The Democratic-controlled US House of Representatives, which is rushing ahead towards impeaching Donald Trump over the unprecedented Capitol Hill attack, has passed a resolution urging Vice President Mike Pence to invoke 25th Amendment to remove the president from office.

The resolution was voted by 223 to 205 votes on Tuesday night. The voting was mostly on party lines, with one Republican voting in favour of the resolution and another five abstaining. The resolution calls upon Pence to mobilise the Cabinet to activate the 25th Amendment to remove the president from office.

The 25th Amendment, adopted more than 50 years ago in the wake of President John F Kennedy's assassination, provides a mechanism for the succession of the president for his or her replacement in the event he or she proves unfit to serve. Under the amendment, the vice president and a majority of either the Cabinet or some other body designated by Congress may remove the president from office.

The vote came after Pence, a Republican, wrote to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that he would not invoke the 25h Amendment.

Under our Constitution, the 25th Amendment is not a means of punishment or usurpation. Invoking the 25th Amendment in such a manner would set a terrible precedent, Pence said in a letter to Pelosi, a Democrat.

Speaking on the House floor, Pelosi said on January 6, President Trump incited a deadly insurrection against America that targeted the very heart of its democracy, the US Capitol.

"Defiling the genius of the Constitution, separate but equal, attacking the first branch of government, trying to prevent the US from ascertaining the constitutional duty to ascertain that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will be President and Vice President of the United States.

The gleeful desecration they have gleeful desecration of the Capitol and violence against the Congress, our staff and our workers are horrors that will forever stain our nation's history. Five Americans have died following the violent attack. More than 50 police officers were seriously injured, including fifteen officers who were hospitalised, Pelosi said.

She said the "facts are very clear" that the President called for the seditious attack.

"For days, he urged supporters to come to Washington for the insurrection. Wednesday (Jan 6) morning he participated in a rally to encourage the rioters to march on the Capitol and fight. And, not only did he urge people to march on the Capitol and fight, he further fanned the flames and he and his family cheered and celebrated the desecration of the Capitol, Pelosi said.

As the dangers escalated, he ignored and flat out rejected the pleas of Congress, including those of his own party, to call off his supporters the rioters, the terrorists as they engaged in vandalism and violence. Later that day and, now, the President is saying that he is not responsible and that his incitement to violence was totally appropriate, she said.

Referring to the impeachment proceedings against him, Trump in a public speech on Tuesday in a Texas border town said free speech is under assault in the US like never before.

"The impeachment hoax is a continuation of the greatest and most vicious witch hunt in the history of our country and is causing tremendous anger and division...which is very dangerous for the USA, especially at this very tender time," he said.

Pelosi said Trump's actions demonstrate his absolute inability to discharge the most basic and fundamental powers and duties of his office.

"Therefore, the President must be removed from office immediately. This is a decision we make with the utmost solemnity and prayerfulness, which this crisis requires. Removal of the President is an unprecedented action, but it is required because he is an because it is an unprecedented moment in history because of the danger he poses," she said.

The House of Representatives is expected to consider an article of impeachment against Trump on Wednesday, thus opening the possibility of Trump becoming the only president in US history to be impeached twice.

The articles of impeachment charges Trump with a count of 'incitement of insurrection' for his actions on January 6, when he delivered a speech inciting his supporters to lay siege to the Capitol, an action that temporarily halted the counting of Electoral College votes and resulted in the deaths of five individuals, including a police officer.

Earlier, the House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler released a majority staff report for the impeachment of Trump. The 50-page report made a strong case to impeach the Republican president.

Trump has falsely asserted that he won the 2020 presidential election and repeatedly sought to overturn the results of the election. As his efforts failed repeatedly, he continued a parallel course of conduct that "foreseeably resulted in the imminent lawless actions of his supporters, who attacked the Capitol and the Congress", the report said.

The facts establish that he is unfit to remain in office a single day longer and warrant the immediate impeachment of President Trump, it said.

The House on December 18, 2019 had approved the articles of impeachment against Trump, charging him of pressuring Ukraine to smear Biden, using nearly USD 400 million in military aid as leverage. However, the Republican-controlled Senate in February 2020 acquitted him of the two charges -- abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Continued here:
US House passes resolution asking Pence to remove Donald Trump from office - Business Standard

Thanet council

Eight jobs will be made redundant as part of a Thanet council restructure.

The job losses are part of budget measures aimed at plugging a 840,000 deficit for the 2021-22 financial year.

Council finances have been significantly impacted by the covid pandemic, although Cllr Rob Yates responsible for finance says Thanet is in a better position than council which have made commercial investments and so rely on commercial rents and those which have not reduced borrowing.

At a meeting of Cabinet members tonight (January 14) he said: This budget has been set during a totally unprecedented period for local government.

