US Speaker Nancy Pelosi has named impeachment managers ahead of the vote to impeach Trump. The team includes three women, Rep Jamie Raskin will be the lead manager.

Breaking News: US Speaker Nancy Pelosi names impeachment managers

As&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>'s presidency is itching to its much-awaited closure, his favourite golfing world seems to be breaking up with him too — especially after the controversial Capitol riots that took place last week.

In a first, the Royal and Ancient Golf Club (R&amp;A) has announced hthat it has no plans to host any further golf championships at teh famous&nbsp;Trump Turnberry golf course in Scotland.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ahead-of-bidens-inauguration-trump-approves-emergency-declaration-for-washington-356146">Ahead of Biden's inauguration, Trump approves emergency declaration for Washington</a>

"We had no plans to stage any of our championships at Turnberry and will not do so in the foreseeable future," the R&amp;A said in a statement adding the championship will not return unless the controversies die. "We will not return until we are convinced that the focus will be on the championship, the players and the course itself and we do not believe that is achievable in the current circumstances."

In additon to this, the&nbsp;PGA of America has also cancelled plans of hosting the 2022 PGA Championship at the&nbsp;Trump National at Bedminster, New Jersey, USA claiming associating with Trump would be bad for the organisation's reputation, especially after the Capitol riots and the impending impeachment of the outgoing President.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/fbi-warns-armed-trump-supporters-could-hold-protests-in-all-50-states-ahead-of-bidens-inauguration-356130" hreflang="en">FBI warns armed Trump supporters could hold protests in all 50 states</a>

"It became clear to us that our brand was at stake," PGA of America chief executive officer Seth Waugh told local gold channels.&nbsp;"We thought we were putting at risk that mission if we were to hold the tournament at Trump Bedminster."

New Jersey's Trump Bedminster had hosted the 2017 US Women's Open, despite several protests outside the club that year, and was also&nbsp;awarded the 2022 PGA in 2014 by the PGA of America. However, now after the club pulled out of the event's venue, the deccision is being labelled as 'politically motivated' by Trump's aids and supporters.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/days-after-capitol-riots-donald-trump-and-mike-pence-meet-in-oval-office-sources-356142">Days after Capitol riots, Donald trump and Mike Pence meet in Oval Office</a>

"Right now in the country almost anybody views any decision being made as political,"&nbsp;PGA of America president Jim Richerson said. "We tried to take politics out of it and just get back and focus on our brand and what's best for the game of golf. We all believe it was the right decision."

Several golf stars have also retaced their support and have hinted on never playing with the tainted President again. "I probably wouldn't, no," said&nbsp;Rory McIlroy, a professional golfer. "The day that I did spend with him and others was very enjoyable. He's very charismatic and was nice to everyone... That doesn't mean I agree with everything — or, in fact, anything — that he says."

As Donald Trump's presidency is itching to its much-awaited closure, his favourite golfing world seems to be breaking up with him too — especially after the controversial Capitol riots that took place last week.

As Donald Trump's presidency is itching to its much-awaited closure, his favourite golfing world seems to be breaking up with him too — especially after the controversial Capitol riots that took place last week. In a first, the Royal and Ancient Golf Club (R&A) has announced hthat it has no plans to host any further golf championships at teh famous Trump Turnberry golf course in Scotland. Also read| Ahead of Biden's inauguration, Trump approves emergency declaration for Washington "We had no plans to stage any of our championships at Turnberry and will not do so in the foreseeable future," the R&A said in a statement adding the championship will not return unless the controversies die. "We will not return until we are convinced that the focus will be on the championship, the players and the course itself and we do not believe that is achievable in the current circumstances." In additon to this, the PGA of America has also cancelled plans of hosting the 2022 PGA Championship at the Trump National at Bedminster, New Jersey, USA claiming associating with Trump would be bad for the organisation's reputation, especially after the Capitol riots and the impending impeachment of the outgoing President. Also read| FBI warns armed Trump supporters could hold protests in all 50 states "It became clear to us that our brand was at stake," PGA of America chief executive officer Seth Waugh told local gold channels. "We thought we were putting at risk that mission if we were to hold the tournament at Trump Bedminster." New Jersey's Trump Bedminster had hosted the 2017 US Women's Open, despite several protests outside the club that year, and was also awarded the 2022 PGA in 2014 by the PGA of America. However, now after the club pulled out of the event's venue, the deccision is being labelled as 'politically motivated' by Trump's aids and supporters. Also read| Days after Capitol riots, Donald trump and Mike Pence meet in Oval Office "Right now in the country almost anybody views any decision being made as political," PGA of America president Jim Richerson said. "We tried to take politics out of it and just get back and focus on our brand and what's best for the game of golf. We all believe it was the right decision." Several golf stars have also retaced their support and have hinted on never playing with the tainted President again. "I probably wouldn't, no," said Rory McIlroy, a professional golfer. "The day that I did spend with him and others was very enjoyable. He's very charismatic and was nice to everyone... That doesn't mean I agree with everything — or, in fact, anything — that he says."

R&A and others declare no more golf championships at Trump Turnberry course

Bolt was the world's first social networking website, and remained active between 1996 and 2007. 25 years since its inception, the world is facing a peculiar challenge of filtering content and engagement on social media in a bid to contain hate speech, which was blamed for the recent attack on US Capitol which left five people dead.

But can we trust social media giants? How can we assume that those claiming to solve the problem aren’t helping themselves?

For weeks, Trump lied about the election being stolen from him. And for his excesses, he was simply flagged. For four years, Trump was allowed to spread hatred. Every time tech CEOs were pulled up, they said Trump's posts have political value and blocking them would mean blocking free speech.

Years of pent-up hate led to what we saw at Washington on&nbsp;January 6, and social media helped connect those responsible for the carnage, which was live streamed on social media.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/big-techs-ban-on-donald-trump-sparks-debate-about-power-wielded-by-companies-356322" hreflang="en">Big Tech's ban on Donald Trump sparks debate about power wielded by companies</a>

Trump was responsible for what happened, but so was Facebook and Twitter. When chaos struck the Capitol, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said - “The risks of allowing the president to continue to use our service during this period are simply too great”.

Trump is an outgoing president, and the Silicon Valley doesn't need him anymore.. Tech giants silenced his voice hoping to earn some cheer in their favour, and to distance themselves from the attempted coup.

European Union's Commissioner for the internal market - Thierry Breton said the following - “The fact that a CEO can pull the plug on POTU’S loudspeaker without any checks and balances is perplexing. It not only confirms the power of these platforms, but it also displays weaknesses in the way our society is organised in the digital space."

The damage done at US Capitol showed the world that American democracy is stake.&nbsp;

Our systems have become puppets in the hands of social media. These platforms are used to swing elections, and to challenge results. Coups are also planned on these platforms. And CEOs of these platforms then play judge and jury. Trump should be held accountable for inciting hate, but that’s the job of the courts.

Who gave tech CEOs the power to snatch an elected leader's freedom of speech?

The thin line between free speech and hate speech, protest and incitement of violence is dictated by ideologies, and shouldn’t be up for tech firms to tell. Defining hate has to be a collective process; governments and private entities need to come up with mechanisms to jointly monitor and regulate what goes on social media..

This would also mean amending the rules of the land to regulate the digital world too. And to also ensure - that the regulations aren't misused, especially- by tech giants.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-calls-second-impeachment-attempt-greatest-witch-hunt-in-history-356318">Trump calls second impeachment attempt 'greatest witch-hunt in history'</a>

In India, the government has issued an order to regulate news on social media platforms, but its effectiveness remains questionable. Europe slaps tech giants with fines if extremist content isn't removed with an hour.

Australia has given its e-safety commissioner the power to issue “takedown notices” to social media companies, with a provision for criminal penalties. This includes possible jail sentences for tech executives, and penalties worth up to 10 per cent of the company's global turnover.

In South Korea, the government can order an information provider to restrict material. Either we legislate on the digital world, or we watch tech giants become a law unto themselves.

Bolt was the world's first social networking website, and remained active between 1996 and 2007. 25 years since its inception, the world is facing a peculiar challenge of filtering content and engagement on social media in a bid to contain hate speech, which was blamed for the recent attack on US Capitol which left five people dead.

Bolt was the world's first social networking website, and remained active between 1996 and 2007. 25 years since its inception, the world is facing a peculiar challenge of filtering content and engagement on social media in a bid to contain hate speech, which was blamed for the recent attack on US Capitol which left five people dead. But can we trust social media giants? How can we assume that those claiming to solve the problem aren’t helping themselves? For weeks, Trump lied about the election being stolen from him. And for his excesses, he was simply flagged. For four years, Trump was allowed to spread hatred. Every time tech CEOs were pulled up, they said Trump's posts have political value and blocking them would mean blocking free speech. Years of pent-up hate led to what we saw at Washington on January 6, and social media helped connect those responsible for the carnage, which was live streamed on social media. Also read: Big Tech's ban on Donald Trump sparks debate about power wielded by companies Trump was responsible for what happened, but so was Facebook and Twitter. When chaos struck the Capitol, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said - “The risks of allowing the president to continue to use our service during this period are simply too great”. Trump is an outgoing president, and the Silicon Valley doesn't need him anymore.. Tech giants silenced his voice hoping to earn some cheer in their favour, and to distance themselves from the attempted coup. European Union's Commissioner for the internal market - Thierry Breton said the following - “The fact that a CEO can pull the plug on POTU’S loudspeaker without any checks and balances is perplexing. It not only confirms the power of these platforms, but it also displays weaknesses in the way our society is organised in the digital space." The damage done at US Capitol showed the world that American democracy is stake. Our systems have become puppets in the hands of social media. These platforms are used to swing elections, and to challenge results. Coups are also planned on these platforms. And CEOs of these platforms then play judge and jury. Trump should be held accountable for inciting hate, but that’s the job of the courts. Who gave tech CEOs the power to snatch an elected leader's freedom of speech? The thin line between free speech and hate speech, protest and incitement of violence is dictated by ideologies, and shouldn’t be up for tech firms to tell. Defining hate has to be a collective process; governments and private entities need to come up with mechanisms to jointly monitor and regulate what goes on social media.. This would also mean amending the rules of the land to regulate the digital world too. And to also ensure - that the regulations aren't misused, especially- by tech giants. Also read: Trump calls second impeachment attempt 'greatest witch-hunt in history' In India, the government has issued an order to regulate news on social media platforms, but its effectiveness remains questionable. Europe slaps tech giants with fines if extremist content isn't removed with an hour. Australia has given its e-safety commissioner the power to issue “takedown notices” to social media companies, with a provision for criminal penalties. This includes possible jail sentences for tech executives, and penalties worth up to 10 per cent of the company's global turnover. In South Korea, the government can order an information provider to restrict material. Either we legislate on the digital world, or we watch tech giants become a law unto themselves.

It's time to regulate social media giants before they regulate us

&nbsp;

It looks like the outgoing US President&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>'s name is everywhere, and sadly it is also leaving a negative impact on nature and wildlife. The wildlife authorities in Florida recently reported that a manatee was spotted with 'Trump' etched on its side.

The&nbsp;Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) made an appeal on Monday asking people to help identify the people who were responsible for scratching this on&nbsp;to the hide of a manatee.

This incident came to light after the Citrus County Chronicle published a video which shows Donald Trump's name etched on the back of the marine mammal. While no details have been revealed as of now as this is an ongoing investigation,&nbsp;Craig Cavanna, an investigating officer for the federal service has said the person responsible for this inhumane act will have to pay up a fine of&nbsp;up to $50,000 and a year in federal prison for harming a protected species.

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Can this even be real? A manatee was discovered in Florida with the word “Trump” scraped on its back. <a href="https://t.co/PH8YcmGRnz">pic.twitter.com/PH8YcmGRnz</a>
— George StroumbouloPHÒulos 🐺 (@strombo) <a href="https://twitter.com/strombo/status/1348695307832483841?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The manatee was spotted on Sunday&nbsp;swimming in the waters of the Homosassa River on the west coast of Florida. The region is a hotspot for animals to gather at this time of the year as the mammals search for warm waters.

Manatees are counted in the list of&nbsp;the Endangered Species Act and are usually found in the&nbsp;fresh water in the Gulf of Mexico, Amazon River and the west coast of Africa.

This attack has been spotted a few days after Trump supporters took over the Capitol building with th aim to intervene offical certification of Joe Biden's wictory in the US election and destroy government property.

"It's clear that whoever harmed this defenceless, gentle giant is capable of doing grave violence and needs to be apprehended immediately,"&nbsp;said Jaclyn Lopez, the non-profit group’s Florida director.

It looks like the outgoing US President Donald Trump's name is everywhere, and sadly it is also leaving a negative impact on nature and wildlife. The wildlife authorities in Florida recently reported that a manatee was spotted with 'Trump' etched on its side.

It looks like the outgoing US President Donald Trump's name is everywhere, and sadly it is also leaving a negative impact on nature and wildlife. The wildlife authorities in Florida recently reported that a manatee was spotted with 'Trump' etched on its side. The Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) made an appeal on Monday asking people to help identify the people who were responsible for scratching this on to the hide of a manatee. This incident came to light after the Citrus County Chronicle published a video which shows Donald Trump's name etched on the back of the marine mammal. While no details have been revealed as of now as this is an ongoing investigation, Craig Cavanna, an investigating officer for the federal service has said the person responsible for this inhumane act will have to pay up a fine of up to $50,000 and a year in federal prison for harming a protected species. Can this even be real? A manatee was discovered in Florida with the word “Trump” scraped on its back. pic.twitter.com/PH8YcmGRnz — George StroumbouloPHÒulos 🐺 (@strombo) January 11, 2021 × The manatee was spotted on Sunday swimming in the waters of the Homosassa River on the west coast of Florida. The region is a hotspot for animals to gather at this time of the year as the mammals search for warm waters. Manatees are counted in the list of the Endangered Species Act and are usually found in the fresh water in the Gulf of Mexico, Amazon River and the west coast of Africa. This attack has been spotted a few days after Trump supporters took over the Capitol building with th aim to intervene offical certification of Joe Biden's wictory in the US election and destroy government property. "It's clear that whoever harmed this defenceless, gentle giant is capable of doing grave violence and needs to be apprehended immediately," said Jaclyn Lopez, the non-profit group’s Florida director.

Watch: Manatee carved with 'Trump' on its back found in Florida days after Capitol riots

President-elect Joe Biden said Monday that he was “not afraid” to take the oath of office outside at his upcoming inauguration ceremony

U.S.: FBI warns of plans for armed protests ahead of Biden inauguration | Capitol Siege | WION

United States incumbent President Donald Trump, who is set to leave the office in over a week recently responded to new attempts at impeaching him.

The US president said that the attempt by Democrats to impeach him is causing "tremendous anger". Trump is visiting the US-Mexico border to take a look at the wall he had promised to build as part of his election campaigning against Hilary Clinton.&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-will-donald-trump-be-impeached-356125/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"I think it's causing tremendous anger", he said.

Democrats are attempting to impeach Donald Trump in view of the violence which rocked US Capitol last week, leaving five people, including a police officer dead. "We want no violence", he said today.

Additionally referring to impeachment efforts, he called it a "witch hunt". "[Impeachment] is a continuation of the greatest witch hunt in the history of politics", he said.

