biggest reason your business needs an app is because your customers spend a large chunk of their day interacting with their mobile devices. To succeed in the modern world, you need to go where the customers are, and to penetrate the mobile space you need an enticing app.

The icon of the app itself serves as advertising for your company on your users’ phone screen, reminding them of your products and deals. In this way, smartphone applications will help you subtly drive consumers into the conversion funnel.

Mobile Apps Can Make Your Business Feel More Personal

One attribute that makes mobile apps a must-have for any business is how much space there is for customization. The nature of an app’s design allows them to use the native capabilities of the platform to provide highly personalized user experience.

Apps also allow it much easier to research and track user behavior and give consumers personalized alerts and exclusive deals. Other smartphone app options include tap-to-call/email, smartphone alerts, and quick and automated app updates.

The effect this has on your customers is that they grow more attached to your company by using your app frequently, and this helps foster customer loyalty and goodwill.

Mobile Apps Can Streamline Your Business Functions

Since apps retain their information internally on smartphones as opposed to sites using data centers, mobile apps minimize the time required to perform each job. Data retrieval works nearly instantaneously on an app and will save more time in performing such actions by tracking their choices (such as default payment form in distribution apps) and configuring the app to match user preferences.

This can cut down on time and provide a seamless experience for your users, where they can pick up where they left off. This added convenience will also boost sales.

Mobile Apps Can Increase Your Engagement With Customers

Mobile apps are excellent tools for connecting directly with your customers. Nowadays, click-through rates for the majority of company actions such as email marketing are small, although push alerts via a mobile app achieve a click-through rate of almost 40%.

Due to this principal element, marketers can now interact with customers without being invasive. While previously you might have had to rely on cold calling your customer base to gather feedback, now you can just send all your users a quick message with your app!

Your Customers Can Use Your Mobile App When They’re Offline

One of the key differences between mobile apps and websites is the capability of mobile apps to function without an Internet connection. While certain applications need internet access to perform essential tasks, they can still give users a simple level of accessibility when in offline mode.

Depending on your business, you can give users the option to download content so they can work on it offline. This will increase the overall time users spend with your app, and it will also make the app more versatile. 

As you can see, there are numerous benefits of developing a mobile app for your business. To create one with low cost and quick development time, check out Builder.ai. Their Builder Studio interface provides the most accessible app builder where you can design your dream app without any coding!

If you want a faster solution, you can try the Studio Store by Builder.ai to explore ready-made apps with complete features designed specifically for companies looking to expand into the mobile space due to coronavirus.

Needless to say, Builder.ai is the best place to meet your mobile app development needs. Be sure to use the above mentioned tips when creating your app, and good luck!

Pfizer Vaccine Can Target New Covid Variant

Kathryn R. Bown
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Pfizer Vaccine Can Target New Covid Variant
Image source: Wikimedia Commons

According a study by the University of Texas, the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine can still target a key mutation that has emerged in two new variants of coronavirus.

However, this is only one of many mutations that are found in the new forms of the virus.

So while the study has been welcomed, it is not being seen as definitive scientific evidence about how the vaccine will perform.

New variants have been detected in the UK and South Africa.

Both variants are spreading more quickly and this has raised questions over what level of protection vaccines can offer against them.

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Joe Biden Sets 100M Covid Vaccinations Goal for First 100 Days

The widely held view is that vaccines will still work, but researchers are on the hunt for proof.

The study focuses on a mutation called N501Y, which is emerged in both new variants.

This is thought to be important because it is in the part of the virus that makes first contact with our body’s cells and changes could make it easier to get in and cause an infection.

The researchers created two forms of the virus – one with and one without the mutation – and then bathed those viruses in blood samples taken from 20 patients that had been vaccinated in clinical trials.

The study results showed the immune systems of vaccinated patients were able to take out the new mutation.

However, the variant that emerged contain multiple mutations whose combined effects may help the virus evade the immune system.

Who Stormed Capitol Building?

Nancy Clayson
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Who Stormed Capitol Building?

Hundreds of protesters broke into buildings on Capitol Hill after attending a rally in support of President Donald Trump.

Some were carrying symbols and flags strongly associated with particular ideas and factions, but in practice many of the members and their causes overlap.

Jake Angeli – QAnon supporter

According to images, there were individuals associated with a range of extreme and far-right groups and supporters of fringe online conspiracy theories, many of whom have long been active online and at pro-Trump rallies.

One of the most startling images, quickly shared across social media, shows a man dressed with a painted face, fur hat and horns, holding an American flag.

Image source: AFP

The man has been identified as Jake Angeli, a well-known supporter of QAnon. Jake Angeli calls himself the QAnon Shaman.

According to Jake Angeli’s social media presence, he’s attending multiple QAnon events and posting YouTube videos about deep state conspiracies.

Angeli was pictured in November making a speech in Phoenix, Arizona, about unproven claims the election was fraudulent.

