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Calls grow in Congress for Donald Trump to be removed by impeachment

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Calls grow in Congress for Donald Trump to be removed by impeachment
A growing number of politicians – including from Democratic leadership – are calling for President Donald Trump to be removed from office either through impeachment or the 25th Amendment to the Constitution after a violent mob of Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is the latest to push for immediate action, calling on Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment.
“I join the Senate Democratic leader in calling on the Vice-President to remove this President by immediately invoking the 25th amendment,’ Ms. Pelosi said a short time ago.
“If the Vice-President and Cabinet do not act, the Congress may be prepared to move forward with impeachment.”
Her comments come after moves by the Democrats, and at least one congressional Republican. Republican Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, a frequent critic of the President, has called for the 25th Amendment to be invoked, saying in a video message on Thursday local time, “the President must now relinquish control of the executive branch voluntarily or involuntarily”.
The top Democrat in the Senate has also embraced the 25th Amendment push.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer put out a statement on Thursday denouncing the “insurrection” at the Capitol “incited by the President,” and saying, “This president should not hold office one day longer”.
“The quickest and most effective way — it can be done today — to remove this president from office would be for the Vice President to immediately invoke the 25th amendment. If the Vice President and the Cabinet refuse to stand up, Congress should reconvene to impeach the president,” he said in the statement.
Invoking the 25th Amendment would require Vice President Mike Pence and a majority of the Cabinet to vote to remove Mr. Trump from office due to his inability to “discharge the powers and duties of his office” — an unprecedented step.
Other rank-and-file Democrats have urged impeachment in the wake of the mob violence at the Capitol that took place as a joint session of Congress met to count the Electoral Votes affirming President-elect Joe Biden’s win amid false claims from Mr. Trump that the election was rigged against him.
Four members of the progressive “squad” of Democratic lawmakers – Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, and Ayanna Pressley — all spoke out in support of impeachment in the wake of the violent siege of the Capitol.
“I am drawing up Articles of Impeachment. Donald J. Trump should be impeached by the House of Representatives & removed from office by the United States Senate. We can’t allow him to remain in office, it’s a matter of preserving our Republic and we need to fulfill our oath,” Ms. Omar tweeted Wednesday.
“This is on Donald Trump, period. He called folks to D.C. and gave them marching orders. He needs to be impeached and removed immediately,” Ms. Tlaib tweeted Wednesday.
With Mr. Biden’s inauguration date fast approaching on January 20, it is highly unlikely that there would be adequate time or political will in Congress for any kind of impeachment effort.
Any 25th Amendment push is also unlikely to come to fruition with little time left before Mr. Biden’s inauguration. The calls in Congress, however, underscore the extent to which lawmakers are reeling and furious with the President in the wake of the devastation at the Capitol on Wednesday.
The Democratic-led House of Representatives impeached Mr. Trump already in 2019. In order to remove a President from office through impeachment, the Senate must vote to convict after an impeachment trial. That did not happen in the Republican-controlled Senate where Mr. Trump was ultimately acquitted.
After the pro-Trump mob was cleared from the Capitol, lawmakers reconvened late in the evening to continue the Electoral vote count. Congress completed the count and finalized Mr. Biden’s win in the early hours of Thursday morning, US time.

After inciting riot, Trump now promises peaceful transfer of power

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After inciting riot, Trump now promises peaceful transfer of power

https://twitter.com/i/status/1347334804052844550

President Donald Trump is now promising an “orderly transition” of power, tweeting through a surrogate early Thursday minutes after Congress formally confirmed the election of Joe Biden as president following an hourslong takeover of the Capitol by a mob of Trump supporters.

A statement from the president on Twitter via deputy chief of staff for communications Dan Scavino repeated baseless claims of widespread voter fraud but included the reversal.

“Even though I totally disagree with the outcome of the election, and the facts bear me out, nevertheless there will be an orderly transition on January 20th. I have always said we would continue our fight to ensure that only legal votes were counted. While this represents the end of the greatest first term in presidential history, it’s only the beginning of our fight to Make America Great Again!”

The statement followed dramatic scenes on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, with pro-Trump supporters storming the building, forcing a lockdown and lawmakers to seek shelter.

Late Wednesday, Congress reconvened and formally confirmed the election of Biden after 3:30 a.m. ET. The affirmation came after the House and Senate voted overwhelmingly to reject efforts by some Republicans to object to the acceptance of Electoral College wins for Biden in Arizona and Pennsylvania.

Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris hit 306 votes in the Electoral College, 36 more than needed to secure a White House victory. Trump received 232 votes.