He said the authority work force had been diminished by covid and despite government funding not all losses due to the virus, such as those for business rates and fees and charges, would be compensated. In a time of higher expenditure and lower income the current national lockdown is adding to these pressures.

He added: Some businesses will not have survived or have built up debt, many people will have lost jobs. It is unlikely that Thanet will bounce back to its pre-covid state, at least not in the short term.

Cllr Yates said the coming year would require savings although efforts had been made to minimise the impact on services and redundancies.

He added: I am please to report a minimal impact on services, especially frontline services. There are up to 8 posts that will be deleted and the people occupying those posts will be going through restructuring.

Although it is too early to say some of those might be subject to compulsory redundancy but every effort will be made to find alternative council employment for them.

Cllr Yates did not reveal which roles were under threat.

Cabinet members at the meeting approved a report containing the budget measures and proposals for a rise in council tax of 4.99 or 2.1% increase per year for Thanet District Councils element of Council Tax for a Band D property. This equates to a weekly increase of around 10p per week.

The Budget sets out how the council will allocate 17.165million to fund services from April 2021 March 2022.

Plans include a 2% rise on fees and charges which will bring in an estimated 400,000. The fees hike will include areas of on and off street parking, crematorium fees, costs for bulky and green waste and higher port and harbour fees.

The budget will now be considered at a full Council meeting in February.

There are expected to be shortfalls in the collection of council tax and business rates due to the and increased unemployment from an economic downturn (resulting in more Council Tax Support (CTS) claimants and non-payment by those not in receipt of CTS).

Business Rates income could similarly be hit by business failures from an economic downturn with a non payment estimate of600k. There is also the potential cliff-edge of Business Rates relief for small businesses and those in retail, leisure and hospitality, which has applied for this year but will end in 2021-22, with those businesses expected to start paying rates again

Income from fees, including parking, are also expected to be hit as Covid restrictions continue. This includes Dreamland car park is part of the Dreamland estate sale to amusement park operator SHL resulting in a forecast loss of 150k income for the year.

Your Leisure The councils leisure trust, Your Leisure, is facing a substantial shortfall in its income as a result of Covid, as are all leisure trusts.The council has paid its management fee for the year up front, and has paid an additional 160k to the trust. This additional fee is equivalent to the previously agreed 2020-21 budget saving in the management fee that will not be achieved as a result of the pandemic.

Ongoing discussions are taking place with Your Leisure to establish their resourcing requirements, which could lead to further demands on the councils finances

The council says permanent savings must be made.

There will be reduced spending and bolstering council reserves will be delayed until 2022-23 to help meet the financial gap.

Council staff also face a restrained cost of living pay award in 2021-22 in order to protect services and minimise staffing reductions. Up to eight job losses have been announced.

A 1% increase in pay is proposed to be built into the budget, along with the cost of paying the National Living Wage and increments. Incremental increases through the grading structure are a contractual obligation to the council and a right for staff. In addition, the council is legally required to implement the increase in the National Living wage which is forecast to increase by 5.5% to 9.20 per hour on 1st April 2021. The combination of these pay pressures will cost the council an estimated 294k in 2021-22.

The councils property holdings total of 267 million net book value after depreciation has been applied.

Where assets are no longer viable or surplus to requirements they will need to be disposed of in order to reduce the councils liabilities and to generate capital receipts to fund new developments or be transferred for community benefit.

The creation of new investment assets, such as new beach huts, will be explored to create additional income.

Social rents have been set based on government rent guidance. Affordable Rents are linked to local market rents and to the Local Housing Allowance for the area. Rents are applied to individual properties at the lower of either 80% of the local market rent or the Local Housing Allowance.

Councillors have raised concerns about the impact of a rent increase on current tenants and, as a result, the budget suggests a CPI+1% increase for social rent tenants and a freeze for affordable rent tenants. Based on the proposed increase across the whole stock the average rent is 84.94, this is an average increase of 1.89p per property per week

Service Charge Increases

Tenant service charge increases continue to be capped at 3 a week.

Jet-Ski Berths at Ramsgate Marina.

Ramsgate Port Berth 1 Refurbishment

Thanet District LED Lighting convert council owned street/open spaces lighting to LED (also replacing lamp columns where necessary).

Replacement Crematorium Chapel Roof to make the roof watertight and reduce the need for repairs.

Royal Harbour Multi-Storey Car Park Lift Replacement.

A further tranche of emergency Covid funding in 2021-22 of 1.016m.

A promise of further support for quarter one of 2021-22 for losses in sales, fees and charges due to Covid.

A Local Income Tax Guarantee scheme to assist with irrecoverable losses of Council Tax and Business Rates in 2020-21, value currently unknown.