His personal Facebook page is filled with images and memes relating to all sorts of extreme ideas and conspiracy theories.

Proud Boys members

Another group spotted at the storming of the Capitol were members of the Proud Boys.

The far-right organization was founded in 2016 and is anti-immigrant and all male. In the first presidential debate President Trump in response to a question about white supremacists and militias said: “Proud Boys – stand back and stand by.”

One of their members, Nick Ochs, tweeted a selfie inside the Capitol building saying: “Hello from the Capital lol.”

Nick Ochs also filmed a live stream inside.

His profile on the messaging app Telegram describes himself as a “Proud Boy Elder from Hawaii.”

Pro-Trump Protesters Storm Capitol Building

Richard Barnett – the man who entered Nancy Pelosi’s office

A photo that went viral of a man who had entered the office of Nancy Pelosi has been named as Richard Barnett from Arkansas.

Outside Capitol Hill buildings, Richard Barnett told the New York Times that he took an envelope from the speaker’s office and says left a note calling her an expletive.

Image source: Twitter

Local media reports say Richard Barnett is involved in a group that supports gun rights, and that he was interviewed at a ‘Stop the Steal’ rally following the presidential election – a movement that refused to accept Joe Biden’s victory and supports the president’s unsubstantiated claims of electoral fraud.

In the interview at the rally organized by ‘Engaged Patriots’ Richard Barnett said: “If you don’t like it, send somebody out to get me ’cause I ain’t going down easy.”

According to the Westside Eagle Observer, the group associated with Richard Barnett held a fundraiser in October with proceeds going towards body cameras for the local police department.

Online influencers

Individuals with large followings online were also spotted at the protests.

Among them was Tim Gionet, who goes under the pseudonym “Baked Alaska”.

Gionet’s livestream from inside the Capitol posted on a niche streaming service was watched by thousands of people and showed him talking to other protesters.

A Trump supporter, Tim Gionet has made a name for himself as an internet troll.

He has been described by the Southern Poverty Law Centre, a nonprofit legal advocacy group, as a “white nationalist”, a label he disputed in a comment to The Insider.

YouTube banned Gionet’s channel in October after he posted videos of himself harassing shop workers and refusing to wear a face-mask during the coronavirus pandemic.

Other platforms that have previously shut down Gionet’s accounts include Twitter and PayPal.

Joe Biden Confirmed as President after Four Die amid Capitol Riot

Diane A. Wade
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Joe Biden Confirmed as President after Four Die amid Capitol Riot
Image source: Wikimedia Commons

Congress has certified Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as the next president and vice-president of the United States.

The electoral votes were approved after both the Senate and the House of Representatives rejected objections to the votes in the states of Pennsylvania and Arizona.

The normally procedural session of Congress was disrupted on January 6 when supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol building. The session resumed and continued through the night after the building was cleared.

The announcement was made by Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar, one of the four “tellers” appointed by the House and Senate to count the Electoral College votes.

She said: “The report we make is that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will be the president and vice president according to the ballots that have been given to us.”

VP Mike Pence, who as president of the Senate oversaw the certification process, confirmed to Congress that, of the 538 Electoral College votes cast, Joe Biden and Kamal Harris received 306 and Donald Trump and Mike Pence received 232 – mirroring the results of November’s election.

He said: “The announcement of the state of the vote by the President of the Senate shall be deemed as sufficient declaration of the persons elected President and Vice President of the United States, each for the term beginning on the 20th day of January, 2021 and shall be entered together with the list of the votes on the journals of the Senate and the House of Representatives.”

Pro-Trump Protesters Storm Capitol Building

President Trump has just released a statement committing to “an orderly transition on January 20th” but repeating his unsubstantiated claims of electoral fraud.

“Even though I totally disagree with the outcome of the election, and the facts bear me out, nevertheless there will be an orderly transition on January 20th,” the president said, in a comment published on his spokesperson’s Twitter account.

 Meanwhile, Twitter has temporarily blocked Donald Trump from using his own account.

“I have always said we would continue our fight to ensure that only legal votes were counted. While this represents the end of the greatest first term in presidential history, it’s only the beginning of our fight to Make America Great Again!” he added.

More than 60 legal cases by Trump’s campaign team challenging the November result have failed.

Supporters of the QAnon conspiracy theory, alongside far-right pro-Trump groups, were planning the rally outside Congress for weeks.

QAnon is a baseless conspiracy theory that claims President Trump and a secret team of military intelligence officers have been waging a war against Satan-worshipping pedophiles in the Democratic party.

In addition, supporters of the “Stop the Steal” election movement, Proud Boys and other groups have been encouraging their followers to attend the march.

So-called “patriot caravans” and other initiatives were organized online to help transport activists to Washington DC in anticipation of today’s protest.

Many of those attending the rally had consumed viral conspiracy theories and misleading narratives about the presidential election on major online platforms, convinced that the vote was stolen from Donald Trump.

