The impeachment trial of US' Former President Donald Trump has begun. Senate has declared it constitutional on the very first day. By a vote of 56 to 44, the Senate rejected arguments by Trump's attorneys, who asserted that holding an impeachment trial of a former president is unconstitutional.

US: Impeachment trial of Ex-President Trump begins

Bret Stephens: Good morning, Gail. Let’s not start with impeachment trial No. 2, if only because I’d rather not have to think about you-know-who from the start.

Over the weekend I read The Times’ distressing account of a new migrant crisis brewing at the border. Thousands of families on the Mexican side of the U.S.-Mexico border are betting that laxer rules coming from the Biden administration will make it easier for them to get to the United States and remain here. And tougher rules by the Mexican government make it more difficult for the U.S. to deport them back to Mexico. Throw in fears about further spread of the coronavirus, and it has the makings of the administration’s first self-made crisis.

You know that I’m a big supporter of comprehensive immigration reform. But President [Joe] Biden’s promise to take a more compassionate approach to migrants just seems primed to generate another humanitarian disaster, not to mention a political gift to the Trumpian right. Your thoughts?

Gail Collins: Bret, I’m in need of a little cheer. We’re not even halfway through pandemic February. Can’t we block out the border crisis and talk about … the Super Bowl? Really, times like these are why they invented sports.

Bret: The Super Bowl left me too depressed for words. Let’s stick to happier topics, like the border crisis.

Gail: OK then. The border situation is a mess. It’s been a mess for ages. [Barack] Obama struggled with it. [Donald] Trump built his presidential candidacy around that Great Wall theory. Wall never got finished, and he made everything worse.

Bret: Don’t tell anyone, but I’ve grown more sympathetic to the idea of a wall as part of an overall solution.

Gail: My lips are sealed. The answer is going to have to be a combination of a more efficient method of handling the cases of border applicants for admission, reforming enforcement so the American side isn’t stuffed with people who hate the immigrants. And then we’ve got the Dreamers …

Bret: Immediate citizenship for the Dreamers. A long but straightforward path to citizenship for those who are here already and have broken no laws besides being undocumented. A humane and generous policy with respect to political refugees. Well-regulated ports of entry. Strict enforcement of the law. The overall immigration solution seems pretty clear to me.

Gail: So far, not much argument here. Go on.

Bret: The problem is politics. As with Newton’s third law of motion, every progressive action will have an equal and opposite Trumpian reaction. Which is why Biden needs to seize the middle ground here.

Gail: All I was hoping for in early Biden was a pledge to tackle the problem and an infusion of new officials who had an attitude that was both sympathetic and realistic. We’ve gotten that. Much, much more to come.

Bret: Well, it’s definitely nicer to have arguments over policy than to worry together about the death of liberal democracy.

Gail: Sure, although by summertime we may have ground through so many policy arguments we’ll be wistfully recalling the time when all we had to do was yowl about Trump in total sync.

Bret: Speaking of policy, even Larry Summers is worried that Biden’s $1.9 trillion stimulus is, as they used to say about New York City rents, too damn high. It probably won’t surprise you that I agree with him. Do you see no risk in such a giant bill?

Gail: Summers sort of makes his reputation off disagreeing with liberal policy in a way that causes people to say, “Even Larry Summers …”

Bret: Noted. And largely off topic: Last month I took my filthy rental car through a carwash in Santa Fe, New Mexico, thus disproving Summers’ Law that “in the history of the world, no one has ever washed a rental car.” Sorry, go on.

Gail: But about the Biden plan. We’re in one of those economic holes that needs a big, big jolt to get things running well again. And the final program is very likely to be stripped of some of the big things you objected to, like the $15 minimum wage.

Bret: Best New York Times editorial headline ever: “The Right Minimum Wage: $0.00.” Oh how I miss the 1980s.

Gail: And it appears that the Biden administration is open to capping the income level for receiving COVID relief.

Bret: It’s an improvement that relief may now be capped at $2,800 for couples making less than $100,000 a year (or $1,400 for individuals making less than $50,000). But I’d rather we spend more money on the neediest rather than sending relief to the middle class.

Gail: Still, we’re close to an agreement, and I’d think you’d be waving flags like all the poor football fans stuck alone in their living rooms Sunday night.

Bret: Hey, every day that I see a picture of the Oval Office and Donald Trump isn’t in it is a good day. Speaking of which, what do you make of the votes on Marjorie Taylor Greene and Liz Cheney? I’m guessing this might have been the first time the words “Yay, Cheney” crossed your mind.

Gail: True, so true. But hey, it’s a new generation. Yay, Cheney. Hope she continues to ignore the Republican House leaders’ request that she apologize for voting to impeach Trump.

Interesting how little anybody’s been talking about Trump’s trial this week, including us. Maybe the Super Bowl got in the way, but I’m thinking the country is maybe just Done With Trump. Now there’s a good slogan for a T-shirt.

Bret: You’re looking too much on the bright side, Gail. The simple fact is that Trump is very likely to get away with inciting an insurrection against Congress and American democracy, thanks to the complicity of spineless and unprincipled Republicans. And to go back to your earlier point for a second, is there anything more disgusting than Kevin McCarthy asking Cheney to apologize for her vote to impeach?

Gail: I presume Cheney will survive this, one way or another. But what about Greene? Now that the Crazy Congresswoman has been stripped of her committees, I guess she’s free to wander around the country giving speeches, holding rallies. And what I’m wondering is whether, at some point, she’ll be joined by Trump, who has got to be itching to get back into the whipping-up-10,000-people business.

Bret: The establishment conservative view is that last week was a big win for the GOP: They beat back the Trumpy challenge to Cheney’s position in the House leadership, while getting Greene to renounce her craziest conspiracy theories. And there’s some polling that suggests that Republican support for a Trump 2024 run is on the wane.

But Greene hasn’t been chastened. She’s been emboldened. And Cheney has been censured by the Wyoming GOP and is likely to face a primary challenge, as is every other Republican who’s tried to show independence from Trump. One of them is Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska, who released a video saying that “politics isn’t about the weird worship of one dude.” Good for him, but this sets the party up for a big civil war in the next few years. That’s good news for Democrats, provided the administration doesn’t stumble or give conservatives gifts like another border crisis.

In the meantime, and if you don’t mind me asking, have you gotten your shot?

Gail: Yeah, moving toward vaccination No. 2. How about you?

Bret: That’s great! Moderna or Pfizer?

Gail: Pfizer. As we’ve noted, this is definitely the big conversation of the moment. Or at least the Super Bowl of current events.

Bret: As for me, I just checked the state’s guidelines, and it looks like I’ll be eligible sometime in the summer. That’s as it should be, since I’m not in any of the obvious risk categories (although maybe someone should classify my political views as a medical disorder requiring priority care).

Gail: Only in Manhattan.

Bret: What bothers me is that my mom will only be getting her first shot next week, when she should have gotten it last month. And I still don’t understand why. Why the complicated categories? First responders first, then everyone born before 1960, preferably in drive-thru facilities. The rollout here feels like it was conceived by Rube Goldberg and drawn by M.C. Escher.

Gail: I appreciate that you’re right, yet we’re kinda in a place where who-gets-first is secondary to how-we-get-this-stopped.

About 1.3 million people are getting a dose every day now, with more on some days, so let’s see how it goes and then revisit this conversation. Meanwhile, here’s a totally unrelated question for you. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren say Joe Biden should forgive most of the college student debt. What’s your thought?

Bret: I know this will shock you, but I’m totally opposed. As our colleague David Leonhardt noted a while back, it’s basically a giant giveaway to the upper middle class. What I’m really in favor of is getting more young people to explore alternatives to four-year colleges.

Gail: We can do both, but go on …

Bret: We should invest heavily in community colleges, encourage schools to move toward three-year B.A. programs, invest in national-service programs in the spirit of the Civilian Conservation Corps or the National Guard, urge private companies to create more apprenticeship programs, tell our kids to take a gap year or two, and get away from the idea that a college degree is a prerequisite for a good job or a “serious” career.

Gail: All good ideas, but there’s a long, long way to go before most kids have a really clear idea of what the non-college options are. So I wouldn’t want to take it out on all the kids who went into hock at the encouragement of both academia and the government. The Trump administration supported some terrible for-profit colleges that really robbed students with the promises of preparing them for lucrative careers.

Bret: The smartest person I know never went to college, and the dumbest are often the most credentialed.

OK, there’s my rant of the week. Let me know when you get that second shot so we can get together for an evening of wine, cheese and gossip.

Bret Stephens: Good morning, Gail. Let’s not start with impeachment trial No. 2, if only because I’d rather not have to think about you-know-who from the start. Over the weekend I read The Times’ distressing account of a new migrant crisis brewing at the border.

Bret Stephens: Good morning, Gail. Let’s not start with impeachment trial No. 2, if only because I’d rather not have to think about you-know-who from the start. Over the weekend I read The Times’ distressing account of a new migrant crisis brewing at the border. Thousands of families on the Mexican side of the U.S.-Mexico border are betting that laxer rules coming from the Biden administration will make it easier for them to get to the United States and remain here. And tougher rules by the Mexican government make it more difficult for the U.S. to deport them back to Mexico. Throw in fears about further spread of the coronavirus, and it has the makings of the administration’s first self-made crisis. You know that I’m a big supporter of comprehensive immigration reform. But President [Joe] Biden’s promise to take a more compassionate approach to migrants just seems primed to generate another humanitarian disaster, not to mention a political gift to the Trumpian right. Your thoughts? Gail Collins: Bret, I’m in need of a little cheer. We’re not even halfway through pandemic February. Can’t we block out the border crisis and talk about … the Super Bowl? Really, times like these are why they invented sports. Bret: The Super Bowl left me too depressed for words. Let’s stick to happier topics, like the border crisis. Gail: OK then. The border situation is a mess. It’s been a mess for ages. [Barack] Obama struggled with it. [Donald] Trump built his presidential candidacy around that Great Wall theory. Wall never got finished, and he made everything worse. Bret: Don’t tell anyone, but I’ve grown more sympathetic to the idea of a wall as part of an overall solution. Gail: My lips are sealed. The answer is going to have to be a combination of a more efficient method of handling the cases of border applicants for admission, reforming enforcement so the American side isn’t stuffed with people who hate the immigrants. And then we’ve got the Dreamers … Bret: Immediate citizenship for the Dreamers. A long but straightforward path to citizenship for those who are here already and have broken no laws besides being undocumented. A humane and generous policy with respect to political refugees. Well-regulated ports of entry. Strict enforcement of the law. The overall immigration solution seems pretty clear to me. Gail: So far, not much argument here. Go on. Bret: The problem is politics. As with Newton’s third law of motion, every progressive action will have an equal and opposite Trumpian reaction. Which is why Biden needs to seize the middle ground here. Gail: All I was hoping for in early Biden was a pledge to tackle the problem and an infusion of new officials who had an attitude that was both sympathetic and realistic. We’ve gotten that. Much, much more to come. Bret: Well, it’s definitely nicer to have arguments over policy than to worry together about the death of liberal democracy. Gail: Sure, although by summertime we may have ground through so many policy arguments we’ll be wistfully recalling the time when all we had to do was yowl about Trump in total sync. Bret: Speaking of policy, even Larry Summers is worried that Biden’s $1.9 trillion stimulus is, as they used to say about New York City rents, too damn high. It probably won’t surprise you that I agree with him. Do you see no risk in such a giant bill? Gail: Summers sort of makes his reputation off disagreeing with liberal policy in a way that causes people to say, “Even Larry Summers …” Bret: Noted. And largely off topic: Last month I took my filthy rental car through a carwash in Santa Fe, New Mexico, thus disproving Summers’ Law that “in the history of the world, no one has ever washed a rental car.” Sorry, go on. Gail: But about the Biden plan. We’re in one of those economic holes that needs a big, big jolt to get things running well again. And the final program is very likely to be stripped of some of the big things you objected to, like the $15 minimum wage. Bret: Best New York Times editorial headline ever: “The Right Minimum Wage: $0.00.” Oh how I miss the 1980s. Gail: And it appears that the Biden administration is open to capping the income level for receiving COVID relief. Bret: It’s an improvement that relief may now be capped at $2,800 for couples making less than $100,000 a year (or $1,400 for individuals making less than $50,000). But I’d rather we spend more money on the neediest rather than sending relief to the middle class. Gail: Still, we’re close to an agreement, and I’d think you’d be waving flags like all the poor football fans stuck alone in their living rooms Sunday night. Bret: Hey, every day that I see a picture of the Oval Office and Donald Trump isn’t in it is a good day. Speaking of which, what do you make of the votes on Marjorie Taylor Greene and Liz Cheney? I’m guessing this might have been the first time the words “Yay, Cheney” crossed your mind. Gail: True, so true. But hey, it’s a new generation. Yay, Cheney. Hope she continues to ignore the Republican House leaders’ request that she apologize for voting to impeach Trump. Interesting how little anybody’s been talking about Trump’s trial this week, including us. Maybe the Super Bowl got in the way, but I’m thinking the country is maybe just Done With Trump. Now there’s a good slogan for a T-shirt. Bret: You’re looking too much on the bright side, Gail. The simple fact is that Trump is very likely to get away with inciting an insurrection against Congress and American democracy, thanks to the complicity of spineless and unprincipled Republicans. And to go back to your earlier point for a second, is there anything more disgusting than Kevin McCarthy asking Cheney to apologize for her vote to impeach? Gail: I presume Cheney will survive this, one way or another. But what about Greene? Now that the Crazy Congresswoman has been stripped of her committees, I guess she’s free to wander around the country giving speeches, holding rallies. And what I’m wondering is whether, at some point, she’ll be joined by Trump, who has got to be itching to get back into the whipping-up-10,000-people business. Bret: The establishment conservative view is that last week was a big win for the GOP: They beat back the Trumpy challenge to Cheney’s position in the House leadership, while getting Greene to renounce her craziest conspiracy theories. And there’s some polling that suggests that Republican support for a Trump 2024 run is on the wane. But Greene hasn’t been chastened. She’s been emboldened. And Cheney has been censured by the Wyoming GOP and is likely to face a primary challenge, as is every other Republican who’s tried to show independence from Trump. One of them is Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska, who released a video saying that “politics isn’t about the weird worship of one dude.” Good for him, but this sets the party up for a big civil war in the next few years. That’s good news for Democrats, provided the administration doesn’t stumble or give conservatives gifts like another border crisis. In the meantime, and if you don’t mind me asking, have you gotten your shot? Gail: Yeah, moving toward vaccination No. 2. How about you? Bret: That’s great! Moderna or Pfizer? Gail: Pfizer. As we’ve noted, this is definitely the big conversation of the moment. Or at least the Super Bowl of current events. Bret: As for me, I just checked the state’s guidelines, and it looks like I’ll be eligible sometime in the summer. That’s as it should be, since I’m not in any of the obvious risk categories (although maybe someone should classify my political views as a medical disorder requiring priority care). Gail: Only in Manhattan. Bret: What bothers me is that my mom will only be getting her first shot next week, when she should have gotten it last month. And I still don’t understand why. Why the complicated categories? First responders first, then everyone born before 1960, preferably in drive-thru facilities. The rollout here feels like it was conceived by Rube Goldberg and drawn by M.C. Escher. Gail: I appreciate that you’re right, yet we’re kinda in a place where who-gets-first is secondary to how-we-get-this-stopped. About 1.3 million people are getting a dose every day now, with more on some days, so let’s see how it goes and then revisit this conversation. Meanwhile, here’s a totally unrelated question for you. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren say Joe Biden should forgive most of the college student debt. What’s your thought? Bret: I know this will shock you, but I’m totally opposed. As our colleague David Leonhardt noted a while back, it’s basically a giant giveaway to the upper middle class. What I’m really in favor of is getting more young people to explore alternatives to four-year colleges. Gail: We can do both, but go on … Bret: We should invest heavily in community colleges, encourage schools to move toward three-year B.A. programs, invest in national-service programs in the spirit of the Civilian Conservation Corps or the National Guard, urge private companies to create more apprenticeship programs, tell our kids to take a gap year or two, and get away from the idea that a college degree is a prerequisite for a good job or a “serious” career. Gail: All good ideas, but there’s a long, long way to go before most kids have a really clear idea of what the non-college options are. So I wouldn’t want to take it out on all the kids who went into hock at the encouragement of both academia and the government. The Trump administration supported some terrible for-profit colleges that really robbed students with the promises of preparing them for lucrative careers. Bret: The smartest person I know never went to college, and the dumbest are often the most credentialed. OK, there’s my rant of the week. Let me know when you get that second shot so we can get together for an evening of wine, cheese and gossip.

Opinion: What if they held an impeachment trial and nobody came?

Donald Trump's ex-lawyer Michael Cohen has had porn star Stormy Daniels talk about her alleged tryst with the billionaire on a podcast, four years after he helped buy her silence.

"I know I put you through needless pain," Cohen tells Daniels during their chat, released overnight Monday and Tuesday. "For that I am truly apologetic," he adds.

At the end of the exchange, which lasts almost an hour and a half, Cohen adds: "Thank you for giving me a second chance. I do really appreciate it."

Cohen, Trump's personal lawyer for ten years, was sentenced to three years in prison in 2018 for, among other offenses, paying Daniels $130,000 to keep quiet about her alleged liaison with Trump.

