Geoff Bennett:
Meantime, Ukraine says at least three people have died following a Russian drone attack overnight that hit an apartment complex Southwest of the capital, Kyiv. Several homes were also hit. Such air attacks have become more frequent in Ukraine as Russia launches dozens of drones almost every night.
President Trump has ended the government-funded protection detail for Dr. Anthony Fauci. The president said today his former adviser during the COVID-19 pandemic could hire his own security, adding that he wouldn’t feel any responsibility if Dr. Fauci were ever harmed. Fauci has received debt threats for his public health guidance during the pandemic. He has reportedly hired his own private security team.
This week, President Trump also withdrew security protections for his former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former National Security Adviser John Bolton. They have both been critical of Mr. Trump since serving his first administration.
A federal judge barred the leader of the far right Oath Keepers group, Stewart Rhodes, from entering Washington, D.C., without court approval. It comes days after President Trump commuted his 18-year prison sentence for coordinating the Capitol attack in 2021. Rhodes visited the U.S. Capitol earlier this week just after his release. He met with at least one lawmaker and defended his actions.
The judge’s order also applies to seven other people convicted of charges related to January 6 and bars them all from entering the Capitol Building or grounds without the court’s permission.
The U.S. Supreme Court said today it would hear a case on whether to allow the nation’s first publicly funded religious charter school to open in Oklahoma. The case centers on a proposal by the Catholic Church in Oklahoma to establish an online school that would incorporate religious teachings into its curriculum.
It comes amid other efforts to insert religion into public schools, including a push in Louisiana to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms. The case will likely be argued in front of the court this spring, with a decision by early summer.
The world’s largest annual migration of humanity is hitting its peak. It’s the travel rush of the Chinese lunar new year, and, quite simply, many people are going home for the holidays.