However, election officials have described the vote as the most secure in history.

Discussion on Gab and Parler, social media platforms popular with far-right groups banned from Facebook and Twitter, featured threats that anything other than Congress overturning the outcome would lead to “patriots” having to rescue their country from traitors, communists, Satanists and pedophiles.

Pro-Trump Protesters Storm Capitol Building

Diane A. Wade
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Pro-Trump Protesters Storm Capitol Building
Image source: Anadolu Agency

Chaos has broken out within the Capitol as pro-Trump supporters break into the building.

The ongoing special House and Senate sessions have been recessed amid the escalating clashes between protesters and police.

Lawmakers had gathered to confirm the election of Democratic President-elect Joe Biden – an outcome rejected by protesters.

Photos show demonstrators gathered just outside the Senate chamber. Other images show demonstrators carrying firearms.

Capitol Police have put the Capitol Building on lockdown amid violent clashes between police and Trump supporters, gathered to protest the 2020 election results.

Footage shows demonstrators swarming the Capitol building, breaking the temporary barrier that had been put in place ahead of today’s events. Media describe some protesters climbing on parts of the Capitol building, attempting to get inside.

Capitol police have detained some protesters as they continue to storm the building.

Some demonstrators have broken into the Senate chamber, climbing on the side of the walls as police drew their weapons.

President Donald Trump has just tweeted another message to protesters who have stormed the US Capitol, saying: “No violence!”

He tweeted: “I am asking for everyone at the U.S. Capitol to remain peaceful. No violence! Remember, WE are the Party of Law & Order – respect the Law and our great men and women in Blue. Thank you!”

Georgia Voters Head to Polls in Senate Runoff Elections

Capitol Hill police are calling for reinforcements as the violence continues at the Capitol.

A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said members of the Secret Service and the Federal Protective Service are currently meeting calls to provide assistance.

The Department of Defense has not yet decided to deploy the National Guard to back up law enforcement on the scene.

Protesters who have stormed the US Capitol are trespassing on federal property and may face charges.

After a summer of protests against coronavirus lockdown measures, including in Michigan where armed militia members stormed the state capitol, we’re now seeing similar scenes playing out in Washington DC.

While both chambers of the US Congress were meeting on January 6 to certify Democrat Joe Biden’s win over Donald Trump, the proceedings were interrupted by police clashes with rioters in adjoining corridors.

President Trump has for weeks claimed to have been the true winner, saying without evidence that the votes cast for Biden in crucial swing states were fraudulent.

He and his supporters have been pressing VP Mike Pence to overturn the election result by refusing to certify Joe Biden’s win, something that experts agree he does not have the legal power to do.

In the days leading up to the certification, President Trump said that he would attend the “Save America” rally happening in Washington on January 6, promising on Twitter that it would be “very big” and “wild”.

About an hour after President Trump addressed thousands on the National Mall, promising to “never concede” that he had lost, chaos was unleashed.

Lawmakers and reporters inside the building say they have been asked to evacuate, shelter in place and put on gas masks.

Both chambers of Congress abruptly stopped proceedings as they were debating November’s election results.

As his supporters storm into the Capitol in quickly-escalating protests, President Trump has broken his silence and tweeted for demonstrators to “support Capitol Police and Law Enforcement”.

Media report that tear gas has now been used inside the Capitol building as a growing number of demonstrators enter the building.

DC Mayor Muriel Bowser has ordered a citywide curfew beginning at 18:00 EST.

How Marketers Could Foster Public Confidence in COVID-19 Vaccines

Dana R
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How Marketers Could Foster Public Confidence in COVID-19 Vaccines

If you were offered a COVID-19 vaccine, would you take it? Research paints a mixed picture. In one poll mentioned by The Drum, 28% of 18- to 34-year-old respondents in the UK said they would reject a vaccine if offered one. However, marketers can play a major part in encouraging vaccine uptake.

Ultimately, the success of vaccines in helping to bring the COVID-19 pandemic to a close will depend on how many people take them. Here is how pharmaceutical companies, medical providers and healthcare agencies could persuade members of the general public to do exactly that.

Vaccine hesitancy: a challenge predating the COVID-19 pandemic

You don’t have to look far beyond the COVID-19 picture to see examples of skepticism about vaccines in general. Such reticence has, in some instances, led an array of vaccine-preventable diseases, like measles, to re-emerge.

In 2019, long before the current pandemic erupted, the World Health Organization ranked vaccine hesitancy among the ten leading threats to global health.

The world's first malaria vaccine could be approved for use in 2015
The world’s first malaria vaccine could be approved for use in 2015

It’s unsurprising, then, that Glen Halliwell, business unit director at Publicis healthcare agency Langland, believes that government and health services must engage in “broad education” about the COVID-19 vaccine – including “what it is for, what it will protect you against, how to get it and how many injections are required to be protected.”