The hush payment, made shortly before the 2016 presidential election, violated campaign finance laws.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/adult-film-star-stormy-daniels-terms-sexual-encounter-with-donald-trump-as-worst-90-seconds-of-her-life-362407" hreflang="en">Adult-film star Stormy Daniels terms sexual encounter with Donald Trump as 'worst 90 seconds' of her life</a>

Cohen, 54, is serving the remainder of his sentence under house arrest in Manhattan due to the coronavirus pandemic.

He has been regularly broadcasting a podcast from his home since September.

In the latest episode, Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, recalls in explicit detail the evening in 2006 when she says she had sex with Trump.

Daniels had already spoken about the alleged incident in a book published in 2018.

"The worst 90 seconds of my life," she told Cohen.

Daniels adds that the publicity has allowed her to earn money and travel "but if I had a magic wand and could go back to the way it was before I would absolutely do that."

"I am probably going to die alone because of this," she told Cohen.

"Being a porn star is hard enough... Who is going to go out with me?" Daniels adds.

Daniels, who has taken a defamation suit against Trump for calling her a liar all the way to the Supreme Court, is expecting a "second wave" of controversy now he is no longer president.

"A lot of the stalling that was happening in my cases was because this had never happened before," she explained, adding that the legal system "didn't know how to do something to a sitting president."

"I believe it's just about to kick off again," she told Cohen.

Donald Trump's ex-lawyer Michael Cohen has had porn star Stormy Daniels talk about her alleged tryst with the billionaire on a podcast, four years after he helped buy her silence.

Donald Trump's ex-lawyer Michael Cohen has had porn star Stormy Daniels talk about her alleged tryst with the billionaire on a podcast, four years after he helped buy her silence. "I know I put you through needless pain," Cohen tells Daniels during their chat, released overnight Monday and Tuesday. "For that I am truly apologetic," he adds. At the end of the exchange, which lasts almost an hour and a half, Cohen adds: "Thank you for giving me a second chance. I do really appreciate it." Cohen, Trump's personal lawyer for ten years, was sentenced to three years in prison in 2018 for, among other offenses, paying Daniels $130,000 to keep quiet about her alleged liaison with Trump. The hush payment, made shortly before the 2016 presidential election, violated campaign finance laws. Also read| Adult-film star Stormy Daniels terms sexual encounter with Donald Trump as 'worst 90 seconds' of her life Cohen, 54, is serving the remainder of his sentence under house arrest in Manhattan due to the coronavirus pandemic. He has been regularly broadcasting a podcast from his home since September. In the latest episode, Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, recalls in explicit detail the evening in 2006 when she says she had sex with Trump. Daniels had already spoken about the alleged incident in a book published in 2018. "The worst 90 seconds of my life," she told Cohen. Daniels adds that the publicity has allowed her to earn money and travel "but if I had a magic wand and could go back to the way it was before I would absolutely do that." "I am probably going to die alone because of this," she told Cohen. "Being a porn star is hard enough... Who is going to go out with me?" Daniels adds. Daniels, who has taken a defamation suit against Trump for calling her a liar all the way to the Supreme Court, is expecting a "second wave" of controversy now he is no longer president. "A lot of the stalling that was happening in my cases was because this had never happened before," she explained, adding that the legal system "didn't know how to do something to a sitting president." "I believe it's just about to kick off again," she told Cohen.

Trump's ex-lawyer apologizes to porn star Stormy Daniels

The United States said that it would re-engage with the UN Human Rights Council, nearly three years after former president Donald Trump’s administration withdrew.

US moves to re-engage with UN Human Rights Council

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump's</a> historic second impeachment trial, which opens Tuesday, will follow rules codified in 1868, but the proceedings will run on a tight schedule agreed by Republicans and Democrats.

Pre-trial formalities

After the Capitol riots of January 6, the House of Representatives formally accused Trump of "incitement of insurrection" on January 13, just a week before the defeated president left office.

On January 25, the article of impeachment was delivered by House "managers" to the Senate, the upper chamber.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/former-us-president-donald-trumps-legal-team-blasts-absurd-impeachment-on-eve-of-trial-362293" hreflang="en">Former US President Donald Trump's legal team blasts 'absurd' impeachment on eve of trial</a>

The next day, 100 senators were sworn in as jurors. They negotiated how the case would unfurl at the same time that Joe Biden's new administration works to secure key appointments and to pass a massive Covid economic package.

The trial will take place every afternoon, and the schedule could continue through the weekend after one of Trump's attorneys withdrew his request that the Senate pause on Saturday for religious reasons.

Debate on trial legality

Tuesday will open on legal debate, with Trump's team arguing he cannot even be tried in the Senate since he has left power.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/opinion-what-if-they-held-an-impeachment-trial-and-nobody-came-362280" hreflang="en">Opinion: What if they held an impeachment trial and nobody came?</a>

Democrats will respond that there is precedent, and that the former president must be tried to dissuade future attempts to overturn election results.

Each side will have two hours to present its arguments, and the senators will then vote, by a simple majority, on whether to proceed.

With Democrats narrowly in control of the Senate, the trial is unlikely to end there.

Opening arguments

From Wednesday, the prosecution and then the defense will have 16 hours each to present their arguments.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trumps-second-impeachment-trial-to-open-with-debate-on-constitutionality-source-362264" hreflang="en">Trump's second impeachment trial to open with debate on constitutionality: Source</a>

Democrats prosecutors, led by Jamie Raskin, are expected to show videos of Trump's supporters storming the Capitol -- and Trump's incendiary speech just before the riot.

"You'll never take back our country with weakness," Trump told the crowd outside the nearby White House, urging them to "fight like hell."

In return, his lawyers may present speeches by Democrats allegedly whipping up unrest, and will say Trump's speech is protected by freedom of expression.

Oral arguments will could end Friday, or extend into early next week.

Senators' questions

Senators are expected to then have four hours to put questions to both parties.

The two sides will speak again for one hour each if they wish to request or contest summoning of witnesses or additional evidence.

The requests will be decided by simple-majority vote. Both the Democrats and Republicans may wish to move quickly to complete the trial.

The Democrats want to move on and implement Biden's agenda, while the Republicans want to present the trial as a quick and conclusive win.

The verdict

In the final stage, prosecution will have two hours to deliver its indictment and the defense two hours to respond.

Senators can then retire to deliberate and come to a verdict.

According to the Constitution, it will take a two-thirds majority, or 67 senators, for Trump to be found guilty -- a threshold that is not expected to be met.

If he was nevertheless convicted, senators would still have to vote by a simple majority on wheher to bar him from holding office again.&nbsp;

Donald Trump's historic second impeachment trial, which opens Tuesday, will follow rules codified in 1868, but the proceedings will run on a tight schedule agreed by Republicans and Democrats.

Donald Trump's historic second impeachment trial, which opens Tuesday, will follow rules codified in 1868, but the proceedings will run on a tight schedule agreed by Republicans and Democrats. Pre-trial formalities After the Capitol riots of January 6, the House of Representatives formally accused Trump of "incitement of insurrection" on January 13, just a week before the defeated president left office. On January 25, the article of impeachment was delivered by House "managers" to the Senate, the upper chamber. Also read| Former US President Donald Trump's legal team blasts 'absurd' impeachment on eve of trial The next day, 100 senators were sworn in as jurors. They negotiated how the case would unfurl at the same time that Joe Biden's new administration works to secure key appointments and to pass a massive Covid economic package. The trial will take place every afternoon, and the schedule could continue through the weekend after one of Trump's attorneys withdrew his request that the Senate pause on Saturday for religious reasons. Debate on trial legality Tuesday will open on legal debate, with Trump's team arguing he cannot even be tried in the Senate since he has left power. Also read| Opinion: What if they held an impeachment trial and nobody came? Democrats will respond that there is precedent, and that the former president must be tried to dissuade future attempts to overturn election results. Each side will have two hours to present its arguments, and the senators will then vote, by a simple majority, on whether to proceed. With Democrats narrowly in control of the Senate, the trial is unlikely to end there. Opening arguments From Wednesday, the prosecution and then the defense will have 16 hours each to present their arguments. Also read| Trump's second impeachment trial to open with debate on constitutionality: Source Democrats prosecutors, led by Jamie Raskin, are expected to show videos of Trump's supporters storming the Capitol -- and Trump's incendiary speech just before the riot. "You'll never take back our country with weakness," Trump told the crowd outside the nearby White House, urging them to "fight like hell." In return, his lawyers may present speeches by Democrats allegedly whipping up unrest, and will say Trump's speech is protected by freedom of expression. Oral arguments will could end Friday, or extend into early next week. Senators' questions Senators are expected to then have four hours to put questions to both parties. The two sides will speak again for one hour each if they wish to request or contest summoning of witnesses or additional evidence. The requests will be decided by simple-majority vote. Both the Democrats and Republicans may wish to move quickly to complete the trial. The Democrats want to move on and implement Biden's agenda, while the Republicans want to present the trial as a quick and conclusive win. The verdict In the final stage, prosecution will have two hours to deliver its indictment and the defense two hours to respond. Senators can then retire to deliberate and come to a verdict. According to the Constitution, it will take a two-thirds majority, or 67 senators, for Trump to be found guilty -- a threshold that is not expected to be met. If he was nevertheless convicted, senators would still have to vote by a simple majority on wheher to bar him from holding office again.

Fast pace expected for Trump's second impeachment trial

For decades the US-dominated the world politically, diplomatically, economically, culturally and scientifically. America's influence was unmatched in every way possible...

It was called the most powerful nation since imperial Rome, one that was stronger than any likely combination of other nations, the world's tallest buildings were in America. The world's biggest factories were American and so was the biggest movie industry, the best health-care system, and the best law and order. Cut to 2021 and America's share in the global pie is much smaller, the playing field has levelled, the tallest buildings are in Dubai, the biggest factories are Chinese and the biggest movie industry is Indian.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-can-biden-reclaim-americas-place-in-the-world-362274/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

America's health-care system is in a sorry state as India is vaccinating the world. There's a breakdown of law and order. America is grappling with political unrest and racial divide. The US now looks similar to the countries it once tried to liberate and it is no longer in a position to impose its views, interests and values on the world.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/as-joe-biden-takes-over-the-us-does-the-world-trust-him-362269">As Joe Biden takes over the US, does the world trust him?</a>

The US President, Joe Biden, said, "America is back. America is back". That may not be completely true as the world order has changed since the Democrats were last in power. There are too many challenges at home for the Biden administration to take a lead on global issues.

America remains the worst-hit nation due to COVID-19 with 27 million cases and counting, and over 460,000 deaths and counting. Schools are yet to reopen in many states. Vaccines are not reaching the minority communities even as the UK variant is spreading rapidly.

A new study says the mutated virus is doubling every 10 days and could become America's dominant strain by March potentially driving up the number of cases and causing more deaths.&nbsp;

American politics is beyond the point of repair. The Republicans are rallying behind Trump, dismissing the impeachment as a waste of time. The Democrats have not wavered, they won't rest until Trump is convicted. This ceaseless political war is hampering legislation. The Republicans say their freedoms are being taken away.

"We have Nancy Pelosi leading the democrats in congress to do whatever they want. They don't care what Republicans have to say. They don't care about what our districts and our voters have to say. They only care about pushing their socialist agenda through. They only care about taking away our freedoms. That's not right," said Republican US Representative from Georgia, Marjorie Taylor Greene.

Americans have become deeply distrustful of one another as they disagree with each other's beliefs, policies and plans. In a poll conducted by the Associated Press, 85 per cent of registered voters described Americans as being deeply divided in their values and only 15 per cent said that democracy was working.

In yet another poll conducted by CBS News in January this year, 54 per cent said that the biggest threat to America wasn't economic collapse, natural disasters or foreign interference, but America's own citizens. This difference in ideologies reflects in the racial divide.

Joe Biden is promising to make America diverse again, but it will take time to undo the impact of Donald Trump's presidency.

According to Kaiser health news analysis, the vaccination rates among black Americans are significantly lower than that of white Americans. In Indiana, 85.8 per cent of the vaccinated population is white and only 4 per cent are blacks. In Tennessee, 68.15 per cent are whites, 6.7 per cent are blacks and in Florida 63.7 per cent are whites and only 4.9 per cent are blacks.

Researches blame limited access and mistreatment of the black community in health-care for this disparity.

While Biden claims "America is back", that may not be true, nd the country is in fact in a state of decline. Joe Biden will have to clean the mess in his own backyard first before he embarks on his self-righteous promise of making the world better.

For decades the US-dominated the world politically, diplomatically, economically, culturally and scientifically. America's influence was unmatched in every way possible.

For decades the US-dominated the world politically, diplomatically, economically, culturally and scientifically. America's influence was unmatched in every way possible... It was called the most powerful nation since imperial Rome, one that was stronger than any likely combination of other nations, the world's tallest buildings were in America. The world's biggest factories were American and so was the biggest movie industry, the best health-care system, and the best law and order. Cut to 2021 and America's share in the global pie is much smaller, the playing field has levelled, the tallest buildings are in Dubai, the biggest factories are Chinese and the biggest movie industry is Indian. America's health-care system is in a sorry state as India is vaccinating the world. There's a breakdown of law and order. America is grappling with political unrest and racial divide. The US now looks similar to the countries it once tried to liberate and it is no longer in a position to impose its views, interests and values on the world. Also read| As Joe Biden takes over the US, does the world trust him? The US President, Joe Biden, said, "America is back. America is back". That may not be completely true as the world order has changed since the Democrats were last in power. There are too many challenges at home for the Biden administration to take a lead on global issues. America remains the worst-hit nation due to COVID-19 with 27 million cases and counting, and over 460,000 deaths and counting. Schools are yet to reopen in many states. Vaccines are not reaching the minority communities even as the UK variant is spreading rapidly. A new study says the mutated virus is doubling every 10 days and could become America's dominant strain by March potentially driving up the number of cases and causing more deaths. American politics is beyond the point of repair. The Republicans are rallying behind Trump, dismissing the impeachment as a waste of time. The Democrats have not wavered, they won't rest until Trump is convicted. This ceaseless political war is hampering legislation. The Republicans say their freedoms are being taken away. "We have Nancy Pelosi leading the democrats in congress to do whatever they want. They don't care what Republicans have to say. They don't care about what our districts and our voters have to say. They only care about pushing their socialist agenda through. They only care about taking away our freedoms. That's not right," said Republican US Representative from Georgia, Marjorie Taylor Greene. Americans have become deeply distrustful of one another as they disagree with each other's beliefs, policies and plans. In a poll conducted by the Associated Press, 85 per cent of registered voters described Americans as being deeply divided in their values and only 15 per cent said that democracy was working. In yet another poll conducted by CBS News in January this year, 54 per cent said that the biggest threat to America wasn't economic collapse, natural disasters or foreign interference, but America's own citizens. This difference in ideologies reflects in the racial divide. Joe Biden is promising to make America diverse again, but it will take time to undo the impact of Donald Trump's presidency. According to Kaiser health news analysis, the vaccination rates among black Americans are significantly lower than that of white Americans. In Indiana, 85.8 per cent of the vaccinated population is white and only 4 per cent are blacks. In Tennessee, 68.15 per cent are whites, 6.7 per cent are blacks and in Florida 63.7 per cent are whites and only 4.9 per cent are blacks. Researches blame limited access and mistreatment of the black community in health-care for this disparity. While Biden claims "America is back", that may not be true, nd the country is in fact in a state of decline. Joe Biden will have to clean the mess in his own backyard first before he embarks on his self-righteous promise of making the world better.

Joe Biden's 'America is back' falls short of real action

On the eve of Donald Trump's impeachment trial, his legal team Monday denounced the case as unconstitutional, calling it "absurd" to hold the former president responsible for the deadly riot at the US Capitol.

A speech made by&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;in the hours before the riot "was not an act encouraging an organised movement to overthrow the United States government," his lawyers said.

The nine Democrats who will serve as prosecutors hope to persuade members of the evenly divided 100-seat Senate to convict&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;and bar him from ever again holding public office.&nbsp;Trump, a Republican, ended his four-year term on January&nbsp;20, having lost the November&nbsp;3 election to Biden.

Also see:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/preparations-for-donald-trumps-impeachment-trial-begin-in-us-362250" hreflang="en">Preparations for Donald Trump's impeachment trial begin in US</a>

"The intellectual dishonesty and factual vacuity put forth by the House Managers in their trial memorandum only serve to further punctuate the point that this impeachment proceeding was never about seeking justice,"&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;lawyers wrote in a filing in response to a brief by the House prosecutors.

"Instead, this was only ever a selfish attempt by Democratic leadership in the House to prey upon the feelings of horror and confusion that fell upon all Americans across the entire political spectrum upon seeing the destruction at the Capitol on January 6 by a few hundred people,"&nbsp;Trump's lawyers wrote.

In a preview of their prosecuting arguments, Democrats accused Trump of committing the "most grievous constitutional crime" in the 232-year history of the American presidency by inciting his supporters to storm Congress on January 6.

The House of Representatives impeached Trump for a historic second time last month over his role in the deadly siege, and his trial,&nbsp;the first of a former president, begins Tuesday with the Senate's 100 members sitting as jurors.

The chamber's leaders announced they and the legal teams had reached agreement on the rules of the process, which is expected to launch Tuesday at 1:00 pm (1800 GMT) with debate and a vote on the constitutionality of the trial itself.

Arguments will be heard from Wednesday, with each side provided 16 hours over two days.