A Local Council Tax Support grant to assist with additional costs of Council Tax Support, worth approximately 300k in 2021-22.

Revenue Support Grant of 100k rolled over for one more year to 2021-22.

A Lower Tier Services grant, probably one-off, worth 215k in 2021-22.

Consideration of using the Minor Works team to generate income from selling handyperson services.

A review of printing services income and expenditure including scope to in-source more printing.

Growth in income generated from fees and charges.

Investigation of more shared services including leadership teams.

Expand the CCTV service to sell to other external organisations.

Increase the use of direct debits to improve income collection across all chargeable services.

The money that is used to fund public services is made up of Council Tax, income including fees and charges, retained Business Rates and Government funding (including Revenue Support Grant and New Homes Bonus).

Thanet District Council receives just 12p in every 1 of Council Tax. The remainder goes to: Kent County Council, Kent Police and Crime Commissioner, Kent Fire and Rescue Service and Town/Parish Councils.

Related

View original post here:
Eight redundancies expected at Thanet council amid budget pressures due to covid - The Isle of Thanet News

Q: I am remodeling my kitchen, which includes replacing my regular-sized refrigerator with a built-in model. The new one is much taller than the old one and I will have to replace the cabinet above it. Around the top of the cabinets is a continuous piece of crown molding that I dont want to disturb, mainly because I dont want to make the cuts to replace it. How do I find a matching cabinet and get the old one out?

A: A built-in refrigerator is impressive and menacing, but to install one, you must replace the cabinet above it first. The typical built-in refrigerator is 84 inches tall (you can adjust the leveling mechanisms 1 inch higher or lower) and start at 36 inches wide.

However, you wont gain much extra storage volume inside the built-in one: Though taller, it is shallower. The cabinet depth surrounding the fridge is 24 inches deep, and the built-in fridge will tuck nicely into the opening you are about to create.

Typically, a wall cabinet is 12 inches deep. You will need to replace yours with a 24-inch-deep cabinet. You will have to break out the tape measure to determine the height of the new cabinet.

Measure from the floor to the top of the wall cabinets, then subtract 84 (the height of the refrigerator) to determine the height of the cabinet in inches. The width is the same as the old one.

With the measurements of the new cabinet, you can look for a replacement. Look for a manufacturers stamp or sticker in one of your cabinets. If you cant find one, you may have to check with several manufacturers to get the right one.

Remove one of the doors from a cabinet to take along and match up the style and color. The door is held on by a couple of screws and it will remove easily. Once you find the matching cabinet, you will probably have to special order it.

While waiting for its arrival, you can remove the old wall cabinet to make way for the new one.

Regarding the crown molding: You will probably have to disturb it since you are changing the depth of the cabinet it surrounds.

You can certainly leave the crown molding in place and drop the cabinet down, which will leave the molding untouched. But when the new cabinet comes in, you will have to change it.

Before you remove the cabinet, you must separate it from the crown molding. Use a standard screwdriver and place it behind the crown and in front of the cabinet and slowly goose the molding from the cabinet.

If you are trying to leave the molding in place, you can make a gap between the two, then cut the nails with wire cutters, or use a hacksaw blade removed from its frame.

The cabinet will be held to the wall with a couple of screws near the top, and it will also be screwed through the face frame to its neighbor. Unscrew these face frame screws first. These are large screws that not only close the gap between the cabinets but also make them one solid unit on the wall.

After that, support the cabinet from falling and unscrew the remaining screws that hold it to the wall. Control the cabinet so that it slides down and pull it out of the lineup.

By the way, you can make the cabinet a little lighter by removing both the doors and the shelving. That just leaves the carcass to manhandle out of the way.

Once the new cabinet arrives, put it into place and level it, then screw it into the studs of the wall. Then predrill the face frames and screw the face frame of the new cabinet to its neighbor. Now all you have to worry about is the crown molding.

Mike Klimek is a licensed contractor and owner of Las Vegas Handyman. Questions may be sent by email to handymanoflasvegas@msn.com. Or, mail to 4710 W. Dewey Drive, No. 100, Las Vegas, NV 89118. His web address is http://www.handymanoflasvegas.com.

See original here:
Crown molding will need replacing with new cabinet - Las Vegas Review-Journal

Bob Evans| Special to the Rockford Register Star

What follows is no defense of Donald Trump. What follows is an argument that Amendment 25 is not the proper vehicle for removing him. Impeachment, however difficult, is.

Amendment 25 contains four sections, each applying to a different situation. Some sections envision a permanent replacement of the president; some envision a temporary replacement. Section 4, the one at issue here, focuses on a temporary physical incapacity, after which the president would resume duties. That, of course, is not the application of section 4 that people have in mind. It would be at least ironic to distort a Constitutional provision to punish someone for distorting the Constitution.