He added: “Critical here is ensuring we reach the members of the community where English is not their first language, or where cultural or religious concerns regarding vaccine ingredients may lead to some hesitation.”

What threshold do we need to reach to achieve herd immunity?

Lee Fraser, who has served as Digitas Health’s chief medical officer since 2014, insists: “In order for vaccines to be successful in ending the pandemic, we will need to get vaccination rates into the mid-70% range at a minimum.”

However, he warned: “In a climate where we have seen a decline in the public’s belief in science and erosion of fact in favor of social and public opinion, studies suggest only 60% of people are currently willing to get a vaccine.”

Which marketing strategies could help – and which probably wouldn’t?

While some individual vaccines have been given their own branding by marketers, WPP Health Practice’s international chief executive officer Claire Gillis says: “I actually think that the important brand is the corporate brand. Go to the doctor and ask for the ‘Pfizer vaccine’.”

Meanwhile, though the UK government’s reported attempt to apply patriotic livery to each AstraZeneca vaccine kit would unlikely have been of much use, the UK’s National Health Service has, more encouragingly, decided to partner with influencers to promote vaccine adoption.

2021 Grammy Awards Postponed Due to Coronavirus Concerns

Sonia Pantiss
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2021 Grammy Awards Postponed Due to Coronavirus Concerns

This year’s Grammy Awards has been postponed due to coronavirus concerns, the organizers have announced.

The ceremony, one of the music industry’s biggest awards, was due to take place on January 31.

The 2021Grammy Awards will now take place on March 14, due to rising infection numbers in Los Angeles and the state of California.

Beyoncé, Taylor Swift and Dua Lipa led the nominations for this year’s awards, which were announced in November.

A statement from the Recording Academy, which runs the Grammys, said: “Nothing is more important than the health and safety of those in our music community and the hundreds of people who work tirelessly on producing the show.”

It is unclear whether comedian Trevor Noah, who was set to host the show, will still take part in this year’s ceremony.

Grammys 2020: Full List of Winners

The Grammys’ new date clashes with the previously-announced Screen Actors’ Guild awards. The actors union said it was “extremely disappointed” by the scheduling conflict.

“We announced the same date for the SAG Awards last July with the intent to give the greatest possible scheduling consideration for other awards shows,” it said in a statement.

“We expect the same consideration from sister organizations throughout the industry.”

It said it was in conversation with the Recording Academy in an attempt to resolve the situation.

This year’s Grammys were already due to be a virtual event, in line with other recent award shows, such as the MTV VMAs and the Billboard Awards.

Other major ceremonies, including the Oscars, the Golden Globes and the Brit Awards have already been postponed.

Georgia Voters Head to Polls in Senate Runoff Elections

Diane A. Wade
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Georgia Voters Head to Polls in Senate Runoff Elections
Image source: Getty Images

Georgia is going to the polls for a second-round vote that will decide whether President-elect Joe Biden’s Democrats control the Senate.

The Democratic Party needs to win both seats in the state’s runoffs to gain full control of Congress – and with it the power to push forward his agenda.

The Republican Party of outgoing President Donald Trump needs only to win one in order to retain the Senate.

Joe Biden said Georgians could shape the US for years to come.

Meanwhile, President Trump told voters it was their “last chance to save the America” they loved.

Republicans Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue currently hold Georgia’s two Senate seats.

Kelly Loeffler is taking on Reverend Raphael Warnock and David Perdue is battling Jon Ossoff.

None of the candidates reached the 50% needed to win outright in the elections in November, forcing Tuesday’s runoffs under Georgia’s election rules. Voting began at 07:00.

The vote will decide the balance of power in the Senate.

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Texas Judge Rejects Gohmert Suit Aimed at Empowering Mike Pence to Overturn Election Results

The Republicans currently hold 52 of the 100 seats. If both Democrats win on December 5, the Senate will be evenly split, allowing incoming Democratic VP Kamala Harris the tie-breaking vote.

This would be crucial for pushing through Joe Biden’s agenda, including on key issues such as healthcare and environmental regulations – policy areas with strong Republican opposition.

The Senate also has the power to approve or reject Joe Biden’s nominees for cabinet and judicial posts.

If Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock both win, it would bring the White House, Senate and the House of Representatives under Democratic control for the first time since President Barack Obama’s election in 2008.

Voting should last about 12 hours, ending at 19:00 local time, although all those still in line to vote at that time will be allowed to do so.

Democrats are hoping for a large turnout and have been buoyed by the fact that more than three million Georgians have already cast their ballots – nearly 40% of the state’s registered voters. Early voting was a key benefit for Joe Biden in the presidential election.

The Democrats will be looking to turn out supporters in major urban areas, particularly the suburbs of Atlanta. The issue of long lines of voters could be more of a problem for them.

For the Republicans, getting out voters on the day is even more crucial, and they will be looking to the stronghold of north Georgia, as well as rural areas and smaller towns.

Generally, results come in quickly but if these races are close, it could take days.