Trump is a deeply damaged political figure but remains a powerful force in the Republican Party.

Charged with "incitement of insurrection," he is likely once again to avoid conviction due to loyal support in the Senate, but his lawyers contended in their final pre-trial filing that the Constitution does not give the chamber jurisdiction to try a former president.

"The Senate should dismiss these charges and acquit the president because this is clearly not what the framers wanted or what the Constitution allows," his attorneys Bruce Castor, David Schoen and Michael T. van der Veen wrote.

"Indulging House Democrats hunger for this political theatre is a danger to our Republic democracy and the rights that we hold dear."

The defence used blunt language in their 78-page brief, saying it was "simply absurd" to argue that Trump conjured up a mob to commit a violent crime and that those who attacked the Capitol did so on their own.

The lawyers rejected as "patently ridiculous" the trial of a former president, a private citizen who cannot be removed "from an office that he no longer holds."

'Leave it to the Senate'&nbsp;

President Joe Biden, who succeeded Trump on January 20, weighed in Monday but declined to address whether Trump should be found guilty or denied the right to hold political office in the future.

"We'll let the Senate work that out," Biden said.

White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki later told reporters that Biden ran against Trump in 2020 "because he felt he was unfit for office."

"But he's going to leave it to the Senate to see this impeachment proceeding through," Psaki added.

Should Trump be convicted, the Senate will then hold a simple-majority vote on barring him from future public office, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer confirmed.

The congressional Democrats prosecuting the trial, known as House impeachment managers, provided their final counterarguments Monday, pushing back against Trump's legal contentions.

"The evidence of President Trump's conduct is overwhelming (and) his efforts to escape accountability are unavailing," they said in a five-page brief.

"His incitement of insurrection against the United States government,&nbsp;which disrupted the peaceful transfer of power, is the most grievous constitutional crime ever committed by a president."

&nbsp;Loyal conservatives&nbsp;

The proceedings will take place in the very Senate chamber that was raided by rioters, threatening the lives of lawmakers in an effort to stop the ceremonial certification of Biden's election victory.

The impeachment managers argued in an earlier brief that Trump, who rallied supporters in Washington shortly before the mob assault, was "singularly responsible" for the unrest which left five people dead.

And they said acquitting Trump, who escaped conviction in his first impeachment trial in 2020,&nbsp;could do severe damage to American democracy.

But convicting him would require the vote of more than two-thirds of the senators, meaning 17 Republicans would need to break ranks and join all 50 Democrats,&nbsp;seen as near impossible.

Even though Trump retains a strong base of support, the riot has eroded his popularity, not good for a 74-year-old mulling a fresh presidential run in 2024.

Public support for a Trump conviction is stronger now than during his first impeachment trial, according to a new Ipsos/ABC News poll.

Meanwhile, through the leadership agreement, the trial will proceed until sundown Friday, at which point it will pause for the Sabbath, and then resume on Sunday afternoon. The move accommodates one of Trump's lawyers, who is Jewish.

On the eve of Donald Trump's impeachment trial, his legal team Monday denounced the case as unconstitutional, calling it "absurd" to hold the former president responsible for the deadly riot at the US Capitol.

On the eve of Donald Trump's impeachment trial, his legal team Monday denounced the case as unconstitutional, calling it "absurd" to hold the former president responsible for the deadly riot at the US Capitol. A speech made by Trump in the hours before the riot "was not an act encouraging an organised movement to overthrow the United States government," his lawyers said. The nine Democrats who will serve as prosecutors hope to persuade members of the evenly divided 100-seat Senate to convict Trump and bar him from ever again holding public office. Trump, a Republican, ended his four-year term on January 20, having lost the November 3 election to Biden. Also see: Preparations for Donald Trump's impeachment trial begin in US "The intellectual dishonesty and factual vacuity put forth by the House Managers in their trial memorandum only serve to further punctuate the point that this impeachment proceeding was never about seeking justice," Trump lawyers wrote in a filing in response to a brief by the House prosecutors. "Instead, this was only ever a selfish attempt by Democratic leadership in the House to prey upon the feelings of horror and confusion that fell upon all Americans across the entire political spectrum upon seeing the destruction at the Capitol on January 6 by a few hundred people," Trump's lawyers wrote. In a preview of their prosecuting arguments, Democrats accused Trump of committing the "most grievous constitutional crime" in the 232-year history of the American presidency by inciting his supporters to storm Congress on January 6. The House of Representatives impeached Trump for a historic second time last month over his role in the deadly siege, and his trial, the first of a former president, begins Tuesday with the Senate's 100 members sitting as jurors. The chamber's leaders announced they and the legal teams had reached agreement on the rules of the process, which is expected to launch Tuesday at 1:00 pm (1800 GMT) with debate and a vote on the constitutionality of the trial itself. Arguments will be heard from Wednesday, with each side provided 16 hours over two days. Trump is a deeply damaged political figure but remains a powerful force in the Republican Party. Charged with "incitement of insurrection," he is likely once again to avoid conviction due to loyal support in the Senate, but his lawyers contended in their final pre-trial filing that the Constitution does not give the chamber jurisdiction to try a former president. "The Senate should dismiss these charges and acquit the president because this is clearly not what the framers wanted or what the Constitution allows," his attorneys Bruce Castor, David Schoen and Michael T. van der Veen wrote. "Indulging House Democrats hunger for this political theatre is a danger to our Republic democracy and the rights that we hold dear." The defence used blunt language in their 78-page brief, saying it was "simply absurd" to argue that Trump conjured up a mob to commit a violent crime and that those who attacked the Capitol did so on their own. The lawyers rejected as "patently ridiculous" the trial of a former president, a private citizen who cannot be removed "from an office that he no longer holds." 'Leave it to the Senate' President Joe Biden, who succeeded Trump on January 20, weighed in Monday but declined to address whether Trump should be found guilty or denied the right to hold political office in the future. "We'll let the Senate work that out," Biden said. White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki later told reporters that Biden ran against Trump in 2020 "because he felt he was unfit for office." "But he's going to leave it to the Senate to see this impeachment proceeding through," Psaki added. Should Trump be convicted, the Senate will then hold a simple-majority vote on barring him from future public office, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer confirmed. The congressional Democrats prosecuting the trial, known as House impeachment managers, provided their final counterarguments Monday, pushing back against Trump's legal contentions. "The evidence of President Trump's conduct is overwhelming (and) his efforts to escape accountability are unavailing," they said in a five-page brief. "His incitement of insurrection against the United States government, which disrupted the peaceful transfer of power, is the most grievous constitutional crime ever committed by a president." Loyal conservatives The proceedings will take place in the very Senate chamber that was raided by rioters, threatening the lives of lawmakers in an effort to stop the ceremonial certification of Biden's election victory. The impeachment managers argued in an earlier brief that Trump, who rallied supporters in Washington shortly before the mob assault, was "singularly responsible" for the unrest which left five people dead. And they said acquitting Trump, who escaped conviction in his first impeachment trial in 2020, could do severe damage to American democracy. But convicting him would require the vote of more than two-thirds of the senators, meaning 17 Republicans would need to break ranks and join all 50 Democrats, seen as near impossible. Even though Trump retains a strong base of support, the riot has eroded his popularity, not good for a 74-year-old mulling a fresh presidential run in 2024. Public support for a Trump conviction is stronger now than during his first impeachment trial, according to a new Ipsos/ABC News poll. Meanwhile, through the leadership agreement, the trial will proceed until sundown Friday, at which point it will pause for the Sabbath, and then resume on Sunday afternoon. The move accommodates one of Trump's lawyers, who is Jewish.

Former US President Donald Trump's legal team blasts 'absurd' impeachment on eve of trial

The CEO and founder of Chinese telecom giant Huawei called on Tuesday for an open approach from new US President Joe Biden, after the firm was battered by sanctions imposed by Donald Trump's administration. &nbsp;

Ren Zhengfei said his 'confidence in Huawei's ability to survive has grown' despite its travails across much of the western world where it is maligned as a potential security threat. &nbsp;&nbsp;

After saying the firm's 'production capacity can be expanded', he implored the Biden White House to change tack on the company. &nbsp;

"We hope the new US administration would have an open policy for the benefit of American firms and the economic development of the United States," Ren told reporters. &nbsp;

"We still hope that we can buy large volumes of American materials, components and equipment so that we can all benefit from China's growth." &nbsp;

He was speaking during a visit to the city of Taiyuan in China’s northern coal belt for the opening of a new laboratory that develops technologies to automate parts of coal-mining and boost safety in a notoriously dangerous industry. &nbsp; &nbsp;

Founded by Ren in 1987, Huawei largely flew under the global radar for decades as it grew to become the world's largest maker of telecoms equipment and a top mobile phone producer. &nbsp;

That changed under Trump, who targeted the firm as part of an intensifying China-US trade and technology standoff. &nbsp;

Trump from 2018 imposed escalating sanctions to cut off Huawei's access to vital components, bar it from the US market, and successfully pressured allies to shun the firm's gear in their telecoms systems. &nbsp;

His administration had raised fears that China's government could potentially use 'back doors' in Huawei gear for espionage, which the company strenuously denies. &nbsp;

And the US campaign is hurting Huawei. Once a top-three smartphone supplier along with Samsung and Apple, its shipments plummeted more than 40 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2020, according to industry tracker IDC, as the supply-chain disruptions prevented it manufacturing enough phones to meet demand.&nbsp;

The CEO and founder of Chinese telecom giant Huawei called on Tuesday for an open approach from new US President Joe Biden, after the firm was battered by sanctions imposed by Donald Trump's administration.

The CEO and founder of Chinese telecom giant Huawei called on Tuesday for an open approach from new US President Joe Biden, after the firm was battered by sanctions imposed by Donald Trump's administration. Ren Zhengfei said his 'confidence in Huawei's ability to survive has grown' despite its travails across much of the western world where it is maligned as a potential security threat. After saying the firm's 'production capacity can be expanded', he implored the Biden White House to change tack on the company. "We hope the new US administration would have an open policy for the benefit of American firms and the economic development of the United States," Ren told reporters. "We still hope that we can buy large volumes of American materials, components and equipment so that we can all benefit from China's growth." He was speaking during a visit to the city of Taiyuan in China’s northern coal belt for the opening of a new laboratory that develops technologies to automate parts of coal-mining and boost safety in a notoriously dangerous industry. Founded by Ren in 1987, Huawei largely flew under the global radar for decades as it grew to become the world's largest maker of telecoms equipment and a top mobile phone producer. That changed under Trump, who targeted the firm as part of an intensifying China-US trade and technology standoff. Trump from 2018 imposed escalating sanctions to cut off Huawei's access to vital components, bar it from the US market, and successfully pressured allies to shun the firm's gear in their telecoms systems. His administration had raised fears that China's government could potentially use 'back doors' in Huawei gear for espionage, which the company strenuously denies. And the US campaign is hurting Huawei. Once a top-three smartphone supplier along with Samsung and Apple, its shipments plummeted more than 40 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2020, according to industry tracker IDC, as the supply-chain disruptions prevented it manufacturing enough phones to meet demand.

Huawei CEO hopes for 'open policy' under Biden administration

Former US President Donald Trump's attorney Michael Cohen has apologised to adult-film actress Stormy Daniels for the pain he caused her while working with Trump.&nbsp;

The two sat down for a chat for Cohen's podcast 'Mea Culpa' recently and talked about Trump and Daniel's brief relationship before he became the President of the US. 
 
"Both of our stories will be forever linked with Donald Trump, but also with one another," Cohen said to Daniels. "Thanks for giving me a second chance," he said. 
 
Daniels was infamously paid USD 130,000 by Cohen just before the 2016 election to keep mum about<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pornstar-stormy-daniels-lawyer-confirms-her-affair-with-donald-trump-35037"> her alleged affair with Trump</a>. In later interviews, Daniel stated how she regretted her links with Trump and added that if she could make everything go back to the way it was before, "I would absolutely do that." 
 
During the podcast interview, Daniels stated that she did not feel "physically threatened" by Trump but maintained that she did not want to sleep with him because he made her "very uncomfortable." 
 
Recalling her 2006 sexual encounter with Trump, Daniel described the time as, "the worst 90 seconds of my life, for sure, because it just made me hate myself." 
 
Daniels has sued Trump for defamation after he denied the affair and the hush-money that his team had paid her.&nbsp;"I've already lost everything, so I'm taking it all the way," she told Cohen during the hour-long interview.&nbsp;

Trump and Daniel reportedly had an affair a few months after former First Lady Melania Trump gave birth to Barron. 
 
Federal prosecutors charged <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/stormy-daniels-case-should-be-settled-privately-trump-lawyer-128115">Michael Cohen</a> with skirting campaign contribution rules by arranging the hush-money payment to Daniels and a similar payment to Playboy model Karen McDougal. 
 
He pleaded guilty to both counts - as well as lying to Congress and tax evasion - and was sentenced to three years in federal prison.

Former US President Donald Trump's attorney Michael Cohen has apologised to adult-film actress Stormy Daniels for the pain he caused her while working with Trump.

Former US President Donald Trump's attorney Michael Cohen has apologised to adult-film actress Stormy Daniels for the pain he caused her while working with Trump. The two sat down for a chat for Cohen's podcast 'Mea Culpa' recently and talked about Trump and Daniel's brief relationship before he became the President of the US. "Both of our stories will be forever linked with Donald Trump, but also with one another," Cohen said to Daniels. "Thanks for giving me a second chance," he said. Daniels was infamously paid USD 130,000 by Cohen just before the 2016 election to keep mum about her alleged affair with Trump. In later interviews, Daniel stated how she regretted her links with Trump and added that if she could make everything go back to the way it was before, "I would absolutely do that." During the podcast interview, Daniels stated that she did not feel "physically threatened" by Trump but maintained that she did not want to sleep with him because he made her "very uncomfortable." Recalling her 2006 sexual encounter with Trump, Daniel described the time as, "the worst 90 seconds of my life, for sure, because it just made me hate myself." Daniels has sued Trump for defamation after he denied the affair and the hush-money that his team had paid her. "I've already lost everything, so I'm taking it all the way," she told Cohen during the hour-long interview. Trump and Daniel reportedly had an affair a few months after former First Lady Melania Trump gave birth to Barron. Federal prosecutors charged Michael Cohen with skirting campaign contribution rules by arranging the hush-money payment to Daniels and a similar payment to Playboy model Karen McDougal. He pleaded guilty to both counts - as well as lying to Congress and tax evasion - and was sentenced to three years in federal prison.

Adult-film star Stormy Daniels terms sexual encounter with Donald Trump as 'worst 90 seconds' of her life

US Former President Donald Trump’s lawyers laid out their case against his impeachment, arguing that his second trial is unconstitutional. They called the trial an 'act of political theatre'.

Donald Trump's lawyers call impeachment trial 'act of political theatre'

After Donald Trump resigned from SAG-AFTRA on Thurdsay post being asked to leave his post at the coveted organisation, the union has passed a resolution banning the former president from ever applying for readmission.

The decision was made over the weekend as the union cited “his antagonism of the union’s journalist members and disregard for the values and integrity of the union.&nbsp;

The statement from SAG-AFTRA president Gabrielle Carteris further states: “Preventing <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a> from ever rejoining SAG-AFTRA is more than a symbolic step. It is a resounding statement that threatening or inciting harm against fellow members will not be tolerated. An attack against one is an attack against all.”

A disciplinary action against Trump had been initialised by SAG-AFTRA in mid-January following the January 6 attack on the US Capitol. However, before the union could officially expel him, Trump resigned his membership, saying that the union had “done nothing” for him.

Trump had been a member of SAG-AFTRA since 1989 and has appeared in film and television productions such as ‘Home Alone 2,’ ‘The Nanny’ and ‘Sex and the City.’

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/donald-trump-writes-who-cares-as-he-resigns-from-screen-actors-guild-after-facing-expulsion-notice-361529" hreflang="en">Donald Trump writes 'who cares' as he resigns from Screen Actors Guild after facing expulsion notice</a>

Read SAG-AFTRA’s full statement below:&nbsp;

“WHEREAS, on or about January 13, 2021, disciplinary charges were filed against member Donald J. Trump (“Trump”), alleging that he engaged in actions antagonistic to the interests and integrity of SAG-AFTRA and its members in violation of Article XIV of the Constitution. The charges allege that the former President of the United States incited insurrection against the U.S. government at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, and urged and incited anti-journalist animus that resulted in injuries and harm to SAG-AFTRA member journalists; and

WHEREAS, on or about January 19, 2021, the National Board conducted a probable cause determination in which it found that there was sufficient basis for such charges to proceed to a disciplinary hearing; and

WHEREAS, the Disciplinary Committee had set a hearing to be conducted on February 5, 2021, to hear evidence on the charges, and gave proper and sufficient notice to Trump of the hearing; and

WHEREAS, on February 4, 2021, on the eve of the hearing, Trump submitted a letter of resignation from his membership in SAG-AFTRA to President Carteris; and

WHEREAS, by resigning from SAG-AFTRA, Trump voluntarily relinquished any membership rights he may have had under SAG-AFTRA’s governing documents as well as under federal law; and

WHEREAS, the evidence of Mr. Trump’s misconduct and actions antagonistic to the interests of the union and its members is widely known and has been reported by many media sources; and

WHEREAS, pursuant to Article III(A)(2) of the Constitution, “The National Board has discretion to deny membership to any applicant if, in its judgment, his or her admission to membership would not be in the best interests of the Union;”

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the National Board exercises its discretion pursuant to Article III(A)(2) of the Constitution, as follows:

The National Board hereby finds that the well-documented actions by Donald J. Trump to undermine the peaceful transition of power in the United States, and to undermine the delivery of truthful information to the public by attacking journalists is anathema to the values embodied by SAG-AFTRA and to the members of SAG-AFTRA; and

The National Board hereby finds that any future re-admission to membership of Donald J. Trump would not be in the best interests of the union; and

The National Board hereby directs that any future application for admission to membership in SAG-AFTRA by Donald J. Trump shall be denied.