Permanent replacement of a president is treated in other sections of the amendment. Section 4 applies when the president is temporarily incapacitated. President Eisenhower, who had suffered two medical emergencies, urged at an early date the Justice Department to draft the outlines of an amendment to apply to temporary incapacity for physical reasons. This effort found its way into section 4.

Section 4 authorizes the vice president and a majority of the cabinet to transmit to congressional leaders a declaration of incapacity. It also authorizes the president to issue a letter declaring his capacity to perform, forcing Congress to decide between the two claims. The process requires yet another exchange of letters between the vice president and cabinet and the Congress. After these exchanges Congress debates, and would have to vote by a two-thirdmajority to reject the claim by the president. Is this really the spectacle we want to witness at this point?

There is at least one other serious objection to the use of section 4 for present purposes. The first objection, stated above, is that it is intended for a temporary incapacity. The second objection emerges from the intent conveyed by the words of second 4. It is that it is intended for physical or medical incapacity. Those sources of incapacity can be verified, which is a requirement for such an act of profound importance.

To remove the president for violating the Constitution is not envisioned by this amendment. To try to removethe president because of his temperament would be the very definition of a slippery slope. Trump would marshaltestimony from psychiatrists, as would the cabinet. Congress would have to adjudicate a psychiatric dispute. It may have been an oversight, but Amendment 25 did not produce a solution to the problem we now face. There is a remedy. It is impeachment.

Donald Trump has distorted and disregarded provisions of the Constitution. Should not those who want to remove him for disobeying the Constitution in turn obey the Constitution themselves? A wise teacher used to remind us in our classes that "under our Constitution it is not sufficient to do the right thing. We must do the right thing in the right way."

Bob Evans is an associate professor ofof economics, business, and political science at Rockford University

View post:
25th Amendment improper way to remove President Trump - Rockford Register Star

Lands Cabinet Secretary (CS) Farida Karoney addresses a press conference during the launch of issuance of title deeds in Nairobi, on September 18, 2020. [File]

The Ministry of Lands has started the transition to a new lands registration system which will see title deeds issued before the enactment of the Land Registration Act in 2012 cancelled and new ones issued.

Lands Cabinet Secretary Farida Karoney said yesterday that land registration had become a complex process which is prone to abuse due to different pieces of legislation.

She announced that the ministry has started the conversion of land parcels that were registered using now-repealed laws.

The Land Registration Act was enacted in 2012 effectively repealing all other land registration statutes such as the Indian Transfer of Property Act, 1882, the Government Lands Act (Cap. 280), the Registration of Titles Act (Cap. 281), the Land Titles Act (Cap. 282) and the Registered Land Act (Cap. 300).

Ms Karoney said that the object of the conversion is to collapse land registration process in the repealed laws into one.

Centralisation of services

As a result, all titles issued under the repealed laws will be cancelled and replaced with titles under the Land Registration Act, 2012.

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Subscribe to our newsletter and stay updated on the latest developments and special offers!

The confusion occasioned by the different regimes has become a breeding ground for fraud, delays in service delivery, centralisation of land services and threats to the right to property, she said.

To harmonise the process, the Lands Ministry will close all land registers and begin issuing new titles based on a new register. Some of the changes anticipated are in the parcel numbers, which Karoney told the public to be on the look out for.

Registered landowners will need to apply for replacement of title documents from the closed registers.

Ardhi House said the applicants will be required to present the original title and the owners identification documents.

The old title deeds will be surrendered to the registrar when new ones are issued.

Karoney said the cancellation and replacement of the titles will migrate the parcels to the new regime while retaining the ownership, size and the other interests registered against the respective title.

Titles held by third parties such as those used to secure bank loans or surrendered to hospitals and courts will be replaced upon application by the proprietor.

As the shift commences, the traditional deed plans will no longer be in use, instead, the Ministry will rely on the Registry Index Maps (RIMs) as registration instruments.

Karoney assured that the boundaries will not be affected since RIMs are generated from survey plans with fixed boundaries.

Both the RIMs and the survey plans will be accessible to landowners on request for verification of boundary details at the Survey of Kenya Headquarters, Ruaraka, she said.

Minimise land fraud

The Ministry said the use of RIMs will further minimise land fraud by making it easy to detect changes or alterations.

The RIM displays all land parcels within an area as opposed to a deed plan that captures data on one specific parcel, she said.

A conveyancing expert, S K Muturi explained that there was a need for landowners to panic explaining that the government was not cancelling titles but changing numbers to make digitisation possible.

A title deed is prima facia evidence that the land belongs to you, but is a sum total of a lot of history including survey and amalgamation. This history will not change even when the numbers are changed. You will remain the owner of your land, Mr Muturi explained.

