This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2021/nov/08/us-politics-jill-biden-covid-coronavirus-congress-washington-latest
The article has changed 20 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 16 | Version 17 |
|---|---|
| House Capitol attack committee subpoenas six more Trump associates – live | House Capitol attack committee subpoenas six more Trump associates – live |
| (31 minutes later) | |
| Michael Flynn and ex-campaign manager Bill Stepien among recipients – get the latest | Michael Flynn and ex-campaign manager Bill Stepien among recipients – get the latest |
| The US supreme court heard arguments today in a case that could determine whether the US government faces accountability for its mass surveillance of Muslim Americans after 9/11. As my colleague Ed Pilkington summarized it over the weekend: | |
| The nine justices will be asked to decide on whether Muslim US citizens who were subjected to undercover surveillance by a paid informant at their southern California mosque can receive redress through the courts. | |
| Sheikh Yassir Fazaga, Ali Malik and Yasser Abdel Rahim, the three plaintiffs, argue that they and thousands of other Muslims were targeted because of their religion, and the federal authorities who subjected them to such unconstitutional treatment should answer for that. | |
| Lawyers for the government will counter that the case should be dismissed, as litigating it would reveal intelligence about federal anti-terrorism operations that would be harmful to national security. Information on who they were investigating and why, as well as details of the FBI’s sources and methods, should remain confidential on grounds that they are “state secrets”. | |
| Ahilan Arulanantham, a human rights lawyer at UCLA who will be arguing FBI v Fazaga for the plaintiffs on Monday, told reporters that the question for the court was simple: “Will the people we represent ever get their day in court? Are the courts open to protect this community’s religious freedoms, or can the government slam the doors shut whenever it claims to be acting in the name of national security?” | |
| The LA Times reported today that the Department of Justice lawyer’s argument about national security faced skepticism from conservative and liberal justices. | |
| More background on the ACLU’s arguments here: | |
| More than 11,000 employees of Boeing are seeking an exemption to vaccine mandates on religious or medical grounds, representing nearly 9% of its US workforce, according to a new Reuters report, citing people familiar with the matter. | More than 11,000 employees of Boeing are seeking an exemption to vaccine mandates on religious or medical grounds, representing nearly 9% of its US workforce, according to a new Reuters report, citing people familiar with the matter. |
| The Biden administration has put in place a vaccine mandate for federal contractors, so the widespread reluctance of Boeing employees has left the company scrambling, Reuters reported. The news agency obtained a Boeing email that said workers had until 4 January to comply with the new rules: | The Biden administration has put in place a vaccine mandate for federal contractors, so the widespread reluctance of Boeing employees has left the company scrambling, Reuters reported. The news agency obtained a Boeing email that said workers had until 4 January to comply with the new rules: |
| More here: | More here: |
| More updates from the Kyle Rittenhouse murder trial: A man who was shot and wounded by Rittenhouse during the racial justice protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin last year, testified today, saying that he thought he “was going to die”, and, “I thought the defendant was an active shooter.” | More updates from the Kyle Rittenhouse murder trial: A man who was shot and wounded by Rittenhouse during the racial justice protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin last year, testified today, saying that he thought he “was going to die”, and, “I thought the defendant was an active shooter.” |
| From reporter Maya Yang’s coverage for the Guardian: | From reporter Maya Yang’s coverage for the Guardian: |
| President Biden was just asked if he felt there was now momentum for his Build Back Better plan. He told an NBC News reporter he was optimistic: | President Biden was just asked if he felt there was now momentum for his Build Back Better plan. He told an NBC News reporter he was optimistic: |
| Asked if he had learned any lessons from the infrastructure bill, he said, “Nothing I didn’t already know.” | Asked if he had learned any lessons from the infrastructure bill, he said, “Nothing I didn’t already know.” |
| Our coverage from over the weekend: | Our coverage from over the weekend: |
| Hi all - Sam Levin in Los Angeles here, taking over our live coverage for the rest of the day. | Hi all - Sam Levin in Los Angeles here, taking over our live coverage for the rest of the day. |
| A North Dakota GOP representative who organized a rally to oppose Covid vaccine mandates has said he was no longer able to attend the event after becoming infected with Covid. The AP reports: | A North Dakota GOP representative who organized a rally to oppose Covid vaccine mandates has said he was no longer able to attend the event after becoming infected with Covid. The AP reports: |
| Groups opposed to vaccine mandates also staged a protest in Los Angeles today as the city’s new vaccine requirements went into effect. Some municipal employees have claimed that they will quit instead of getting vaccinated, but it remains to be seen whether there will be mass resignations. | Groups opposed to vaccine mandates also staged a protest in Los Angeles today as the city’s new vaccine requirements went into effect. Some municipal employees have claimed that they will quit instead of getting vaccinated, but it remains to be seen whether there will be mass resignations. |
| Here is the full North Dakota story: | Here is the full North Dakota story: |