Five board members including broadcast journalists abstained.”

After Donald Trump resigned from SAG-AFTRA on Thurdsay post being asked to leave his post at the coveted organisation, the union has passed a resolution banning the former president from ever applying for readmission.

After Donald Trump resigned from SAG-AFTRA on Thurdsay post being asked to leave his post at the coveted organisation, the union has passed a resolution banning the former president from ever applying for readmission. The decision was made over the weekend as the union cited “his antagonism of the union’s journalist members and disregard for the values and integrity of the union. The statement from SAG-AFTRA president Gabrielle Carteris further states: “Preventing Donald Trump from ever rejoining SAG-AFTRA is more than a symbolic step. It is a resounding statement that threatening or inciting harm against fellow members will not be tolerated. An attack against one is an attack against all.” A disciplinary action against Trump had been initialised by SAG-AFTRA in mid-January following the January 6 attack on the US Capitol. However, before the union could officially expel him, Trump resigned his membership, saying that the union had “done nothing” for him. Trump had been a member of SAG-AFTRA since 1989 and has appeared in film and television productions such as ‘Home Alone 2,’ ‘The Nanny’ and ‘Sex and the City.’ Donald Trump writes 'who cares' as he resigns from Screen Actors Guild after facing expulsion notice Read SAG-AFTRA’s full statement below: “WHEREAS, on or about January 13, 2021, disciplinary charges were filed against member Donald J. Trump (“Trump”), alleging that he engaged in actions antagonistic to the interests and integrity of SAG-AFTRA and its members in violation of Article XIV of the Constitution. The charges allege that the former President of the United States incited insurrection against the U.S. government at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, and urged and incited anti-journalist animus that resulted in injuries and harm to SAG-AFTRA member journalists; and WHEREAS, on or about January 19, 2021, the National Board conducted a probable cause determination in which it found that there was sufficient basis for such charges to proceed to a disciplinary hearing; and WHEREAS, the Disciplinary Committee had set a hearing to be conducted on February 5, 2021, to hear evidence on the charges, and gave proper and sufficient notice to Trump of the hearing; and WHEREAS, on February 4, 2021, on the eve of the hearing, Trump submitted a letter of resignation from his membership in SAG-AFTRA to President Carteris; and WHEREAS, by resigning from SAG-AFTRA, Trump voluntarily relinquished any membership rights he may have had under SAG-AFTRA’s governing documents as well as under federal law; and WHEREAS, the evidence of Mr. Trump’s misconduct and actions antagonistic to the interests of the union and its members is widely known and has been reported by many media sources; and WHEREAS, pursuant to Article III(A)(2) of the Constitution, “The National Board has discretion to deny membership to any applicant if, in its judgment, his or her admission to membership would not be in the best interests of the Union;” NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the National Board exercises its discretion pursuant to Article III(A)(2) of the Constitution, as follows: The National Board hereby finds that the well-documented actions by Donald J. Trump to undermine the peaceful transition of power in the United States, and to undermine the delivery of truthful information to the public by attacking journalists is anathema to the values embodied by SAG-AFTRA and to the members of SAG-AFTRA; and The National Board hereby finds that any future re-admission to membership of Donald J. Trump would not be in the best interests of the union; and The National Board hereby directs that any future application for admission to membership in SAG-AFTRA by Donald J. Trump shall be denied. Five board members including broadcast journalists abstained.”

SAG-AFTRA bans Donald Trump from future readmission after he resigns

Donald Trump`s second impeachment trial, on a charge of inciting the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol, is to begin on Tuesday with a debate on whether the proceedings are unconstitutional because he is no longer president, a source said.

The trial on a charge of inciting insurrection in a fiery speech to his supporters before they attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6 will then feature up to 32 hours of debate beginning on Wednesday at noon, said the source familiar with the discussions.

Trump`s legal defense team is due to file a brief with the Senate on Monday. The nine Democratic House of Representatives lawmakers who will serve as prosecutors hope to persuade members of the 100-seat Senate to convict Trump and bar him from ever again holding public office.

Republican Trump ended his four-year term on Jan. 20, having lost the Nov. 3 election to Democrat Joe Biden.

A failed bid last month to dismiss the case against Trump on the basis that it would be unconstitutional to hold a post-presidency trial drew the support of 45 of the 50 Republicans in the Senate. The House prosecutors rejected that argument in their brief filed with the Senate last week. They argued for Trump`s conviction to protect American democracy and national security and to deter any future president who might consider provoking violence in the pursuit of power. They argued that Trump had a "singular responsibility" for the Capitol attack.

Have a look|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/preparations-for-donald-trumps-impeachment-trial-begin-in-us-362250">Preparations for Donald Trump's impeachment trial begin in US</a>

To secure a conviction, 17 Republicans would need to join the Senate`s 50 Democrats in the vote, a daunting hurdle.

Monday`s deadline for the filing by Trump`s legal team comes as the defense prepares to emphasize its argument - laid out in an earlier filing - that the Senate lacks the constitutional authority to conduct the trial now that he has left office and is a private citizen. Challenging the case against Trump on such grounds would enable his fellow Republicans in the Senate to vote against conviction without directly defending his inflammatory speech to supporters shortly before the riot.

The Democratic-led House impeached Trump on Jan. 13 on a single charge of inciting insurrection, focused on that speech. He is the first U.S. president to be impeached twice and the first to face trial after leaving office.

In his Jan. 6 speech, Trump repeated false claims that the election was fraudulent and exhorted supporters to march on the Capitol, telling them to "stop the steal," "show strength" and "fight like hell." The rampage interrupted the formal congressional certification of Biden`s election victory, sent lawmakers into hiding for their own safety and left five people dead including a police officer.

Both parties may have an interest in completing the trial expeditiously. Biden since taking office has called for healing and unity in a nation that was left deeply polarized after Trump`s presidency.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/republicans-in-us-senate-back-former-president-trump-on-eve-of-impeachment-trial-362154" hreflang="en">Republicans in US Senate back former President Trump on eve of impeachment trial</a>

Democrats hold slim majorities in both the House and Senate, and the trial could make it more difficult for Congress to pass Biden`s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief plan and complete the confirmation of nominees to government posts.

Trump`s false claims of a stolen election and his speech before the riot have left fissures in his party. Ten Republicans joined House Democrats in voting to impeach Trump.

Trump`s first impeachment trial, on charges of abuse of power and obstructing Congress arising from his request that Ukraine investigate Biden and his son Hunter, ended last year in acquittal by the then-Republican-led Senate.

Trump parted ways with his initial legal team amid a reported dispute over how to respond to the impeachment charge.

The Senate will pause the impeachment trial from Friday evening to Saturday evening to honor a request by a Trump attorney, David Schoen, who observes the Jewish Sabbath, a spokesman for Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said on Sunday.

Donald Trump`s second impeachment trial, on a charge of inciting the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol, is to begin on Tuesday with a debate on whether the proceedings are unconstitutional because he is no longer president, a source said.

Donald Trump`s second impeachment trial, on a charge of inciting the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol, is to begin on Tuesday with a debate on whether the proceedings are unconstitutional because he is no longer president, a source said. The trial on a charge of inciting insurrection in a fiery speech to his supporters before they attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6 will then feature up to 32 hours of debate beginning on Wednesday at noon, said the source familiar with the discussions. Trump`s legal defense team is due to file a brief with the Senate on Monday. The nine Democratic House of Representatives lawmakers who will serve as prosecutors hope to persuade members of the 100-seat Senate to convict Trump and bar him from ever again holding public office. Republican Trump ended his four-year term on Jan. 20, having lost the Nov. 3 election to Democrat Joe Biden. A failed bid last month to dismiss the case against Trump on the basis that it would be unconstitutional to hold a post-presidency trial drew the support of 45 of the 50 Republicans in the Senate. The House prosecutors rejected that argument in their brief filed with the Senate last week. They argued for Trump`s conviction to protect American democracy and national security and to deter any future president who might consider provoking violence in the pursuit of power. They argued that Trump had a "singular responsibility" for the Capitol attack. Have a look| Preparations for Donald Trump's impeachment trial begin in US To secure a conviction, 17 Republicans would need to join the Senate`s 50 Democrats in the vote, a daunting hurdle. Monday`s deadline for the filing by Trump`s legal team comes as the defense prepares to emphasize its argument - laid out in an earlier filing - that the Senate lacks the constitutional authority to conduct the trial now that he has left office and is a private citizen. Challenging the case against Trump on such grounds would enable his fellow Republicans in the Senate to vote against conviction without directly defending his inflammatory speech to supporters shortly before the riot. The Democratic-led House impeached Trump on Jan. 13 on a single charge of inciting insurrection, focused on that speech. He is the first U.S. president to be impeached twice and the first to face trial after leaving office. In his Jan. 6 speech, Trump repeated false claims that the election was fraudulent and exhorted supporters to march on the Capitol, telling them to "stop the steal," "show strength" and "fight like hell." The rampage interrupted the formal congressional certification of Biden`s election victory, sent lawmakers into hiding for their own safety and left five people dead including a police officer. Both parties may have an interest in completing the trial expeditiously. Biden since taking office has called for healing and unity in a nation that was left deeply polarized after Trump`s presidency. Also read| Republicans in US Senate back former President Trump on eve of impeachment trial Democrats hold slim majorities in both the House and Senate, and the trial could make it more difficult for Congress to pass Biden`s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief plan and complete the confirmation of nominees to government posts. Trump`s false claims of a stolen election and his speech before the riot have left fissures in his party. Ten Republicans joined House Democrats in voting to impeach Trump. Trump`s first impeachment trial, on charges of abuse of power and obstructing Congress arising from his request that Ukraine investigate Biden and his son Hunter, ended last year in acquittal by the then-Republican-led Senate. Trump parted ways with his initial legal team amid a reported dispute over how to respond to the impeachment charge. The Senate will pause the impeachment trial from Friday evening to Saturday evening to honor a request by a Trump attorney, David Schoen, who observes the Jewish Sabbath, a spokesman for Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said on Sunday.

Trump's second impeachment trial to open with debate on constitutionality: Source

Preparations for Donald Trump's impeachment trial begin in US

Donald Trump's defenders in the Senate on Sunday rallied around the former president before his impeachment trial, dismissing it as a waste of time and arguing that the former president's fiery speech before the US Capitol insurrection does not make him responsible for the violence of January 6.

''If being held accountable means being impeached by the House and being convicted by the Senate, the answer to that is no,'' said Republican Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi, making clear his belief that Trump should and will be acquitted. Asked if Congress could consider other punishment, such as censure, Wicker said the Democratic-led House had that option earlier but rejected it in favour of impeaching him.

The Senate is set to launch the impeachment trial Tuesday to consider the charge that Trump's fighting words to protesters at a Capitol rally, as well as weeks of falsehoods about a stolen and rigged presidential election, provoked a mob to storm the Capitol. Five people as a result of the melee, including a police officer.

Many senators including Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell immediately denounced the violence and pointed a finger of blame at Trump.

Following the riot, Wicker said Americans ''will not stand for this kind of attack on the rule of law''&nbsp;and without naming names, said ''we must prosecute''&nbsp;those who undermine democracy.

But with Trump now gone from the presidency, Republicans have shown little political appetite to take further action, such as an impeachment conviction that could lead to barring him from running for future office.

Those partisan divisions appear to be hardening ahead of Trump's trial, a sign of his continuing grip on the GOP.

On Sunday, Wicker described Trump's impeachment trial as a ''meaningless messaging partisan exercise."

When asked if Trump's conduct should be more deserving of impeachment than President Bill Clinton's, whom Wicker voted to impeach, he said: ''I'm not conceding that President Trump incited an insurrection.''

Clinton's impeachment, in 1998, was sparked by his false denial in a deposition of a sexual relationship with a White House intern.

Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky dismissed Trump's trial as a farce with ''zero chance of conviction,''&nbsp;describing Trump's words to protesters to ''fight like hell''&nbsp;as Congress was voting to ratify Joe Biden's presidential victory as ''figurative''&nbsp;speech.

''If we're going to criminalise speech, and somehow impeach everybody who says, Go fight to hear your voices heard,' I mean really we ought to impeach Chuck Schumer then,? Paul said, referring to the now Democratic Senate majority leader and his criticisms of Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh.

''He went to the Supreme Court, stood in front of the Supreme Court and said specifically, Hey Gorsuch, Hey Kavanaugh, you've unleashed a whirlwind. And you're going to pay the price.'' 
Paul noted that Chief Justice John Roberts had declined to preside over this week's impeachment proceeding because Trump was no longer president.

Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy will preside over the trial as Senate president pro tempore.

''It is a farce, it is unconstitutional. But more than anything it's unwise, and going to divide the country,''&nbsp;Paul said.

Last month, Paul forced a vote to set aside the trial as unconstitutional because Trump is no longer in office, which legal experts say is disputable. But the vote suggested the near impossibility in reaching a conviction in a Senate where Democrats hold 50 seats but a two-thirds vote&nbsp;or 67 senators&nbsp;would be needed to convict Trump.

Forty-four Republican senators sided with Paul and voted to oppose holding an impeachment trial at all.

Five Republican senators joined with Democrats to reject Paul's motion: Mitt Romney of Utah, Ben Sasse of Nebraska, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania.

Some Republicans have said the vote doesn't ''bind''&nbsp;them into voting a particular way on conviction, with Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy on Louisiana saying Sunday he would listen carefully to the evidence. But even Trump's sharper GOP critics on Sunday acknowledged the widely expected outcome.

''You did have 45 Republican senators vote to suggest that they didn't think it was appropriate to conduct a trial, so you can infer how likely it is that those folks will vote to convict,''&nbsp;said Toomey, who has made clear he believes Trump committed ''impeachable offenses.''

''I still think the best outcome would have been for the president to resign''&nbsp;before he left office, he said. ''Obviously he chose not to do that.''

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, one of Trump's ardent defenders, said he believes Trump's actions were wrong and ''he's going to have a place in history for all of this,''&nbsp;but insisted it's not the Senate's job to judge.

''It's not a question of how the trial ends, it's a question of when it ends,''&nbsp;Graham said.

''Republicans are going to view this as an unconstitutional exercise, and the only question is, will they call witnesses, how long does the trial take.&nbsp;But the outcome is really not in doubt.''

Donald Trump's defenders in the Senate on Sunday rallied around the former president before his impeachment trial, dismissing it as a waste of time and arguing that the former president's fiery speech before the US Capitol insurrection does not make him responsible for the violence of January 6.

Donald Trump's defenders in the Senate on Sunday rallied around the former president before his impeachment trial, dismissing it as a waste of time and arguing that the former president's fiery speech before the US Capitol insurrection does not make him responsible for the violence of January 6. ''If being held accountable means being impeached by the House and being convicted by the Senate, the answer to that is no,'' said Republican Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi, making clear his belief that Trump should and will be acquitted. Asked if Congress could consider other punishment, such as censure, Wicker said the Democratic-led House had that option earlier but rejected it in favour of impeaching him. The Senate is set to launch the impeachment trial Tuesday to consider the charge that Trump's fighting words to protesters at a Capitol rally, as well as weeks of falsehoods about a stolen and rigged presidential election, provoked a mob to storm the Capitol. Five people as a result of the melee, including a police officer. Many senators including Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell immediately denounced the violence and pointed a finger of blame at Trump. Following the riot, Wicker said Americans ''will not stand for this kind of attack on the rule of law'' and without naming names, said ''we must prosecute'' those who undermine democracy. But with Trump now gone from the presidency, Republicans have shown little political appetite to take further action, such as an impeachment conviction that could lead to barring him from running for future office. Those partisan divisions appear to be hardening ahead of Trump's trial, a sign of his continuing grip on the GOP. On Sunday, Wicker described Trump's impeachment trial as a ''meaningless messaging partisan exercise." When asked if Trump's conduct should be more deserving of impeachment than President Bill Clinton's, whom Wicker voted to impeach, he said: ''I'm not conceding that President Trump incited an insurrection.'' Clinton's impeachment, in 1998, was sparked by his false denial in a deposition of a sexual relationship with a White House intern. Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky dismissed Trump's trial as a farce with ''zero chance of conviction,'' describing Trump's words to protesters to ''fight like hell'' as Congress was voting to ratify Joe Biden's presidential victory as ''figurative'' speech. ''If we're going to criminalise speech, and somehow impeach everybody who says, Go fight to hear your voices heard,' I mean really we ought to impeach Chuck Schumer then,? Paul said, referring to the now Democratic Senate majority leader and his criticisms of Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh. ''He went to the Supreme Court, stood in front of the Supreme Court and said specifically, Hey Gorsuch, Hey Kavanaugh, you've unleashed a whirlwind. And you're going to pay the price.'' Paul noted that Chief Justice John Roberts had declined to preside over this week's impeachment proceeding because Trump was no longer president. Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy will preside over the trial as Senate president pro tempore. ''It is a farce, it is unconstitutional. But more than anything it's unwise, and going to divide the country,'' Paul said. Last month, Paul forced a vote to set aside the trial as unconstitutional because Trump is no longer in office, which legal experts say is disputable. But the vote suggested the near impossibility in reaching a conviction in a Senate where Democrats hold 50 seats but a two-thirds vote or 67 senators would be needed to convict Trump. Forty-four Republican senators sided with Paul and voted to oppose holding an impeachment trial at all. Five Republican senators joined with Democrats to reject Paul's motion: Mitt Romney of Utah, Ben Sasse of Nebraska, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania. Some Republicans have said the vote doesn't ''bind'' them into voting a particular way on conviction, with Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy on Louisiana saying Sunday he would listen carefully to the evidence. But even Trump's sharper GOP critics on Sunday acknowledged the widely expected outcome. ''You did have 45 Republican senators vote to suggest that they didn't think it was appropriate to conduct a trial, so you can infer how likely it is that those folks will vote to convict,'' said Toomey, who has made clear he believes Trump committed ''impeachable offenses.'' ''I still think the best outcome would have been for the president to resign'' before he left office, he said. ''Obviously he chose not to do that.'' Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, one of Trump's ardent defenders, said he believes Trump's actions were wrong and ''he's going to have a place in history for all of this,'' but insisted it's not the Senate's job to judge. ''It's not a question of how the trial ends, it's a question of when it ends,'' Graham said. ''Republicans are going to view this as an unconstitutional exercise, and the only question is, will they call witnesses, how long does the trial take. But the outcome is really not in doubt.''