Read the rest here:
Lands Ministry to issue new titles in digital migration - The Standard

8 January 2021

Wia dis foto come from, Getty Images

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi don tell Vice President Mike Pence to immediately invoke di 25th Amendment to remove President Trump afta di violence wey happun for capitol Hill on Wednesday.

Madam Pelosi say she and di Senate Minority (soon to be Majority) Leader, Chuck Schumer don call oga Pence and dem dey wait for e reply.

Wia dis foto come from, TW

Before now, three US Democrats lawmakers bin circulate Articles of Impeachment against President Donald Trump afta di violence wey happun for Capitol Hill on Wednesday.

Democratic Reps. David Cicilline, Jamie Raskin and Ted Lieu share di Articles of Impeachment for dia twitter handle and call on Vice President Mike Pence to invoke di 25th Amendment to remove Donald Trump from office.

Wia dis foto come from, TW

Wia dis foto come from, TW

Di four-page Articles of Impeachment wey dem circulate charge oga Trump with abuse of power for "willfully inciting violence against di goment."

Also several politicians, oda lawmakers don begin call on di Vice President to invoke di 25th amendment to remove Trump from office.

Wetin be di "25th Amendment"?

Chart flow of 25th Amendment

Professor of law, Brian Kalt share flow chart of di 25th amendment wey im carry from im book so dat America pipo go beta understanding of di law.

Wia dis foto come from, Twitter/@ProfBrainKalt

Flow chart of di 25th Amendment from Professor Brain Kalt

25th Amendment fit comot Trump from Office before January 20th afta Capitol Hill Violence?

Plenti experts for law and politics mata don tok say e dey possible to invoke di 25th before Inauguration Day wey be January 20th.

One Professor of law for Michigan State University, Brian C. Kalt say di VP and Cabinet fit invoke 25th Amendment (4) if things get out of hand.

Prof Kalt go further to explain say if dem invoke 25th Amendment and give power to di VP, then later di president declare "no inability exists," e no fit retake power back immediately, di VP go still remain as acting president during di four-days waiting period according to di law.

Wia dis foto come from, TW

Base on di 25th Amendment, afta di waiting period, if di deciding group (VP and cabinet) no agree say di president dey 'fit' to carry out im duties, di decision go then dey for Congress hand.

At dis point, Congress get 21 days to decide who go exercise presidential powers, di president or di vice president.

As e be say na only 12 days remain for President Trump to leave office, Congress fit no need to do anything sake of di 21 days grace wey di law give dem. Di vice president fit continue to serve as acting president through Jan. 20, wey dem go swear in Biden.

Sources: Brian C. Kalt and David Pozen; Di Twenty-Fifth Amendment published by di National Constitution Center.

Read more from the original source:
Wetin to know about di 25th amendment and if e fit remove Trump from office afta Capitol Hill violence - BBC News

Signup to receive the Early Edition in your inboxhere.

A curated guide to major national security news and developments over the past 24 hours. Heres todays news.

ATTACK ON THE CAPITOL

As lawmakers hid from rioters, trapped inside the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, they could not get through to President Donald Trump, who was was too busy watching fiery TV images of the crisis unfolding around them to act or even bother to hear their pleas, report Ashley Parker, Josh Dawsey, and Philip Rucker for the Washington Post.

Karl Racine, the District of Columbias attorney general, said he is investigating whether he can charge anyone with incitement to violence after last weeks attack on the Capitol. Clearly the crowd was hyped up, juiced up, focused on the Capitol and rather than calm then down or at least emphasize the peaceful nature of what protests need to be, they really did encourage these folks and riled them up, Racine told MSNBCs Andrea Mitchell. Dan Mangan reports for CNBC.

Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf resigned Monday. Mr. Wolf told employees of the Homeland Security Department he would be stepping down on Monday night in part because of court rulings that invalidated some of the Trump administrations immigration policies, citing the likelihood that Mr. Wolf was unlawfully appointed to lead the agency, Zolan Kanno-Youngs reports for the New York Times.

Peter Gaynor, the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, is replacing Wolf as the acting DHS secretary and is now tasked with helping secure President-elect Joe Bidens inauguration on Jan. 20. Wolf will remain with the department as an under secretary for policy, a position for which he was confirmed by the Senate, Zolan Kanno-Youngs and Helene Cooper report for the New York Times.

House Democrats received a disturbing briefing Tuesday night about other potential violent demonstrations being planned. On a private call Monday night, new leaders of the Capitol Police told House Democrats they were closely monitoring three separate plans that could pose serious threats to members of Congress as Washington prepares for Democrat Joe Bidens presidential inauguration on Jan. 20, Matt Fuller reports for the Huffington Post.