An impeachment article was introduced in US House on Monday, accusing Trump of "incitement of insurrection". On Wednesday last week, Trump held a rally near the White House while lawmakers got ready ti certify Joe Biden as the winner of the election.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/twitter-suspends-70000-qanon-related-accounts-trump-supporters-plan-flop-protest-356161" hreflang="en">Twitter suspends 70,000 QAnon-related accounts; Trump supporters plan 'flop' protest</a>

At the rally, Trump reiterated his baseless claims of a "stolen election", claiming that Biden had won by cheating his way through elections which took place in November.&nbsp;

He urged his supporters to march to the Capitol building, where the violence took place. In addition, he referred to the election results as an "egregious assault on our democracy".&nbsp;

"We're going to walk down to the Capitol and we're going to cheer on our brave senators and Congressmen and women", Trump had said to his followers, while urging them to "fight like".

Soon after the speech, rioters stormed the Capitol building. Due to this, the premises were evacuated, and rioters were seen posing inside House and Senate areas.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/an-urgent-reckoning-for-the-trump-brand-356250" hreflang="en">An urgent reckoning for the Trump brand</a>

Many Republicans have also broken away from Trump, and have openly claimed that his speech amounts to incitement, warranting the article of impeachment.

It is unclear whether Trump will be impeached or not. But one thing is clear - starting January 20, the US will have a new president - Joe Biden.

United States incumbent President Donald Trump, who is set to leave the office in over a week recently responded to new attempts at impeaching him. The US president said that the attempt by Democrats to impeach him is causing "tremendous anger".

United States incumbent President Donald Trump, who is set to leave the office in over a week recently responded to new attempts at impeaching him. The US president said that the attempt by Democrats to impeach him is causing "tremendous anger". Trump is visiting the US-Mexico border to take a look at the wall he had promised to build as part of his election campaigning against Hilary Clinton. "I think it's causing tremendous anger", he said. Democrats are attempting to impeach Donald Trump in view of the violence which rocked US Capitol last week, leaving five people, including a police officer dead. "We want no violence", he said today. Additionally referring to impeachment efforts, he called it a "witch hunt". "[Impeachment] is a continuation of the greatest witch hunt in the history of politics", he said. An impeachment article was introduced in US House on Monday, accusing Trump of "incitement of insurrection". On Wednesday last week, Trump held a rally near the White House while lawmakers got ready ti certify Joe Biden as the winner of the election. Also read: Twitter suspends 70,000 QAnon-related accounts; Trump supporters plan 'flop' protest At the rally, Trump reiterated his baseless claims of a "stolen election", claiming that Biden had won by cheating his way through elections which took place in November. He urged his supporters to march to the Capitol building, where the violence took place. In addition, he referred to the election results as an "egregious assault on our democracy". "We're going to walk down to the Capitol and we're going to cheer on our brave senators and Congressmen and women", Trump had said to his followers, while urging them to "fight like". Soon after the speech, rioters stormed the Capitol building. Due to this, the premises were evacuated, and rioters were seen posing inside House and Senate areas. Also read: An urgent reckoning for the Trump brand Many Republicans have also broken away from Trump, and have openly claimed that his speech amounts to incitement, warranting the article of impeachment. It is unclear whether Trump will be impeached or not. But one thing is clear - starting January 20, the US will have a new president - Joe Biden.

Trump calls second impeachment attempt 'greatest witch-hunt in history'

The outgoing&nbsp;US President&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;has declared a state of emergency in Washington a few days after his supporters marched into the Capitol building to destroy government property and protest against the US election results.

The news broke out in the late hours of Monday through a&nbsp;White House press office. The release claims the decision has been taken to make sure no such incident takes place in future as the inauguration ceremony for Joe Biden is scheduled to take place next week.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/fbi-warns-armed-trump-supporters-could-hold-protests-in-all-50-states-ahead-of-bidens-inauguration-356130" hreflang="en">FBI warns armed Trump supporters could hold protests in all 50 states</a>

"Today, President Donald J. Trump declared that an emergency exists in the District of Columbia and ordered Federal assistance to supplement the District’s response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from the 59th Presidential Inauguration from January 11 to January 24, 2021," the release states.

Through this action, the President has given authority to the&nbsp;Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to "coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in the District of Columbia."

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/days-after-capitol-riots-donald-trump-and-mike-pence-meet-in-oval-office-sources-356142">Days after Capitol riots, Donald trump and Mike Pence meet in Oval Office</a>

Further, FEMA can identify, mobilise and use discretion to provide resources and equipment to prevent any impacts of violence or situations of emergency. "Emergency protective measures, limited to direct Federal assistance, will be provided at 100 percent Federal funding."

This decision has come hours after&nbsp;he acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Chad Wolf, resigned from his post due to the violence at the Capitol a week. ago. Following his rsignation, the White House press release states&nbsp;Pete Gaynor, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, named Thomas J. Fargione as the Federal Coordinating Officer for Federal recovery operations in the affected area.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-will-donald-trump-be-impeached-356125">WATCH|</a>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-will-donald-trump-be-impeached-356125/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo">&nbsp;</div>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo">The decision has also come a few hours after the FBI&nbsp;warned that armed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/democrats-introduce-trump-impeachment-article-in-us-house-356120">Trump</a>&nbsp;supporters could hold protests in all 50 states between the coming weekend and January 20 when the president-elect Joe Biden takes the oath.</div>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo">&nbsp;</div>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo">Following this warning, the Pentagon has also authorised&nbsp;15,000 National Guard troops to be deployed in the capital city to make sure no more riots take place, especially in the next one week.&nbsp;Chief of the defence department's National Guard Bureau Daniel Hokanson said that at least 6,200 have already been deployed in capital Washington with another 10,000 planned deployment over the weekend.</div>

The outgoing US President Donald Trump has declared a state of emergency in Washington a few days after his supporters marched into the Capitol building to destroy government property and protest against the US election results.

The outgoing US President Donald Trump has declared a state of emergency in Washington a few days after his supporters marched into the Capitol building to destroy government property and protest against the US election results. The news broke out in the late hours of Monday through a White House press office. The release claims the decision has been taken to make sure no such incident takes place in future as the inauguration ceremony for Joe Biden is scheduled to take place next week. Also read| FBI warns armed Trump supporters could hold protests in all 50 states "Today, President Donald J. Trump declared that an emergency exists in the District of Columbia and ordered Federal assistance to supplement the District’s response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from the 59th Presidential Inauguration from January 11 to January 24, 2021," the release states. Through this action, the President has given authority to the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to "coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in the District of Columbia." Also read| Days after Capitol riots, Donald trump and Mike Pence meet in Oval Office Further, FEMA can identify, mobilise and use discretion to provide resources and equipment to prevent any impacts of violence or situations of emergency. "Emergency protective measures, limited to direct Federal assistance, will be provided at 100 percent Federal funding." This decision has come hours after he acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Chad Wolf, resigned from his post due to the violence at the Capitol a week. ago. Following his rsignation, the White House press release states Pete Gaynor, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, named Thomas J. Fargione as the Federal Coordinating Officer for Federal recovery operations in the affected area. WATCH| The decision has also come a few hours after the FBI warned that armed Trump supporters could hold protests in all 50 states between the coming weekend and January 20 when the president-elect Joe Biden takes the oath. Following this warning, the Pentagon has also authorised 15,000 National Guard troops to be deployed in the capital city to make sure no more riots take place, especially in the next one week. Chief of the defence department's National Guard Bureau Daniel Hokanson said that at least 6,200 have already been deployed in capital Washington with another 10,000 planned deployment over the weekend.

Ahead of Biden's inauguration, Trump approves emergency declaration for Washington

Since the day the supporters of the to-be-impeached&nbsp;US President&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;marched into the Capitol building,&nbsp;it was being reported that Trump and the Vie President Mike Pence had not had even a single conversation.

However, things seem to have changed now as a senior official has told the local media that Trump and Pence met in the Oval Office on Monday and had a conversation amid rising pressure on Pence to get the President impeached. "The two had a good conversation," the official said.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/homeland-security-chief-chad-wolf-resigns-after-capitol-riots-concerns-over-security-in-washington-rise-356133" hreflang="en">Homeland Security chief, Chad Wolf, resigns after Capitol riots; concerns over security in Washington rise</a>

As per the official, Donald Trump, as expected, does not intend to resign before his term officially ends on January 20. The official also reported that Trump's deputy, Mike Pence, also has not hinted towards any plans&nbsp;invoking the 25th Amendment of the Constitution to remove Trump.

The Two Republicans "reiterated that those who broke the law and stormed the Capitol last week do not represent the America first movement backed by 75 million Americans," the official said. The also "pledged to continue the work on behalf of the country for the remainder of their term."

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-will-donald-trump-be-impeached-356125/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

It was also been calculated that Trump had, in a way, specifically shown the way to his supporters to attack the VP of the country as he knew Pence was present in the Capitol building on Wednesday when the rioters took control of the building. He was present there to confirm the win of the President-elect&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;against the Republican candidate and former reality TV star Donald Trump.&nbsp;

During one of his usual angry speeches that day, Trump had urged his supporters to march to the Capitol and demand Mike Pence to stop the process of certifying Joe Biden's win in the recently-concluded&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/us-election">US election</a>.

This had also led to chants of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/twitter-blocks-phrase-hang-mike-pence-as-trump-supporters-turn-against-him-355959">"Hang Mike Pence"</a> echoing in the halls of the Capitol, which had also then become a trending phrase on trump's favourite social media platform Twitter.

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Video of the mob chanting “hang Mike Pence.” <a href="https://t.co/K4EcKK2rab">pic.twitter.com/K4EcKK2rab</a>
— American Times Film (@ExportedFromMI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ExportedFromMI/status/1347763885646827522?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2021</a></blockquote>
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"We blocked the phrase and other variations of it from trending," a Twitter spokesperson said. "We want trends to promote healthy discussions on Twitter. This means that at times, we may prevent certain content from trending. As per our Help Center, there are rules for trends — if we identify accounts that violate these rules, we’ll take enforcement action."

Since the day the supporters of the to-be-impeached US President Donald Trump marched into the Capitol building, it was being reported that Trump and the Vie President Mike Pence had not had even a single conversation.

Since the day the supporters of the to-be-impeached US President Donald Trump marched into the Capitol building, it was being reported that Trump and the Vie President Mike Pence had not had even a single conversation. However, things seem to have changed now as a senior official has told the local media that Trump and Pence met in the Oval Office on Monday and had a conversation amid rising pressure on Pence to get the President impeached. "The two had a good conversation," the official said. Also read| Homeland Security chief, Chad Wolf, resigns after Capitol riots; concerns over security in Washington rise As per the official, Donald Trump, as expected, does not intend to resign before his term officially ends on January 20. The official also reported that Trump's deputy, Mike Pence, also has not hinted towards any plans invoking the 25th Amendment of the Constitution to remove Trump. The Two Republicans "reiterated that those who broke the law and stormed the Capitol last week do not represent the America first movement backed by 75 million Americans," the official said. The also "pledged to continue the work on behalf of the country for the remainder of their term." It was also been calculated that Trump had, in a way, specifically shown the way to his supporters to attack the VP of the country as he knew Pence was present in the Capitol building on Wednesday when the rioters took control of the building. He was present there to confirm the win of the President-elect Joe Biden against the Republican candidate and former reality TV star Donald Trump. During one of his usual angry speeches that day, Trump had urged his supporters to march to the Capitol and demand Mike Pence to stop the process of certifying Joe Biden's win in the recently-concluded US election. This had also led to chants of "Hang Mike Pence" echoing in the halls of the Capitol, which had also then become a trending phrase on trump's favourite social media platform Twitter. Video of the mob chanting “hang Mike Pence.” pic.twitter.com/K4EcKK2rab — American Times Film (@ExportedFromMI) January 9, 2021 × "We blocked the phrase and other variations of it from trending," a Twitter spokesperson said. "We want trends to promote healthy discussions on Twitter. This means that at times, we may prevent certain content from trending. As per our Help Center, there are rules for trends — if we identify accounts that violate these rules, we’ll take enforcement action."

Days after Capitol riots, Donald Trump and Mike Pence meet in Oval Office: Sources

A few days after the infamous Capitol riots in the US,&nbsp;&nbsp;the acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Chad Wolf, has resigned from his post a few days before the President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration.

Wolf is the third person to resign from the soon-to-be-impeached US President Donald Trump's administration, after the attack at one of the most secure buildings in the US — Capitol building.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/fbi-warns-armed-trump-supporters-could-hold-protests-in-all-50-states-ahead-of-bidens-inauguration-356130" hreflang="en">FBI warns armed Trump supporters could hold protests in all 50 states</a>

Although he had been an ally of the President, the resignation from Wolf did not come as a surprise to many as he had openly criticised the attack on Capitol by Trump supporters and had labelled it as "tragic and sickening".

"While I have consistently condemned political violence on both sides of the aisle, specifically violence directed at law enforcement, we now see some supporters of the president using violence as a means to achieve political ends," Wolf said.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/melania-condemns-us-capitol-violence-says-its-time-for-healing-in-a-civil-manner-356036">Melania condemns Capitol violence, says time for 'healing in a civil manner'</a>

Wolf, who said he was stepping down for procedural reasons, named Pete Gaynor, the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, to replace him.

His resignation has come a few days before the President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration week, which has raised serious concerns about the security as worries about Trump supporters attempting another riot — as is being predicted by many experts. As of now, the Pentagon has authorised&nbsp;15,000 National Guard troops to take over Washington to assure security during the inauguration week.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-will-donald-trump-be-impeached-356125">WATCH|</a>

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Wolf's resignation has also come a day before&nbsp;Trump is scheduled to travel to the US-Mexico frontier near Alamo, Texas to inspect the border wall he has had built. Wolf has usually accompanied Trump to such trips and has also appreciated his efforts. "President Trump took office with the promise to build the wall and secure our southern border -- a promise he has kept," Wolf has said in the past.

He will be serving his position till the end of the Trump administration, i.e. January 20, meaning he will continue overseeing&nbsp;numerous federal law enforcement bodies including the Secret Service.

A few days after the infamous Capitol riots in the US, the acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Chad Wolf, has resigned from his post a few days before the President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration.

A few days after the infamous Capitol riots in the US, the acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Chad Wolf, has resigned from his post a few days before the President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration. Wolf is the third person to resign from the soon-to-be-impeached US President Donald Trump's administration, after the attack at one of the most secure buildings in the US — Capitol building. Also read| FBI warns armed Trump supporters could hold protests in all 50 states Although he had been an ally of the President, the resignation from Wolf did not come as a surprise to many as he had openly criticised the attack on Capitol by Trump supporters and had labelled it as "tragic and sickening". "While I have consistently condemned political violence on both sides of the aisle, specifically violence directed at law enforcement, we now see some supporters of the president using violence as a means to achieve political ends," Wolf said. Also read| Melania condemns Capitol violence, says time for 'healing in a civil manner' Wolf, who said he was stepping down for procedural reasons, named Pete Gaynor, the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, to replace him. His resignation has come a few days before the President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration week, which has raised serious concerns about the security as worries about Trump supporters attempting another riot — as is being predicted by many experts. As of now, the Pentagon has authorised 15,000 National Guard troops to take over Washington to assure security during the inauguration week. WATCH| Wolf's resignation has also come a day before Trump is scheduled to travel to the US-Mexico frontier near Alamo, Texas to inspect the border wall he has had built. Wolf has usually accompanied Trump to such trips and has also appreciated his efforts. "President Trump took office with the promise to build the wall and secure our southern border -- a promise he has kept," Wolf has said in the past. He will be serving his position till the end of the Trump administration, i.e. January 20, meaning he will continue overseeing numerous federal law enforcement bodies including the Secret Service.

