Twitter, Facebook muzzle Trump amid Capitol violence
In an unprecedented step, Facebook and Twitter suspended President Donald Trump from posting to their platforms Wednesday following the storming of the U.S. Capitol by his supporters.
Associated Press
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Warnock, Ossoff win in Georgia, handing Senate control to Democrats
Democratic challengers Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock defeated Republicans David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler. The sweep in Georgia creates a 50-50 tie in the Senate that can be broken by Vice President-elect Kamala Harris.
Warnock makes history with Senate win in Georgia as Dems near control
Democrats locked up one victory in the Georgia Senate runoff elections and held an edge in the other as votes were still being counted early Wednesday morning. A sweep would result in a 50-50 tie in the Senate that could be broken by Vice President-elect Kamala Harris.
Indiana GOP Sen. Young says he’ll vote to uphold Biden win
Republican Indiana Sen. Todd Young said Wednesday he would “uphold my constitutional duty and certify the will of the states as presented.”
Governors scramble to speed vaccine effort after slow start
More than three weeks into the vaccination campaign, just 4.8 million people in the U.S. had gotten their first shot out of 17 million doses distributed as of Wednesday morning, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Congress set to confirm Biden’s electoral win over Trump
More than a dozen Republican senators led by Josh Hawley of Missouri and Ted Cruz of Texas, along with as many as 100 House Republicans, are pressing ahead to raise objections to the state results of Biden’s win.
Holcomb avoiding stance on GOP’s Biden challenge
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb said he wasn’t taking a stance on the challenge that’s picked up support from Indiana Sen. Mike Braun and at least two of the state’s seven Republican U.S. House members.
American Airlines grounding emotional-support animals
The number of passengers flying with companion animals grew rapidly in recent years, with some saying the animals helped them overcome anxiety and other issues.
Some taxpayers find relief payments sent to wrong account
A number of taxpayers who use tax preparation services, such as H&R Block and TurboTax, say their second relief payments were sent to the incorrect bank account, forcing them to wait longer for their money.
U.S. factories grew in December at fastest pace since mid-2018
The U.S. economy collapsed from April through June but since that time manufacturing has posted solid gains, while the services sector, which includes restaurants, bars and the travel industry, has been harder hit.
Loyal soldier Pence torn between Trump, Constitution
Vice President Mike Pence finds himself in the most precarious position of his tenure as he prepares to preside over Wednesday’s congressional tally of Electoral College votes.
Contribution by Amazon’s Bezos tops list of richest charitable gifts in 2020
Nike founder Phil Knight and his wife, Penny, made the second- and third-largest donations last year, according to the Chronicle of Philanthropy’s annual list of top donations.
Vaccination drive enters new phase in United States, Britain
The first Americans inoculated against COVID-19 began rolling up their sleeves for their second and final dose Monday, while Britain introduced another vaccine.
Stocks fall as trading starts for year of great expectations
The S&P 500, which ended 2020 at an all-time high, slid 1.5% after earlier dropping as much as 2.5%. It was the benchmark index’s biggest decline since late October.
Three corporate giants ending venture to address health care costs
Haven, which was formed in 2018 by Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan to attack soaring costs, will cease operations by the end of February.
Fiat Chrysler, Peugeot shareholders approve merger
The merged company, to be called Stellantis, will be the world’s fourth-largest auto business. The merger combines legacy car companies that helped write the industrial histories of the United States, France and Italy.
Fauci: Vaccinations ramping up after slower-than-expected start
Dr. Anthony Fauci expressed optimism that the momentum will pick up by mid-January and that ultimately the U.S. will be vaccinating 1 million people a day.
Pelosi narrowly reelected speaker, faces difficult two years
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., accused Pelosi of leading “the least productive Congress in nearly 50 years,” and said there was a clear message in last November’s elections, when Republicans gained seats by defeating a dozen Democratic incumbents.
Republican leaders squabble over ‘scheme’ to undo election for Trump
President Donald Trump has enlisted support from a dozen Republican senators and up to 100 House Republicans to challenge the Electoral College vote when Congress convenes in a joint session to confirm President-elect Joe Biden’s 306-232 victory.
Minority-owned companies waited months for loans, analysis shows
The SBA did not address the timing of loans to minority-owned businesses, but said $133 billion, or 25%, of PPP funding went to companies in economically disadvantaged areas known as Historically Underutilized Business Zones, and 27% went to low and moderate-income neighborhoods.