Republicans in US Senate back former President Trump on eve of impeachment trial

The Biden administration said on Saturday it was immediately suspending&nbsp;Trump-era asylum agreements with El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, that restricted the ability of people to seek asylum at the southwest border, part of a broad effort to undo the&nbsp;immigration&nbsp;policies of President&nbsp;Donald Trump.

In a statement, State Department Secretary Antony Blinken said the United States had "suspended and initiated the process to terminate the Asylum Cooperative Agreements with the Governments of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras as the first concrete steps on the path to greater partnership and collaboration in the region laid out by President Biden."

The so-called "safe third country" agreements, inked in 2019 by the&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;administration and the Central American nations, force asylum seekers from the region to first seek refuge in those countries before applying in the United States.

Part of a controversial bid by&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;to crack down on illegal immigrants from Central America who make up a large part of migrants apprehended at the US-Mexico border, the policies were never implemented with El Salvador and Honduras, the State Department said on Saturday.

Transfers under the US-Guatemala agreement have been paused since mid-March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, the statement added.

The moves announced Saturday came after Biden unveiled a host of measures last week aimed at revamping the US&nbsp;immigration system, including a task force to reunite families separated at the United States-Mexico border and another to increase an annual cap on refugees.

One of the orders called for Blinken to "promptly consider" whether to notify the governments of the three countries that the United States intended to suspend and terminate the safe third country deals. It also called on the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Attorney General to determine whether to rescind a rule implementing the agreements.

The Biden administration said on Saturday it was immediately suspending Trump-era asylum agreements with El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, that restricted the ability of people to seek asylum at the southwest border, part of a broad effort to undo the immigration policies of President Donald Trump.

The Biden administration said on Saturday it was immediately suspending Trump-era asylum agreements with El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, that restricted the ability of people to seek asylum at the southwest border, part of a broad effort to undo the immigration policies of President Donald Trump. In a statement, State Department Secretary Antony Blinken said the United States had "suspended and initiated the process to terminate the Asylum Cooperative Agreements with the Governments of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras as the first concrete steps on the path to greater partnership and collaboration in the region laid out by President Biden." The so-called "safe third country" agreements, inked in 2019 by the Trump administration and the Central American nations, force asylum seekers from the region to first seek refuge in those countries before applying in the United States. Part of a controversial bid by Trump to crack down on illegal immigrants from Central America who make up a large part of migrants apprehended at the US-Mexico border, the policies were never implemented with El Salvador and Honduras, the State Department said on Saturday. Transfers under the US-Guatemala agreement have been paused since mid-March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, the statement added. The moves announced Saturday came after Biden unveiled a host of measures last week aimed at revamping the US immigration system, including a task force to reunite families separated at the United States-Mexico border and another to increase an annual cap on refugees. One of the orders called for Blinken to "promptly consider" whether to notify the governments of the three countries that the United States intended to suspend and terminate the safe third country deals. It also called on the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Attorney General to determine whether to rescind a rule implementing the agreements.

Biden withdraws Trump asylum deals with three Central American countries

The impeachment trial for the former US President Donald Trump will be paused from Friday evening to Saturday evening, the US Senate has announced.

This decision was taken after one of Trump's attorney who observes the Jewish Sabbath had requested the Senate to allow him to practice the ritual and pause the trial.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-lawyer-asks-to-pause-impeachment-trial-if-it-runs-into-sabbath-362014">Trump lawyer asks to pause impeachment trial if it runs into Sabbath</a>

Trump's attorney, David Schoen, had sent a letter to top US Senators and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer on Tuesday requesting the impeachment proceedings to be paused during the Sabbath, which will last from Friday to Saturday evening.

"I apologize for the inconvenience my request that impeachment proceedings not be conducted during the Jewish Sabbath undoubtedly will cause other people involved in the proceedings," Schoen said in the letter obtained by The New York Times. "The practices and prohibitions are mandatory for me, however; so, respectfully, I have no choice but to make this request."

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-rejects-invite-to-testify-at-impeachment-trial-after-capitol-riots-361597" hreflang="en">Donald Trump rejects invite to testify at impeachment trial after Capitol riots</a>

"We respect their request and of course will accommodate it," Chuck Schumer's spokesman Justin Goodman said a few days after the request was made.

However, this has also raised questions on the timeframe of the impeachment trial, which is due to begin on Tuesday. This one day delay has brought questions about how long will it take to finish the much-awaited trial.

Meanwhile, Trump's lawyers and a few other Republican senators are also challenging the constitutionality of the trial as they argue that since Trump has left the office, he cannot be removed now.

The impeachment trial for the former US President Donald Trump will be paused from Friday evening to Saturday evening, the US Senate has announced. This decision was taken after one of Trump's attorney who observes the Jewish Sabbath had requested the Senate to allow him to practice the ritual and pause the trial.

The impeachment trial for the former US President Donald Trump will be paused from Friday evening to Saturday evening, the US Senate has announced. This decision was taken after one of Trump's attorney who observes the Jewish Sabbath had requested the Senate to allow him to practice the ritual and pause the trial. Also read| Trump lawyer asks to pause impeachment trial if it runs into Sabbath Trump's attorney, David Schoen, had sent a letter to top US Senators and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer on Tuesday requesting the impeachment proceedings to be paused during the Sabbath, which will last from Friday to Saturday evening. "I apologize for the inconvenience my request that impeachment proceedings not be conducted during the Jewish Sabbath undoubtedly will cause other people involved in the proceedings," Schoen said in the letter obtained by The New York Times. "The practices and prohibitions are mandatory for me, however; so, respectfully, I have no choice but to make this request." Also read| Donald Trump rejects invite to testify at impeachment trial after Capitol riots "We respect their request and of course will accommodate it," Chuck Schumer's spokesman Justin Goodman said a few days after the request was made. However, this has also raised questions on the timeframe of the impeachment trial, which is due to begin on Tuesday. This one day delay has brought questions about how long will it take to finish the much-awaited trial. Meanwhile, Trump's lawyers and a few other Republican senators are also challenging the constitutionality of the trial as they argue that since Trump has left the office, he cannot be removed now.

Donald Trump's impeachment trial to be paused for Sabbath

Joe Biden, in his election campaign, made an impassioned case to undo every wrong his Republican predecessor had done, and won over America quite convincingly. And, now when he has successfully donned the hat of the US president, he has impeccably taken on the challenges.

So when China thought it had a chance, or Iran -- for that matter -- said it would only return to its nuclear commitments, when US lifts the sanctions, Biden surprised them.

Biden, on a CBS interview aired Sunday, said the US rivalry with China would most likely take the form of "extreme competition" rather than conflict between the two world powers.

He added he has not spoken with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping since he became US president.

"He's very tough. He doesn't have -- and I don't mean it as a criticism, just the reality -- he doesn't have a democratic, small D, bone in his body," Biden said.

When asked about Iran's condition to resume nuclear commitments, Biden offered a clear reply: "No."

He said he won't lift sanctions against Tehran as long as the Islamic republic is not adhering to its nuclear deal commitments.&nbsp;

The journalist then asked if the Iranians would first have to stop enriching uranium, which drew an affirmative nod from Biden.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-says-wont-resume-nuclear-commitments-until-us-lifts-sanctions-361956">Also read |&nbsp;Iran says won't resume nuclear commitments until US lifts sanctions</a>

Former US president Donald Trump exited the nuclear accord between Iran and six powers in 2018 and reimposed sanctions on Tehran.

Iran a year later suspended its compliance with most key nuclear commitments to the deal.

The Biden administration has expressed willingness to return to the deal, but insisted that Tehran first resume full compliance.

On January 4, Iran announced it has stepped up its uranium enrichment process to 20 per cent purity, far above the 3.67 per cent level permitted by the deal, but far below the amount required for an atomic bomb. 
&nbsp;

Joe Biden, in his election campaign, made an impassioned case to undo every wrong his Republican predecessor had done, and won over America quite convincingly. And, now when he has successfully donned the hat of the US president, he has impeccably taken on the challenges.

Joe Biden, in his election campaign, made an impassioned case to undo every wrong his Republican predecessor had done, and won over America quite convincingly. And, now when he has successfully donned the hat of the US president, he has impeccably taken on the challenges. So when China thought it had a chance, or Iran -- for that matter -- said it would only return to its nuclear commitments, when US lifts the sanctions, Biden surprised them. Biden, on a CBS interview aired Sunday, said the US rivalry with China would most likely take the form of "extreme competition" rather than conflict between the two world powers. He added he has not spoken with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping since he became US president. "He's very tough. He doesn't have -- and I don't mean it as a criticism, just the reality -- he doesn't have a democratic, small D, bone in his body," Biden said. When asked about Iran's condition to resume nuclear commitments, Biden offered a clear reply: "No." He said he won't lift sanctions against Tehran as long as the Islamic republic is not adhering to its nuclear deal commitments. The journalist then asked if the Iranians would first have to stop enriching uranium, which drew an affirmative nod from Biden. Also read | Iran says won't resume nuclear commitments until US lifts sanctions Former US president Donald Trump exited the nuclear accord between Iran and six powers in 2018 and reimposed sanctions on Tehran. Iran a year later suspended its compliance with most key nuclear commitments to the deal. The Biden administration has expressed willingness to return to the deal, but insisted that Tehran first resume full compliance. On January 4, Iran announced it has stepped up its uranium enrichment process to 20 per cent purity, far above the 3.67 per cent level permitted by the deal, but far below the amount required for an atomic bomb.

Biden on fire: New US president takes on China, Iran

Democrats and Republicans eager to tidily conclude former President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump’s</a> impeachment trial within a week may have a fresh obstacle in front of them: the biblical commandment to keep the Jewish Sabbath.

One of the lead defense lawyers for Trump has informed Senate leaders that he is an observant Jew who strictly adheres to the commandment against working on the Sabbath and thus would be unable to participate in any proceeding that stretched past sundown Friday or met Saturday.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-rejects-invite-to-testify-at-impeachment-trial-after-capitol-riots-361597" hreflang="en">Donald Trump rejects invite to testify at impeachment trial after Capitol riots</a>

In a letter obtained by The New York Times, the lawyer, David Schoen, asked that the trial be suspended if it was not finished by the beginning of the Sabbath at 5:24 p.m. Friday and that it not reconvene until Sunday.

“I apologize for the inconvenience my request that impeachment proceedings not be conducted during the Jewish Sabbath undoubtedly will cause other people involved in the proceedings,” Schoen said in the letter. “The practices and prohibitions are mandatory for me, however; so, respectfully, I have no choice but to make this request.”

The letter was sent to Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., the majority leader; Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., the minority leader; and Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., who as president pro tempore is presiding over the trial.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trumps-impeachment-lawyer-says-would-be-idiotic-insane-to-suggest-election-fraud-361158" hreflang="en">Trump's impeachment lawyer says would be 'idiotic', 'insane' to suggest election fraud</a>

In a statement Saturday evening, a spokesperson for Schumer said an allowance would be made for Schoen but did not elaborate on how.

While the leaders have yet to agree on a precise timetable for the trial, which is set to begin Tuesday, people familiar with the process had said they were planning for a proceeding that was very likely to stretch into the night Friday and continue Saturday.

Members of both parties are hoping for a speedy trial. Democrats, knowing there are almost certainly not enough votes to convict Trump, want the process over quickly to avoid any further distractions from President Joe Biden’s agenda, particularly his push to quickly pass a stimulus bill and confirm the remainder of his Cabinet. Republicans, who have been badly divided by the push to impeach Trump and do not relish a detailed discussion of his role in provoking the mob that attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6, have their own reasons for wanting the trial over with quickly.

Democrats and Republicans eager to tidily conclude former President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial within a week may have a fresh obstacle in front of them: the biblical commandment to keep the Jewish Sabbath.

Democrats and Republicans eager to tidily conclude former President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial within a week may have a fresh obstacle in front of them: the biblical commandment to keep the Jewish Sabbath. One of the lead defense lawyers for Trump has informed Senate leaders that he is an observant Jew who strictly adheres to the commandment against working on the Sabbath and thus would be unable to participate in any proceeding that stretched past sundown Friday or met Saturday. Also read| Donald Trump rejects invite to testify at impeachment trial after Capitol riots In a letter obtained by The New York Times, the lawyer, David Schoen, asked that the trial be suspended if it was not finished by the beginning of the Sabbath at 5:24 p.m. Friday and that it not reconvene until Sunday. “I apologize for the inconvenience my request that impeachment proceedings not be conducted during the Jewish Sabbath undoubtedly will cause other people involved in the proceedings,” Schoen said in the letter. “The practices and prohibitions are mandatory for me, however; so, respectfully, I have no choice but to make this request.” The letter was sent to Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., the majority leader; Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., the minority leader; and Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., who as president pro tempore is presiding over the trial. Also read| Trump's impeachment lawyer says would be 'idiotic', 'insane' to suggest election fraud In a statement Saturday evening, a spokesperson for Schumer said an allowance would be made for Schoen but did not elaborate on how. While the leaders have yet to agree on a precise timetable for the trial, which is set to begin Tuesday, people familiar with the process had said they were planning for a proceeding that was very likely to stretch into the night Friday and continue Saturday. Members of both parties are hoping for a speedy trial. Democrats, knowing there are almost certainly not enough votes to convict Trump, want the process over quickly to avoid any further distractions from President Joe Biden’s agenda, particularly his push to quickly pass a stimulus bill and confirm the remainder of his Cabinet. Republicans, who have been badly divided by the push to impeach Trump and do not relish a detailed discussion of his role in provoking the mob that attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6, have their own reasons for wanting the trial over with quickly.

Trump lawyer asks to pause impeachment trial if it runs into Sabbath

In just a few weeks, lawsuits and legal threats from a pair of obscure election technology companies have achieved what years of advertising boycotts, public pressure campaigns and liberal outrage could not: curbing the flow of misinformation in right-wing media.

Fox Business canceled its highest-rated show, “Lou Dobbs Tonight,” Friday after its host was sued as part of a $2.7 billion defamation lawsuit. On Tuesday, the pro-Trump cable channel Newsmax cut off a guest’s rant about rigged voting machines. Fox News, which seldom bows to critics, has run fact-checking segments to debunk its own anchors’ false claims about electoral fraud.

This is not the typical playbook for right-wing media, which prides itself on pugilism and delights in ignoring the liberals who have long complained about its content. But conservative outlets have rarely faced this level of direct assault on their economic lifeblood.

Smartmatic, a voter technology firm swept up in conspiracies spread by former President Donald Trump and his allies, filed its defamation suit against Rupert Murdoch’s Fox empire Thursday, citing Dobbs and two other Fox anchors, Maria Bartiromo and Jeanine Pirro, for harming its business and reputation.

Dominion Voting Systems, another company that Trump has accused of rigging votes, filed defamation suits last month against two of the former president’s lawyers, Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell, on similar grounds. Both firms have signaled that more lawsuits may be imminent.

Litigation represents a new front in the war against misinformation, a scourge that has reshaped U.S. politics, deprived citizens of common facts and paved the way for the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Fox News, for instance, paid millions last year to settle a claim from the family of a murdered Democratic National Committee staff member falsely accused by Fox hosts of leaking emails to WikiLeaks.

But the use of defamation suits has also raised uneasy questions about how to police a news media that counts on First Amendment protections — even as some conservative outlets advanced Trump’s lies and eroded public faith in the democratic process.

“If you had asked me 15 years, five years ago, whether I would ever have gotten involved in a defamation case, I would have told you no,” said Roberta Kaplan, a lawyer who is representing Trump’s niece, Mary Trump, and writer E. Jean Carroll in defamation suits against the former president.