Homeland Security chief, Chad Wolf, resigns after Capitol riots; concerns over security in Washington rise

Ahead of Joe Biden's inauguration, America's FBI has warned that armed <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/democrats-introduce-trump-impeachment-article-in-us-house-356120">Trump</a> supporters could hold protests in all 50 states between the coming weekend and January 20 when the president-elect takes oath.

Watch:

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As authorities begin ramping up security, Pentagon said it had authorized 15,000 National Guard troops to be deployed for Biden's inauguration.

Chief of the defence department's National Guard Bureau Daniel Hokanson said that at least 6,200 have already been deployed in capital Washington with another 10,000 planned deployment over the weekend.

Hokanson added that 5,000 troops could be deployed during Biden's oath-taking ceremony. The security measures are being implemented after the violence erupted last Wednesday in the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/police-reassess-security-for-inauguration-and-demonstrations-after-capitol-attack-356109">Capitol </a>when people stormed the US Congress with five people being killed and a police officer who died due to injuries.

Meanwhile, the US Justice Department has charged 15 people involved in violence last Wednesday on the Congress which includes Richard Barnett a Trump supporter who invaded the office of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Lonnie Coffman of Alabama who was found carrying two handguns.

Barnett who was photographed with his feet on the desk in Pelosi's office was charged with theft of stationery by authorities.

Acting US Attorney Michael Sherwin said: "The lawless destruction of the US Capitol building was an attack against one of our nation's greatest institutions."

Reports said there are several more charges being framed as the FBI continues to investigate the case.

Washington police have arrested at least 40 people and charged them with various offences including weapons offences, unlawful entry and curfew violations.

Ahead of Joe Biden's inauguration, America's FBI has warned that armed Trump supporters could hold protests in all 50 states between the coming weekend and January 20 when the president-elect takes oath.

Ahead of Joe Biden's inauguration, America's FBI has warned that armed Trump supporters could hold protests in all 50 states between the coming weekend and January 20 when the president-elect takes oath. Watch: As authorities begin ramping up security, Pentagon said it had authorized 15,000 National Guard troops to be deployed for Biden's inauguration. Chief of the defence department's National Guard Bureau Daniel Hokanson said that at least 6,200 have already been deployed in capital Washington with another 10,000 planned deployment over the weekend. Hokanson added that 5,000 troops could be deployed during Biden's oath-taking ceremony. The security measures are being implemented after the violence erupted last Wednesday in the Capitol when people stormed the US Congress with five people being killed and a police officer who died due to injuries. Meanwhile, the US Justice Department has charged 15 people involved in violence last Wednesday on the Congress which includes Richard Barnett a Trump supporter who invaded the office of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Lonnie Coffman of Alabama who was found carrying two handguns. Barnett who was photographed with his feet on the desk in Pelosi's office was charged with theft of stationery by authorities. Acting US Attorney Michael Sherwin said: "The lawless destruction of the US Capitol building was an attack against one of our nation's greatest institutions." Reports said there are several more charges being framed as the FBI continues to investigate the case. Washington police have arrested at least 40 people and charged them with various offences including weapons offences, unlawful entry and curfew violations.

FBI warns armed Trump supporters could hold protests in all 50 states ahead of Biden's inauguration

US President-elect Joe Biden says he's 'not afraid' to take oath of office outside

In the span of four days, President Donald Trump’s family business has lost its online store, the buzz from Trump’s promotional tweets about its luxury resorts and bragging rights as host to one of the world’s most prestigious golf tournaments.

The mob attack on Congress last week by Trump’s supporters has spurred a reckoning for the Trump Organization by businesses and institutions, at a scale far greater than his previous polarizing actions.

And the Trump brand, premised on gold-plated luxury and a super-affluent clientele, may not fully recover from the fallout of his supporters violently storming and vandalizing the U.S. Capitol, hospitality analysts say and some people close to the business acknowledge. Other companies linked with the Trumps, including Deutsche Bank, the president’s largest lender, and Signature Bank, are also seeking distance from him and his business.

The backlash is part of a broader shunning of Trump and his allies unfolding in the wake of the deadly assault on the Capitol. Schools stripped the president of honorary degrees, some prominent Republicans threatened to leave the party and the New York state Bar Association announced it had begun investigating Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, which could lead to his removal from the group.

As House Democrats introduced an article of impeachment Monday, more than a dozen big businesses vowed to withhold certain political donations. Coca-Cola said it would pause donations from its political action committee, saying in a statement that “these events will long be remembered and will factor into our future contribution decisions.” Marriott, the giant hotel chain, said it would pause donations from its political action committee “to those who voted against certification of the election,” a reference to the congressional Republicans who joined Trump’s false claims of election fraud. Morgan Stanley and AT&amp;T said they, too, would suspend contributions to those lawmakers.

The Trump Organization had already been facing considerable financial challenges. Many of its golf and resort properties had been losing money, and the pandemic had forced it to close some restaurants and bars and drastically reduce hotel occupancy, including at its hotel a few blocks from the White House. And with more than $300 million in debt coming due in the next few years that the president has personally guaranteed, there had been some urgency for the company to line up new deals.

While such an array of challenges would spell doom for just about any hospitality brand, executives of the Trump Organization said they planned on cashing in on Trump’s global fame with overseas branding deals.

“There has never been a political figure with more support or energy behind them than my father,” Eric Trump, the president’s son, who helps run the family business, said in a statement Monday.

The family is also already considering starting a media outfit that would cater to Donald Trump’s tens of millions of supporters, an effort that gained some urgency last week when Twitter and Facebook barred the president from their platforms.

“There will be no shortage of incredible opportunities in real estate and beyond,” Eric Trump said.

Before becoming president, Donald Trump had cycled through many lines of business, including casinos, an airline and reality television. Some ventures were wildly successful, while others were colossal failures. But they revealed his ability to camouflage his wares and capitalize on opportunities, even when his name appeared irreparably tarnished.

This time, the challenges are steeper. The fallout began Thursday, when e-commerce provider Shopify said it had terminated online stores affiliated with the president.

The biggest blow came Sunday, when the PGA of America announced it would strip Trump’s New Jersey golf club of a major tournament.

Trump was said to be “gutted” by the PGA decision, according to a person close to the White House, as he had worked personally for years to push the tournament executives to hold events at his courses.

In a statement that hinted at a potential legal challenge, the Trump Organization called the decision “a breach of a binding contract,” adding that “they have no right to terminate the agreement.”

The PGA Championship, scheduled for May 2022, was the ultimate golf-world trophy for the Trump brand, which over the last two decades has assembled an international collection of golf courses and resorts that now collectively represent about a third of the company’s revenue, according to the most recent financial disclosure report.

The tournament itself is not a major source of profit, but hosting an internationally recognized event is enormously valuable for marketing. It also would have bestowed greater legitimacy on Trump and his brand, which includes 16 golf clubs around the world.

“It has become clear that conducting the PGA Championship at Trump Bedminster would be detrimental to the PGA of America brand,” Jim Richerson, the PGA of America president, said in a video statement.

The loss associated with the cancellation is difficult to calculate, but it will be very large and last for years, said Jay Karen, chief executive of the National Golf Course Owners Association.

“You have millions of avid golfers who have a proverbial bucket list,” tied to major tournaments like the PGA Championship, he said. “If you had a major coming to you and it was pulled from you, that would certainly sting.”

In an email to members on Monday, the golf club said, “We have had a wonderful partnership with the PGA of America and share your disappointment on their decision.”

The damage is expected to continue as various companies and industries reassess their relationship with Trump and his family business.

Trump’s hotels, like the Trump National Doral near Miami, had already lost many of the major corporate conferences after he made disparaging remarks about Muslims and Mexicans, among others, during his first presidential campaign, and his comments after a deadly rally by white supremacists in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017 suggesting that “there is blame on both sides.”

But the fallout from the attacks last week will be steeper and longer lasting, analysts and people familiar with the company said. Some members of the president’s golf clubs are reassessing whether to keep their memberships because of possible protests and vandalism, one of the people said.

David J. Sangree, a hotel industry consultant from Ohio, said that Trump’s role in the attack on the Capitol, would further undermine the company’s efforts to appeal to affluent customers who are not Trump supporters.

“This is a big negative,” Sangree said. “There’s no question they’re going to lose more events because many groups are saying, ‘We don’t want to be associated with this brand.’”

That became even clearer Monday night when New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick said he would refuse the Presidential Medal of Freedom because of the “tragic events of last week.” The president had planned to give Belichick the award Thursday.

Even plans to launch a Trump media platform will face obstacles. If Trump seeks to forge a new conservative news network, or join an existing one like OAN or Newsmax, corporate advertisers are hardly guaranteed to support him.

“There’s only so much that My Pillow guy can subsidize,” said Jon Klein, the former president of CNN U.S., referring to Mike Lindell, the chief executive of My Pillow who is an outspoken supporter of the president. “It’s suddenly a lot more daunting a proposition than it was a week ago for OAN and Newsmax.”

Instead, Trump might find more success in generating a newsletter — embedded with a link to a streaming channel — for millions of paid subscribers, said Klein, who is chairman of TAPP Media, a subscription streaming service. “He has ignited the passions of his tribe and subscription services are all about tribalism.”

After Twitter permanently suspended the president’s account Friday, he suggested he might build his own social media platform, but doing so would likely present daunting logistical and legal challenges. And whatever he seeks to create may require significant resources and possibly loans, which could be in short supply from mainstream sources.

Deutsche Bank, which has been Trump’s primary lender for two decades, has decided not to do business with Trump or his company in the future, according to a person familiar with the bank’s thinking. Trump owes Deutsche Bank more than $300 million, which is due in the next few years.

The bank has concluded that, short of forgiving the debt, it has no way to extricate itself from the Trump relationship before the loans come due.

Another longtime financial partner of the Trumps, Signature Bank, also is cutting ties. The bank — which helped Trump finance his Florida golf course and where Ivanka Trump, the president’s daughter, was once a board member — issued a statement calling on Trump to resign as president “in the best interests of our nation and the American people.”

Susan Turkell, a spokeswoman for the bank, said Signature had decided that it “will not do business in the future with any members of Congress who voted to disregard the Electoral College.” Turkell said that in the wake of the riots the bank began closing Trump’s two personal accounts, which had about $5.3 million.

As his presidency ends, Trump is returning to a far different business than the one he ran when he took office.

Several hotel properties that carried his name have been erased from the portfolio, including ones in New York, Panama and Toronto. Plans for two new budget-friendly hotel lines, once a priority, have been indefinitely shelved. And a product branding windfall, which led Trump to endorse an array of items from steaks to mattresses, has dwindled.

The company also faces a criminal investigation from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, which is examining whether the president and his company committed any financial or tax crimes in recent years.

Leaving the White House, however, means that Trump will no longer face ethical restrictions like bans on international deals, potentially opening new business possibilities. The company could look for new deals in places where company executives believe Trump remains popular, such as Brazil, Argentina, Israel, Saudi Arabia and India. Trump could also hit the speaking circuit, collecting large payments for each appearance, a company executive said.

And some customers are likely to remain loyal to the existing Trump properties — particularly in red or purple states like Florida and North Carolina — no matter what the president does or says, or how many times he is impeached.

Mickael Damelincourt, the managing director at the Trump hotel in Washington, proclaimed on Twitter on Sunday that “America’s Living Room is ready for you,” as the hotel steakhouse and lobby bar aim to reopen Friday.

In Miami, at Trump National Doral, the bar was busy at happy hour Friday, as was the members-only clubhouse, with customers overheard talking both about golf games and business deals, almost none of them wearing masks.

Marion McCarthy and her husband, Donald, were having drinks there — where they have been members for decades. Dozens of other guests were arriving at the resort for the U.S. Am Tour, which drew more than 100 players, according to one scorecard, which added “Doral Amateur is SOLD OUT!!!!”

“What we are seeing is an overreaction,” Donald McCarthy said. “Once he is out of office, I think he will be able to come down here and play a little more golf.”

In the span of four days, President Donald Trump’s family business has lost its online store, the buzz from Trump’s promotional tweets about its luxury resorts and bragging rights as host to one of the world’s most prestigious golf tournaments.

