- Police: California office attack that killed 4 wasn’t random (AP) – A gunman who killed four people, including a 9-year-old boy, knew all the victims and his motive may have involved personal or business relationships, police said.
- Myanmar cuts wireless internet service amid coup protests (AP) – The military on Friday shut all access to mobile networks and all wireless — the less costly options used by most people in the developing country — was blocked.
- At 1st Cabinet meeting, Biden says team ‘looks like America’ (AP) – President Joe Biden’s first Cabinet meeting looked and felt different from those of his predecessor.
- Analysis: Millennials and global consumers push U.S. companies to get political (Reuters) – A push to attract young and diverse talent and global consumers is behind some of corporate America’s willingness to speak out on politically charged issues like Georgia’s new voting law, executives and corporate governance experts said.
- No new gas taxes: White House rejects corporate ask on infrastructure funding (Reuters) – The US Chamber of commerce and some right-leaning think tanks, said taxes should instead be raised on motorists
- Panic Rooms, Birth Certificates and the Birth of GOP Paranoia (Politico) – How America’s center-right party started to lose its mind, as told by the man who tried to keep it sane: John Boehner.
- McConnell rules out GOP support for Biden spending plan (Politico) – Senate Democrats are already signaling they may set up the infrastructure bill to pass along party lines
- Republicans don’t think Biden really wants to work with them (The Hill) – Senate Republican aides say it’s “highly unlikely” that any GOP senators will vote for Biden’s plan.
- Lack of cyber funds in Biden infrastructure plan raises eyebrows (The Hill) – President Biden’s $2.25 trillion infrastructure plan does not include any funds to protect critical infrastructure against cyberattacks, even as the threat grows against targets like the electric grid.
- The reason many Guatemalans are coming to the border? A profound hunger crisis. (Washington Post) – Chronic childhood malnutrition doubled in Guatemala in 2020. In areas from which migrants are coming, the rates are higher than anywhere in the world.
- Venezuelan military offensive sends thousands fleeing, recharging one of the world’s worst refugee crises (Washington Post) – The sudden outflow is amplifying a renewed wave of Venezuelan refugees and migrants — the world’s second-largest group of internationally displaced people — from the broken socialist state.
- The Pandemic Hit the Working Class Hard. The Colleges That Serve Them Are Hurting, Too. (New York Times) – The community colleges largely serving low-income, Black and Latino students are reeling, and experts worry that inequality in education will increase.
- Justice Dept. Inquiry Into Matt Gaetz Said to Be Focused on Cash Paid to Women (New York Times) – The congressman and a former official in Florida sent money to the women using cash apps, receipts showed.
- Gaetz showed nude photos of women he said he’d slept with to lawmakers, sources tell CNN (CNN) – Gaetz gained a reputation in Congress over his relationships with women and bragging about his sexual escapades to his colleagues. Gaetz allegedly showed off to other lawmakers photos and videos of nude women he said he had slept with, the sources, including two people directly shown the material.