Like other prominent liberals in her profession, Kaplan had long considered defamation suits a way for the wealthy and powerful to try to silence their critics. Last year, Trump’s campaign sued multiple news organizations for coverage that the president deemed unfavorable or unfair. Technology billionaire Peter Thiel bankrolled Hulk Hogan’s suit against gossip blog Gawker that ultimately bankrupted the business.

“What’s changed,” Kaplan said, “and we’ve all seen it happen before our eyes, is the fact that so many people out there, including people in positions of authority, are just willing to say anything, regardless of whether it has any relationship to the truth or not.”

Some First Amendment lawyers say that an axiom — the best antidote to bad speech is more speech — may no longer apply in a media landscape where misinformation can flood public discourse via countless channels, from cable news to the Facebook pages of family and friends.

“This shouldn’t be the way to govern speech in our country,” Kaplan said. “It’s not an efficient or productive way to promote truth-telling or quality journalistic standards through litigating in court. But I think it’s gotten to the point where the problem is so bad right now, there’s virtually no other way to do it.”

Trump’s rise is an inextricable part of this shift. His popularity boosted the profits and power of the right-wing commentators and media outlets that defended him. In November, when Trump cast doubt on the outcome of the presidential election despite no credible evidence, it made commercial and editorial sense for his media allies to follow his lead.

Newsmax anchor Greg Kelly refused to accept Joe Biden as president-elect and was rewarded with a surge in ratings. Fox News was more cautious — the network declared Biden the next president on Nov. 7 — but some Fox stars, including Dobbs, Bartiromo and Pirro, offered significant airtime to his lawyers, Giuliani and Powell, and others who pushed the outlandish election fraud narrative.

In one example cited in the 276-page complaint filed by Smartmatic, Dobbs’ program broadcast a false claim by Powell that Hugo Chávez, the former president of Venezuela, had been involved in creating the company’s technology and installed software so that votes could be switched undetected. (Chávez, who died in 2013, did not have anything to do with Smartmatic.)

Smartmatic also cited an episode of “Lou Dobbs Tonight” in which Giuliani falsely described the election as “stolen” and claimed that hundreds of thousands of “unlawful ballots” had been found. Dobbs described the election as the end to “a 4 1/2-year-long effort to overthrow the president of the United States” and raised the specter of outside interference.

“It has the feeling of a cover-up in certain places, you know — putting the servers in foreign countries, private companies,” Dobbs said.

Fox has promised to fight the litigation. “We are proud of our 2020 election coverage and will vigorously defend this meritless lawsuit in court,” the network said in a statement the day before it canceled Dobbs’ show.

Executives in conservative media argue that the Smartmatic lawsuit raises uncomfortable questions about how news organizations should present public figures: Powell was a conspiracist, but she was also the president’s lawyer. Should a media outlet be allowed to broadcast her claims?

“There’s a new standard created out of this that is very dangerous for all the cable channels,” Christopher Ruddy, the owner of Newsmax and a Trump confidant, said in an interview Saturday. “You have to fact-check everything public figures say, and you could be held libelous for what they say.” Ruddy contends that Newsmax presented a fair view of the claims about election fraud and voting technology companies.

Newsmax personnel, though, were made aware of the potential damage stemming from claims that appeared on their shows. In an extraordinary on-air moment Tuesday, Mike Lindell, the MyPillow founder and a staunch Trump ally, began attacking Dominion — and was promptly cut off by a Newsmax anchor, Bob Sellers, who read a formal statement that Newsmax had accepted the election results “as legal and final.”

Fox executives revealed their own concerns in December after Smartmatic sent a letter signaling that litigation was imminent. Fox News and Fox Business ran an unusually stilted segment in which an election expert, Edward Perez, debunked conspiracy theories about voter fraud that had recently been aired on the networks. The segment ran on three programs — those hosted by Dobbs, Bartiromo and Pirro. (Newsmax, which also received a letter from Smartmatic, aired its own clarifications.)

This fear of liability has rippled into smaller corners of the right-wing media sphere. Giuliani, who hosts a show on New York radio station WABC, was caught by surprise Thursday when his employer aired a disclaimer during his show that distanced itself and its advertisers from Giuliani’s views.

“They got to warn you about me?” Giuliani asked his listeners, sounding incredulous. “Putting that on without telling me — not the right thing to do. Not the right thing to do at all.”

Yochai Benkler, a professor at Harvard Law School who studies disinformation and radicalization in U.S. politics, said that the president’s lies about the election had pushed pro-Trump outlets beyond the relatively lax standards applied to on-air commentators.

“The competitive dynamic in the right-wing outrage industry has forced them all over the rails,” Benkler said. “This is the first set of lawsuits that’s actually going to force them to internalize the cost of the damages they’re inflicting on democracy.”

Benkler called the Smartmatic suit “a useful corrective” — “it’s a tap on the brakes” — but he also urged restraint. “We have to be very cautious in our celebration of these lawsuits because the history of defamation is certainly one in which people in power try to slap down critics,” he said.

Martin Garbus, a veteran First Amendment lawyer, said he was personally repelled by the lies about the election propagated by Trump and his allies, but he also called the Smartmatic suit “very complicated.”

“Will lawsuits like this also be used in the future to attack groups whose politics I might be more sympathetic with?” he asked.

Garbus, who made his reputation in part by defending the speech rights of neo-Nazis and other hate groups, said that the growth of online sources for news and disinformation had made him question whether he might take on such cases today. He offered an example of a local neo-Nazi march.

Before social media, “it wouldn’t have made much of an echo,” Garbus said. “Now, if they say it, it’s all over the media, and somebody in Australia could blow up a mosque based on what somebody in New York says. It seems to me you have to reconsider the consequence of things.”

In just a few weeks, lawsuits and legal threats from a pair of obscure election technology companies have achieved what years of advertising boycotts, public pressure campaigns and liberal outrage could not: curbing the flow of misinformation in right-wing media.

In just a few weeks, lawsuits and legal threats from a pair of obscure election technology companies have achieved what years of advertising boycotts, public pressure campaigns and liberal outrage could not: curbing the flow of misinformation in right-wing media. Fox Business canceled its highest-rated show, “Lou Dobbs Tonight,” Friday after its host was sued as part of a $2.7 billion defamation lawsuit. On Tuesday, the pro-Trump cable channel Newsmax cut off a guest’s rant about rigged voting machines. Fox News, which seldom bows to critics, has run fact-checking segments to debunk its own anchors’ false claims about electoral fraud. This is not the typical playbook for right-wing media, which prides itself on pugilism and delights in ignoring the liberals who have long complained about its content. But conservative outlets have rarely faced this level of direct assault on their economic lifeblood. Smartmatic, a voter technology firm swept up in conspiracies spread by former President Donald Trump and his allies, filed its defamation suit against Rupert Murdoch’s Fox empire Thursday, citing Dobbs and two other Fox anchors, Maria Bartiromo and Jeanine Pirro, for harming its business and reputation. Dominion Voting Systems, another company that Trump has accused of rigging votes, filed defamation suits last month against two of the former president’s lawyers, Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell, on similar grounds. Both firms have signaled that more lawsuits may be imminent. Litigation represents a new front in the war against misinformation, a scourge that has reshaped U.S. politics, deprived citizens of common facts and paved the way for the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Fox News, for instance, paid millions last year to settle a claim from the family of a murdered Democratic National Committee staff member falsely accused by Fox hosts of leaking emails to WikiLeaks. But the use of defamation suits has also raised uneasy questions about how to police a news media that counts on First Amendment protections — even as some conservative outlets advanced Trump’s lies and eroded public faith in the democratic process. “If you had asked me 15 years, five years ago, whether I would ever have gotten involved in a defamation case, I would have told you no,” said Roberta Kaplan, a lawyer who is representing Trump’s niece, Mary Trump, and writer E. Jean Carroll in defamation suits against the former president. Like other prominent liberals in her profession, Kaplan had long considered defamation suits a way for the wealthy and powerful to try to silence their critics. Last year, Trump’s campaign sued multiple news organizations for coverage that the president deemed unfavorable or unfair. Technology billionaire Peter Thiel bankrolled Hulk Hogan’s suit against gossip blog Gawker that ultimately bankrupted the business. “What’s changed,” Kaplan said, “and we’ve all seen it happen before our eyes, is the fact that so many people out there, including people in positions of authority, are just willing to say anything, regardless of whether it has any relationship to the truth or not.” Some First Amendment lawyers say that an axiom — the best antidote to bad speech is more speech — may no longer apply in a media landscape where misinformation can flood public discourse via countless channels, from cable news to the Facebook pages of family and friends. “This shouldn’t be the way to govern speech in our country,” Kaplan said. “It’s not an efficient or productive way to promote truth-telling or quality journalistic standards through litigating in court. But I think it’s gotten to the point where the problem is so bad right now, there’s virtually no other way to do it.” Trump’s rise is an inextricable part of this shift. His popularity boosted the profits and power of the right-wing commentators and media outlets that defended him. In November, when Trump cast doubt on the outcome of the presidential election despite no credible evidence, it made commercial and editorial sense for his media allies to follow his lead. Newsmax anchor Greg Kelly refused to accept Joe Biden as president-elect and was rewarded with a surge in ratings. Fox News was more cautious — the network declared Biden the next president on Nov. 7 — but some Fox stars, including Dobbs, Bartiromo and Pirro, offered significant airtime to his lawyers, Giuliani and Powell, and others who pushed the outlandish election fraud narrative. In one example cited in the 276-page complaint filed by Smartmatic, Dobbs’ program broadcast a false claim by Powell that Hugo Chávez, the former president of Venezuela, had been involved in creating the company’s technology and installed software so that votes could be switched undetected. (Chávez, who died in 2013, did not have anything to do with Smartmatic.) Smartmatic also cited an episode of “Lou Dobbs Tonight” in which Giuliani falsely described the election as “stolen” and claimed that hundreds of thousands of “unlawful ballots” had been found. Dobbs described the election as the end to “a 4 1/2-year-long effort to overthrow the president of the United States” and raised the specter of outside interference. “It has the feeling of a cover-up in certain places, you know — putting the servers in foreign countries, private companies,” Dobbs said. Fox has promised to fight the litigation. “We are proud of our 2020 election coverage and will vigorously defend this meritless lawsuit in court,” the network said in a statement the day before it canceled Dobbs’ show. Executives in conservative media argue that the Smartmatic lawsuit raises uncomfortable questions about how news organizations should present public figures: Powell was a conspiracist, but she was also the president’s lawyer. Should a media outlet be allowed to broadcast her claims? “There’s a new standard created out of this that is very dangerous for all the cable channels,” Christopher Ruddy, the owner of Newsmax and a Trump confidant, said in an interview Saturday. “You have to fact-check everything public figures say, and you could be held libelous for what they say.” Ruddy contends that Newsmax presented a fair view of the claims about election fraud and voting technology companies. Newsmax personnel, though, were made aware of the potential damage stemming from claims that appeared on their shows. In an extraordinary on-air moment Tuesday, Mike Lindell, the MyPillow founder and a staunch Trump ally, began attacking Dominion — and was promptly cut off by a Newsmax anchor, Bob Sellers, who read a formal statement that Newsmax had accepted the election results “as legal and final.” Fox executives revealed their own concerns in December after Smartmatic sent a letter signaling that litigation was imminent. Fox News and Fox Business ran an unusually stilted segment in which an election expert, Edward Perez, debunked conspiracy theories about voter fraud that had recently been aired on the networks. The segment ran on three programs — those hosted by Dobbs, Bartiromo and Pirro. (Newsmax, which also received a letter from Smartmatic, aired its own clarifications.) This fear of liability has rippled into smaller corners of the right-wing media sphere. Giuliani, who hosts a show on New York radio station WABC, was caught by surprise Thursday when his employer aired a disclaimer during his show that distanced itself and its advertisers from Giuliani’s views. “They got to warn you about me?” Giuliani asked his listeners, sounding incredulous. “Putting that on without telling me — not the right thing to do. Not the right thing to do at all.” Yochai Benkler, a professor at Harvard Law School who studies disinformation and radicalization in U.S. politics, said that the president’s lies about the election had pushed pro-Trump outlets beyond the relatively lax standards applied to on-air commentators. “The competitive dynamic in the right-wing outrage industry has forced them all over the rails,” Benkler said. “This is the first set of lawsuits that’s actually going to force them to internalize the cost of the damages they’re inflicting on democracy.” Benkler called the Smartmatic suit “a useful corrective” — “it’s a tap on the brakes” — but he also urged restraint. “We have to be very cautious in our celebration of these lawsuits because the history of defamation is certainly one in which people in power try to slap down critics,” he said. Martin Garbus, a veteran First Amendment lawyer, said he was personally repelled by the lies about the election propagated by Trump and his allies, but he also called the Smartmatic suit “very complicated.” “Will lawsuits like this also be used in the future to attack groups whose politics I might be more sympathetic with?” he asked. Garbus, who made his reputation in part by defending the speech rights of neo-Nazis and other hate groups, said that the growth of online sources for news and disinformation had made him question whether he might take on such cases today. He offered an example of a local neo-Nazi march. Before social media, “it wouldn’t have made much of an echo,” Garbus said. “Now, if they say it, it’s all over the media, and somebody in Australia could blow up a mosque based on what somebody in New York says. It seems to me you have to reconsider the consequence of things.”

Lawsuits take the lead in fight against disinformation

The United States intends to revoke terrorist designation of Houthis in Yemen. The decision is being taken due to humanitarian crisis in Yemen. Houthis in Yemen were declared as terrorists in a last-minute decision taken by former US President Donald Trump's administration. The latest decision by the US has come almost immediately after US President Joe Biden said that US was ending support to Saudi Arabia-led military campaign in Yemen.

“Our action is due entirely to the humanitarian consequences of this last-minute designation from the prior administration, which the United Nations and humanitarian organizations have since made clear would accelerate the world’s worst humanitarian crisis,” the official said. The official was quoted by Reuters.

The United Nations describes Yemen as the world’s biggest humanitarian crisis, with 80% of its people in need.

Former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo blacklisted the Houthis on Jan. 19 - a day before Biden took office.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/donald-trump-writes-who-cares-as-he-resigns-from-screen-actors-guild-after-facing-expulsion-notice-361529">Donald Trump writes 'who cares' as he resigns from Screen Actors Guild after facing expulsion notice</a>

The Trump administration exempted aid groups, the United Nations, the Red Cross and the export of agricultural commodities, medicine and medical devices from its designation. But U.N. officials and relief groups said the carve-outs were not enough and called for the decision to be revoked.

The crisis in Yemen is largely seen as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran

The official quoted by Reuters said that though the terrorist designation of Houthis was being removed, the decision did not mean that US does not oppose their “reprehensible conduct.”

(With Reuters inputs)

The United States intends to revoke terrorist designation of Houthis in Yemen. The decision is being taken due to humanitarian crisis in Yemen. Houthis in Yemen were declared as terrorists in a last-minute decision taken by former US President Donald Trump's administration.

The United States intends to revoke terrorist designation of Houthis in Yemen. The decision is being taken due to humanitarian crisis in Yemen. Houthis in Yemen were declared as terrorists in a last-minute decision taken by former US President Donald Trump's administration. The latest decision by the US has come almost immediately after US President Joe Biden said that US was ending support to Saudi Arabia-led military campaign in Yemen. “Our action is due entirely to the humanitarian consequences of this last-minute designation from the prior administration, which the United Nations and humanitarian organizations have since made clear would accelerate the world’s worst humanitarian crisis,” the official said. The official was quoted by Reuters. The United Nations describes Yemen as the world’s biggest humanitarian crisis, with 80% of its people in need. Former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo blacklisted the Houthis on Jan. 19 - a day before Biden took office. Also Read | Donald Trump writes 'who cares' as he resigns from Screen Actors Guild after facing expulsion notice The Trump administration exempted aid groups, the United Nations, the Red Cross and the export of agricultural commodities, medicine and medical devices from its designation. But U.N. officials and relief groups said the carve-outs were not enough and called for the decision to be revoked. The crisis in Yemen is largely seen as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran The official quoted by Reuters said that though the terrorist designation of Houthis was being removed, the decision did not mean that US does not oppose their “reprehensible conduct.” (With Reuters inputs)

Yemen: US to revoke terrorist designation of Houthis

US President Joe Biden promised a new era after the scattershot foreign policy of his predecessor, Donald Trump, declaring “America is back” on the global stage in his first diplomatic address as president.

Biden’s speech on Thursday was a full-throated attempt to vanquish doubts, and convince Americans of the value of a forceful international approach.

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In his speech, Biden signalled aggressive approaches to China and Russia, urged Myanmar’s military leaders to halt their coup, and declared an end to US support for a Saudi Arabia-led military campaign in Yemen.

"America is back. America is back. Diplomacy is back at the centre of our foreign policy. As i said in my inaugural address, we will repair our alliances and engage with the world once again, not to meet yesterday's challenges, but today's and tomorrow's," he said.

But what about India? A long time ally of the US, a member of the Quad, and one of America's most important partners.

The new vice-president -- Kamala Harris -- is a&nbsp;half-Indian herself. There are atleast 20 Indian-Americans in Biden's White House team.

But the new US president made no mention of India. Not once.

Historically, Democrats have been friendlier with India -- from John F Kennedy to Barack Obama. And all American presidents have tried to improve ties with India.

India also sits at the centre of the strategic architecture, and the US envisions for the Indo-Pacific region. New Delhi is Washington's biggest Asian partner.

Their interests coincide as far as Chinese aggression is concerned.

