Tech Transparency Project: “Facebook suspended President Trump following the mob attack on Congress. But the platform allowed organizing for the pro-Trump rally, as well as the spread of conspiracy theories and militant extremism that drove the rioters. Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg made headlines for saying the mob attack on the U.S. Capitol was… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Congress
Who Joe Biden picked to fill his Cabinet
Washington Post – “President-elect Joe Biden has made his selections for his incoming Cabinet and top White House positions. Cabinet positions — with the exception of the vice president and White House chief of staff — will require Senate approval, which may face significant delays. Biden promised to be “a president for all Americans” and… Continue Reading
Here Is President Joe Biden’s Inaugural Address
BuzzFeedNews – text and Video: “”We’ve learned again that democracy is precious. Democracy is fragile. At this hour, my friends, democracy has prevailed.”… See also The New Yorker – “Joe Biden’s Love Letter to the Truth – On Wednesday, Joe Biden’s presence where pro-Trump rioters had recently smashed and looted was a victory for democracy… Continue Reading
Sales of US Constitution topped 1 million during Trump years
AP – “At the National Constitution Center, in Philadelphia, they like to joke that what’s bad for the country is often good for the organization. “Web traffic is through the roof,” says the nonprofit’s CEO and president, Jeffrey Rosen. “We had more than 400,000 visitors to our site in the days following Jan. 6,” when… Continue Reading
The Impeachment and Trial of a Former President
CRS – The Impeachment and Trial of a Former President January 15, 2021: “For the second time in just over a year, the House of Representatives has voted to impeach President Donald J. Trump. The House previously voted to impeach President Trump on December 18, 2019, and the Senate voted to acquit the President on… Continue Reading
U.S. Secret Service: Threats to and Assaults on Presidents and Vice Presidents
CRS In Focus – U.S. Secret Service: Threats to and Assaults on Presidents and Vice Presidents, January 15, 2021: On January 6, 2021,Vice President Mike Pence was presiding over a joint session of Congress to certify the November 2020 presidential election electoral votes when a crowd breached the U.S. Capitol’s security. Due to these events,… Continue Reading
Institute breaks record in 2020, making laws easy to access
Cornell Chronicle – “As Congress prepared to certify the results of the November presidential election on Jan. 6, the law governing the counting of electoral votes was a trending topic on Cornell Law School’s Legal Information Institute (LII), a pioneer in providing open access to U.S. legal information online. Those topics changed abruptly when a… Continue Reading
Biden Political Appointee Tracker
Washington Post – We’re tracking hundreds of positions here – “Presidents are required to fill roughly 4,000 politically appointed positions in the executive branch, including more than 1,250 that require Senate confirmation. The Washington Post and the Partnership for Public Service are tracking nominees for roughly 800 of those 1,250 positions, including Cabinet secretaries, chief… Continue Reading
‘We got to hold this door’ How battered D.C. police made a stand against the Capitol mob
Washington Post – “Blinded by smoke and choking on gas and bear spray, stripped of his radio and badge, D.C. police officer Michael Fanone and his battered colleagues fought to push back rioters trying to force their way into an entrance to the U.S. Capitol. The officers had been at it for hours, unaware that… Continue Reading
The Capitol attack set off a raging debate on Wikipedia: what to call it?
Fast Company – “‘Storming’? ‘Insurrection’? ‘Riot’? ‘Attempted coup’? On Wikipedia, where neutrality is prized above all, volunteers are still searching for the words….As facts came in, as editors double-checked and pruned according to Wikipedia standards, the text grew and shrank and grew again, so that only the most relevant verifiable and neutral language remained. “Once… Continue Reading
National Archives – Presidential Elections & Inaugurations
“Every four years, on the first Tuesday (after the first Monday) of November, we cast our votes for President of the United States. The National Archives and Records Administration has a unique role in the election process: NARA’s Office of the Federal Register administers the Electoral College. On the following January 20, the President of… Continue Reading
The Capitol Rioters Weren’t ‘Low Class’
The Atlantic – The business owners, real-estate brokers, and service members who rioted acted not out of economic desperation, but out of their belief in their inviolable right to rule: “They were business owners, CEOs, state legislators, police officers, active and retired service members, real-estate brokers [one of whom arrived in DC via private jet],… Continue Reading