David Perdue nearly won first time out against Jon Ossoff in November, falling just short of the needed majority with 49.7%. The other seat had more candidates, with Democrat Raphael Warnock recording 32.9% to Kelly Loeffler’s 25.9%.

A Democrat has not won a Senate race in Georgia in 20 years but the party will be boosted by Joe Biden’s presidential election win over Donald Trump there. Joe Biden’s margin of victory was about 12,000 votes among five million cast.

Georgia’s black community is more than double America’s national proportion, making up a third of the population.

Across America, nine in 10 black voters supported Joe Biden in the presidential election, according to a survey of more than 110,000 voters for the Associated Press.

Julian Assange’s Extradition Blocked by London Court

Nancy Clayson
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Julian Assange’s Extradition Blocked by London Court

Julian Assange’s extradition to the United States has been blocked by a court in London, UK.

The judge blocked the request because of concerns over the WikiLeaks founder’s mental health and risk of suicide in the US.

Julian Assange, who is wanted over the publication of thousands of classified documents in 2010 and 2011, says the case is politically motivated.

Expressing disappointment at the ruling, the DoJ noted that its legal arguments had prevailed.

Its position is that the leaks broke the law and endangered lives.

The DoJ said: “While we are extremely disappointed in the court’s ultimate decision, we are gratified that the United States prevailed on every point of law raised.”

The US authorities have 14 days in which to lodge an appeal and are expected to do so.

Julian Assange will now be taken back to Belmarsh Prison – where he is being held – and a full application for his bail will be made on January 6.

His lawyer Ed Fitzgerald QC told the court there would be evidence to show Julian Assange would not abscond.

District Judge Vanessa Baraitser ruled that while US prosecutors had met the tests for Julian Assange to be extradited for trial, the US was incapable of preventing him from attempting to take his own life.

Outlining evidence of his self-harm and suicidal thoughts, Judge Baraitser said: “The overall impression is of a depressed and sometimes despairing man fearful for his future.”

She said: “Faced with the conditions of near total isolation without the protective factors which limited his risk at HMP Belmarsh, I am satisfied the procedures described by the US will not prevent Mr. Assange from finding a way to commit suicide and for this reason I have decided extradition would be oppressive by reason of mental harm and I order his discharge.”

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Russian Hacking: Donald Trump Backs Julian Assange

Julian Assange, who wore a blue suit and green face mask in the dock, closed his eyes as the judge read out her ruling on January 4.

His fiancée Stella Moris, with whom he has two young sons, wept and was comforted by WikiLeaks editor-in-chief Kristinn Hrafnsson, who sat next to her in court.

Speaking outside court after the ruling, she called on President Donald Trump to “end this now”.

She said: “Mr. President, tear down these prison walls.

“Let our little boys have their father. Free Julian, free the press, free us all.”

If convicted in the US, Julian Assange faces a possible penalty of up to 175 years in jail, his lawyers have said. However, the US government said the sentence was more likely to be between four and six years.

He faces an 18-count indictment from the US government, accusing him of conspiring to hack into US military databases to acquire sensitive secret information relating to the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, which was then published on the WikiLeaks website.

Julian Assange says the information exposed abuses by the US military.

However, US prosecutors say the leaks of classified material endangered lives, and so the US sought Julian Assange’s extradition from the UK.

President Trump Recorded Telling Georgia’s Secretary of State to “Find” Votes to Overturn Biden Win

Diane A. Wade
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President Trump Recorded Telling Georgia’s Secretary of State to “Find” Votes to Overturn Biden Win
Image source: Getty Images

President Donald Trump has been recorded telling Georgia’s secretary of state to “find” enough votes to overturn the election result.

The president told Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in a recording released by the Washington Post: “I just want to find 11,780 votes.”

Brad Raffensperger is heard replying that Georgia’s results are correct.

Joe Biden won Georgia alongside other swing states, winning 306 Electoral College votes to Donald Trump’s 232.

VP-elect Kamala Harris called President Trump’s comments “a bold abuse of power”.

It comes ahead of two crucial runoff elections in Georgia on January 5 that will decide which party controls the Senate.

Since the November 3 vote, President Trump has been making unsubstantiated allegations of widespread electoral fraud.

All 50 states have certified the election result, some after recounts and legal appeals.

Congress is due to formally approve the election result on January 6 and Democrat Joe Biden is due to be inaugurated as president on January 20.

In excerpts of January 2 phone call released by the Washington Post, President Trump can be heard alternately cajoling and pressurizing Georgia’s secretary of state.

He insisted that he had won the election in Georgia and told Brad Raffensperger that there was “nothing wrong with saying you have recalculated”.

Brad Raffensperger responded by saying: “The challenge you have, Mr. President, is that the data you have is wrong.”

Later in the call, President Trump said the rumor was that ballots had been shredded and voting machinery had been removed from Fulton County in the state – claims denied by Brad Raffensperger’s lawyer.