In the span of four days, President Donald Trump’s family business has lost its online store, the buzz from Trump’s promotional tweets about its luxury resorts and bragging rights as host to one of the world’s most prestigious golf tournaments. The mob attack on Congress last week by Trump’s supporters has spurred a reckoning for the Trump Organization by businesses and institutions, at a scale far greater than his previous polarizing actions. And the Trump brand, premised on gold-plated luxury and a super-affluent clientele, may not fully recover from the fallout of his supporters violently storming and vandalizing the U.S. Capitol, hospitality analysts say and some people close to the business acknowledge. Other companies linked with the Trumps, including Deutsche Bank, the president’s largest lender, and Signature Bank, are also seeking distance from him and his business. The backlash is part of a broader shunning of Trump and his allies unfolding in the wake of the deadly assault on the Capitol. Schools stripped the president of honorary degrees, some prominent Republicans threatened to leave the party and the New York state Bar Association announced it had begun investigating Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, which could lead to his removal from the group. As House Democrats introduced an article of impeachment Monday, more than a dozen big businesses vowed to withhold certain political donations. Coca-Cola said it would pause donations from its political action committee, saying in a statement that “these events will long be remembered and will factor into our future contribution decisions.” Marriott, the giant hotel chain, said it would pause donations from its political action committee “to those who voted against certification of the election,” a reference to the congressional Republicans who joined Trump’s false claims of election fraud. Morgan Stanley and AT&T said they, too, would suspend contributions to those lawmakers. The Trump Organization had already been facing considerable financial challenges. Many of its golf and resort properties had been losing money, and the pandemic had forced it to close some restaurants and bars and drastically reduce hotel occupancy, including at its hotel a few blocks from the White House. And with more than $300 million in debt coming due in the next few years that the president has personally guaranteed, there had been some urgency for the company to line up new deals. While such an array of challenges would spell doom for just about any hospitality brand, executives of the Trump Organization said they planned on cashing in on Trump’s global fame with overseas branding deals. “There has never been a political figure with more support or energy behind them than my father,” Eric Trump, the president’s son, who helps run the family business, said in a statement Monday. The family is also already considering starting a media outfit that would cater to Donald Trump’s tens of millions of supporters, an effort that gained some urgency last week when Twitter and Facebook barred the president from their platforms. “There will be no shortage of incredible opportunities in real estate and beyond,” Eric Trump said. Before becoming president, Donald Trump had cycled through many lines of business, including casinos, an airline and reality television. Some ventures were wildly successful, while others were colossal failures. But they revealed his ability to camouflage his wares and capitalize on opportunities, even when his name appeared irreparably tarnished. This time, the challenges are steeper. The fallout began Thursday, when e-commerce provider Shopify said it had terminated online stores affiliated with the president. The biggest blow came Sunday, when the PGA of America announced it would strip Trump’s New Jersey golf club of a major tournament. Trump was said to be “gutted” by the PGA decision, according to a person close to the White House, as he had worked personally for years to push the tournament executives to hold events at his courses. In a statement that hinted at a potential legal challenge, the Trump Organization called the decision “a breach of a binding contract,” adding that “they have no right to terminate the agreement.” The PGA Championship, scheduled for May 2022, was the ultimate golf-world trophy for the Trump brand, which over the last two decades has assembled an international collection of golf courses and resorts that now collectively represent about a third of the company’s revenue, according to the most recent financial disclosure report. The tournament itself is not a major source of profit, but hosting an internationally recognized event is enormously valuable for marketing. It also would have bestowed greater legitimacy on Trump and his brand, which includes 16 golf clubs around the world. “It has become clear that conducting the PGA Championship at Trump Bedminster would be detrimental to the PGA of America brand,” Jim Richerson, the PGA of America president, said in a video statement. The loss associated with the cancellation is difficult to calculate, but it will be very large and last for years, said Jay Karen, chief executive of the National Golf Course Owners Association. “You have millions of avid golfers who have a proverbial bucket list,” tied to major tournaments like the PGA Championship, he said. “If you had a major coming to you and it was pulled from you, that would certainly sting.” In an email to members on Monday, the golf club said, “We have had a wonderful partnership with the PGA of America and share your disappointment on their decision.” The damage is expected to continue as various companies and industries reassess their relationship with Trump and his family business. Trump’s hotels, like the Trump National Doral near Miami, had already lost many of the major corporate conferences after he made disparaging remarks about Muslims and Mexicans, among others, during his first presidential campaign, and his comments after a deadly rally by white supremacists in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017 suggesting that “there is blame on both sides.” But the fallout from the attacks last week will be steeper and longer lasting, analysts and people familiar with the company said. Some members of the president’s golf clubs are reassessing whether to keep their memberships because of possible protests and vandalism, one of the people said. David J. Sangree, a hotel industry consultant from Ohio, said that Trump’s role in the attack on the Capitol, would further undermine the company’s efforts to appeal to affluent customers who are not Trump supporters. “This is a big negative,” Sangree said. “There’s no question they’re going to lose more events because many groups are saying, ‘We don’t want to be associated with this brand.’” That became even clearer Monday night when New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick said he would refuse the Presidential Medal of Freedom because of the “tragic events of last week.” The president had planned to give Belichick the award Thursday. Even plans to launch a Trump media platform will face obstacles. If Trump seeks to forge a new conservative news network, or join an existing one like OAN or Newsmax, corporate advertisers are hardly guaranteed to support him. “There’s only so much that My Pillow guy can subsidize,” said Jon Klein, the former president of CNN U.S., referring to Mike Lindell, the chief executive of My Pillow who is an outspoken supporter of the president. “It’s suddenly a lot more daunting a proposition than it was a week ago for OAN and Newsmax.” Instead, Trump might find more success in generating a newsletter — embedded with a link to a streaming channel — for millions of paid subscribers, said Klein, who is chairman of TAPP Media, a subscription streaming service. “He has ignited the passions of his tribe and subscription services are all about tribalism.” After Twitter permanently suspended the president’s account Friday, he suggested he might build his own social media platform, but doing so would likely present daunting logistical and legal challenges. And whatever he seeks to create may require significant resources and possibly loans, which could be in short supply from mainstream sources. Deutsche Bank, which has been Trump’s primary lender for two decades, has decided not to do business with Trump or his company in the future, according to a person familiar with the bank’s thinking. Trump owes Deutsche Bank more than $300 million, which is due in the next few years. The bank has concluded that, short of forgiving the debt, it has no way to extricate itself from the Trump relationship before the loans come due. Another longtime financial partner of the Trumps, Signature Bank, also is cutting ties. The bank — which helped Trump finance his Florida golf course and where Ivanka Trump, the president’s daughter, was once a board member — issued a statement calling on Trump to resign as president “in the best interests of our nation and the American people.” Susan Turkell, a spokeswoman for the bank, said Signature had decided that it “will not do business in the future with any members of Congress who voted to disregard the Electoral College.” Turkell said that in the wake of the riots the bank began closing Trump’s two personal accounts, which had about $5.3 million. As his presidency ends, Trump is returning to a far different business than the one he ran when he took office. Several hotel properties that carried his name have been erased from the portfolio, including ones in New York, Panama and Toronto. Plans for two new budget-friendly hotel lines, once a priority, have been indefinitely shelved. And a product branding windfall, which led Trump to endorse an array of items from steaks to mattresses, has dwindled. The company also faces a criminal investigation from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, which is examining whether the president and his company committed any financial or tax crimes in recent years. Leaving the White House, however, means that Trump will no longer face ethical restrictions like bans on international deals, potentially opening new business possibilities. The company could look for new deals in places where company executives believe Trump remains popular, such as Brazil, Argentina, Israel, Saudi Arabia and India. Trump could also hit the speaking circuit, collecting large payments for each appearance, a company executive said. And some customers are likely to remain loyal to the existing Trump properties — particularly in red or purple states like Florida and North Carolina — no matter what the president does or says, or how many times he is impeached. Mickael Damelincourt, the managing director at the Trump hotel in Washington, proclaimed on Twitter on Sunday that “America’s Living Room is ready for you,” as the hotel steakhouse and lobby bar aim to reopen Friday. In Miami, at Trump National Doral, the bar was busy at happy hour Friday, as was the members-only clubhouse, with customers overheard talking both about golf games and business deals, almost none of them wearing masks. Marion McCarthy and her husband, Donald, were having drinks there — where they have been members for decades. Dozens of other guests were arriving at the resort for the U.S. Am Tour, which drew more than 100 players, according to one scorecard, which added “Doral Amateur is SOLD OUT!!!!” “What we are seeing is an overreaction,” Donald McCarthy said. “Once he is out of office, I think he will be able to come down here and play a little more golf.”

An urgent reckoning for the Trump brand

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the construction of 800 Jewish houses in the West Bank. The project has been given a go-ahead during the final days of Donald Trump administration.

Netanyahu orders construction of 800 more settlements in disputed West Bank

Democrats and the US house representatives planned to start the impeachment proceedings of Wednesday unless outgoing President Donald Trump steps down or is removed.

Democrats plan to start impeachment procedure on Wednesday

Democrats began the process of impeaching President Donald Trump for a second time on Monday if Vice President Mike Pence and the cabinet do not remove him from office. 
 
Democrats introduced a resolution calling on Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment of the Constitution and remove Trump from the White House for being unfit to discharge his duties.

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Republicans blocked an immediate vote on the resolution and Democrats followed up by introducing an article of impeachment of Trump for "incitement of insurrection" over his role in Wednesday's storming of the US Capitol by his supporters.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/key-impeachment-witness-quits-army-is-trumps-bullying-the-reason-311795" hreflang="en">Key impeachment witness quits army. Is Trump's bullying the reason?</a> 
 
The dramatic moves come just nine days before Trump is to leave the White House and President-elect Joe Biden is to be sworn in as the 46th president of the United States. 
 
Democratic Representative Steny Hoyer of Maryland introduced the resolution calling on Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment and declare Trump "incapable of executing the duties of his office."

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/technology/twitters-regular-audit-labelled-a-purge-by-trump-supporters-after-losing-followers-356033" hreflang="en">Twitter's regular audit labelled a 'purge' by Trump supporters after losing followers</a> 
 
Republican Representative Alex Mooney of West Virginia objected to passing the resolution by what is known as "unanimous consent" and it will be put to a vote on Tuesday. 
 
After Republicans blocked the resolution, a single article of impeachment against Trump was introduced in the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives. 
 
Trump was impeached by the House in December 2019 and now risks being the first president ever to be impeached twice. 
 
He was acquitted by the Republican-controlled Senate following his last impeachment and it is unclear whether the body would hold a trial this time to consider the latest charges.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Democrats began the process of impeaching President Donald Trump for a second time on Monday if Vice President Mike Pence and the cabinet do not remove him from office.

Democrats began the process of impeaching President Donald Trump for a second time on Monday if Vice President Mike Pence and the cabinet do not remove him from office. Democrats introduced a resolution calling on Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment of the Constitution and remove Trump from the White House for being unfit to discharge his duties. × Republicans blocked an immediate vote on the resolution and Democrats followed up by introducing an article of impeachment of Trump for "incitement of insurrection" over his role in Wednesday's storming of the US Capitol by his supporters. Also read: Key impeachment witness quits army. Is Trump's bullying the reason? The dramatic moves come just nine days before Trump is to leave the White House and President-elect Joe Biden is to be sworn in as the 46th president of the United States. Democratic Representative Steny Hoyer of Maryland introduced the resolution calling on Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment and declare Trump "incapable of executing the duties of his office." Also read: Twitter's regular audit labelled a 'purge' by Trump supporters after losing followers Republican Representative Alex Mooney of West Virginia objected to passing the resolution by what is known as "unanimous consent" and it will be put to a vote on Tuesday. After Republicans blocked the resolution, a single article of impeachment against Trump was introduced in the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives. Trump was impeached by the House in December 2019 and now risks being the first president ever to be impeached twice. He was acquitted by the Republican-controlled Senate following his last impeachment and it is unclear whether the body would hold a trial this time to consider the latest charges.

Democrats introduce Trump impeachment article in US House

US President Donald Trump may turn to Rudy Giuliani to defend him against possible impeachment over his role in last week’s violent siege of the Capitol.

Giuliani has been an outspoken Trump supporter since his first run for president. He became a personal lawyer for him during the Mueller probe, which found that Trump impeded the investigation but stopped short of concluding he had committed a crime.

Giuliani's own pressure on Ukraine helped lead to Trump's impeachment trial last year and he also played a role in events leading to the violence at the Capitol, which led to the deaths of five people, including a police officer.

Democratic members of the House of Representatives are expected to introduce articles of impeachment this week, accusing Trump of inciting a mob of his supporters to storm the US Capitol last Wednesday.

According to a report in Reuters, Giuliani is expected to play a lead role in case a impeachment process is kicked in.&nbsp;

He had led the legal team that tried unsuccessfully to overturn Trump's election defeat. It failed to produce any evidence of significant fraud and lost dozens of court cases in key battleground states and at the Supreme Court before President-elect Joe Biden's victory was confirmed.

Giuliani's own reputation was battered during the often chaotic legal campaign. In one news conference, brown dye dripped down his face as he laid out false claims of election fraud, and he was ridiculed for another event held in the parking lot of a Pennsylvania landscaping company next to a sex shop.

If the House votes to impeach Trump, he would then face a trial in the Senate. While a House vote could come quickly, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has suggested that there would be no Senate trial until after Trump leaves office.

Lawmakers might wait to send the impeachment article to the US Senate for a trial to give Congress time to approve Biden’s Cabinet nominees and other agenda items.

Trump's choice of lawyers to defend him may, however, be limited.

White House counsel Pat Cipollone helped lead the defence team during an impeachment trial last year, when Trump was accused of abusing his power by asking Ukraine's government to announce investigations to discredit Biden, his Democratic political rival.

But Cipollone considered resigning last week after the siege at the Capitol, according to a source, and he and other White House lawyers will be out of their jobs anyway when Trump leaves office on January 20.

Longtime personal lawyers for Trump such as Jay Sekulow are not expected to defend the president, the Reuters report added.

(with inputs from Reuters)

US President Donald Trump may turn to Rudy Giuliani to defend him against possible impeachment over his role in last week’s violent siege of the Capitol. Giuliani has been an outspoken Trump supporter since his first run for president.

US President Donald Trump may turn to Rudy Giuliani to defend him against possible impeachment over his role in last week’s violent siege of the Capitol. Giuliani has been an outspoken Trump supporter since his first run for president. He became a personal lawyer for him during the Mueller probe, which found that Trump impeded the investigation but stopped short of concluding he had committed a crime. Giuliani's own pressure on Ukraine helped lead to Trump's impeachment trial last year and he also played a role in events leading to the violence at the Capitol, which led to the deaths of five people, including a police officer. Democratic members of the House of Representatives are expected to introduce articles of impeachment this week, accusing Trump of inciting a mob of his supporters to storm the US Capitol last Wednesday. According to a report in Reuters, Giuliani is expected to play a lead role in case a impeachment process is kicked in. He had led the legal team that tried unsuccessfully to overturn Trump's election defeat. It failed to produce any evidence of significant fraud and lost dozens of court cases in key battleground states and at the Supreme Court before President-elect Joe Biden's victory was confirmed. Giuliani's own reputation was battered during the often chaotic legal campaign. In one news conference, brown dye dripped down his face as he laid out false claims of election fraud, and he was ridiculed for another event held in the parking lot of a Pennsylvania landscaping company next to a sex shop. If the House votes to impeach Trump, he would then face a trial in the Senate. While a House vote could come quickly, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has suggested that there would be no Senate trial until after Trump leaves office. Lawmakers might wait to send the impeachment article to the US Senate for a trial to give Congress time to approve Biden’s Cabinet nominees and other agenda items. Trump's choice of lawyers to defend him may, however, be limited. White House counsel Pat Cipollone helped lead the defence team during an impeachment trial last year, when Trump was accused of abusing his power by asking Ukraine's government to announce investigations to discredit Biden, his Democratic political rival. But Cipollone considered resigning last week after the siege at the Capitol, according to a source, and he and other White House lawyers will be out of their jobs anyway when Trump leaves office on January 20. Longtime personal lawyers for Trump such as Jay Sekulow are not expected to defend the president, the Reuters report added. (with inputs from Reuters)

Trump may turn to Rudy Giuliani again to defend him in case he is impeached

US House of Representatives Democrats have planned a vote on Monday to urge Vice-President Mike Pence to take steps to remove President Donald Trump from office after his supporters stormed the Capitol a few days back, before attempting to impeach him again.

Five people died in the rampage through the seat of government by Trumps backers after a fiery speech denouncing the November 3 election results by the Republican president. Officials have hence opened at least 25 domestic terrorism investigations into Wednesdays assault on the US Capitol.

The plan, spelled out by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in a letter to members on Sunday evening, came as Washington struggles to decide what to do about Trump in the 10 days before Democratic President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in on January 20.

Trump, who has time and again and without evidence challenged the validity of Biden's election victory, praised and egged on supporters before they laid siege to the Capitol, where lawmakers were certifying the Electoral College vote for Biden.

Lawmakers were then forced to flee, as the building was mobbed by Trump supporters -- wearing hats with his slogan and waving flags with his name -- who overwhelmed the security forces.

The five dead included one Capitol Police officer beaten as he tried to ward off the crowds. Another police officer involved in the buildings defence died while off duty in the days following the attack.

In her letter, Pelosi said leaders of the Democratic-led House would attempt on Monday to pass a resolution calling on Pence to activate the 25th Amendment of the Constitution to declare Trump incapable of fulfilling the duties of his office.

"In protecting our Constitution and our Democracy, we will act with urgency, because this President represents an imminent threat to both," Pelosi said in the letter.

"As the days go by, the horror of the ongoing assault on our democracy perpetrated by this President is intensified and so is the immediate need for action," she wrote.

If Pence does not respond, Democrats would proceed with impeaching the president for a historic second time.

After the violence, which followed months of posts by Trump and his supporters attacking the US election process, Twitter permanently suspended Trump, who relied on it as one of his most direct ways to communicate with backers.

The White House said Trump planned to leave Washington to visit Texas on Tuesday.

Biden has said he will leave the impeachment question to Congress. He did say Congress must be able to hit the ground running once he takes office, when he will focus on the coronavirus pandemic and economic recovery.

(with inputs)

US House of Representatives Democrats have planned a vote on Monday to urge Vice-President Mike Pence to take steps to remove President Donald Trump from office after his supporters stormed the Capitol a few days back, before attempting to impeach him again.