Trump repeatedly refused to concede the election to Biden, making numerous unfounded allegations of voter fraud without producing evidence.

Outside the White House on Wednesday, Trump urged his supporters to march on the Capitol, which resulted in the mayhem.

Scenes of angry pro-Trump protesters gathered on the steps of the Capitol before pouring into the building and sweeping through the halls of Congress, sitting at lawmakers’ desks and posing for photos, draped in pro-Trump flags and merchandise, have shocked the world.

Biden condemned the storming of the Capitol, saying he was “shocked and saddened” by what he described as an insurrection.

“This is not dissent. It’s a disorder. It’s chaos. It borders on sedition and it must end now,” the Democratic president-elect said in an address Wednesday, as he called on Trump to tell his supporters to go home.

Trump later tweeted a video in which he told supporters “you have to go home now” but again repeated false claims the election was stolen, leading to his Twitter account being temporarily frozen.

CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JACKSON LEE INTRODUCES ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT AGAINST PRESIDENT DONALD TRUM

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CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JACKSON LEE INTRODUCES ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT AGAINST PRESIDENT DONALD TRUM

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, a senior member of the House Committees on Judiciary, Homeland Security, and the Budget introduces articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump.

“Our Constitution was written as a guide for governing our democracy and to protect it from authoritarian and tyrannical control.  It also serves as a tool to protect our nation from both foreign and domestic enemies who intend to do harm to our Republic. At this moment in our history, our Constitutional forefathers are crying out for us to use the tools provided in this ageless document.  Yesterday, we saw domestic enemies incite violence and invade the people’s houses with the intent to harm. Enough is enough! The President has completely lost whatever moral authority he had and is unfit as Commander in Chief. His actions to incite violence against his own government and against the entire Congress warrants removal from office.  And if Administration officials refuse to invoke the 25th Amendment, I am moving forward with Articles of Impeachment to remove him from office for the following reasons:”

 

 

            “Donald John Trump has actively and continuously endeavored to undermine the essential institutions and foundations of a democratic system of government in the United States, engaging in a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object, evincing a design to make himself an authoritarian ruler unaccountable to, and independent of, the people of the United States by:

 

  1. Soliciting and welcoming the assistance of a hostile foreign power to aid him in securing election in 2016 as President of the United States.

 

  1. Refusing to acknowledge Russian interference in the internal affairs of the United States, and then opposing responses by Congress and the Executive Branch to protect the national security and interests of the United States against future Russian interference and aggression.

 

  1. Publicly conveying his interest and willingness to accept the assistance of foreign powers in his attempt win reelection as President of the United States.

 

  1. Refusing continuously to acknowledge to the American people that he would accept and be bound by the verdict rendered in the 2020 Presidential election, instead claiming that any outcome in which he was not declared the winner was fraudulent, rigged, and illegitimate.

 

 

  1. Taking active measures to impede and undermine the ability of American citizens to convey their disapproval of his continuance in office by exercising their rights as voters, including misusing the United States Postal Service to prevent the timely delivery of mail-in ballots.

 

  1. Instituting frivolous lawsuits to overturn the results of the 2020 Presidential election, falsely alleging wide-spread voting fraud but producing no evidence in support of his spurious allegations.

 

  1. Exhorting and inciting his supporters to believe falsely that victory in the 2020 Presidential election had been stolen from him and that constitutionally required Joint Meeting of Congress for the purpose of counting the votes of electors and announcement of the result by the President of the Senate was illegitimate and intended to complete the theft of his victory.

 

  1. Failing to take action to protect and defend Federal officers and personnel, property, buildings, and institutions on January 6, 2021, at the U.S. Capitol that was besieged by supporters of Donald John Trump, resulting in extensive damage to the property of the United States and the deaths of at least four persons.

 

“As the resolution points out and makes clear, a person ‘whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people,’ and warrants impeachment and removal as President of the United States.”

 

The resolution can be found here.

Free 6-Week Course Offers Procurement Basics Training

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Free 6-Week Course Offers Procurement Basics Training

Contractors looking to do business with the City of Houston, other governmental agencies, and the private sector are invited to sign up for Procurement Basics for Contractors, a free 6-week course presented by the Office of Business Opportunity and Level 3 Corporation.

Classes will take place virtually from 1-2 p.m. every Tuesday from Jan. 12 to Feb. 16. Advanced registration is required, and completion of all modules is recommended to receive the full benefit of the program. Space is limited and registration closes on Jan. 11.