So Joe Biden's omission of India from his diplomatic address may or may not have been intentional. But it certainly raises questions.

US President Joe Biden promised a new era after the scattershot foreign policy of his predecessor, Donald Trump, declaring “America is back” on the global stage in his first diplomatic address as president.

US President Joe Biden promised a new era after the scattershot foreign policy of his predecessor, Donald Trump, declaring “America is back” on the global stage in his first diplomatic address as president. Biden’s speech on Thursday was a full-throated attempt to vanquish doubts, and convince Americans of the value of a forceful international approach. In his speech, Biden signalled aggressive approaches to China and Russia, urged Myanmar’s military leaders to halt their coup, and declared an end to US support for a Saudi Arabia-led military campaign in Yemen. "America is back. America is back. Diplomacy is back at the centre of our foreign policy. As i said in my inaugural address, we will repair our alliances and engage with the world once again, not to meet yesterday's challenges, but today's and tomorrow's," he said. But what about India? A long time ally of the US, a member of the Quad, and one of America's most important partners. The new vice-president -- Kamala Harris -- is a half-Indian herself. There are atleast 20 Indian-Americans in Biden's White House team. But the new US president made no mention of India. Not once. Historically, Democrats have been friendlier with India -- from John F Kennedy to Barack Obama. And all American presidents have tried to improve ties with India. India also sits at the centre of the strategic architecture, and the US envisions for the Indo-Pacific region. New Delhi is Washington's biggest Asian partner. Their interests coincide as far as Chinese aggression is concerned. So Joe Biden's omission of India from his diplomatic address may or may not have been intentional. But it certainly raises questions.

Biden doesn't mention India in first diplomatic speech

Any US President has a huge burden&nbsp;on his shoulders given US involvement in maintaining security in many corners of the world. The person at the helm of the most powerful country on the planet has a great responsibility as smallest of his decisions can have huge consequences in the real world. Internal security in the US is also a prime concern of a US President.

To help in the decision making, US intelligence agencies filter the essential information and prepare what is called Presidential Daily Brief.

What is President's Daily Brief?

President's Daily Brief (PDB) is essentially high-level analysis of national security issues, that is, a round-up of threats USA faces from within and outside the country. The inputs for the PDB are taken from US intelligence agencies including the CIA. Changes are also made to the PDB based on preferences of a particular president.

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It has been customary for president-elect and vice-president-elect to read PDB&nbsp;of the current president during the transition period. Joe Biden read former US President George Bush's PDB after 2008 US Presidential election results. Presidents may share their PDB with vice-presidents while in office. Joe Biden has had that access while serving as vice-president during Barack Obama's presidency. And as he prepared to take the office in the run-up to his inauguration, he had access to Donald Trump's PDB.

Do former US Presidents get intelligence briefings?

Former US Presidents traditionally get intelligence briefings even after they leave office. This provision is made both, as a courtesy and as a way to keep former presidents abreast of security updates should they be asked for advice by the incumbent president.

Former US Presidents Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama are given regular intelligence briefings.

Incumbent US president may often informally call upon his predecessors to know their take on a particular issue. The briefings to the former presidents help them to be ready for such a scenario.

Why is Biden opposing briefings to Trump?

For starters, Trump is famous for disliking the intelligence briefs. He has been reluctant to sit for the briefings even when he was president.

On top of that, he is widely perceived to be one who is likely to use the top-secret information for gains other than merely political.

US President Joe Biden told CBS News that Trump's behaviour worried him.

“I just think that there is no need for him to have the intelligence briefings,” Biden has been quoted as saying.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-should-not-receive-intelligence-briefings-joe-biden-feels-361686">Donald Trump should not receive intelligence briefings, Joe Biden feels</a>

Biden is not the only one to have such reservations.

Susan Gordon,&nbsp;a career CIA officer who was deputy director of national intelligence till 2019 feels iffy about continued intel briefings to Trump.

In January, Gordon wrote in Washington Post&nbsp;saying that Trump's&nbsp;business deals made him beholden to foreign investors and lenders. She said that Trump may be unusually vulnerable because of those who have ill intent.

Joe Biden has expressed his fears on Friday (February 6) that Trump "might slip and say something"

Any US President has a huge burden on his shoulders given US involvement in maintaining security in many corners of the world. The person at the helm of the most powerful country on the planet has a great responsibility as smallest of his decisions can have huge consequences in the real world.

Any US President has a huge burden on his shoulders given US involvement in maintaining security in many corners of the world. The person at the helm of the most powerful country on the planet has a great responsibility as smallest of his decisions can have huge consequences in the real world. Internal security in the US is also a prime concern of a US President. To help in the decision making, US intelligence agencies filter the essential information and prepare what is called Presidential Daily Brief. What is President's Daily Brief? President's Daily Brief (PDB) is essentially high-level analysis of national security issues, that is, a round-up of threats USA faces from within and outside the country. The inputs for the PDB are taken from US intelligence agencies including the CIA. Changes are also made to the PDB based on preferences of a particular president. × It has been customary for president-elect and vice-president-elect to read PDB of the current president during the transition period. Joe Biden read former US President George Bush's PDB after 2008 US Presidential election results. Presidents may share their PDB with vice-presidents while in office. Joe Biden has had that access while serving as vice-president during Barack Obama's presidency. And as he prepared to take the office in the run-up to his inauguration, he had access to Donald Trump's PDB. Do former US Presidents get intelligence briefings? Former US Presidents traditionally get intelligence briefings even after they leave office. This provision is made both, as a courtesy and as a way to keep former presidents abreast of security updates should they be asked for advice by the incumbent president. Former US Presidents Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama are given regular intelligence briefings. Incumbent US president may often informally call upon his predecessors to know their take on a particular issue. The briefings to the former presidents help them to be ready for such a scenario. Why is Biden opposing briefings to Trump? For starters, Trump is famous for disliking the intelligence briefs. He has been reluctant to sit for the briefings even when he was president. On top of that, he is widely perceived to be one who is likely to use the top-secret information for gains other than merely political. US President Joe Biden told CBS News that Trump's behaviour worried him. “I just think that there is no need for him to have the intelligence briefings,” Biden has been quoted as saying. Also Read | Donald Trump should not receive intelligence briefings, Joe Biden feels Biden is not the only one to have such reservations. Susan Gordon, a career CIA officer who was deputy director of national intelligence till 2019 feels iffy about continued intel briefings to Trump. In January, Gordon wrote in Washington Post saying that Trump's business deals made him beholden to foreign investors and lenders. She said that Trump may be unusually vulnerable because of those who have ill intent. Joe Biden has expressed his fears on Friday (February 6) that Trump "might slip and say something"

What US President's intelligence briefing is and why Biden wants Trump out of loop

US President Joe Biden said on Friday (local time) that former US President Donald Trump should not receive classified intelligence briefings. He was being interviewed in a show on CBS. It is traditional in the US that former presidents can request and get presented&nbsp;intelligence briefings by US agencies. However, Biden said that Trump should not be given these briefings owing to his "erratic behavior unrelated to the insurrection."

"I just think that there is no need for him to have the -- the intelligence briefings. What value is giving him an intelligence briefing? What impact does he have at all, other than the fact he might slip and say something?" Biden was quoted as saying.

When asked what was his concern about Trump getting the intelligence briefings, Biden said that he would "rather not speculate out loud"

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-to-revoke-terrorist-designation-of-houthis-in-yemen-361678">US to revoke terrorist designation of Houthis in Yemen</a>

Donald Trump is facing his second impeachment trial this week in US Senate. He has been charged with inciting violence at the Capitol Hill on January 6.

Trump spent the months after the election fighting the results in court and making baseless allegations of widespread fraud. He did not attend Biden’s Jan. 20 inauguration with other former U.S. presidents, flying instead to Florida where he has set up his post-presidential office.

(With Reuters inputs)

US President Joe Biden said on Friday (local time) that former US President Donald Trump should not receive classified intelligence briefings. He was being interviewed in a show on CBS.

US President Joe Biden said on Friday (local time) that former US President Donald Trump should not receive classified intelligence briefings. He was being interviewed in a show on CBS. It is traditional in the US that former presidents can request and get presented intelligence briefings by US agencies. However, Biden said that Trump should not be given these briefings owing to his "erratic behavior unrelated to the insurrection." "I just think that there is no need for him to have the -- the intelligence briefings. What value is giving him an intelligence briefing? What impact does he have at all, other than the fact he might slip and say something?" Biden was quoted as saying. When asked what was his concern about Trump getting the intelligence briefings, Biden said that he would "rather not speculate out loud" Also Read | US to revoke terrorist designation of Houthis in Yemen Donald Trump is facing his second impeachment trial this week in US Senate. He has been charged with inciting violence at the Capitol Hill on January 6. Trump spent the months after the election fighting the results in court and making baseless allegations of widespread fraud. He did not attend Biden’s Jan. 20 inauguration with other former U.S. presidents, flying instead to Florida where he has set up his post-presidential office. (With Reuters inputs)

Donald Trump should not receive intelligence briefings, Joe Biden feels

The&nbsp;World&nbsp;Health&nbsp;Organization&nbsp;team&nbsp;investigating the origins of the coronavirus in Wuhan said on Friday that&nbsp;the Chinese side granted full access to all sites and personnel they requested,&nbsp;a level of openness that even they hadn't expected.

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Dominic Dwyer, a microbiologist and infectious diseases expert, said the team in Wuhan had received the access it requested from Chinese authorities as it tries to understand the early days of the novel coronavirus outbreak first identified in Wuhan.

"Everybody knows how it really exploded out of Huanan market in Wuhan, but the key is what was happening around that time and before," Dwyer said.

Peter Daszak&nbsp;said the team has now concluded site visits and will spend the next few days trolling through data and consulting with Chinese experts before presenting a summary of their findings at a news briefing prior to their departure on Wednesday.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/bat-caves-in-china-need-further-work-to-trace-virus-genetic-origin-who-expert-in-wuhan-361475">Bat caves in China need further work to trace virus genetic origin: WHO expert in Wuhan</a>

The investigators have visited hospitals, research facilities and the seafood market where the first outbreak was identified, although their contacts in Wuhan are limited to visits organised by their Chinese hosts.

Dwyer said the team had finished its site visits and was preparing to present its findings as clearly as possible, given the intense level of interest, before the team's 28-day visas expire towards the end of next week.

He said that more work needed to be done investigating how the virus could have been transmitted by animals, including bats, as well as into antibodies to coronavirus in people who did not show symptoms of the disease.

The short term was "reviewing what we know now and bringing all that data together and there are going to be a series of longer-term projects, and this could take some years," Dwyer said.

The origin of the coronavirus has become highly politicised following accusations that China was not transparent in its early handling of the outbreak.&nbsp;

Some, including people close to former US&nbsp;President Donald Trump, had speculated the Institute may have been the origin of the outbreak because of its large collection of bat virus specimens and that Chinese authorities were covering up the truth.

China has strongly denied the possibility of a leak from the lab and has promoted unproven theories that the virus may have originated elsewhere before being brought to Wuhan, including possibly on imported frozen food packaging.

The visit by the WHO team took months to negotiate after China only agreed to it amid massive international pressure at the World Health Assembly meeting last May, and Beijing has continued to deny calls for a strictly independent investigation.

Authorities have kept a tight hold on information about the possible causes of the pandemic that has now sickened more than 105 million people and killed more than 2.2 million worldwide.

The World Health Organization team investigating the origins of the coronavirus in Wuhan said on Friday that the Chinese side granted full access to all sites and personnel they requested, a level of openness that even they hadn't expected.

The World Health Organization team investigating the origins of the coronavirus in Wuhan said on Friday that the Chinese side granted full access to all sites and personnel they requested, a level of openness that even they hadn't expected. Dominic Dwyer, a microbiologist and infectious diseases expert, said the team in Wuhan had received the access it requested from Chinese authorities as it tries to understand the early days of the novel coronavirus outbreak first identified in Wuhan. "Everybody knows how it really exploded out of Huanan market in Wuhan, but the key is what was happening around that time and before," Dwyer said. Peter Daszak said the team has now concluded site visits and will spend the next few days trolling through data and consulting with Chinese experts before presenting a summary of their findings at a news briefing prior to their departure on Wednesday. Also read: Bat caves in China need further work to trace virus genetic origin: WHO expert in Wuhan The investigators have visited hospitals, research facilities and the seafood market where the first outbreak was identified, although their contacts in Wuhan are limited to visits organised by their Chinese hosts. Dwyer said the team had finished its site visits and was preparing to present its findings as clearly as possible, given the intense level of interest, before the team's 28-day visas expire towards the end of next week. He said that more work needed to be done investigating how the virus could have been transmitted by animals, including bats, as well as into antibodies to coronavirus in people who did not show symptoms of the disease. The short term was "reviewing what we know now and bringing all that data together and there are going to be a series of longer-term projects, and this could take some years," Dwyer said. The origin of the coronavirus has become highly politicised following accusations that China was not transparent in its early handling of the outbreak. Some, including people close to former US President Donald Trump, had speculated the Institute may have been the origin of the outbreak because of its large collection of bat virus specimens and that Chinese authorities were covering up the truth. China has strongly denied the possibility of a leak from the lab and has promoted unproven theories that the virus may have originated elsewhere before being brought to Wuhan, including possibly on imported frozen food packaging. The visit by the WHO team took months to negotiate after China only agreed to it amid massive international pressure at the World Health Assembly meeting last May, and Beijing has continued to deny calls for a strictly independent investigation. Authorities have kept a tight hold on information about the possible causes of the pandemic that has now sickened more than 105 million people and killed more than 2.2 million worldwide.

World Health Organization says China granted it 'full access' for COVID-19 origin probe in Wuhan

Former US President Donald Trump refused to testify in his impeachment trial after being called by House prosecutors to give evidence, branding the process "unconstitutional."

Donald Trump refuses to testify in 'unconstitutional' impeachment trial

Since Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the New York Democrat, took to Instagram Live on Monday to describe what the Jan. 6 riot was like from inside the Capitol complex, critics have claimed that she wasn’t where she said she was, or that she couldn’t have experienced what she described from her location.

These claims are false.

While Ocasio-Cortez was not in the main, domed Capitol building when the rioters breached it, she never said she was. She accurately described being in the Cannon House Office Building, which is part of the Capitol complex and is connected to the main building by tunnels.

In her livestream, Ocasio-Cortez recalled hiding in a bathroom and thinking she was going to die as unknown people entered her office and shouted, “Where is she?” They turned out to be Capitol Police officers who had not clearly identified themselves, and Ocasio-Cortez said so on Instagram. She did not claim that they were rioters — only that, from her hiding spot, she initially thought they were.

During the riot, reporters wrote on Twitter that the Cannon building was being evacuated because of credible threats and that Capitol Police officers were running through the hallways and entering offices just as Ocasio-Cortez described.

The false claims about her statements have spread widely online, much of the backlash stemming from an article on the conservative RedState blog and a livestream from right-wing commentator Steven Crowder. On Thursday, Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., tweeted, “I’m two doors down from @aoc and no insurrectionists stormed our hallway.”

But Ocasio-Cortez never said insurrectionists had stormed that hallway, and Mace herself has described being frightened enough to barricade her own door.

“As the Capitol complex was stormed and people were being killed, none of us knew in the moment what areas were compromised,” Ocasio-Cortez tweeted in response to Mace’s post. (A spokeswoman for Ocasio-Cortez said the lawmaker had no additional comment.)

Others have corroborated Ocasio-Cortez’s account and confirmed that the Cannon building was threatened, even though the rioters did not ultimately breach it.

Ari Rabin-Havt, a deputy manager for Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign, tweeted that he was in the Capitol tunnels during the attack. As Rabin-Havt moved toward the Cannon building, he wrote, members of a SWAT team yelled at him to find a hiding place.

And Rep. Katie Porter, D-Calif., said on MSNBC that after the Cannon building was evacuated, she and Ocasio-Cortez sheltered in Porter’s office in another building. She said Ocasio-Cortez was clearly terrified, opening closets to try to find hiding places and wishing aloud that she had worn flats instead of heels in case she had to run.

Since Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the New York Democrat, took to Instagram Live on Monday to describe what the Jan. 6 riot was like from inside the Capitol complex, critics have claimed that she wasn’t where she said she was, or that she couldn’t have experienced what she described from her location.

Since Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the New York Democrat, took to Instagram Live on Monday to describe what the Jan. 6 riot was like from inside the Capitol complex, critics have claimed that she wasn’t where she said she was, or that she couldn’t have experienced what she described from her location. These claims are false. While Ocasio-Cortez was not in the main, domed Capitol building when the rioters breached it, she never said she was. She accurately described being in the Cannon House Office Building, which is part of the Capitol complex and is connected to the main building by tunnels. In her livestream, Ocasio-Cortez recalled hiding in a bathroom and thinking she was going to die as unknown people entered her office and shouted, “Where is she?” They turned out to be Capitol Police officers who had not clearly identified themselves, and Ocasio-Cortez said so on Instagram. She did not claim that they were rioters — only that, from her hiding spot, she initially thought they were. During the riot, reporters wrote on Twitter that the Cannon building was being evacuated because of credible threats and that Capitol Police officers were running through the hallways and entering offices just as Ocasio-Cortez described. The false claims about her statements have spread widely online, much of the backlash stemming from an article on the conservative RedState blog and a livestream from right-wing commentator Steven Crowder. On Thursday, Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., tweeted, “I’m two doors down from @aoc and no insurrectionists stormed our hallway.” But Ocasio-Cortez never said insurrectionists had stormed that hallway, and Mace herself has described being frightened enough to barricade her own door. “As the Capitol complex was stormed and people were being killed, none of us knew in the moment what areas were compromised,” Ocasio-Cortez tweeted in response to Mace’s post. (A spokeswoman for Ocasio-Cortez said the lawmaker had no additional comment.) Others have corroborated Ocasio-Cortez’s account and confirmed that the Cannon building was threatened, even though the rioters did not ultimately breach it. Ari Rabin-Havt, a deputy manager for Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign, tweeted that he was in the Capitol tunnels during the attack. As Rabin-Havt moved toward the Cannon building, he wrote, members of a SWAT team yelled at him to find a hiding place. And Rep. Katie Porter, D-Calif., said on MSNBC that after the Cannon building was evacuated, she and Ocasio-Cortez sheltered in Porter’s office in another building. She said Ocasio-Cortez was clearly terrified, opening closets to try to find hiding places and wishing aloud that she had worn flats instead of heels in case she had to run.

