Jan. 6 panel subpoenas Giuliani, digging into false vote fraud claims
The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol on Tuesday subpoenaed Rudy Giuliani and other members of the legal team that pursued a set of conspiracy-filled lawsuits on behalf of former President Donald Trump in which they made unsubstantiated claims of fraud in the 2020 presidential election. In addition to Giuliani, the panel subpoenaed Jenna Ellis, Sidney Powell and Boris Epshteyn, who all played central roles in Trump’s effort to use the courts, state legislatures and Congress to try to overturn his defeat. The panel instructed the four witnesses to turn over documents and submit to an interview in February.
Senate opens voting rights debate, with legislative defeat looming
Democrats pushed forward Tuesday with what appeared to be a futile bid to enact voting rights protections over Republican opposition, taking up legislation that they said was urgently needed to counter widespread balloting suppression efforts and laying out a plan to try to steer it around GOP obstruction. Using a procedural shortcut, Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., the majority leader, avoided a Republican blockade that has stalled the legislation for months to force it to the floor. But Democrats were far short of the votes needed to win its passage over Republican opposition, and lacked the votes needed in their own party to change Senate rules and enact it unilaterally.
New government website for ordering COVID tests is up and running
The Biden administration’s new website allowing people to order up to four free at-home coronavirus tests quietly went live Tuesday — a day in advance of its formal launch — and demand already appeared to be significant. A combined total of more than 1 million visitors were on the homepage and the ordering page of covidtests.gov at one point Tuesday evening, according to analytics.usa.gov, which monitors traffic on participating federal websites. At a White House news conference Tuesday, President Joe Biden’s press secretary, Jen Psaki, said that the official launch would take place Wednesday but that the site had begun taking orders during what she described as a “beta testing phase.”
Judge approves deal to resolve Puerto Rico bankruptcy
Puerto Rico received approval from a federal judge Tuesday to leave bankruptcy under the largest public sector debt restructuring deal in the history of the United States, nearly five years after the financially strapped territory declared it could not repay its creditors. The restructuring plan will reduce the largest portion of the Puerto Rico government’s debt — some $33 billion — by about 80%, to $7.4 billion. The deal will also save the government more than $50 billion in debt payments. And, although at a discount, Puerto Rico will start repaying creditors, something it has not done in years.
Three police officers charged in fatal shooting of child outside football game
Three Pennsylvania police officers have been charged with manslaughter in the fatal shooting of an 8-year-old girl outside a high school football game in August during which they fired a barrage of bullets after two teenagers began shooting, authorities said. Officers Devon Smith, Sean Dolan and Brian Devaney of the Police Department in Sharon Hill, a Philadelphia suburb, were each charged with a total of 12 counts, including voluntary and involuntary manslaughter and reckless endangerment, Jack Stollsteimer, district attorney in Delaware County, said in a statement. The charges brought against the officers by Stollsteimer’s office followed the recommendations of a grand jury empaneled Nov. 18 to consider charges against the officers.
Earthquakes strike Afghanistan, killing at least 27
Two earthquakes struck a remote, mountainous area of western Afghanistan, killing at least 27 people and destroying hundreds of homes, officials said Tuesday. The earthquakes occurred Monday after three days of heavy rainfall, which left mud-brick houses vulnerable along the mountain slopes, said Baz Mohammad Sarwari, a spokesman for the governor in Badghis province. Rescue teams were sent to the affected areas. Photos taken by residents and provided by Sarwari showed men and boys using their bare hands to remove clay bricks and other rubble, apparently trying to reach any survivors trapped in the debris.
Australia records its deadliest day of COVID; hospitals see a flood of patients
Australia recorded its highest number of daily COVID deaths of the pandemic Tuesday, 74, and the state of Victoria declared a state of emergency for its hospital system. James Merlino, Victoria’s deputy premier, said the emergency measure could postpone leave for thousands of health care workers and defer nonessential services. On Tuesday, the federal government said that it would send thousands of health care workers to help omicron-affected areas, as well as activate the national medical stockpile to address shortages of tests and personal protective equipment. The previous daily record for COVID deaths in the country was 59, in September 2020.
Sudan’s security forces kill protesters as US diplomats’ visit nears
Sudanese security forces killed seven people and injured at least 100 others Monday, a doctors group said, the latest bloody protest to shake the country before a visit by senior U.S. diplomats seeking to support the revival of Sudan’s faltering transition to democracy. Those killed were between ages 19 and 40, according to a pro-democracy group, the Central Committee of Sudan Doctors. The northeast Africa nation has faced widespread protests since a military coup Oct. 25. The doctors group said in a statement on Facebook that the death toll among civilians since the coup had grown to 71.
By wire sources