Each module will cover:

  • Effective Bid Opportunity Review Strategies
  • Determination of a Commercially Useful Function
  • Typical Contract Award Processes
  • Understanding Government Procurement Methods
  • Contractor Responsibility Determination
  • Post-Award Best Practices

“Local businesses have requested assistance with navigating the City’s procurement processes, in particular, step-by-step assistance with submitting bids and proposals,” said OBO Director Marsha E. Murray. “This collaboration between OBO and Level 3 Corporation is just one of our responses to the needs of the City’s small business community. We would also like to emphasize that the entire program is at no cost to participants.”

Ervin Hughes, Jr., executive vice president of Level 3 Corporation, will serve as the course instructor. A native Houstonian, Hughes is also an award-winning commercial finance and business consultant. He co-hosted the Small Business Today Show on the Wall Street Radio Network.

“Businesses who have completed this training have increased their win percentages by up to 70 percent,” Hughes said. “In addition to helping you win bids, we will also focus on getting your business profitable.”

To register for the Procurement Basics for Contractors Course, go to tinyurl.com/PBFC2021. To see an information session about the course on Facebook, click here.

HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT, ASTROS FOUNDATION PARTNERING TO PROVIDE COVID-19 VACCINATIONS

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HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT, ASTROS FOUNDATION PARTNERING TO PROVIDE COVID-19 VACCINATIONS

The Houston Health Department is partnering with the Astros Foundation to operate Minute Maid Park as a COVID-19 vaccination site on Saturday, January 9.

The site is open only to people who already have appointments scheduled at the health department’s Bayou City Event Center clinic, which will close for an unrelated weekend event.

The health department is contacting people in its appointment queue to inform them of the new location and provide instructions on what to do upon arrival.

People with appointments should arrive no earlier than 15-minutes before their scheduled time to ensure site efficiency and reduce wait times.

Health department vaccine COVID-19 clinics require appointments and people who show up without an appointment will be turned away.

Appointments are filled through the end of January based on the department’s current vaccine allotment. No additional appointments are being made at this time.

Appointments are based on vaccine availability, and current appointments may be adjusted based on the department’s allotment.

“The City of Houston is working around the clock to get the COVID-19 vaccine to the public based on available supply. Unfortunately, we are not in control of the vaccine supply and must schedule local vaccines based on vaccine delivery,” said Mayor Sylvester Turner. “We are grateful to the Astros Foundation for being a valued partner in the city’s COVID-19 response by providing facilities and resources for testing and vaccinations. Time and time again, Houston Astros leadership prove the organization’s commitment to our community.”

“The Astros remain committed to our community and are happy to partner with the City and its health department to ensure Houstonians in need are receiving the vaccine safely and efficiently,” said Astros Owner and Chairman, Jim Crane. “We look forward to helping Houston recover and are grateful to provide assistance as needed.”

The health department started administering the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to the general public who quality under Phase 1A or Phase 1B of the state’s guidelines on January 2.

As of the morning of January 7, the health department received a total of 13,800 doses of vaccine and administered 8,169 doses at locations including Bayou City Event Center and its Northside, La Nueva Casa de Amigos, Sharpstown, and Sunnyside health centers. The department also transferred 1,900 doses to other providers.

The health department will announce additional vaccination opportunities at its health centers, multi-service centers, community locations, and via mobile units as supply increases.

Many medical providers offer vaccines based on availability. People who qualify should contact their medical provider or use the Texas Department of State Health Services’ online map to find and call vaccine providers.

Information about COVID-19 vaccines is available on HoustonEmergency.org/covid19.

The health department also operates a COVID-19 call center at 832-393-4220 Monday through Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call center hours are extended until 5 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Media Note: A media advisory with media availability details for Saturday will be issued Friday.

Mayor and Houston Public Library Director Announce Reopening of Three Neighborhood Libraries

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Mayor and Houston Public Library Director Announce Reopening of Three Neighborhood Libraries

 Mayor Sylvester Turner and the Houston Public Library (HPL) have announced a plan to reopen three neighborhood libraries with limited access and services. Following extensive damage from Hurricane Harvey, the McCrane-Kashmere Gardens and Flores Neighborhood Libraries, and the new Dixon TechLink powered by Aramco will welcome community members by the end of January 2021.

Through the support of Houston City Council and thanks to generous donations from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Aramco, each location has undergone significant transformations and will feature updated finishes, furniture, and community areas, as well as expanded access to technology and enhanced resources.

“Libraries bring families together, build strong readers, and serve as an essential resource. That is why I am thrilled we are reopening the three library locations, which have been the heart of their communities for many years,” said Mayor Turner. “The locations have bounced back from a major hurricane and survived during a global pandemic. Once again, Houston is demonstrating its strength and resilience.”