Congressman Jason Crow (D-Colo.), a former Army Ranger, has asked Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy for the militarys criminal investigation units to review troops participating in the inauguration to ensure they are not sympathetic to domestic terrorists. Ryan Pickrell reports for Business Insider.

Several U.S. Capitol Police officers have been suspended and many others are under investigation, for suspected involvement with or inappropriate support for the demonstration last week that turned into a deadly riot at the Capitol, report Aaron C. Davis, Rebecca Tan, and Beth Reinhard for the Washington Post.

Twitter says it has suspended more than 70,000 accounts associated with the QAnon conspiracy theory following last weeks U.S. Capitol riot. The AP reports.

As Congress investigates the events of Jan. 6, it should establish a commission to investigate the security failures and make recommendations to prevent them from happening again, Kyle Murphy writes for Just Security, offering his suggestions for questions that should guide such an investigation.

Companies Try to Distance Themselves from Trump and his supporters on the Hill

Deutsche Bank, the presidents largest lender, and Signature Bank, are looking to distance themselves from Trump and his business. Signature Bank plans to close his accounts and issued a statement calling on the president to resign. Meanwhile, Deutsche Bank, which has been Mr. Trumps primary lender for two decades, has decided not to do business with Mr. Trump or his company in the future, according to a person familiar with the banks thinking, Eric Lipton, Ben Protess and Steve Eder report for the New York Times.

Defense company Northrop Grumman has paused its political donations to members of Congress, the first defense company to do so, reports Defense News.

IMPEACHMENT

House Democrats introduced an article of impeachment against Trump on Monday.

You can read the Article of Impeachment here.

Before moving to impeachment, House Democrats are calling on Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment. House Democrats are expected to begin debate on the impeachment resolution on Wednesday morning, marching toward a vote late in the day unless Mr. Pence intervenes beforehand, Nicholas Fandos reports for the New York Times.

Here is a detailed timeline from Just Securitys Ryan Goodman, Mari Dugas and Nicholas Tonckens of President Trumps statements and actions relevant to the case that he incited the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

CORONAVIRUS

Two Democratic congresswomen have tested positive for COVID after sheltering with their Republican colleagues who refused to wear masks on Wednesday during the attack on the Capitol. Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) and Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.) are both quarantining. The attending physician to Congress, warned over the weekend that lawmakers may have been exposed to the virus while taking cover from the rioters, reports Teo Armus for the Washington Post.

The CDC is expected to encourage states to widen access to Covid-19 vaccines even further. Health officials on Tuesday will push states to expand the shots availability to anyone older than 65, regardless of underlying conditions that might put them at greater risk of severe disease, and anyone 16 and older with such a condition, according to two U.S. officials who asked not to be named because the information isnt public, Jennifer Jacobs reports for Bloomberg.

A map and analysis of all confirmed cases of the virus in the United States is available at the New York Times.

US and worldwide maps tracking the spread of the pandemic are available at the Washington Post.

A state-by-state guide to lockdown measures and reopenings is provided by the New York Times.

Latest updates on the pandemic at The Guardian.

STATE DEPARTMENT

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is expected to give a speech on Tuesday in which he presents newly declassified information linking al-Qaeda to Iran. It was not immediately clear how much Pompeo intends to reveal in his speech to the National Press Club in Washington on Tuesday, report Humeyra Pamuk and Matt Spetalnick for Reuters.

The State Department designated Cuba a state sponsor of terrorism on Monday in a last-minute foreign policy stroke that will complicate the incoming Biden administrations plans to restore friendlier relations with Havana, report Michael Crowley, Ed Augustin and Kirk Semple for the New York Times.

Congressional staffers were furious with the State Department on Monday after it announced an 11th-hour move to designate the Houthi rebels in Yemen as terrorists, putting in jeopardy desperately needed humanitarian assistance to the country. Jack Detsch and Robbie Gramer report for Foreign Policy.

A Voice of America reporter has been reassigned after she tried to ask Pompeo questions on Monday. Patsy Widakuswara, who covers the White House for VOA, was ordered off the beat by Director Robert Reilly after firing questions at Pompeo after his speech and a brief Q&A session conducted by Reilly, reports Paul Farhi for the Washington Post.

OTHER DEVELOPMENTS

The Treasury Department issued new sanctions on seven Ukrainians accused of interfering in the U.S. election. The U.S. Treasury Department described the targeted sanctions as the inner circle of Ukrainian lawmaker Andrii Derkach, who was sanctioned last year. Derkach has previously worked with Rudy Giuliani to dig up damaging information on President Donald Trumps Democratic opponent, President-elect Joe Biden, and his son Hunter, reports Amanda Macias for CNBC.