US House of Representatives Democrats have planned a vote on Monday to urge Vice-President Mike Pence to take steps to remove President Donald Trump from office after his supporters stormed the Capitol a few days back, before attempting to impeach him again. Five people died in the rampage through the seat of government by Trumps backers after a fiery speech denouncing the November 3 election results by the Republican president. Officials have hence opened at least 25 domestic terrorism investigations into Wednesdays assault on the US Capitol. The plan, spelled out by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in a letter to members on Sunday evening, came as Washington struggles to decide what to do about Trump in the 10 days before Democratic President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in on January 20. Trump, who has time and again and without evidence challenged the validity of Biden's election victory, praised and egged on supporters before they laid siege to the Capitol, where lawmakers were certifying the Electoral College vote for Biden. Lawmakers were then forced to flee, as the building was mobbed by Trump supporters -- wearing hats with his slogan and waving flags with his name -- who overwhelmed the security forces. The five dead included one Capitol Police officer beaten as he tried to ward off the crowds. Another police officer involved in the buildings defence died while off duty in the days following the attack. In her letter, Pelosi said leaders of the Democratic-led House would attempt on Monday to pass a resolution calling on Pence to activate the 25th Amendment of the Constitution to declare Trump incapable of fulfilling the duties of his office. "In protecting our Constitution and our Democracy, we will act with urgency, because this President represents an imminent threat to both," Pelosi said in the letter. "As the days go by, the horror of the ongoing assault on our democracy perpetrated by this President is intensified and so is the immediate need for action," she wrote. If Pence does not respond, Democrats would proceed with impeaching the president for a historic second time. After the violence, which followed months of posts by Trump and his supporters attacking the US election process, Twitter permanently suspended Trump, who relied on it as one of his most direct ways to communicate with backers. The White House said Trump planned to leave Washington to visit Texas on Tuesday. Biden has said he will leave the impeachment question to Congress. He did say Congress must be able to hit the ground running once he takes office, when he will focus on the coronavirus pandemic and economic recovery. (with inputs)

US House Democrats plan vote on Monday for removing Trump over Capitol riots

Condemning the violence at the US Capitol that shook the entire world last week, First Lady of the United States Melania Trump said that the "nation must heal in a civil manner".&nbsp;

Melania wrote that she is "disappointed and disheartened" with the incident, but found it shameful that it led to "salacious gossip, unwarranted personal attacks, and false misleading accusations on me" in an article posted on the White House's website.

Watch |&nbsp;&nbsp;

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She further added it is time for the US and its citizens to "heal" and nobody should use it "for personal gain".&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/can-donald-trump-survive-without-twitter-355589">Can Donald Trump survive without Twitter?</a>

"Our Nation must heal in a civil manner. Make no mistake about it, I absolutely condemn the violence that has occurred on our Nation's Capitol. Violence is never acceptable," wrote the First Lady.&nbsp;

"I implore people to stop the violence, never make assumptions based on the color (colour) of a person's skin or use differing political ideologies as a basis for aggression and viciousness. We must listen to one another, focus on what unites us, and rise above what divides us."

She said that it was "inspiring" to see the huge passion to participate in the electoral process, but that "passion" should not be turned into "violence".

She also wrote that it's an "honour" to be the First Lady and thanked Americans for supporting President Donald Trump and herself in the last four years.&nbsp;

"Most importantly, I ask for healing, grace, understanding, and peace for our great Nation," Melania wrote.&nbsp;

Condemning the violence at the US Capitol that shook the entire world last week, First Lady of the United States Melania Trump said that the "nation must heal in a civil manner".

Condemning the violence at the US Capitol that shook the entire world last week, First Lady of the United States Melania Trump said that the "nation must heal in a civil manner". Melania wrote that she is "disappointed and disheartened" with the incident, but found it shameful that it led to "salacious gossip, unwarranted personal attacks, and false misleading accusations on me" in an article posted on the White House's website. Watch | She further added it is time for the US and its citizens to "heal" and nobody should use it "for personal gain". Also read | Can Donald Trump survive without Twitter? "Our Nation must heal in a civil manner. Make no mistake about it, I absolutely condemn the violence that has occurred on our Nation's Capitol. Violence is never acceptable," wrote the First Lady. "I implore people to stop the violence, never make assumptions based on the color (colour) of a person's skin or use differing political ideologies as a basis for aggression and viciousness. We must listen to one another, focus on what unites us, and rise above what divides us." She said that it was "inspiring" to see the huge passion to participate in the electoral process, but that "passion" should not be turned into "violence". She also wrote that it's an "honour" to be the First Lady and thanked Americans for supporting President Donald Trump and herself in the last four years. "Most importantly, I ask for healing, grace, understanding, and peace for our great Nation," Melania wrote.

Melania condemns US Capitol violence, says it's time for 'healing in a civil manner'

Following the riots at US Capitol on Wednesday, many major social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook restricted US President Donald Trump's reach on their websites. Twitter went a step further on Friday by permanently suspending Trump's account.

Now, many companies are undertaking audits to ascertain the veracity of users on their portals. As part of this routine exercise, Twitter regularly suspends accounts that may be "bots", or automated accounts that push out regulated content, which in many cases are used to propagate fake news. 
 
Twitter's task of checking whether real people use unverified accounts on the portal has created a ruckus among the supporters of Donald Trump, and many of his government officials. A lot of US government officials have lost followers on the website, which they are now labelling an attack on the freedom of speech aimed at conservative voices, a claim which has been for long denied by both Twitter and Facebook.

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Trump's involvement in the riots wasn't direct, but he had urged his followers to march to the Capitol on the same day, which ended up in death and destruction at the US Capitol, marking the first instance of violence during the transition period in between presidencies.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/american-agencies-using-facial-recognition-tools-to-nab-us-capitol-rioters-356024" hreflang="en">American agencies using facial recognition tools to nab US Capitol rioters</a>

In response, Twitter released a statement claiming this exercise is undertaken regularly in a bid to "challenge accounts to confirm details like email and phone number. Until that info is confirmed, these accounts aren’t included in follower counts”.

Soon after the fluctuation in number, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted the following - “This is how you create an echo chamber”, attaching a picture proving he had lost 19,500 followers.

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This is how you create an echo chamber... <a href="https://t.co/aPDA37qKS0">pic.twitter.com/aPDA37qKS0</a>
— Mike Pompeo (@mikepompeo) <a href="https://twitter.com/mikepompeo/status/1347978415312433159?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Many Republican leaders and allies followed suit and made similar claims. Former Press Secretary to the Trump administration - Sarah Huckabee Sanders claimed to have lost 50,000 followers. She further attacked "big tech" for "censoring" American voices.

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I’ve lost 50k+ followers this week. The radical left and their big tech allies cannot marginalize, censor, or silence the American people. This is not China, this is United States of America, and we are a free country. <a href="https://t.co/Xupd0N1hea">https://t.co/Xupd0N1hea</a>
— Sarah Huckabee Sanders (@SarahHuckabee) <a href="https://twitter.com/SarahHuckabee/status/1347990928984842245?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Matt Gaetz of Florida made similar claims but topped it off with a light remark about losing weight.&nbsp;

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I wish I could lose weight as fast as I’m losing followers during this Twitter purge....
— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) <a href="https://twitter.com/mattgaetz/status/1347902978372620293?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2021</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Following the riots at US Capitol on Wednesday, many major social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook restricted US President Donald Trump's reach on their websites.

Following the riots at US Capitol on Wednesday, many major social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook restricted US President Donald Trump's reach on their websites. Twitter went a step further on Friday by permanently suspending Trump's account. Now, many companies are undertaking audits to ascertain the veracity of users on their portals. As part of this routine exercise, Twitter regularly suspends accounts that may be "bots", or automated accounts that push out regulated content, which in many cases are used to propagate fake news. Twitter's task of checking whether real people use unverified accounts on the portal has created a ruckus among the supporters of Donald Trump, and many of his government officials. A lot of US government officials have lost followers on the website, which they are now labelling an attack on the freedom of speech aimed at conservative voices, a claim which has been for long denied by both Twitter and Facebook. × Trump's involvement in the riots wasn't direct, but he had urged his followers to march to the Capitol on the same day, which ended up in death and destruction at the US Capitol, marking the first instance of violence during the transition period in between presidencies. Also read: American agencies using facial recognition tools to nab US Capitol rioters In response, Twitter released a statement claiming this exercise is undertaken regularly in a bid to "challenge accounts to confirm details like email and phone number. Until that info is confirmed, these accounts aren’t included in follower counts”. Soon after the fluctuation in number, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted the following - “This is how you create an echo chamber”, attaching a picture proving he had lost 19,500 followers. This is how you create an echo chamber... pic.twitter.com/aPDA37qKS0 — Mike Pompeo (@mikepompeo) January 9, 2021 × Many Republican leaders and allies followed suit and made similar claims. Former Press Secretary to the Trump administration - Sarah Huckabee Sanders claimed to have lost 50,000 followers. She further attacked "big tech" for "censoring" American voices. I’ve lost 50k+ followers this week. The radical left and their big tech allies cannot marginalize, censor, or silence the American people. This is not China, this is United States of America, and we are a free country. https://t.co/Xupd0N1hea — Sarah Huckabee Sanders (@SarahHuckabee) January 9, 2021 × Matt Gaetz of Florida made similar claims but topped it off with a light remark about losing weight. I wish I could lose weight as fast as I’m losing followers during this Twitter purge.... — Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) January 9, 2021 ×

Twitter's regular audit labelled a 'purge' by Trump supporters after losing followers

The social media giant, Twitter, suspended the soon-to-be-impeached US President Donald Trump's account after he was accused of promoting the idea of&nbsp;violence during the Capitol riots.

While the digital activists hailed Twitter's action against Trump, several European Union leaders, including Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel, seem to have a different opinion on this matter.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/melania-condemns-us-capitol-violence-says-its-time-for-healing-in-a-civil-manner-356036" hreflang="en">Melania condemns Capitol violence, says time for 'healing in a civil manner'</a>

Merkel believes the action taken by Twitter and Facebook is 'problematic' as it points out the power the bosses of these digital platforms exercise in today's world and the limitation of freedom of opinion being provided to world leaders.

"The fundamental right to freedom of opinion is a fundamental right of elementary importance, and this fundamental right can be interfered with, but through the law and within the framework defined by the legislature, not according to the decision of the management of social media platforms. From this point of view, the chancellor considers it problematic that the accounts of the US president have been permanently blocked.," Merkel's spokesperson said on Monday.&nbsp;

French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire, too, agreed with Merkel's point of view saying it is unfair that these digital platforms get a say in blocking and unblocking accounts of world leaders, rather than States and Justice.&nbsp;

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/twitter-blocks-phrase-hang-mike-pence-as-trump-supporters-turn-against-him-355959" hreflang="en">Twitter blocks phrase 'Hang Mike Pence' as Trump supporters turn against him</a>

"What shocks me is that it is Twitter that is shutting down Trump's account. The regulation of the digital giants cannot and should not be done by the digital oligarchy itself. It is necessary but it must be done by States and by Justice," he said.

Some EU leaders have also compared this attack and the following consequences to the deadly 9/11 attacks in the US. A top EU official on tech policy said this attack on the Capitol will be remembered&nbsp;as social media's September 11.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-house-speaker-nancy-pelosi-says-ready-to-start-impeachment-against-donald-trump-356032">WATCH|&nbsp;</a>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-house-speaker-nancy-pelosi-says-ready-to-start-impeachment-against-donald-trump-356032/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"Just as 9/11 marked a paradigm shift for global security, 20 years later we are witnessing a before-and-after in the role of digital platforms in our democracy," he said in a published story.

"The fact that a CEO can pull the plug on (Trump's) loudspeaker without any checks and balances is perplexing," Breton said. "It is not only confirmation of the power of these platforms, but it also displays deep weaknesses in the way our society is organised in the digital space."

The social media giant, Twitter, suspended the soon-to-be-impeached US President Donald Trump's account after he was accused of promoting the idea of violence during the Capitol riots.

The social media giant, Twitter, suspended the soon-to-be-impeached US President Donald Trump's account after he was accused of promoting the idea of violence during the Capitol riots. While the digital activists hailed Twitter's action against Trump, several European Union leaders, including Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel, seem to have a different opinion on this matter. Also read| Melania condemns Capitol violence, says time for 'healing in a civil manner' Merkel believes the action taken by Twitter and Facebook is 'problematic' as it points out the power the bosses of these digital platforms exercise in today's world and the limitation of freedom of opinion being provided to world leaders. "The fundamental right to freedom of opinion is a fundamental right of elementary importance, and this fundamental right can be interfered with, but through the law and within the framework defined by the legislature, not according to the decision of the management of social media platforms. From this point of view, the chancellor considers it problematic that the accounts of the US president have been permanently blocked.," Merkel's spokesperson said on Monday. French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire, too, agreed with Merkel's point of view saying it is unfair that these digital platforms get a say in blocking and unblocking accounts of world leaders, rather than States and Justice. Also read| Twitter blocks phrase 'Hang Mike Pence' as Trump supporters turn against him "What shocks me is that it is Twitter that is shutting down Trump's account. The regulation of the digital giants cannot and should not be done by the digital oligarchy itself. It is necessary but it must be done by States and by Justice," he said. Some EU leaders have also compared this attack and the following consequences to the deadly 9/11 attacks in the US. A top EU official on tech policy said this attack on the Capitol will be remembered as social media's September 11. WATCH| "Just as 9/11 marked a paradigm shift for global security, 20 years later we are witnessing a before-and-after in the role of digital platforms in our democracy," he said in a published story. "The fact that a CEO can pull the plug on (Trump's) loudspeaker without any checks and balances is perplexing," Breton said. "It is not only confirmation of the power of these platforms, but it also displays deep weaknesses in the way our society is organised in the digital space."

Suspension of Trump's Twitter account is 'problematic': Angela Merkel

United States House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Monday pushes to begin the impeachment process of President Donald Trump. Pelosi made the announcement in a letter to colleagues, saying the House will first vote to push Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the powers of the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office

U.S. House speaker Nancy Pelosi says ready to start impeachment against Donald Trump

The history of the United States is rife with episodes of political violence far bloodier and more destructive than the one that President Donald Trump incited at the Capitol on Wednesday. Nevertheless, ignorance of a grisly past well documented by historians like W.E.B. DuBois, John Hope Franklin and Richard Hofstadter was painfully evident in the aftermath of the mob invasion of Congress. Talking heads queued up to tell the country again and again that the carnage was an aberration and “not who we are” as a people.

This willful act of forgetting — compounded by the myth of American innocence — has shown itself to be dangerous on a variety of counts. For starters, it allowed many Americans to view the president’s insistence that he had won an election in which he was actually trounced, and his simultaneous embrace of right-wing extremism, as political theater that will pass uneventfully from the stage when Joe Biden is inaugurated.

“What’s the harm in humoring him?” the argument went. “Mr. Trump will soon be gone.”

As it turns out, Republicans in Congress who played along with the ruse encouraged a mob weaned on presidential lies to believe the fiction that Trump had been robbed of a victory. The resulting invasion of the government — which has thus far reportedly taken at least five lives — should make clear to everyone that the potential for political violence is a proverbial river of gasoline, waiting for a demagogue like Trump to drop the lighted match.

The circumstances that led up to the sacking of the Capitol are reminiscent of the 19th century, when Southerners rolled back the period of Black self-determination known as Reconstruction, unleashing a reign of racial tyranny. During the November election, Trump echoed Southern white supremacists of a bygone era when he falsely asserted that there had been widespread voting fraud in majority-Black cities.

This month, a coalition of Republican senators led by Ted Cruz of Texas summoned up this blood-drenched history when they parroted the voting fraud lie and demanded that Congress appoint an electoral commission to sort out the 2020 election.

Cruz inappropriately cited as a precedent a commission created to adjudicate the election of 1876. At the time, it was unclear who had won the election; some states submitted multiple election returns, a set for the Republican, Rutherford B. Hayes, and a set for the Democrat, Samuel J. Tilden.