“With a strong library as a community anchor, the possibilities are endless – even during a pandemic. We are thrilled that these three libraries are reopening with curbside access to books, technology, and other resources,” said Dr. Rhea Lawson, HPL Director. “We look forward to resuming a full complement of services and programs at all our libraries as soon as possible.”

The virtual reopening event for  McCrane-Kashmere Gardens will take place January 11 at 11 a.m., Flores on January 12 at 10 a.m., and Dixon on January 28 at 11 a.m. The community is invited to view the ribbon-cutting events on the HPL Facebook page.

Mayor Turner is scheduled to attend the virtual celebrations. He will be joined by the HPL Director, Houston Public Library Foundation Chair, UAE and Aramco donor partners, city council members, and neighborhood presidents representing the communities where the libraries reside. Community members may attend the virtual reopening events and get a sneak peek of each location via a virtual tour that will be featured on the HPL Facebook page.

Although all three libraries were closed due to damages from Hurricane Harvey, essential library services and resources remained accessible to the public via the HPL Mobile Express technology library and through temporary locations stationed at Houston Health Department Multi-Service Centers.

This support helped give stability to residents affected by the storm and anchored those who had been displaced through the provision of services and resources that they might not have received elsewhere. The Texas Library Association recognized the Library’s imaginative approach to supporting the community and awarded the Kashmere Neighborhood Library with the Texas Library Association Libraries Change Communities Award in 2019.

Since the onset of COVID-19, HPL has continued serving Houston’s communities by reimagining services and programs, such as Camp STREAM and its Summer Reading Program, in the virtual realm.

This has created an opportunity to elevate the public library’s profile in its role as a community contributor and provide new skills and knowledge for team members to utilize beyond COVID-19.

These library reopenings are part of HPL’s recent progressive efforts and follow national recognition for other HPL initiatives that have made a significant community impact during the pandemic.

From Mayor Turner receiving the Coalition on Adult Basic Education’s 2020 Adult Education Leadership Award for the Mayor’s Office for Adult Literacy under the oversight of HPL, to the library receiving the 2020 Urban Libraries Council Innovation Award for its Liftoff to Learning initiative in partnership with KHOU, the Houston Public Library continues to bridge the gap for Houston’s communities.

Much of the Houston area could be facing rollbacks, including closing bars again

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Much of the Houston area could be facing rollbacks, including closing bars again

It’ll happen if the COVID-19 hospitalization rate remains above 15% of hospital capacity for one more consecutive day.

As COVID-19 case numbers continue to climb, the Houston region is on the verge of reaching a new critical point.

“Right now, the 14-day average is off the charts at 1,700 new cases on average reported every single day,” Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said.

Governor Greg Abbott’s executive order states that if Trauma Service Area Q – which includes Harris, Fort Bend, Montgomery, Austin, Colorado, Matagorda, Walker, Waller and Wharton Counties – has seven consecutive days of COVID-19 hospitalizations above 15% of total hospital capacity, certain indoor businesses will have to go back to 50% occupancy and elective surgeries will have to stop. Bars will also have to close.

“We are getting perilously close to that,” Houston Health Authority Dr. David Persse said.

On Monday, the region reported its sixth straight day with COVID-19 hospitalizations over 15%, coming in at 18.21%. The state reports the previous day’s numbers, so that percentage was for Sunday.

“Things are getting worse,” Hidalgo said. “Things are not improving, and this may just be the tip of the iceberg.”

Other trauma service areas around the Houston area have already rolled back re-openings. The region that includes Brazoria, Chambers, and Galveston Counties had to roll back, as did the region that includes Liberty, Grimes, and Brazos counties.

The rollbacks are part of Abbott’s Executive Order GA-32, which was signed back in October to expand business openings. Indoor businesses can go back to 75% capacity and elective surgeries can resume when the number drops below 15% for seven consecutive days.

“Obviously I welcome the governor’s threshold, but I’m concerned it’s not enough and likely a little too late,” Hidalgo said.

A spokeswoman for Abbott says shutting down bars and a slight reduction in capacity at restaurants worked in places like El Paso and Midland-Odessa. If Houston’s rollback is triggered, they’re confident it can work again.

A region must then stay below 15% COVID hospitalizations for seven straight days for bars to reopen and restrictions to be lifted. Officials expect hospitalizations to keep climbing and if that happens, deaths will spike, too.

“In July, 1,200 people died in that single month. This (month) could very well be worse than that,” Hidalgo said.