The FDA cycled through three different top lawyers on Monday. The unusual sequence began with Trump appointee Stacy Cline Amin abruptly stepping down as chief counsel and the FDA announcing that career civil servant Mark Raza would be her acting replacement. Then, HHS on Monday night announced that Trump political appointee James Lawrence would instead serve as chief counsel a move that unnerved health officials as the Trump administration heads into its final week, Dan Diamond reports for POLITICO.

Bidens selections for his Cabinet are finalized. If confirmed, his Cabinet will be more diverse than not only Trumps Cabinet, but also Obamas, the Washington Post reports. You can see all of his nominations here.

View post:
Early Edition: January 12, 2021 - Just Security

A WELL-used Uppermill bridleway bridge which had to be removed on safety grounds by Oldham Council is to be replaced.

In May last year, the wooden bridge over Church Road, Uppermill - part of the Pennine Bridleway was closed immediately after defects were spotted in the structure.

Since then council officers have been working to secure funding to replace the bridge.

The authority has now been informed Natural England and the Pennine National Trails Partnership have granted 32,500 towards a replacement. The council will pay the remaining 37,500 out of its budget.

The new bridge will have steel beams which will be faced in timber and all other elements of the bridge will be timber. The bridge will look similar to its sister bridge at Station Road, Uppermill.

Once the bridge has been manufactured, the authority is intending for it will be put in place in Spring 2021 and the route will then be re-opened to all users

Cllr Barbara Brownridge, cabinet member for neighbourhoods and culture, said: Theres not a lot of good news about at the minute but were sure this replacement will go down well with local residents and all those who use the bridleway.

Due to the current situation funds are tight but our officers have worked really hard to find money to replace the bridge as we know its a popular route for walkers, runners, cyclists and horse riders. Wed also like to thank Natural England and the Pennine National Trails Partnership for their contribution.

We appreciate removing the bridge caused issues, but we had to do it for safety reasons and to protect the public.

Until the work is complete, people can carry on using the temporary bridleway diversion that is in place.

Preparatory work at the site has already started, including the clearing of vegetation, improvements to the pathway and removal of the remnants of the old timber footbridge.

Original post:
Well-used Uppermill bridge set to be replaced - theoldhamtimes.co.uk

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and the Finance and Administration Cabinet have launched an initiative to replace thousands of roadway lighting fixtures across the state with energy saving LED lights. The upgrades will reduce energy consumption of roadway lighting systems by more than fifty percent and save more than $2.8 million a year in reduced utility and maintenance costs.

Modernizing our roadway lights with more efficient and longer lasting LEDs is a win-win strategy to stretch taxpayer dollars, improve roadway visibility and reduce the number of maintenance-related lane closures, said KYTC Secretary Jim Gray.

This joint project further supports the Finance Cabinets ongoing efforts to capture energy efficiencies in state-owned and operated facilities and equipment, while also reducing the frequency of ongoing upkeep and replacement of highway lighting, said Finance Cabinet Secretary Holly M. Johnson.

More than 18,000 high-mast and cobra head lighting fixtures will be replaced with energy efficient LED lights on select state-maintained roads across Kentucky. The improvements include underground lighting replacements in the Cochrane Tunnel in Jefferson County and the Cumberland Gap Tunnel in Bell County.

Approximately 1,500 lighting fixtures at state-owned maintenance garages and parking lots will also be replaced as part of the project. More than 1,000 fixtures have been installed statewide to date.

The project will also include the replacement of roadside controller boxes and cabinets and the relocation of crash-prone poles.

KYTC and the Finance and Administration Cabinet have contracted with CMTA Energy Solutions to complete the project. Work began in November and is expected to be complete by early 2022.

View original post here:
Transportation, Finance cabinets to replace roadway lighting fixtures with energy saving LED bulbs - User-generated content

Their removal has been advised by the Environment Agency (EA) to protect existing flood barriers and prevent future damage to those set to be installed as part of a 49m project which is currently in the final stages of development.

A report presented to a recent meeting of Preston City Councils cabinet described almost all of the trees to be felled mostly along Broadgate, with a small number on Riverside as low value and poor quality. Many of the individual specimens are also known to be suffering from the fungal disease ash dieback.

However, ten of the affected trees are mature sycamores, standing in the Broadgate Gardens area, close to the junction with Fishergate Hill and Liverpool Road. Members were told that these were of higher quality and on the landward side of the current defences, but still required removal.

The EA has committed to planting five new trees for each one taken down as a result of work on its Preston and South Ribble Flood Risk Management Scheme, which is designed to better protect 4,800 homes and 350 businesses. The replacements will be a mixture of saplings and more mature examples.

Preston City Council owns the land where the soon-to-be-felled trees are located, meaning it is responsible for the maintenance of vegetation on the river bank. It is believed that much of it sprang up as a result of self-seeding, rather than planned planting but it has grown significantly in recent years.