Cruz’s analogy was dishonest on its face, given that there is no valid dispute about electoral votes today. But by bringing up 1876, the senator unwittingly pointed to the ancestry of the voter suppression practices in which his party is heavily invested. The 1876 election, as historians Rachel Shelden and Erik B. Alexander noted this past week in The Washington Post, was riddled with bloodshed and intimidation. White terror organizations targeted African Americans throughout the South in the run-up to Election Day. In the Black stronghold of Hamburg, South Carolina, the authors write, “hundreds of gun-toting whites from South Carolina and nearby Georgia descended on the town, executing members of the militia and ransacking Black homes and shops.”

The federal government eventually withdrew the troops that were protecting Black rights in the South. This set the stage for the system of slavery by another name that persisted until the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

The days leading up to the mob invasion of the Capitol presented several echoes of the intricately planned coup d’état carried out against the city government of Wilmington, North Carolina, in 1898. White supremacists overthrew a government that had been elected through an alliance that included African Americans and white progressives.

As Hofstadter and Michael Wallace report in “American Violence: A Documentary History,” military units poured into Wilmington from other places to assist the new regime: “African continued to cringe before Caucasian as the troops paraded the streets, as the guns barked and the bayonets flared, for a new municipal administration of the ‘White Supremacy’ persuasion.”

Untold numbers of Black citizens were killed, and well-known Wilmingtonians were banished from the city under pain of death. As was the case at the Capitol on Wednesday, the Wilmington mob was especially keen to silence journalists who had resisted the rising tide of racism. To that end, the marauders burned the Black-owned Daily Record, whose editor, Alexander Manly, fled the city.

White supremacists eventually took control of the state, bringing down the curtain on Black political participation. Given this history, it is in no way a coincidence that North Carolina remains a battleground where African Americans continue to struggle against the effects of gerrymandering and other forms of suppression.

Large and small, these violent assaults on Black self-determination continued into the 20th century. While sometimes expressly intended to destroy Black electoral power, they were just as often deployed to crush Black economic independence by destroying homes and, particularly, businesses that competed with white-owned ones in the marketplace.

Perhaps the most pointed example of such an assault was the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921 in Oklahoma. A white mob unleashed partly by the Tulsa police murdered at will while incinerating 35 square blocks of the Black enclave of Greenwood, reducing to ashes a muscular business strip known as the Negro Wall Street.

As historian Jelani Cobb noted in The New Yorker two months before the election, America’s record of willfully ignoring the violent suppression of Black voting rights is much more extensive than its record of protecting Black voters. While the public tends to view instances of election violence “as a static record of the past,” he wrote, “historians tend to look at them the way that meteorologists look at hurricanes: as a predictable outcome when a number of recognizable variables align in familiar ways.” As Cobb said last fall — when political violence was clearly trending upward — the metaphorical hurricane was close at hand indeed.

The mob assault on the Capitol was an outgrowth of what came before. It followed a heavily racialized campaign by a president who falsely portrayed African American cities as hot spots of voting fraud, while endearing himself to white supremacists. Republicans who subscribe to this toxic strategy deserve to be held responsible for the chaos it reaps. For shades of things to come, they need look no further than the damaged Capitol and the dead and injured who were hauled away on gurneys.

(Brent Staples is a member of The Times' editorial board.)

The history of the United States is rife with episodes of political violence far bloodier and more destructive than the one that President Donald Trump incited at the Capitol on Wednesday.

The history of the United States is rife with episodes of political violence far bloodier and more destructive than the one that President Donald Trump incited at the Capitol on Wednesday. Nevertheless, ignorance of a grisly past well documented by historians like W.E.B. DuBois, John Hope Franklin and Richard Hofstadter was painfully evident in the aftermath of the mob invasion of Congress. Talking heads queued up to tell the country again and again that the carnage was an aberration and “not who we are” as a people. This willful act of forgetting — compounded by the myth of American innocence — has shown itself to be dangerous on a variety of counts. For starters, it allowed many Americans to view the president’s insistence that he had won an election in which he was actually trounced, and his simultaneous embrace of right-wing extremism, as political theater that will pass uneventfully from the stage when Joe Biden is inaugurated. “What’s the harm in humoring him?” the argument went. “Mr. Trump will soon be gone.” As it turns out, Republicans in Congress who played along with the ruse encouraged a mob weaned on presidential lies to believe the fiction that Trump had been robbed of a victory. The resulting invasion of the government — which has thus far reportedly taken at least five lives — should make clear to everyone that the potential for political violence is a proverbial river of gasoline, waiting for a demagogue like Trump to drop the lighted match. The circumstances that led up to the sacking of the Capitol are reminiscent of the 19th century, when Southerners rolled back the period of Black self-determination known as Reconstruction, unleashing a reign of racial tyranny. During the November election, Trump echoed Southern white supremacists of a bygone era when he falsely asserted that there had been widespread voting fraud in majority-Black cities. This month, a coalition of Republican senators led by Ted Cruz of Texas summoned up this blood-drenched history when they parroted the voting fraud lie and demanded that Congress appoint an electoral commission to sort out the 2020 election. Cruz inappropriately cited as a precedent a commission created to adjudicate the election of 1876. At the time, it was unclear who had won the election; some states submitted multiple election returns, a set for the Republican, Rutherford B. Hayes, and a set for the Democrat, Samuel J. Tilden. Cruz’s analogy was dishonest on its face, given that there is no valid dispute about electoral votes today. But by bringing up 1876, the senator unwittingly pointed to the ancestry of the voter suppression practices in which his party is heavily invested. The 1876 election, as historians Rachel Shelden and Erik B. Alexander noted this past week in The Washington Post, was riddled with bloodshed and intimidation. White terror organizations targeted African Americans throughout the South in the run-up to Election Day. In the Black stronghold of Hamburg, South Carolina, the authors write, “hundreds of gun-toting whites from South Carolina and nearby Georgia descended on the town, executing members of the militia and ransacking Black homes and shops.” The federal government eventually withdrew the troops that were protecting Black rights in the South. This set the stage for the system of slavery by another name that persisted until the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The days leading up to the mob invasion of the Capitol presented several echoes of the intricately planned coup d’état carried out against the city government of Wilmington, North Carolina, in 1898. White supremacists overthrew a government that had been elected through an alliance that included African Americans and white progressives. As Hofstadter and Michael Wallace report in “American Violence: A Documentary History,” military units poured into Wilmington from other places to assist the new regime: “African continued to cringe before Caucasian as the troops paraded the streets, as the guns barked and the bayonets flared, for a new municipal administration of the ‘White Supremacy’ persuasion.” Untold numbers of Black citizens were killed, and well-known Wilmingtonians were banished from the city under pain of death. As was the case at the Capitol on Wednesday, the Wilmington mob was especially keen to silence journalists who had resisted the rising tide of racism. To that end, the marauders burned the Black-owned Daily Record, whose editor, Alexander Manly, fled the city. White supremacists eventually took control of the state, bringing down the curtain on Black political participation. Given this history, it is in no way a coincidence that North Carolina remains a battleground where African Americans continue to struggle against the effects of gerrymandering and other forms of suppression. Large and small, these violent assaults on Black self-determination continued into the 20th century. While sometimes expressly intended to destroy Black electoral power, they were just as often deployed to crush Black economic independence by destroying homes and, particularly, businesses that competed with white-owned ones in the marketplace. Perhaps the most pointed example of such an assault was the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921 in Oklahoma. A white mob unleashed partly by the Tulsa police murdered at will while incinerating 35 square blocks of the Black enclave of Greenwood, reducing to ashes a muscular business strip known as the Negro Wall Street. As historian Jelani Cobb noted in The New Yorker two months before the election, America’s record of willfully ignoring the violent suppression of Black voting rights is much more extensive than its record of protecting Black voters. While the public tends to view instances of election violence “as a static record of the past,” he wrote, “historians tend to look at them the way that meteorologists look at hurricanes: as a predictable outcome when a number of recognizable variables align in familiar ways.” As Cobb said last fall — when political violence was clearly trending upward — the metaphorical hurricane was close at hand indeed. The mob assault on the Capitol was an outgrowth of what came before. It followed a heavily racialized campaign by a president who falsely portrayed African American cities as hot spots of voting fraud, while endearing himself to white supremacists. Republicans who subscribe to this toxic strategy deserve to be held responsible for the chaos it reaps. For shades of things to come, they need look no further than the damaged Capitol and the dead and injured who were hauled away on gurneys. (Brent Staples is a member of The Times' editorial board.)

The myth of American innocence

From the start, John Matze had positioned Parler as a “free speech” social network where people could mostly say whatever they wanted. It was a bet that had recently paid off big as millions of President Donald Trump’s supporters, fed up with what they deemed censorship on Facebook and Twitter, flocked to Parler instead.

On the app, discussions over politics had ramped up. But so had conspiracy theories that falsely said the election had been stolen from Trump, with users urging aggressive demonstrations last week when Congress met to certify the election of President-elect Joe Biden.

Those calls for violence soon came back to haunt Matze, 27, a software engineer from Las Vegas and Parler’s chief executive. By Saturday night, Apple and Google had removed Parler from their app stores and Amazon said it would no longer host the site on its computing services, saying it had not sufficiently policed posts that incited violence and crime. As a result, Parler was set to disappear from the web on Monday.

That set off a furious effort to keep Parler online. Matze said on Sunday that he was racing to save the data of Parler’s roughly 15 million users from Amazon’s computers. He was also calling company after company to find one willing to support Parler with hundreds of computer servers.

“I believe Amazon, Google, Apple worked together to try and ensure they don’t have competition,” Matze said on Parler late Saturday. “They will NOT win! We are the worlds last hope for free speech and free information.” He said the app would probably shut down “for up to a week as we rebuild from scratch.”

Parler’s plight immediately drew condemnation from those on the right, who compared the big tech companies to authoritarian overlords. Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., told Fox News on Sunday that “Republicans have no way to communicate” and asked his followers to text him to stay in touch. Lou Dobbs, the right-wing commentator, wrote on Parler that the app had a strong antitrust case against the tech companies amid such “perilous times.”

Parler has now become a test case in a renewed national debate over free speech on the internet and whether tech giants such as Facebook, Google, Apple and Amazon have too much power. That debate has intensified since Trump was barred from posting on Twitter and Facebook last week after a violent mob, urged on by the president and his social media posts, stormed the Capitol.

For years, Facebook and Twitter had defended people’s ability to speak freely on their sites, while Amazon, Apple, Google and others had stayed mostly hands-off with apps like Parler. That allowed misinformation and falsehoods to flow across online networks.

The tech companies’ actions last week to limit such toxic content with Trump and Parler have since been applauded by liberals and others. But the moves have also raised questions about how private enterprises get to decide who stays online and who doesn’t, especially when it is politically convenient, with Biden set to take office on Jan. 20 and Democrats gaining control of Congress.

The tech companies’ newly proactive approach also provides grist for Trump in the waning days of his administration. Even as he faces another potential impeachment, Trump is expected to try stoking anger at Twitter, Facebook and others this week, potentially as a launchpad for competing with Silicon Valley head on when he leaves the White House. After he was barred from Twitter, Trump said in a statement that he would “look at the possibilities of building out our own platform in the near future.”

Ben Wizner, a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union, said it was understandable that no company wanted to be associated with the “repellent speech” that encouraged the breaching of the Capitol. But he said Parler’s situation was troubling.

That was because Apple and Google’s removal of Parler from their app stores and Amazon’s halting its web hosting went beyond what Twitter or Facebook do when they curtail a user’s account or their posts, he said. “I think we should recognize the importance of neutrality when we’re talking about the infrastructure of the internet,” he said.

In earlier statements, Apple, Amazon and Google said they had warned Parler about the violent posts on its site and that it had not done enough to consistently remove them. The companies said they required sites like Parler to systematically enforce its rules. They declined to comment further on Sunday.

Tech companies pulling support for certain websites is not new. In 2018, Gab, another alternative to Facebook and Twitter that is popular among the far right, was forced offline after it lost support from other companies, including PayPal and GoDaddy, because it had hosted anti-Semitic posts from a man who shot and killed 11 people at a Pittsburgh synagogue. Gab later came back online with the help of a Seattle company, Epik, which hosts other far-right websites.

Even if Parler goes dark, right-wing personalities like Nunes who have built followings on the app do not lack other communication channels. Many still have ample followings on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, which welcome any user who doesn’t violate their rules, including by threatening violence or posting hate speech.

Parler was founded in 2018 by Matze and a fellow programmer, one of several social-media upstarts that aimed to capitalize on the growing anger of Trump’s supporters with Silicon Valley. But Parler had a significant advantage: money. Rebekah Mercer, one of Trump’s largest donors, helped bankroll the site. Other investors include Dan Bongino, a former Secret Service agent and Fox News pundit. It plans to eventually make money by selling ads.

The app is essentially a Twitter clone. It enables people to broadcast messages — known as “parleys,” not “tweets” — to followers. Users can also comment on and “echo” — not “retweet” — other users’ posts. When signing up for a new account, people are asked to select their favorite color and are urged to follow a list of conservative voices, including Nunes, the Fox News host Sean Hannity and the actress Kirstie Alley.

These “influencers” dominate the experience on the site. On Sunday, the Parler newsfeed was a stream of their angry “parleys,” railing at Big Tech and pleading with their followers to follow them elsewhere.

“Please sign up for my daily newsletter today, before the tech totalitarians ban everything,” wrote Bongino, who also controls one of Facebook’s most popular pages.

Parler grew slowly until early 2020, when Twitter began labeling Trump’s tweets as inaccurate and some of his supporters joined Parler in protest. After November’s election, Parler grew even more quickly as Facebook and Twitter clamped down on false claims that the vote had been rigged. So many users signed up that, at times, they overloaded the company’s systems and forced it to pause new registrations.

In total, people downloaded Parler’s app more than 10 million times last year, with 80% in the United States, according to Sensor Tower, the app data firm.

Last Wednesday, Trump encouraged his supporters to march to the Capitol to pressure lawmakers to overturn his election loss, starting a riot that left five people dead. The rally was planned on Facebook, Twitter and elsewhere. On Parler, people posted advice on which streets to take to avoid police; some posted about carrying guns inside the Capitol.

In an interview with The New York Times hours after the riot, Matze said, “I don’t feel responsible for any of this and neither should the platform, considering we’re a neutral town square that just adheres to the law.”

But on Friday, Apple and Google told Parler that it needed to more consistently remove posts that encouraged violence. By Saturday, Apple and Google had removed Parler from their app stores, limiting its ability to reach new users on virtually all of the world’s smartphones.

“There is no place on our platform for threats of violence and illegal activity,” Apple said in a statement. Google said, “We do require that apps implement robust moderation for egregious content.”

Late Saturday, Amazon told Parler that it would need to find a new place to host its site. Amazon said it had sent Parler 98 examples of posts on its site that encouraged violence, but many remained active.

“We cannot provide services to a customer that is unable to effectively identify and remove content that encourages or incites violence against others,” Amazon said.

Amazon was scheduled to pull its support for Parler just before midnight Sunday on the West Coast. Amazon said it would preserve Parler’s data so it could move it to other computer servers.

“It’s devastating,” Matze told Fox News on Sunday. “And it’s not just these three companies. Every vendor, from text message services to email providers to our lawyers, all ditched us, too, on the same day.” He said he was struggling to find another company to host Parler’s website.

But Jeffrey Wernick, Parler’s chief operating officer, said in an interview that the app had heard from several companies that wanted to help. He declined to name them.

“What Parler will look like a month from now, I can’t tell you,” he said. “But Parler will not be gone.”