The president then threatened the official with possible legal consequences.

He said: “You know what they did and you’re not reporting it. That’s a criminal offence. You can’t let that happen. That’s a big risk to you and to Ryan, your lawyer.”

Joe Biden’s Presidential Election Victory Confirmed by Electoral College

The president then called for the extra 11,780 votes – which would have given him a total of 2,473,634 votes in the state, one more than Joe Biden, who received 2,473,633 votes.

President Trump told Brad Raffensperger he should re-examine the result in the state.

He said: “You can re-examine it, but re-examine it with people who want to find answers, not people who don’t want to find answers.”

Brad Raffensperger replied: “Mr. President, you have people who submit information and we have our people that submit information, and then it comes before the court and the court has to make a determination.

“We have to stand by our numbers, we believe our numbers are right.”

President Trump also warned Brad Raffensperger that by refusing to recalculate the election result he would deter Republicans from turning out to vote in January 5 runoff elections for the Senate.

If the two Democratic contenders win, then there will be equal numbers of Republican and Democratic senators, and Kamala Harris, as vice-president-elect, will have the deciding vote.

Joe Biden’s Democrats already control the lower House of Representatives.

Both Donald Trump and Joe Biden are due to visit Georgia on January 4 to campaign ahead of the elections.

On January 3, President Trump tweeted that Brad Raffensperger had not given details of the fraud the president alleges: “He has no clue!”

Brad Raffensperger tweeted back: “Respectfully, President Trump: What you’re saying is not true. The truth will come out.”

The White House has not commented on the release of the audio.

How to Up Your Branded Video Content

Dana R
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How to Up Your Branded Video Content

No matter the industry you’re in, whether you sell goods or services, or the size of your business, branded video content is an incredibly effective and useful marketing tool. That said, some people shy away from it in the worry that it is too complicated, or they would have to hire external freelancers to be able to create it. Thankfully, that’s not the case, and here is how you can up your video content in business.

Branding

As with all things, when it comes to brand identity and online presence, keeping to your brand guidelines is incredibly important. By using branded video content you are ensuring that your content is instantly recognisable and wherever it is shared, it is clear where it has come from. If you use Bynder’s video brand studio, you are able to quickly and easily add your own branding to the videos you create, with very little effort. Think about your brand colors and images, but also the voice and style of your brand to ensure that all your digital assets work together seamlessly.

Make it platform ready

Once you’ve created the videos, you will want to share them across YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram, but each of those requires different dimensions and specifications. If you get this wrong, the video will end up looking weird on different platforms and really takes away from the professionalism. You can automatically export from Bynder to the channel you need and it will set your video to the right specifications without altering the look of your video.

Get personal

Why not utilise real team members from the company to be part of the videos? People connect to people and seeing faces can add more of a personality to a brand. Showing the face behind the work can really endear people to your company as they can see the human side of your products or service. You might have some secret actors or models within your team!

Add music

Choosing the right royalty-free music can set the vibe for the whole video and also add an extra dimension. Choose music that works with your message, and ensure it fits with your brand too. You could use a small sting, or piece of music in each video that helps cement your brand in the eyes (or ears) of your potential customers).

Create shareable content

You can pay for ads of course, but getting organic reach is also really important and of course, a much cheaper way to get your video in front of potential clients. Create a video that people will want to share – perhaps it’s impressive, relatable, informative, or has a great offer on it.

As you can see, video can make a huge difference to scaling up your business and by really being creative and strategic with the video content you put out, you can ensure you are really making the most of what the medium has to offer.

Covid-19 Vaccine: Israel Leads the World in Vaccination Rate

Kathryn R. Bown
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Covid-19 Vaccine: Israel Leads the World in Vaccination Rate

Israel has the highest coronavirus vaccination rate in the world with 11.55 doses per 100 people.

It is followed by Bahrain at 3.49 and the UK at 1.47, according to a global tracking website affiliated with Oxford University.

In comparison, France had vaccinated 138 people in total by December 30.

More than 1.8 million people have now died of Covid-19 around the world.

The comparative figures on vaccination are put together by Our World in Data, which is a collaboration between Oxford University and an educational charity.

They measure the number of people who have received a first dose of the coronavirus vaccine. Most of the vaccines approved for use so far rely on two doses, given more than a week apart.

The US fell far short of its target of vaccinating 20 million people by the end of 2020, with just 2.78 million having received a jab by December 30.

Meanwhile, Dr. Anthony Fauci has said he does not agree with UK plans to give as many people as possible a first vaccine dose, while delaying second doses.

He said the US would not be adopting a similar strategy.

India has meanwhile approved two vaccines for emergency use – the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine and the Covaxin vaccine, developed locally by Bharat Biotech and the state-run Indian Council of Medical Research.

Two further vaccines are awaiting approval. India aims to vaccinate 300 million people by the middle of the year and has been staging drills to prepare for mass distribution.