| That’s it from me today. My west coast colleague, Sam Levin, will take over the blog for the next few hours. | That’s it from me today. My west coast colleague, Sam Levin, will take over the blog for the next few hours. |
| Here’s where the day stands so far: | Here’s where the day stands so far: |
| The House select committee investigating the Capitol insurrection subpoenaed six more associates of former president Donald Trump. The six associates include Trump’s 2020 campaign manager, Bill Stepien, and his former national security adviser, Michael Flynn. The committee seems particularly interested in meetings that Trump’s allies held at the Willard Hotel in Washington in the days leading up to the Capitol attack. | The House select committee investigating the Capitol insurrection subpoenaed six more associates of former president Donald Trump. The six associates include Trump’s 2020 campaign manager, Bill Stepien, and his former national security adviser, Michael Flynn. The committee seems particularly interested in meetings that Trump’s allies held at the Willard Hotel in Washington in the days leading up to the Capitol attack. |
| Jill Biden kicked off her campaign to convince more American parents to vaccinate their children against coronavirus. The first lady’s kickoff event, which took place this afternoon at an elementary school in McLean, Virginia, comes less than a week after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approved the administration of a lower dose of the Pfizer vaccine to children between the ages of five and 11. | Jill Biden kicked off her campaign to convince more American parents to vaccinate their children against coronavirus. The first lady’s kickoff event, which took place this afternoon at an elementary school in McLean, Virginia, comes less than a week after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approved the administration of a lower dose of the Pfizer vaccine to children between the ages of five and 11. |
| Biden will travel to Baltimore on Wednesday to deliver a pitch on the benefits of the bipartisan infrastructure bill, after the House approved the proposal on Friday night. The president has not yet signed the bill, which includes $555bn in new federal funding for roads, bridges and railways, among many other projects. | Biden will travel to Baltimore on Wednesday to deliver a pitch on the benefits of the bipartisan infrastructure bill, after the House approved the proposal on Friday night. The president has not yet signed the bill, which includes $555bn in new federal funding for roads, bridges and railways, among many other projects. |
| Barack Obama criticized Trump’s climate policies while speaking at the Cop26 conference in Glasgow. The former president lamented his successor’s decision to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement, saying, “I wasn’t real happy about that.” But Obama predicted that Biden’s climate agenda will “set the United States on course to meet its new climate targets”. | Barack Obama criticized Trump’s climate policies while speaking at the Cop26 conference in Glasgow. The former president lamented his successor’s decision to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement, saying, “I wasn’t real happy about that.” But Obama predicted that Biden’s climate agenda will “set the United States on course to meet its new climate targets”. |
| Sam will have more coming up, so stay tuned. | Sam will have more coming up, so stay tuned. |
| In his statement on the new subpoenas, select committee chairman Bennie Thompson emphasized that the witnesses must respect the lawmakers’ requests for information. | In his statement on the new subpoenas, select committee chairman Bennie Thompson emphasized that the witnesses must respect the lawmakers’ requests for information. |
| “The Select Committee expects all witnesses to cooperate with our investigation as we work to get answers for the American people, recommend changes to our laws that will strengthen our democracy, and help ensure nothing like January 6th ever happens again,” Thompson said. | “The Select Committee expects all witnesses to cooperate with our investigation as we work to get answers for the American people, recommend changes to our laws that will strengthen our democracy, and help ensure nothing like January 6th ever happens again,” Thompson said. |
| The House has already recommended a criminal contempt charge against one of Donald Trump’s associates, Steve Bannon, for refusing to comply with the committee’s subpoenas. (The justice department has not yet decided whether to prosecute Bannon.) | The House has already recommended a criminal contempt charge against one of Donald Trump’s associates, Steve Bannon, for refusing to comply with the committee’s subpoenas. (The justice department has not yet decided whether to prosecute Bannon.) |
| The House select committee investigating the Capitol insurrection is particularly interested in meetings that Donald Trump’s allies had at the Willard Hotel in the days leading up to the attack. | The House select committee investigating the Capitol insurrection is particularly interested in meetings that Donald Trump’s allies had at the Willard Hotel in the days leading up to the attack. |
| Hugo Lowell reports: | Hugo Lowell reports: |
| According to the new statement from the select committee, at least three of the Trump associates who were subpoenaed by the panel -- Jason Miller, John Eastman and Bernard Kerik -- are believed to have participated in that January 5 meeting at the Willard. | According to the new statement from the select committee, at least three of the Trump associates who were subpoenaed by the panel -- Jason Miller, John Eastman and Bernard Kerik -- are believed to have participated in that January 5 meeting at the Willard. |