The authoritys cabinet agreed to contribute 20,000 towards the estimated 100,000 cost of the removals, the rest of which will be funded by the EA. The agency will also oversee the specialist work, much of which will have to be carried out from the river itself, using specialist equipment and contractors.

The process will have to be completed before 1st March to ensure that it does not coincide with the bird nesting season and also to fit in with the timeframe for development of the wider flood defence scheme.

Deputy city council leader Peter Moss whose City Centre ward encompasses much of the Broadgate area said the project was vitally important.

Flooding can cause devastation for both households and businesses andthat area is now quite vulnerable, because of climate change and rising water levels.

The loss of trees is sad, but the increase in the number of trees [overall] which will be able to be planned for will hopefully, in the longer term, provide a lot of benefits for residents in the area, Cllr Moss said.

As part of its tree replacement pledge, the EA is seeking areas of land close to the Ribble where planting can take place. The organisation has also proposed to re-landscape Broadgate Gardens, which is likely to incorporate new trees as part of any redesign.

The EA also intends to work with South Ribble Borough Council, which has made its own commitment to plant 110,000 trees in the coming years, on the creation of a wetland habitat in the Ribble Sidings area.

Ground investigation work for the flood defence scheme took place earlier this year and planning permission for the final design will now be required before work can begin in 2021.

The latest stages of more than three years of public consultation which has included the issue of tree removal have been driven online by the pandemic.

A newsletter issued by the EA in October addresses the problems posed by the self-seeding trees on the river bank.

Removal of these will allow access for construction and ensure new defences are not damaged by tree root growth.

Self-seeded trees are trees that havent been planted or planned, these trees can be as a result of seeds arriving by birds, the river and the wind. They can cause damage to flood barriers, footpaths and walls due to lack of maintenance, the document notes.

More than 6.5m of funding for the overall scheme is coming from the European Regional Development Fund.

Pam Wilson lives directly opposite the Ribble on Broadgate and says she was expecting that the trees on the river side of the wall would probably be lost.

Its a real shame, but Im glad they are doing the defences - and you cant make an omelette without breaking eggs, as they say.

But 10 mature trees is a lot [to lose]. The irony is that trees take up water and hold the bank together, but not enough, I guess, Pam added.

Greg Smith, a resident of South End - a road just off Broadgate - says locals appear content with the replacement planting plans.

"From the people I have spoken to, I haven't picked up on any great issue with the trees. Some residents recall flooding in this area back in the 1970s and so they are glad of the extra protection.

"It will be sad to lose the more mature trees on this side of the wall, but as long as there are more planted than removed, I don't think it's a major concern."

The Preston and South Ribble Flood Risk Management Scheme will replace or add more than five miles of defences over a three-year period. Some of the new barriers will contain glass panels to maintain views across the Ribble.

The planned defences will be higher than the existing protective measures in the area some of which date as far back as the 1920s, others to the 1980s which are deemed to have come to the end of their useful life.

This is what the EA is proposing:

Broadgate replacement of existing concrete wall between Liverpool Road bridge and Penwortham Old Bridge, with a new one whose maximum height will be 1.6m compared to the current 1.23m.

Riverside a new concrete wall along the boundary of the BAC/EE Preston Social and Sports Association cricket pitch between Miller Gardens apartments and the two flood gates at Ribble Cottage.

- replacement of existing concrete wall between Penwortham Old Bridge and Miller Gardens apartments with a new one whose maximum height will be 2.24m compared to the current 1.08m. Includes glass panels on top.

- replacement of existing concrete wall running on the riverside of the road in front of The Continental restaurant with a new one whose maximum height will be 2.53m compared to the current 1.09m. Includes glass panels on top.

Miller Park a new concrete retaining wall along a ramped section of the main cycleway and earth embankment in Miller Park, with a maximum height of 2m compared to the 1.09m of the existing wall.

Penwortham Methodist Church a new concrete wall with a maximum height of 2.2m. Includes road ramp to raise existing road levels at the entrance to the church by 1m.

Golden Way Footpath a new concrete wall with a maximum height of 2.2m.

Riverside Road replacement of existing concrete wall running along Riverside Road from the Cadent Gas Pipe Bridge to Stanley Avenue (upstream end of Riverside Road) with a new one whose maximum height will be 2.2m compared to the current 1.3m. Includes glass panels on top.

Ribble Sidings replacement of existing 1.7m flood defence embankment with a 3.5m-high embankment with a 3m crest width. The existing riverside footpath route will be maintained with an access ramp over the proposed flood defences and a new habitat area created on the dry side of the new embankment.

Source: Environment Agency (wall and embankment heights subject to change)

For more details visit: thefloodhub.co.uk/psr

Read the original post:
Hundreds of trees to be cut down in Preston as part of flood defence plans - Lancashire Post