India is holding a national drill for its vaccination program, which is aiming to reach 300 million people by the middle of the year.

It will rely on the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, which has now been recommended by a government panel. The Oxford vaccine does not require the same storage at extremely low temperatures as the Pfizer vaccine, making it suitable for distribution to areas without sophisticated health care facilities.

The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is known as Covishield in India, where it is being manufactured by the Serum Institute of India. Another vaccine, developed by Bharat Biotech, has been approved for emergency use.

Covid-19 has already claimed nearly 150,000 lives in India, with about 10 million people infected – second only to the number infected in the US.

Israel began vaccinations on December 19 and is delivering the shot to about 150,000 people a day, with priority given to the over-60s, health workers and people who are clinically vulnerable.

It secured supplies of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine following negotiations early on in the pandemic. It is contacting people with priority access to the vaccine through its health care system – by law all Israelis must register with a recognized health care provider.

Israel has safely subdivided shipments of the Pfizer vaccine, which must be stored at -70C, Health Minister Yuli Edelstein told YNet TV news. This means smaller batches of the vaccine can be sent out to remote communities.

PM Benjamin Netanyahu, who is campaigning for re-election, has predicted Israel could emerge from the pandemic as early as February. It is currently in its third national lockdown.

Covid-19: EU Kicks Off Mass Vaccination Campaign

Joe Biden Sets 100M Covid Vaccinations Goal for First 100 Days

In the first three days of the EU vaccination campaign, which launched on December 27, France inoculated fewer than 100 people. In comparison, Germany had given more than 190,000 vaccines by January 2.

Part of the difficulty in France stems from the widespread scepticism about the vaccination. In a 15-country poll carried out by Ipsos Global Advisor, just 40% of French respondents said they would be willing to have the vaccine.

This compares to 80% in China, 77% in the UK, and 69% in the US.

Earlier this week, the French health minister defended the slow pace of vaccinations, saying authorities had chosen to give the vaccine in care homes to elderly residents, rather than making them travel.

Texas Judge Rejects Gohmert Suit Aimed at Empowering Mike Pence to Overturn Election Results

Diane A. Wade
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Texas Judge Rejects Gohmert Suit Aimed at Empowering Mike Pence to Overturn Election Results
Image source Twitter

A Texas judge dismissed a lawsuit by Republican Louie Gohmert that aimed to give Vice President Mike Pence the power to overturn the results of the presidential election.

Lawyers for VP Pence had asked for the case to be thrown out on December 31.

Mike Pence, as president of the Senate, will oversee the session on January 6 and declare the winner of the White House race.

President-elect Joe Biden is due to take office on January 20.

President Donald Trump is yet to concede.

Louie Gohmert told Newsmax TV that he planned to appeal against the verdict.

President Trump’s friends and colleagues in the Republican party have presented dozens of legal challenges to the November outcome which delivered a decisive win to Joe Biden.

Joe Biden’s victory was announced after days of vote-counting that took longer than in recent years because of the huge number of postal ballots cast due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Donald Trump Continues to Deny Election Defeat

CISA Rejects Donald Trump’s Vote Fraud Claims

Trump Still Planning Legal Challenges in Key States

President Trump has made numerous unsubstantiated claims that Joe Biden’s win, which saw the president-elect gain 306 Electoral College votes to his rival’s 232, was fraudulent.

Congressman Gohmert’s case sought to allow VP Mike Pence to reject some Electoral College votes when they are ratified by Congress on January 6.

The vice-president presides over the vote certification in Congress in a ceremonial role that involves opening and tallying the envelopes containing Electoral College votes before announcing the result.

Gohmert’s case aimed to expand that role to allow VP Pence to cast judgment on the validity of the votes and potentially replace votes for Joe Biden with ones for Donald Trump.

Judge Jeremy Kernodle, who was appointed to the Texas court in 2018 by President Trump, rejected the case, saying it was based on speculative events.

On December 31, a lawyer from the DoJ representing Mike Pence urged Louie Gohmert to drop the case, suggesting that it was not the vice-president’s office that should be scrutinizing the outcome.

Although most Republicans in Congress are expected to vote in favor of certifying the results, a small number including Senator Josh Hawley, say they plan to object. But their vote is not expected to change the outcome.

Joe Biden is due to be sworn in as president on January 20 at a scaled-back ceremony with just 1,000 tickets available due to Covid-19 precautions.

Happy New Year 2021: World Celebrations Held Amid Covid-19 Restrictions

Nancy Clayson
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Happy New Year 2021: World Celebrations Held Amid Covid-19 Restrictions
Image by mahesh kumar from Pixabay

New Year’s celebrations are being held around the world as many countries struggle to curb new spikes in coronavirus cases.

Fireworks displays and other public gatherings have been canceled from Sydney to New York.

Festivities are being particularly muted in Europe, amid fears over a new more contagious strain of the disease.