| Here are all six of the associates of former president Donald Trump who have just been subpoenaed by the House select committee investigating the Capitol insurrection: | Here are all six of the associates of former president Donald Trump who have just been subpoenaed by the House select committee investigating the Capitol insurrection: |
| Bill Stepien, who managed Trump’s reelection campaign. The committee is looking to ask him about the campaign’s alleged efforts to delay or deny certifications of Joe Biden’s victories in battleground states. | Bill Stepien, who managed Trump’s reelection campaign. The committee is looking to ask him about the campaign’s alleged efforts to delay or deny certifications of Joe Biden’s victories in battleground states. |
| Jason Miller, a former senior adviser to Trump. The committee notes Miller falsely claimed Democrats would attempt to “steal” the presidency even before the election was held. | Jason Miller, a former senior adviser to Trump. The committee notes Miller falsely claimed Democrats would attempt to “steal” the presidency even before the election was held. |
| Angela McCallum, who served as a national executive assistant to Trump’s reelection campaign. She was allegedly involved in efforts to spread lies about widespread fraud in the election. | Angela McCallum, who served as a national executive assistant to Trump’s reelection campaign. She was allegedly involved in efforts to spread lies about widespread fraud in the election. |
| John Eastman, a conservative legal scholar who reportedly urged state legislators to refuse to certify Biden’s victories. | John Eastman, a conservative legal scholar who reportedly urged state legislators to refuse to certify Biden’s victories. |
| Michael Flynn, Trump’s former national security adviser. Flynn reportedly participated in a meeting in the Oval Office last December, during which he discussed potentially seizing voting machines and declaring a national emergency in response to Biden’s victory. | Michael Flynn, Trump’s former national security adviser. Flynn reportedly participated in a meeting in the Oval Office last December, during which he discussed potentially seizing voting machines and declaring a national emergency in response to Biden’s victory. |
| Bernard Kerik, who reportedly worked with Rudy Giuliani to investigate baseless allegations of voter fraud. | Bernard Kerik, who reportedly worked with Rudy Giuliani to investigate baseless allegations of voter fraud. |
| The House select committee investigating the Capitol insurrection has issued subpoenas for six more associates of former president Donald Trump. | The House select committee investigating the Capitol insurrection has issued subpoenas for six more associates of former president Donald Trump. |
| Among those being subpoenaed are Trump’s 2020 campaign manager, Bill Stepien, and his former national security adviser, Michael Flynn. | Among those being subpoenaed are Trump’s 2020 campaign manager, Bill Stepien, and his former national security adviser, Michael Flynn. |
| According to a statement from the committee, the six individuals are all believed to have been involved in efforts to spread lies about widespread fraud in the presidential election. | According to a statement from the committee, the six individuals are all believed to have been involved in efforts to spread lies about widespread fraud in the presidential election. |
| “In the days before the January 6th attack, the former President’s closest allies and advisors drove a campaign of misinformation about the election and planned ways to stop the count of Electoral College votes,” committee chairman Bennie Thompson said. | “In the days before the January 6th attack, the former President’s closest allies and advisors drove a campaign of misinformation about the election and planned ways to stop the count of Electoral College votes,” committee chairman Bennie Thompson said. |
| “The Select Committee needs to know every detail about their efforts to overturn the election, including who they were talking to in the White House and in Congress, what connections they had with rallies that escalated into a riot, and who paid for it all.” | “The Select Committee needs to know every detail about their efforts to overturn the election, including who they were talking to in the White House and in Congress, what connections they had with rallies that escalated into a riot, and who paid for it all.” |
| Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Bucks have arrived at the White House to celebrate their victory in the 2021 NBA championships. | Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Bucks have arrived at the White House to celebrate their victory in the 2021 NBA championships. |
| The team shared a photo from the White House on Twitter: | The team shared a photo from the White House on Twitter: |
| Joe Biden will soon hold an event on the South Lawn to congratulate the team on their victory, so stay tuned. | Joe Biden will soon hold an event on the South Lawn to congratulate the team on their victory, so stay tuned. |
| The principal of Franklin Sherman Elementary School, Kathleen Quigley, welcomed Jill Biden and Vivek Murthy to the pop-up vaccination clinic for students. | The principal of Franklin Sherman Elementary School, Kathleen Quigley, welcomed Jill Biden and Vivek Murthy to the pop-up vaccination clinic for students. |
| When asked for her message to parents who are hesitant to vaccinate their children, the first lady said she would tell them that the vaccines are “great, effective and free”. | When asked for her message to parents who are hesitant to vaccinate their children, the first lady said she would tell them that the vaccines are “great, effective and free”. |
| According to a pool report, about 260 children will be vaccinated at Franklin Sherman today. The majority of those children attend the elementary school. | According to a pool report, about 260 children will be vaccinated at Franklin Sherman today. The majority of those children attend the elementary school. |