No, Ocasio-Cortez didn't make up account of Capitol attack

The former US President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump's</a> lawyers have declined a request from Democrats to testify at his impeachment trial, which is scheduled in the US Senate next week.

Trump's lawyers have dismissed the invitation as a "public relations stunt". This rejection of invitation has come as the Democrats in the House of Representatives have accused Trump of inciting violence after motivating his supporters to march to the US Capitol and interfere the process of declaring Joe Biden as the next President.

He has been accused of motivating his supporters to "fight" his election defeat, which then led to a violent riot in the US Capitol and death of five people, including a Capitol police officer.

"The president will not testify in an unconstitutional proceeding," Trump's adviser Jason Miller said.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/donald-trump-refuses-to-testify-in-unconstitutional-impeachment-trial-361492">WATCH|</a>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/donald-trump-refuses-to-testify-in-unconstitutional-impeachment-trial-361492/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

His legal team has also rejected the impeachment charges and have once again asserted Trump's claims of his election defeat being a direct result of voter fraud — that Trump has failed to prove.

In an open letter to the former TV star, Trump, and his attorneys, the Democratic lawmaker Jamie Raskin had invited the team to provide testimony under oath.

"If you decline this invitation, we reserve any and all rights, including the right to establish at trial that your refusal to testify supports a strong adverse inference regarding your actions (and inaction) on January 6, 2021," Raskin wrote in the letter.

Trump's attorney, Bruce Castor, however, said his client has the right to reject this invitation.

"The burden is on the House to prove their case," he said. "I’m not going to help them meet their burden."

The former US President Donald Trump's lawyers have declined a request from Democrats to testify at his impeachment trial, which is scheduled in the US Senate next week.

The former US President Donald Trump's lawyers have declined a request from Democrats to testify at his impeachment trial, which is scheduled in the US Senate next week. Trump's lawyers have dismissed the invitation as a "public relations stunt". This rejection of invitation has come as the Democrats in the House of Representatives have accused Trump of inciting violence after motivating his supporters to march to the US Capitol and interfere the process of declaring Joe Biden as the next President. He has been accused of motivating his supporters to "fight" his election defeat, which then led to a violent riot in the US Capitol and death of five people, including a Capitol police officer. "The president will not testify in an unconstitutional proceeding," Trump's adviser Jason Miller said. WATCH| His legal team has also rejected the impeachment charges and have once again asserted Trump's claims of his election defeat being a direct result of voter fraud — that Trump has failed to prove. In an open letter to the former TV star, Trump, and his attorneys, the Democratic lawmaker Jamie Raskin had invited the team to provide testimony under oath. "If you decline this invitation, we reserve any and all rights, including the right to establish at trial that your refusal to testify supports a strong adverse inference regarding your actions (and inaction) on January 6, 2021," Raskin wrote in the letter. Trump's attorney, Bruce Castor, however, said his client has the right to reject this invitation. "The burden is on the House to prove their case," he said. "I’m not going to help them meet their burden."

Donald Trump rejects invite to testify at impeachment trial after Capitol riots

Former US President Donald Trump has resigned from SAG-AFTRA after facing expulsion notice from the actor's guild for inciting the Capitol riots on January 6.&nbsp; 
 
Trump wrote a letter addressed to SAG-AFTRA's president Gabrielle Carteris on Thursday citing the organization has done "nothing" for him.&nbsp; 
The letter's copy was provided to several US news outlets by the actor's guild later.&nbsp; 
 
"I write to you today regarding the so-called Disciplinary Committee hearing aimed at revoking my union membership. Who cares!" Trump wrote in his letter, alluding to the SAG-AFTRA &nbsp;board meeting to discuss revoking his membership card. 
 
"While I’m not familiar with your work, I’m very proud of my work on movies such as Home Alone 2, Zoolander and Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps; and television shows including The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Saturday Night Live, and of course, one of the most successful shows in television history, The Apprentice – to name just a few," the letter further read.&nbsp; 
 
Trump was voted against by the board members of SAG- AFTRA &nbsp;on January 19 over his probable role in the violence that took place at Capitol Hill. The board cited that Trump had violated guidelines of membership.&nbsp; 
 
Trump has been accused of "sustaining a reckless campaign of misinformation aimed at discrediting and ultimately threatening the safety of journalists, many of whom are SAG-AFTRA members.” 
 
“I’ve also greatly helped the cable news television business (said to be a dying platform with not much time left until I got involved in politics), and created thousands of jobs at networks such as MSDNC and Fake News CNN, among many others,” Trump further wrote. 
 
Interestingly, in response to Trump's resignation, the Guild responded with a "Thank you."

Former US President Donald Trump has resigned from SAG-AFTRA after facing expulsion notice from the actor's guild for inciting the Capitol riots on January 6. Trump wrote a letter addressed to SAG-AFTRA's president Gabrielle Carteris on Thursday citing the organization has done "nothing" for him.

Former US President Donald Trump has resigned from SAG-AFTRA after facing expulsion notice from the actor's guild for inciting the Capitol riots on January 6. Trump wrote a letter addressed to SAG-AFTRA's president Gabrielle Carteris on Thursday citing the organization has done "nothing" for him. The letter's copy was provided to several US news outlets by the actor's guild later. "I write to you today regarding the so-called Disciplinary Committee hearing aimed at revoking my union membership. Who cares!" Trump wrote in his letter, alluding to the SAG-AFTRA board meeting to discuss revoking his membership card. "While I’m not familiar with your work, I’m very proud of my work on movies such as Home Alone 2, Zoolander and Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps; and television shows including The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Saturday Night Live, and of course, one of the most successful shows in television history, The Apprentice – to name just a few," the letter further read. Trump was voted against by the board members of SAG- AFTRA on January 19 over his probable role in the violence that took place at Capitol Hill. The board cited that Trump had violated guidelines of membership. Trump has been accused of "sustaining a reckless campaign of misinformation aimed at discrediting and ultimately threatening the safety of journalists, many of whom are SAG-AFTRA members.” “I’ve also greatly helped the cable news television business (said to be a dying platform with not much time left until I got involved in politics), and created thousands of jobs at networks such as MSDNC and Fake News CNN, among many others,” Trump further wrote. Interestingly, in response to Trump's resignation, the Guild responded with a "Thank you."

Donald Trump writes 'who cares' as he resigns from Screen Actors Guild after facing expulsion notice

President Joe Biden told congressional Democrats on Wednesday he would not back down on including $1,400 checks for struggling Americans in his COVID-19 relief plan but would consider tighter limits on who gets them, lawmakers and aides said.

Biden held a conference call with House of Representatives Democrats and talked with Democratic senators at the White House as the party prepared to use a procedural maneuver to push Biden`s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package through without Republican votes if necessary.

"We did have a conversation about the direct payments and how those might be modified in a way to ensure they`re targeted," Senator Chris Coons, a Democrat from Biden`s home state of Delaware, said as he left the White House Wednesday morning.

"But President Biden was clear with us and with our caucus yesterday, he`s not going to forget the middle class, he`s not going to walk back from a real commitment."

Biden has made addressing the heavy human and economic toll of the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed more than 447,000 Americans and thrown millions out of work, a key focus of the early weeks of his administration.

The president told House Democrats in a conference call that he does not want to begin his presidency with a broken promise on delivering relief, said a House Democratic aide.

Biden`s proposal mirrors income requirements in previous COVID-19 bills that would provide payments to individuals making up to $75,000, and couples $150,000, a year.

When White House Press Secretary Jen Paski on Tuesday was asked to draw some lines on where Biden stood on the stimulus checks, she offered an example of a couple, a nurse and a teacher, making $120,000 and said under the Biden plan, they would get a stimulus check, but not under a plan by Republican senators.

Congressional Democrats on Tuesday took their first steps to fast-track the massive aid package, voting in both chambers to open debate on a spending resolution that would give them a legislative tool called "reconciliation" to pass the relief without Republican support.

Biden met a group of 10 moderate Republican senators on Monday and had said he wanted to garner bipartisan support for his plan, which includes more money for vaccines and additional unemployment benefits.

But Republicans overall have balked at the price tag and pointed to the $4 trillion in COVID-19 aid passed last year.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said the Democrats` strategy does not preclude bipartisan cooperation, but vowed a sweeping measure that includes assistance for the unemployed, businesses, housing, schools, state and local governments and vaccine distribution.

But Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell criticized the Democrats` decision to press ahead with a framework that allows the eventual COVID-19 relief bill to pass with a simple majority, calling it a "partisan jam".

"The new president talks a lot about unity, but his White House staff and congressional leadership are working with a different playbook," McConnell said on the Senate floor.

President Joe Biden told congressional Democrats on Wednesday he would not back down on including $1,400 checks for struggling Americans in his COVID-19 relief plan but would consider tighter limits on who gets them, lawmakers and aides said.

President Joe Biden told congressional Democrats on Wednesday he would not back down on including $1,400 checks for struggling Americans in his COVID-19 relief plan but would consider tighter limits on who gets them, lawmakers and aides said. Biden held a conference call with House of Representatives Democrats and talked with Democratic senators at the White House as the party prepared to use a procedural maneuver to push Biden`s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package through without Republican votes if necessary. "We did have a conversation about the direct payments and how those might be modified in a way to ensure they`re targeted," Senator Chris Coons, a Democrat from Biden`s home state of Delaware, said as he left the White House Wednesday morning. "But President Biden was clear with us and with our caucus yesterday, he`s not going to forget the middle class, he`s not going to walk back from a real commitment." Biden has made addressing the heavy human and economic toll of the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed more than 447,000 Americans and thrown millions out of work, a key focus of the early weeks of his administration. The president told House Democrats in a conference call that he does not want to begin his presidency with a broken promise on delivering relief, said a House Democratic aide. Biden`s proposal mirrors income requirements in previous COVID-19 bills that would provide payments to individuals making up to $75,000, and couples $150,000, a year. When White House Press Secretary Jen Paski on Tuesday was asked to draw some lines on where Biden stood on the stimulus checks, she offered an example of a couple, a nurse and a teacher, making $120,000 and said under the Biden plan, they would get a stimulus check, but not under a plan by Republican senators. Congressional Democrats on Tuesday took their first steps to fast-track the massive aid package, voting in both chambers to open debate on a spending resolution that would give them a legislative tool called "reconciliation" to pass the relief without Republican support. Biden met a group of 10 moderate Republican senators on Monday and had said he wanted to garner bipartisan support for his plan, which includes more money for vaccines and additional unemployment benefits. But Republicans overall have balked at the price tag and pointed to the $4 trillion in COVID-19 aid passed last year. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said the Democrats` strategy does not preclude bipartisan cooperation, but vowed a sweeping measure that includes assistance for the unemployed, businesses, housing, schools, state and local governments and vaccine distribution. But Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell criticized the Democrats` decision to press ahead with a framework that allows the eventual COVID-19 relief bill to pass with a simple majority, calling it a "partisan jam". "The new president talks a lot about unity, but his White House staff and congressional leadership are working with a different playbook," McConnell said on the Senate floor.

Biden tells congressional Democrats would consider limits on who gets COVID-19 checks

A lawyer for Donald Trump on Wednesday said it would be "idiotic" and "insane" to dispute the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election during his Senate impeachment trial, adding that the former US. president has not pressured him to make those arguments. 
 
"Injecting that into a case that is already a winner would be idiotic," said Bruce L. Castor Jr, a recent addition to Trump`s legal team, in an interview with Reuters. 
 
"It would be insane to do that," Castor said. 
 
"Nobody has pressured me to make that defense," Castor added, saying Trump was happy with a brief filed by Castor and his co-counsel David Schoen on Tuesday. 
 
The two defense lawyers are preparing for trial before the US&nbsp;Senate beginning Feb. 9. The chamber will consider an article of impeachment passed by the House of Representatives charging Trump with inciting the deadly Jan. 6 storming of the Capitol by his followers.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/us-supreme-court-scraps-arguments-in-trump-era-immigration-and-wall-cases-361131" hreflang="en">US Supreme Court scraps arguments in Trump-era immigration and wall cases</a> 
 
In their response to the charge on Tuesday, they argued that the Senate lacked authority to hold an impeachment trial for a president who has left office. Castor told Reuters that would be the primary defense argument. 
 
Forty-five Senate Republicans backed a failed effort on Jan. 26 to halt Trump’s impeachment trial for that very reason, in a show of party unity that some cited as a clear sign he will not be convicted. 
 
Democratic lawmakers said in a brief on Tuesday that Trump pointed a mob "like a loaded cannon" at Congress and should be barred from holding public office in the future. 
 
Trump named Castor and Schoen as his lead counsel on Sunday after abruptly parting ways with a five-lawyer team he brought on to represent him.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/donald-trumps-lawyers-say-senate-has-no-authority-to-put-him-on-trial-360969" hreflang="en">Donald Trump's lawyers say Senate has no authority to put him on trial</a> 
 
A source familiar with the discussions said Trump had disagreed with his previous lead counsel, Butch Bowers, over strategy ahead of the trial. The president is still contending that he was the victim of mass election fraud in the Nov. 3 election won by President Joe Biden. 
 
Castor said he did not plan to call defense witnesses unless the House Democrats prosecuting the trial call their own witnesses. He declined to say who Trump would call in that scenario. 
 
Some congressional Republicans have said Trump should avoid rehashing his baseless theories about election fraud. 
 
"I think it would be a disservice to the president’s own defense to get bogged down in things that really aren’t before the Senate," Sen. John Cornyn, a Republican from Texas, told reporters on Monday. 
 
Castor is a former Pennsylvania district attorney known for his decision not to prosecute entertainer Bill Cosby in 2005 after a woman accused Cosby of sexual assault. In 2017, Castor sued Cosby’s accuser in the case for defamation, claiming she destroyed his political career in retaliation.

A lawyer for Donald Trump on Wednesday said it would be "idiotic" and "insane" to dispute the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election during his Senate impeachment trial, adding that the former US.

A lawyer for Donald Trump on Wednesday said it would be "idiotic" and "insane" to dispute the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election during his Senate impeachment trial, adding that the former US. president has not pressured him to make those arguments. "Injecting that into a case that is already a winner would be idiotic," said Bruce L. Castor Jr, a recent addition to Trump`s legal team, in an interview with Reuters. "It would be insane to do that," Castor said. "Nobody has pressured me to make that defense," Castor added, saying Trump was happy with a brief filed by Castor and his co-counsel David Schoen on Tuesday. The two defense lawyers are preparing for trial before the US Senate beginning Feb. 9. The chamber will consider an article of impeachment passed by the House of Representatives charging Trump with inciting the deadly Jan. 6 storming of the Capitol by his followers. Also read: US Supreme Court scraps arguments in Trump-era immigration and wall cases In their response to the charge on Tuesday, they argued that the Senate lacked authority to hold an impeachment trial for a president who has left office. Castor told Reuters that would be the primary defense argument. Forty-five Senate Republicans backed a failed effort on Jan. 26 to halt Trump’s impeachment trial for that very reason, in a show of party unity that some cited as a clear sign he will not be convicted. Democratic lawmakers said in a brief on Tuesday that Trump pointed a mob "like a loaded cannon" at Congress and should be barred from holding public office in the future. Trump named Castor and Schoen as his lead counsel on Sunday after abruptly parting ways with a five-lawyer team he brought on to represent him. Also read: Donald Trump's lawyers say Senate has no authority to put him on trial A source familiar with the discussions said Trump had disagreed with his previous lead counsel, Butch Bowers, over strategy ahead of the trial. The president is still contending that he was the victim of mass election fraud in the Nov. 3 election won by President Joe Biden. Castor said he did not plan to call defense witnesses unless the House Democrats prosecuting the trial call their own witnesses. He declined to say who Trump would call in that scenario. Some congressional Republicans have said Trump should avoid rehashing his baseless theories about election fraud. "I think it would be a disservice to the president’s own defense to get bogged down in things that really aren’t before the Senate," Sen. John Cornyn, a Republican from Texas, told reporters on Monday. Castor is a former Pennsylvania district attorney known for his decision not to prosecute entertainer Bill Cosby in 2005 after a woman accused Cosby of sexual assault. In 2017, Castor sued Cosby’s accuser in the case for defamation, claiming she destroyed his political career in retaliation.

Trump's impeachment lawyer says would be 'idiotic', 'insane' to suggest election fraud

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