France has mobilized 100,000 police to break up New Year’s Eve parties and enforce a night-time curfew. The government has ordered a visible security presence in urban areas from 20:00 on December 31 when the curfew begins. In Paris half of the metro lines will be closed in the evening.

France has had two lockdowns and bars, restaurants and cultural attractions will remain shut into the new year.

Germany is currently under lockdown until January 10. The government has banned the sale of fireworks and placed tight restrictions on the number of people who can gather in public.

Health Minister Jens Spahn said the country would have the “quietest New Year’s Eve” in living memory.

The Netherlands is also under a lockdown, which is set to last until 19 January. Its usual countdown will take place behind closed doors at a soccer stadium in Amsterdam.

Turkey will begin a four-day-long lockdown on New Year’s Eve.

More than 1.8 million people have died with the virus across the world since the start of the pandemic a year ago. More than 81 million cases have been reported.

5 Ways to Start the New Year Right

One of the first nations to welcome the New Year was Australia. The Sydney fireworks display went ahead, but crowds were not allowed to gather on the city’s harbor to enjoy it.

Many Sydney residents simply watched the pyrotechnics on TV at home, where gatherings are limited to five guests.

In China, the annual New Year light show in the capital Beijing has been called off. Celebrations are being scaled down in cities across the country.

Japan has canceled a traditional New Year event at which Emperor Naruhito and other imperial family members were to greet people.

In India, Delhi and several other cities have imposed a night curfew and other restrictions to prevent large New Year gatherings.

However in New Zealand, where a strict lockdown and border closures have all but eliminated Covid, New Year celebrations were held as usual.

In the US officials have placed restrictions on festivities in many states and cities. In New York the illuminated Times Square Ball will be dropped during the traditional countdown to midnight, but the area will not be open to the public.

Fireworks have been canceled in cities including San Francisco and Las Vegas.

Covid Aid: Senate Leader Mitch McConnel Blocks President Trump’s Call for $2,000 Cheques

Diane A. Wade
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0
Covid Aid: Senate Leader Mitch McConnel Blocks President Trump’s Call for $2,000 Cheques
Image source: Wikimedia Commons

Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell has rejected calls from an unlikely alliance of President Donald Trump, congressional Democrats and some Republicans to boost coronavirus aid.

The House of Representatives, held by the Democrats, had voted to increase aid cheques to Americans to $2,000.

Dozens of House Republicans, reluctant to defy President Trump, backed the increase.

Republican Mitch McConnell’s objections mean there will not be a direct vote on a revised Covid aid bill in the Senate.

He said raising aid cheques would be “another fire hose of borrowed money”.

The move could in effect kill off President Trump’s demands for bigger cash handouts to help the economy recover.

Congress had initially agreed to the smaller $600 payments in a Covid relief and government funding bill.

President Trump sent that back to Capitol Hill before Christmas, saying the stimulus payment should be higher.

He eventually, and grudgingly, signed the original bill with the lower payments into law on December 27, but has continued to demand more money.

On December 28, House Democrats – usually sworn political foes of President Trump – passed the measure for $2,000 cheques that he requested.

The president tweeted on December 29: “Unless Republicans have a death wish, and it is also the right thing to do, they must approve the $2,000 payments ASAP.”

President Trump Threatens to Block Covid-19 Relief Bill

The total number of people who have died with Covid in the US stands at nearly 350,000. There are concerns that the figure could continue to surge following Christmas and New Year gatherings.

California meanwhile became the second state to confirm a case of the new strain of the virus, considered to be highly contagious. The first case of new variant of coronavirus was confirmed in Colorado.

Mitch McConnell rejected Democrats’ calls for the upper chamber to vote on the $2,000 cheques package passed by their counterparts in the House.

The Kentucky senator said the bill had “no realistic path to quickly pass the Senate”.

Speaking in the chamber on December 30, he said: “The Senate is not going to be bullied into rushing out more borrowed money into the hands of Democrats’ rich friends who don’t need the help.”

Instead Mitch McConnell offered to roll the proposal for bigger cheques into another bill to include other measures that have been requested by President Trump but raised objections from Democratic leaders.

One would end legal protection for tech companies, known as Section 230. The other would set up a bipartisan commission to investigate President Trump’s unsubstantiated claims of systemic electoral fraud.

Democrats said Mitch McConnell’s proposal was merely a legislative poison pill designed to kill higher stimulus payments.

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent who votes with Democrats, said on the Senate floor: “All we are asking for is a vote. What is the problem?

“If you want to vote against $2,000 checks for your state, vote against it.”

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said: “What we’re seeing right now is leader McConnell trying to kill the cheques – the $2,000 cheques desperately needed by so many American families.”

The GOP usually professes an opposition to government spending as an article of faith, but some of its top conservative senators have rallied behind President Trump’s call for $2,000 cheques.

They include Marco Rubio of Florida and Josh Hawley of Missouri, both considered possible presidential contenders in 2024.

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