National Guardsmen Sleep on Capitol Building Floors ; A Post-Insurrection Pep Talk From a Vegas Proud Boy ; and More Picks 1/14
National Guardsmen Sleep on Capitol Building Floors Amid Threats of Violence (Dan)
The author writes, “Hundreds of National Guard troops have been forced to sleep in the hallways of the Capitol — believed to be the first time troops have camped there since the Civil War. Images from Wednesday morning show the battle-ready guards sleeping in almost any spot they can find — many with their assault rifles propped up nearby. The troops had slept there overnight after getting the call at 6 p.m. Tuesday — with at least 20,000 National Guardsmen now expected in Washington, DC, amid an alarming surge in threats of violent revolts against next Wednesday’s inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden.”
Lawmakers Gave ‘Reconnaissance’ Tours Before US Capitol Riots, NJ Congresswoman Claims (Sue)
From PhillyVoice: “Several Congress members led ‘reconnaissance’ tours of the U.S. Capitol on the day before a violent, pro-Trump mob invaded the building and forced lawmakers to evacuate, a North Jersey Congresswoman says. U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill, a Democrat representing New Jersey’s 11th District, made the claims in a 13-minute Facebook live video that also blamed Republican lawmakers for inciting the deadly riot.”
A Post-Insurrection Pep Talk From a Las Vegas Proud Boy (Reader Steve)
From the Nevada Independent: “His yellow Pittsburgh Pirates cap cocked sideways, self-described Las Vegas Proud Boys member Matt Anthony could be forgiven for appearing a little confused in the wake of Wednesday’s deadly insurrection at the nation’s Capitol. It was admittedly a lot to take in. But he had other issues on his mind. His Facebook account frozen for 30 days, Anthony moved over to the Pissed Off Americans Facebook group on Friday to record a nearly 17-minute-long update for his followers and fellow Proud Boys on what he perceived to be the state of play following the storming of some of our Republic’s most sacred ground.”
Election Deniers in State Senate Stripped of Chairmanships (DonkeyHotey)
The author writes, “The Republican rift in the state Senate came to a head Tuesday when Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan demoted three Republican senators who have backed attempts to overturn the presidential vote in Georgia over baseless allegations of irregularities. When the bloodletting was over, state Sens. Brandon Beach of Alpharetta, Matt Brass of Newnan and Burt Jones of Jackson were sapped of their political influence on the second day of the winter session. … Duncan stripped Beach of his chairmanship of the Transportation Committee, while Jones will no longer lead the Insurance and Labor Committee. Neither will serve as even a rank-and-file member on the two panels they once led.”
Midnight Cafeteria Feeds Taipei’s Stray Cats (Dana)
The author writes, “The plump, black-and-white street cat lives near a night market in a neighborhood of Taiwan’s capital where volunteers have fed and taken care of strays for years. But Pipi and his fellow street cats got an upgrade of their dining situation recently with the ‘Midnight Cafeteria’ project. Launched in September, the ‘cafeteria’ is actually 45 small wooden houses painted by Taiwanese artists and scattered across Taipei. The idea is to give the cats a place to rest while making feeding them less messy.”