From the start, John Matze had positioned Parler as a “free speech” social network where people could mostly say whatever they wanted. It was a bet that had recently paid off big as millions of President Donald Trump’s supporters, fed up with what they deemed censorship on Facebook and Twitter, flocked to Parler instead.

From the start, John Matze had positioned Parler as a “free speech” social network where people could mostly say whatever they wanted. It was a bet that had recently paid off big as millions of President Donald Trump’s supporters, fed up with what they deemed censorship on Facebook and Twitter, flocked to Parler instead. On the app, discussions over politics had ramped up. But so had conspiracy theories that falsely said the election had been stolen from Trump, with users urging aggressive demonstrations last week when Congress met to certify the election of President-elect Joe Biden. Those calls for violence soon came back to haunt Matze, 27, a software engineer from Las Vegas and Parler’s chief executive. By Saturday night, Apple and Google had removed Parler from their app stores and Amazon said it would no longer host the site on its computing services, saying it had not sufficiently policed posts that incited violence and crime. As a result, Parler was set to disappear from the web on Monday. That set off a furious effort to keep Parler online. Matze said on Sunday that he was racing to save the data of Parler’s roughly 15 million users from Amazon’s computers. He was also calling company after company to find one willing to support Parler with hundreds of computer servers. “I believe Amazon, Google, Apple worked together to try and ensure they don’t have competition,” Matze said on Parler late Saturday. “They will NOT win! We are the worlds last hope for free speech and free information.” He said the app would probably shut down “for up to a week as we rebuild from scratch.” Parler’s plight immediately drew condemnation from those on the right, who compared the big tech companies to authoritarian overlords. Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., told Fox News on Sunday that “Republicans have no way to communicate” and asked his followers to text him to stay in touch. Lou Dobbs, the right-wing commentator, wrote on Parler that the app had a strong antitrust case against the tech companies amid such “perilous times.” Parler has now become a test case in a renewed national debate over free speech on the internet and whether tech giants such as Facebook, Google, Apple and Amazon have too much power. That debate has intensified since Trump was barred from posting on Twitter and Facebook last week after a violent mob, urged on by the president and his social media posts, stormed the Capitol. For years, Facebook and Twitter had defended people’s ability to speak freely on their sites, while Amazon, Apple, Google and others had stayed mostly hands-off with apps like Parler. That allowed misinformation and falsehoods to flow across online networks. The tech companies’ actions last week to limit such toxic content with Trump and Parler have since been applauded by liberals and others. But the moves have also raised questions about how private enterprises get to decide who stays online and who doesn’t, especially when it is politically convenient, with Biden set to take office on Jan. 20 and Democrats gaining control of Congress. The tech companies’ newly proactive approach also provides grist for Trump in the waning days of his administration. Even as he faces another potential impeachment, Trump is expected to try stoking anger at Twitter, Facebook and others this week, potentially as a launchpad for competing with Silicon Valley head on when he leaves the White House. After he was barred from Twitter, Trump said in a statement that he would “look at the possibilities of building out our own platform in the near future.” Ben Wizner, a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union, said it was understandable that no company wanted to be associated with the “repellent speech” that encouraged the breaching of the Capitol. But he said Parler’s situation was troubling. That was because Apple and Google’s removal of Parler from their app stores and Amazon’s halting its web hosting went beyond what Twitter or Facebook do when they curtail a user’s account or their posts, he said. “I think we should recognize the importance of neutrality when we’re talking about the infrastructure of the internet,” he said. In earlier statements, Apple, Amazon and Google said they had warned Parler about the violent posts on its site and that it had not done enough to consistently remove them. The companies said they required sites like Parler to systematically enforce its rules. They declined to comment further on Sunday. Tech companies pulling support for certain websites is not new. In 2018, Gab, another alternative to Facebook and Twitter that is popular among the far right, was forced offline after it lost support from other companies, including PayPal and GoDaddy, because it had hosted anti-Semitic posts from a man who shot and killed 11 people at a Pittsburgh synagogue. Gab later came back online with the help of a Seattle company, Epik, which hosts other far-right websites. Even if Parler goes dark, right-wing personalities like Nunes who have built followings on the app do not lack other communication channels. Many still have ample followings on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, which welcome any user who doesn’t violate their rules, including by threatening violence or posting hate speech. Parler was founded in 2018 by Matze and a fellow programmer, one of several social-media upstarts that aimed to capitalize on the growing anger of Trump’s supporters with Silicon Valley. But Parler had a significant advantage: money. Rebekah Mercer, one of Trump’s largest donors, helped bankroll the site. Other investors include Dan Bongino, a former Secret Service agent and Fox News pundit. It plans to eventually make money by selling ads. The app is essentially a Twitter clone. It enables people to broadcast messages — known as “parleys,” not “tweets” — to followers. Users can also comment on and “echo” — not “retweet” — other users’ posts. When signing up for a new account, people are asked to select their favorite color and are urged to follow a list of conservative voices, including Nunes, the Fox News host Sean Hannity and the actress Kirstie Alley. These “influencers” dominate the experience on the site. On Sunday, the Parler newsfeed was a stream of their angry “parleys,” railing at Big Tech and pleading with their followers to follow them elsewhere. “Please sign up for my daily newsletter today, before the tech totalitarians ban everything,” wrote Bongino, who also controls one of Facebook’s most popular pages. Parler grew slowly until early 2020, when Twitter began labeling Trump’s tweets as inaccurate and some of his supporters joined Parler in protest. After November’s election, Parler grew even more quickly as Facebook and Twitter clamped down on false claims that the vote had been rigged. So many users signed up that, at times, they overloaded the company’s systems and forced it to pause new registrations. In total, people downloaded Parler’s app more than 10 million times last year, with 80% in the United States, according to Sensor Tower, the app data firm. Last Wednesday, Trump encouraged his supporters to march to the Capitol to pressure lawmakers to overturn his election loss, starting a riot that left five people dead. The rally was planned on Facebook, Twitter and elsewhere. On Parler, people posted advice on which streets to take to avoid police; some posted about carrying guns inside the Capitol. In an interview with The New York Times hours after the riot, Matze said, “I don’t feel responsible for any of this and neither should the platform, considering we’re a neutral town square that just adheres to the law.” But on Friday, Apple and Google told Parler that it needed to more consistently remove posts that encouraged violence. By Saturday, Apple and Google had removed Parler from their app stores, limiting its ability to reach new users on virtually all of the world’s smartphones. “There is no place on our platform for threats of violence and illegal activity,” Apple said in a statement. Google said, “We do require that apps implement robust moderation for egregious content.” Late Saturday, Amazon told Parler that it would need to find a new place to host its site. Amazon said it had sent Parler 98 examples of posts on its site that encouraged violence, but many remained active. “We cannot provide services to a customer that is unable to effectively identify and remove content that encourages or incites violence against others,” Amazon said. Amazon was scheduled to pull its support for Parler just before midnight Sunday on the West Coast. Amazon said it would preserve Parler’s data so it could move it to other computer servers. “It’s devastating,” Matze told Fox News on Sunday. “And it’s not just these three companies. Every vendor, from text message services to email providers to our lawyers, all ditched us, too, on the same day.” He said he was struggling to find another company to host Parler’s website. But Jeffrey Wernick, Parler’s chief operating officer, said in an interview that the app had heard from several companies that wanted to help. He declined to name them. “What Parler will look like a month from now, I can’t tell you,” he said. “But Parler will not be gone.”

How Parler, a chosen app of Trump fans, became a test of free speech

This week's Congress joint session and the followed riots crate opened Donald Trump's republican support and exposed the fault lines in the relationship

Republicans confront Donald Trump's effect on party

Days after Trump's loyalists unleashed violence in the Capitol hill, calls for the impeachment of outgoing President Donald Trump is gaining momentum. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said that she is ready to start impeachment proceedings.

Calls for Trump's impeachment gain momentum

The outgoing chief of the US Capitol Police has said House of Representatives and Senate security officials thwarted his efforts to call in the National Guard. The statement comes as a diversion from earlier claims from officials who said the force had not asked for help.

The storming of the Capitol building by Trump's supporters delayed the certification of Democratic President-elect Joe Biden’s election victory.

Trump, who has without evidence challenged the validity of Biden's election victory, initially praised his supporters but later condemned the violence. Lawmakers were forced to flee, as the building was mobbed by the president's supporters, who overwhelmed security forces.

The former chief of the federal force, Steven Sund, told the Washington Post his supervisors were reluctant to take formal steps to put the Guard on call even as police intelligence suggested that the crowd President Donald Trump had invited to Washington to protest against his defeat was probably going to be much larger than earlier demonstrations.

Sund's remarks were also in contrast with those from officials in other branches of government, who said after Trump's supporters stormed into the Capitol building last Wednesday that they could have provided more people to secure it -- but no one from the Capitol Police asked.

Sund told the newspaper in an interview he had asked House and Senate security officials for permission to request that the National Guard be placed on standby in case he needed quick backup but his request was turned down.

Kenneth Rapuano, assistant secretary of defence for homeland defence and global security, said last week that the Pentagon had been in touch with the Capitol Police and were told that they would not require assistance from the National Guard.'

Sund kept telling officials that "the situation is dire", the newspaper reported.

Sund, who will step down from his post on January 16 after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called for his resignation, said his request for help was rejected or delayed six times.

"If we would have had the National Guard we could have held them at bay longer, until more officers from our partner agencies could arrive," he told the newspaper.

Five people died in the violence including one Capitol Police officer who was beaten as he tried to ward off the crowds.

The outgoing chief of the US Capitol Police has said House of Representatives and Senate security officials thwarted his efforts to call in the National Guard. The statement comes as a diversion from earlier claims from officials who said the force had not asked for help.

The outgoing chief of the US Capitol Police has said House of Representatives and Senate security officials thwarted his efforts to call in the National Guard. The statement comes as a diversion from earlier claims from officials who said the force had not asked for help. The storming of the Capitol building by Trump's supporters delayed the certification of Democratic President-elect Joe Biden’s election victory. Trump, who has without evidence challenged the validity of Biden's election victory, initially praised his supporters but later condemned the violence. Lawmakers were forced to flee, as the building was mobbed by the president's supporters, who overwhelmed security forces. The former chief of the federal force, Steven Sund, told the Washington Post his supervisors were reluctant to take formal steps to put the Guard on call even as police intelligence suggested that the crowd President Donald Trump had invited to Washington to protest against his defeat was probably going to be much larger than earlier demonstrations. Sund's remarks were also in contrast with those from officials in other branches of government, who said after Trump's supporters stormed into the Capitol building last Wednesday that they could have provided more people to secure it -- but no one from the Capitol Police asked. Sund told the newspaper in an interview he had asked House and Senate security officials for permission to request that the National Guard be placed on standby in case he needed quick backup but his request was turned down. Kenneth Rapuano, assistant secretary of defence for homeland defence and global security, said last week that the Pentagon had been in touch with the Capitol Police and were told that they would not require assistance from the National Guard.' Sund kept telling officials that "the situation is dire", the newspaper reported. Sund, who will step down from his post on January 16 after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called for his resignation, said his request for help was rejected or delayed six times. "If we would have had the National Guard we could have held them at bay longer, until more officers from our partner agencies could arrive," he told the newspaper. Five people died in the violence including one Capitol Police officer who was beaten as he tried to ward off the crowds.

Outgoing US Capitol Police chief says his effort to get help was thwarted

US Vice-President Mike Pence&nbsp;will attend the upcoming inauguration of Joe Biden, multiple media reports said Saturday.

It is now being implied&nbsp;that the vice-president has become the latest longtime loyalist to abandon an increasingly isolated President Donald Trump.

Relations between Trump and Pence -- previously one of the mercurial president's staunchest defenders -- have nosedived since Wednesday, when the vice president formally announced Biden's victory in November's election.

A mob of far-right demonstrators stormed the US Capitol the same day in a failed bid to stop Congress from certifying Biden's win, in a riot blamed on Trump that left five dead.

Outgoing US President Donald Trump -- for the first time ever -- acknowledged Biden won, on Thursday, but said he would not attend the January 20 inauguration. He, however, pledged there would be an "orderly transition" to Biden's presidency.

"To all of those who have asked, I will not be going to the Inauguration on January 20th," Trump wrote on Twitter on Friday.

Biden, to this end, welcomed Trump's announcement, calling it a "good thing."

"I was told on the way over here that he indicated he wasn't going to show up at the inauguration. One of the few things he and I have ever agreed on," Biden said, adding, "it's a good thing, him not showing up."

"He's been an embarrassment to the country," Biden said.

"He's not fit to serve," the president-elect added of Trump, who is facing the possibility of being impeached next week for inciting his supporters to storm the US Capitol.

"He exceeded even my worst notions about him," Biden said.&nbsp;

"He's one of the most incompetent presidents in the history of the United States of America."

Biden added Vice-President Mike Pence would be welcome at his inauguration.

Trump's bowing down to the results came shortly after his supporters rioted at the US Capitol on Wednesday night, drawing sharp criticism from across the world.

Biden said those who stormed the US Capitol were a bunch of thugs, white supremacists, domestic terrorists and they should be prosecuted.

(with inputs)

US Vice-President Mike Pence will attend the upcoming inauguration of Joe Biden, multiple media reports said Saturday. It is now being implied that the vice-president has become the latest longtime loyalist to abandon an increasingly isolated President Donald Trump.

US Vice-President Mike Pence will attend the upcoming inauguration of Joe Biden, multiple media reports said Saturday. It is now being implied that the vice-president has become the latest longtime loyalist to abandon an increasingly isolated President Donald Trump. Relations between Trump and Pence -- previously one of the mercurial president's staunchest defenders -- have nosedived since Wednesday, when the vice president formally announced Biden's victory in November's election. A mob of far-right demonstrators stormed the US Capitol the same day in a failed bid to stop Congress from certifying Biden's win, in a riot blamed on Trump that left five dead. Outgoing US President Donald Trump -- for the first time ever -- acknowledged Biden won, on Thursday, but said he would not attend the January 20 inauguration. He, however, pledged there would be an "orderly transition" to Biden's presidency. "To all of those who have asked, I will not be going to the Inauguration on January 20th," Trump wrote on Twitter on Friday. Biden, to this end, welcomed Trump's announcement, calling it a "good thing." "I was told on the way over here that he indicated he wasn't going to show up at the inauguration. One of the few things he and I have ever agreed on," Biden said, adding, "it's a good thing, him not showing up." "He's been an embarrassment to the country," Biden said. "He's not fit to serve," the president-elect added of Trump, who is facing the possibility of being impeached next week for inciting his supporters to storm the US Capitol. "He exceeded even my worst notions about him," Biden said. "He's one of the most incompetent presidents in the history of the United States of America." Biden added Vice-President Mike Pence would be welcome at his inauguration. Trump's bowing down to the results came shortly after his supporters rioted at the US Capitol on Wednesday night, drawing sharp criticism from across the world. Biden said those who stormed the US Capitol were a bunch of thugs, white supremacists, domestic terrorists and they should be prosecuted. (with inputs)

Vice-President Mike Pence may attend Biden's inauguration on January 20

Another horrifying video from Wednesday's riots at the US Capitol Hill has emerged, which shows a policeman crushed between the pro-Trump mob and officers defending the building.

The said policeman was pinned between a door and the masses of people as per the video captured by investigative outlet Status Coup.

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HORRIFYING Footage Shot by <a href="https://twitter.com/JonFarinaPhoto?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JonFarinaPhoto</a> of Trump’s Army Storming Inside the Capitol and Attacking Cops. 
 