 

Texas hospitals entering ‘dire’ COVID-19 surge situation

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Texas hospitals entering ‘dire’ COVID-19 surge situation

COVID-19 patients represent a little more than half of all patients currently in North Texas ICUs, officials said and major counties have less than 10 ICU beds open.

 

As COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continue to reach “dire” levels across the state, Texas Health Resources announced it will postpone all outpatient elective and non-essential surgeries and procedures.

“Our inventory of PPE and ventilators is strong. We’re mainly concerned about our supply of healthcare workers and the many months of stressful work they’ve endured in the care of these patients,” spokesperson Amanda Huffman said.

The pause at its “14 wholly-owned hospitals” is because the group is dealing with such a high number of COVID-19 patients. The disease is causing “a severe stress on inpatient and emergency department bed capacity and staffing resources,” according to the spokesperson.

“This, along with record numbers of COVID-19 positive cases in our communities, demands that our hospitals initiate their surge plans to accommodate the increased volume,” the spokesperson said.

The decision is in accordance with an order Gov. Greg Abbott issued in September. The order requires hospital groups to postpone such procedures in areas with high hospitalizations if those procedures would “deplete any hospital capacity needed to cope with the COVID-19 disaster.”

The group says patients should contact their doctors with any questions.

Texas Health has 27 hospitals, more than 80 outpatient facilities, and more than 250 other community clinics and doctors’ offices. Within those, the group operates around 3,400 available beds.

A spokesperson with Texas Health said this decision does not apply to all their 27 hospital locations and numerous outpatient centers because they do not necessarily keep patients overnight and are not treating COVID-19 patients.

Texas Health said these facilities perform procedures that do not impact their capacity to care for COVID-19 patients.

The news comes as the state reported its highest 7-day case average and the largest number of hospitalizations since the pandemic began on Monday.

And experts believe a post-Christmas surge has not yet begun to be realized, which, when it arrives, will further tax the “already fatigued and courageous clinical staff in our hospitals.”

“COVID-19 has filled our hospitals with very sick and dying people, and we have taken this step to help deal with this high volume of critically ill patients,” Huffman said.

Several Texas Health hospitals that have been unusually busy with COVID-19 patients have already been postponing some procedures, the spokesperson said.

“The models reflect a significant surge on top of our current surge in the next few weeks,” said Stephen Love, the president of the Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council.

Typically, people are hospitalized a week or two after testing positive for the virus.

State officials reported a combined 17,939 new cases Monday, along with 52 additional deaths.

There are also an estimated 12,961 people currently hospitalized across the state, the highest number since the pandemic began.

Those numbers have continued to climb dramatically since the end of December, going from about 10,868 in hospitals on Christmas to those nearly 13,000 patients by Jan. 4.

Across the North Texas region, there were 3,982 COVID-19 patients hospitalized Monday, according to Love.

That was an “overwhelming 259-patient increase” from just the day before, he said.

And as the number of hospitalizations has risen each day, the number of available ICU beds has dropped.

“Our hospital bed capacity is being challenged, our workforce stretched to the ultimate and the expected surge forthcoming as a result of the recent holidays will only make the situation even direr,” Love explained.

From Sunday to Monday, an additional 81 ICU beds filled up across Texas, state data shows, leaving around 625 such beds available for the roughly 29 million people who live in Texas.

For those in the North Texas region, there are currently around 50 ICU beds available, according to Love.

While Dallas County has the most at 21 available ICU beds, Collin County has just two beds and Ellis County is at three. Tarrant and Denton’s counties have nine and 10 open ICU beds, respectively.

COVID-19 patients represent a little more than half of all patients currently in North Texas ICUs, Love explained. And overall, COVID-19 patients make up a little more than a quarter of total hospital capacity in the region.

“We are entering an extremely serious and critical timeframe regarding COVID-19 treatment in North Texas,” he said.

Publicación 1188 de San Antonio – Revista Digital 07 de enero – 13 de enero / 2021

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Publicación 1188 de San Antonio – Revista Digital 07 de enero – 13 de enero / 2021

Gracias por SEGUIRNOS, este artículo contiene la revista digital de SAN ANTONIO de ¡Que Onda Magazine! De fecha 07 de enero – 13 de enero / 2021

Publicación 1188 de HOUSTON – Revista Digital 07 de enero – 13 de enero / 2021

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Publicación 1188 de HOUSTON – Revista Digital 07 de enero – 13 de enero / 2021

Gracias por SEGUIRNOS, este artículo contiene la revista digital de HOUSTON de ¡Que Onda Magazine! De fecha 07 de enero – 13 de enero / 2021

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