FULL VIDEO: <a href="https://t.co/DwqQd1HuBM">https://t.co/DwqQd1HuBM</a> <a href="https://t.co/c8GHiWAEfp">pic.twitter.com/c8GHiWAEfp</a>
— Status Coup News (@StatusCoup) <a href="https://twitter.com/StatusCoup/status/1347230708721451008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2021</a></blockquote>
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It can also be seen that at least one individual attempted to rip away the officer's mask while he was wedged.

What follows is even more ghastly. The officer reenters the frame of the video stuck in the same position, now maskless and bloodied, screaming for help.

A low voice can be heard amid the fray, yelling, "Let him back, let him out!"

The officer eventually was able to free himself from the door.

According to a report published on CNN, Jon Farina, who noted the clash between police and rioters was constant, said the rioters "just kept rotating in and out. They would say 'We need fresh patriots.'"

Farina said police eventually repelled rioters from that location.

Wednesday's storming of the Capitol left five people dead, including Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick.

Federal agents in US have arrested two more Capitol Hill rioters whose images had gone viral. One of them carried the House speaker's lectern and another wore horns and a fur pelt.

Dozens of people have been charged in the aftermath, and the FBI has been asking the public to help identify participants given the proliferation of images of the riots on the internet.&nbsp;

The FBI and the Washington police department's homicide unit are jointly investigating the death of &nbsp;Sicknick, who was injured while defending the Capitol. He had just been sworn in with the US Capitol Police Department, fulfilling a lifelong dream.

Another horrifying video from Wednesday's riots at the US Capitol Hill has emerged, which shows a policeman crushed between the pro-Trump mob and officers defending the building.

Another horrifying video from Wednesday's riots at the US Capitol Hill has emerged, which shows a policeman crushed between the pro-Trump mob and officers defending the building. The said policeman was pinned between a door and the masses of people as per the video captured by investigative outlet Status Coup. HORRIFYING Footage Shot by @JonFarinaPhoto of Trump’s Army Storming Inside the Capitol and Attacking Cops. FULL VIDEO: https://t.co/DwqQd1HuBM pic.twitter.com/c8GHiWAEfp — Status Coup News (@StatusCoup) January 7, 2021 × It can also be seen that at least one individual attempted to rip away the officer's mask while he was wedged. What follows is even more ghastly. The officer reenters the frame of the video stuck in the same position, now maskless and bloodied, screaming for help. A low voice can be heard amid the fray, yelling, "Let him back, let him out!" The officer eventually was able to free himself from the door. According to a report published on CNN, Jon Farina, who noted the clash between police and rioters was constant, said the rioters "just kept rotating in and out. They would say 'We need fresh patriots.'" Farina said police eventually repelled rioters from that location. Wednesday's storming of the Capitol left five people dead, including Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick. Federal agents in US have arrested two more Capitol Hill rioters whose images had gone viral. One of them carried the House speaker's lectern and another wore horns and a fur pelt. Dozens of people have been charged in the aftermath, and the FBI has been asking the public to help identify participants given the proliferation of images of the riots on the internet. The FBI and the Washington police department's homicide unit are jointly investigating the death of Sicknick, who was injured while defending the Capitol. He had just been sworn in with the US Capitol Police Department, fulfilling a lifelong dream.

Video shows officer crushed against door by mob storming US Capitol

Dozens of supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump have been criminally charged in connection with the violent storming of the U.S. Capitol building earlier this week, and many more cases are expected.

Five people died as a result of the riot, including a Capitol Police officer. No one has been charged yet in connection with any of those deaths.

Several different criminal statutes and theories of liability could be used against the rioters, legal experts said.

Here is an overview of some of the potential charges, including seditious conspiracy and felony murder.

What criminal charges have been filed so far?

Some of the more than 50 defendants in the federal district and superior courts have been charged with gun-related offenses. There are federal laws against carrying a gun in the Capitol building, and possessing an unregistered firearm or unlicensed ammunition in the District of Columbia.

A Seattle man, Mark Leffingwell, has been charged with assaulting a federal law enforcement officer, a federal crime. He is accused of punching a Capitol Police officer in a separate incident from the one that led to an officer`s death. A lawyer for Leffingwell did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Several dozen individuals have been charged with unlawful entry on the Capitol grounds, which is a crime under the Washington D.C. criminal code and federal law. Those include Nicholas Ochs, a member of the far-right group Proud Boys, who posted a photo of himself inside the Capitol building. A lawyer for Ochs could not be identified.

Could multiple people be charged with killing a police officer?

Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick died on Thursday. Sicknick "was injured while physically engaging with protesters," the police department said in a statement. He collapsed after he returned to his divisional office, the statement said.

Sicknick was one of the five people to die as a result of the riot.

A top priority for law enforcement will be identifying anyone responsible for Sicknick`s death, said Matt Jones, a former federal prosecutor in Washington now at the law firm Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr.

If someone assaulted Sicknick, that person could be charged with murder or manslaughter.

Anyone who assisted the main perpetrator could face criminal charges for "aiding and abetting" murder or manslaughter.

If Sicknick was killed as part of a coordinated plot to attack individuals inside the Capitol, individuals involved in that scheme could be charged as co-conspirators, Jones said.

"Prosecutors are no doubt scouring every phone and social media post they can," Jones said. "And, to the extent they show an intent to cause harm to an officer, or member of Congress or their staff, that will dramatically move the ball forward."

Jay Town, former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama, said rioters who were simply present in the room when Sicknick was engaged with protesters are far less likely to be charged.

"To assign culpability beyond the actual assailant, or those that aided or abetted them, would normally require proof that other individuals knew that the commission of their criminal acts might likely lead to death or serious bodily injury," Town said.

Could there be felony murder charges?

There is a doctrine of U.S. law, recognized in Washington, called felony murder, which allows prosecutors to charge people with murder even if they did not intend to kill. 
Typically, a defendant is charged with felony murder if they engage in a violent crime and a death indirectly results from their actions.

Ken Kohl, a top prosecutor on the case, said at a news conference on Friday that felony murder "is always in play in something like this."

Legal experts said more facts were needed to determine if this theory of liability would apply.

Jones said it could be difficult to bring felony murder charges. To do so, prosecutors may need to prove certain underlying offenses such as armed robbery or kidnapping, which do not appear to be present here. What about sedition?

It is very possible individuals will be charged with a federal law that bans efforts to overthrow the government, legal experts said.

That law prohibits conspiring to "overthrow, put down, or to destroy by force" the U.S. government.

The statute "will absolutely apply once the investigation is completed," said Justo Mendez, a criminal defense attorney at Holland &amp; Knight in Texas and a former federal prosecutor. "The evidence of `conspire to overthrow` is all over social media."

Who is bringing the criminal cases?

All of the criminal charges so far have been brought by the U.S. Attorney`s Office for the District of Columbia, part of the U.S. Justice Department. These prosecutors enforce federal laws, as well as the District of Columbia`s criminal code.

Federal prosecutors around the country could also bring charges if plans to carry out violence were made within their jurisdictions.

Dozens of supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump have been criminally charged in connection with the violent storming of the U.S. Capitol building earlier this week, and many more cases are expected.

Dozens of supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump have been criminally charged in connection with the violent storming of the U.S. Capitol building earlier this week, and many more cases are expected. Five people died as a result of the riot, including a Capitol Police officer. No one has been charged yet in connection with any of those deaths. Several different criminal statutes and theories of liability could be used against the rioters, legal experts said. Here is an overview of some of the potential charges, including seditious conspiracy and felony murder. What criminal charges have been filed so far? Some of the more than 50 defendants in the federal district and superior courts have been charged with gun-related offenses. There are federal laws against carrying a gun in the Capitol building, and possessing an unregistered firearm or unlicensed ammunition in the District of Columbia. A Seattle man, Mark Leffingwell, has been charged with assaulting a federal law enforcement officer, a federal crime. He is accused of punching a Capitol Police officer in a separate incident from the one that led to an officer`s death. A lawyer for Leffingwell did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Several dozen individuals have been charged with unlawful entry on the Capitol grounds, which is a crime under the Washington D.C. criminal code and federal law. Those include Nicholas Ochs, a member of the far-right group Proud Boys, who posted a photo of himself inside the Capitol building. A lawyer for Ochs could not be identified. Could multiple people be charged with killing a police officer? Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick died on Thursday. Sicknick "was injured while physically engaging with protesters," the police department said in a statement. He collapsed after he returned to his divisional office, the statement said. Sicknick was one of the five people to die as a result of the riot. A top priority for law enforcement will be identifying anyone responsible for Sicknick`s death, said Matt Jones, a former federal prosecutor in Washington now at the law firm Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr. If someone assaulted Sicknick, that person could be charged with murder or manslaughter. Anyone who assisted the main perpetrator could face criminal charges for "aiding and abetting" murder or manslaughter. If Sicknick was killed as part of a coordinated plot to attack individuals inside the Capitol, individuals involved in that scheme could be charged as co-conspirators, Jones said. "Prosecutors are no doubt scouring every phone and social media post they can," Jones said. "And, to the extent they show an intent to cause harm to an officer, or member of Congress or their staff, that will dramatically move the ball forward." Jay Town, former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama, said rioters who were simply present in the room when Sicknick was engaged with protesters are far less likely to be charged. "To assign culpability beyond the actual assailant, or those that aided or abetted them, would normally require proof that other individuals knew that the commission of their criminal acts might likely lead to death or serious bodily injury," Town said. Could there be felony murder charges? There is a doctrine of U.S. law, recognized in Washington, called felony murder, which allows prosecutors to charge people with murder even if they did not intend to kill. Typically, a defendant is charged with felony murder if they engage in a violent crime and a death indirectly results from their actions. Ken Kohl, a top prosecutor on the case, said at a news conference on Friday that felony murder "is always in play in something like this." Legal experts said more facts were needed to determine if this theory of liability would apply. Jones said it could be difficult to bring felony murder charges. To do so, prosecutors may need to prove certain underlying offenses such as armed robbery or kidnapping, which do not appear to be present here. What about sedition? It is very possible individuals will be charged with a federal law that bans efforts to overthrow the government, legal experts said. That law prohibits conspiring to "overthrow, put down, or to destroy by force" the U.S. government. The statute "will absolutely apply once the investigation is completed," said Justo Mendez, a criminal defense attorney at Holland & Knight in Texas and a former federal prosecutor. "The evidence of `conspire to overthrow` is all over social media." Who is bringing the criminal cases? All of the criminal charges so far have been brought by the U.S. Attorney`s Office for the District of Columbia, part of the U.S. Justice Department. These prosecutors enforce federal laws, as well as the District of Columbia`s criminal code. Federal prosecutors around the country could also bring charges if plans to carry out violence were made within their jurisdictions.

Explainer: What crimes can the US Capitol rioters be charged with?

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US House Democrats to introduce Trump impeachment article on Monday Democrats in the US House of Representatives will most likely introduce a legislation on Mon

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Morning news brief: Trump's likely impeachment, plane crash in Indonesia and more

Federal agents in US have arrested two more Capitol Hill rioters whose images had gone viral. One of them carried the House speaker's lectern and another wore horns and a fur pelt.

Five people have died, including a police officer, following the storming of the Capitol on Wednesday.

Dozens of people have been charged in the aftermath, and the FBI has been asking the public to help identify participants given the proliferation of images of the riots on the internet.&nbsp;

Jacob Anthony Chansley, who featured prominently on social media wearing horns, a fur pelt, face paint and brandishing a spear adorned with the US flag, turned himself in to police, the Department of Justice said.

Chansley, also known as Jake Angeli, called the FBI's Washington office on Thursday and later told agents "he came as part of a group effort with other 'patriots' from Arizona, at the request of the President that all 'patriots' come to DC on January 6," the DOJ said in a release.

Before his arrest, NBC network reported, Chansley gloated about how the crowd infiltrated the Capitol, forcing lawmakers to flee.

Federal agents also arrested Adam Christian Johnson, whose photo as he smiled and waved as he carried off House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi's lectern also went viral.&nbsp;

Johnson, of Parrish, Florida, also streamed live video on Facebook of himself as he walked the halls of the Capitol, according to the Tampa Bay Times. The video has been removed from online platforms and all of Johnson's pages have been taken down.

One man who was arrested in connection with the events at the Capitol and threats to lawmakers told FBI agents he arrived in Washington on Thursday, a day late for the rally, after being delayed en route in Ohio, federal court documents showed.

Cleveland Meredith was found with a Tavor X95 assault rifle, a Glock pistol, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, and was detained in connection with making threats to Pelosi after an FBI agent read January 7 text messages in which Meredith talked about "putting a bullet in her noggin on Live TV" and running her over with his truck.

At least a dozen other people were facing criminal charges in US District Court for the District of Columbia in connection to the riot, and at least another 40 people faced lesser charges in the District of Columbia Superior Court, a local venue. Many of them were arraigned on Thursday and released, with an order from the judge not to return to Washington unless for court appearances or meetings with their attorneys.

They included Richard Barnett, the Gravette, Arkansas, man who was photographed sitting at Pelosi's desk, his feet up on the furniture.

Also, the FBI and the Washington police department's homicide unit are jointly investigating the death of Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who was injured while defending the Capitol. Sicknick had just been sworn in with the US Capitol Police Department, fulfilling a lifelong dream.

(with inputs from agencies)

Federal agents in US have arrested two more Capitol Hill rioters whose images had gone viral. One of them carried the House speaker's lectern and another wore horns and a fur pelt.

Federal agents in US have arrested two more Capitol Hill rioters whose images had gone viral. One of them carried the House speaker's lectern and another wore horns and a fur pelt. Five people have died, including a police officer, following the storming of the Capitol on Wednesday. Dozens of people have been charged in the aftermath, and the FBI has been asking the public to help identify participants given the proliferation of images of the riots on the internet. Jacob Anthony Chansley, who featured prominently on social media wearing horns, a fur pelt, face paint and brandishing a spear adorned with the US flag, turned himself in to police, the Department of Justice said. Chansley, also known as Jake Angeli, called the FBI's Washington office on Thursday and later told agents "he came as part of a group effort with other 'patriots' from Arizona, at the request of the President that all 'patriots' come to DC on January 6," the DOJ said in a release. Before his arrest, NBC network reported, Chansley gloated about how the crowd infiltrated the Capitol, forcing lawmakers to flee. Federal agents also arrested Adam Christian Johnson, whose photo as he smiled and waved as he carried off House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi's lectern also went viral. Johnson, of Parrish, Florida, also streamed live video on Facebook of himself as he walked the halls of the Capitol, according to the Tampa Bay Times. The video has been removed from online platforms and all of Johnson's pages have been taken down. One man who was arrested in connection with the events at the Capitol and threats to lawmakers told FBI agents he arrived in Washington on Thursday, a day late for the rally, after being delayed en route in Ohio, federal court documents showed. Cleveland Meredith was found with a Tavor X95 assault rifle, a Glock pistol, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, and was detained in connection with making threats to Pelosi after an FBI agent read January 7 text messages in which Meredith talked about "putting a bullet in her noggin on Live TV" and running her over with his truck. At least a dozen other people were facing criminal charges in US District Court for the District of Columbia in connection to the riot, and at least another 40 people faced lesser charges in the District of Columbia Superior Court, a local venue. Many of them were arraigned on Thursday and released, with an order from the judge not to return to Washington unless for court appearances or meetings with their attorneys. They included Richard Barnett, the Gravette, Arkansas, man who was photographed sitting at Pelosi's desk, his feet up on the furniture. Also, the FBI and the Washington police department's homicide unit are jointly investigating the death of Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who was injured while defending the Capitol. Sicknick had just been sworn in with the US Capitol Police Department, fulfilling a lifelong dream. (with inputs from agencies)

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