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A new North Korean intercontinental ballistic missile on parade, October 10, 2020.

Screenshot from KCTV broadcast

North Korea's October parade marking the 75th anniversary of the Workers' Party of Korea unveiled an array of new weapons, from armored vehicles to intercontinental ballistic missiles.The weaponry reflects Pyongyang's ongoing military modernization, but the variety of weapons and gear on display in the parade may belie the actual extent of that modernization.Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

In October, North Korea unveiled new military hardware in a parade marking the 75th anniversary of the Workers' Party of Korea.

The biggest attention-getters were, unsurprisingly, the missiles, especially the Pukguksong-4 submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), and the Hwasong-16, which, if real, would be the largest liquid-fueled and road-mobile missile ever made.

But before those missiles appeared at the end of the parade, North Korea's impressive modernization of its conventional forces was on full display.

North Korea Pukguksong-4 submarine-launched ballistic missile on parade, October 10, 2020.

KCNA

Soldiers were seen wearing modern uniforms with new camouflage patterns, ballistic helmets, vests, and even touch-screen devices. They were also seen parading in full nuclear, biological, and chemical gear for the first time. New vehicles designed almost entirely from scratch also debuted.

Chun In-bum, a former lieutenant general in the South Korean army, described the parade as "literally a 'new look' for the North Korean People's Army (KPA) in almost every way."

The parade undoubtedly shows that North Korea's commitment to military modernization is bearing fruit, but it remains unclear just how far that modernization has gone.

New armored vehicles

North Korean armored combat vehicles mounted with what appears to be a howitzer, during a parade on October 10, 2020.

KCNA

Aside from the missiles, the new armored vehicles received the most attention.

North Korea's armored force has long consisted of old Soviet models or slightly modified domestic copies. But a completely new armored combat vehicle and a new tank show that North Korea's armored force is headed in a new direction.

While little is definitively known about these vehicles, observers noted a number of things based on their appearance. The 8 x 8 wheeled armored combat vehicle, for instance, looks almost exactly like the US Army's Stryker ICV.

Two variants were shown: One armed with five anti-tank guided missile launchers that are likely copies of the Russian 9M133 Kornet, and another armed with a specially designed turret that appears to house a gun based on the D-30 122 mm howitzer, giving it a similar appearance to the M1128 Mobile Gun System.

North Korea main battle tanks on parade, October 10, 2020.

KCNA

Both vehicles are likely intended to support anti-tank and fire-support operations, and help the KPA become more maneuverable in a similar way to the US Army's brigade combat teams.

The new tank is considerably more advanced than previous North Korean models. Its chassis looks similar to that of Russia's T-14 Armata, and the turret is reminiscent of the US's M1 Abrams. It also appears to have a number of new technologies, like composite armor.

Tubular launchers reminiscent of Russia's Afghanit active protection system (APS) appear to be mounted on the turret, meaning the tank could intercept incoming projectiles. The lack of infrared sights suggests the tank may have a thermal sight - a major improvement for North Korean tanks.

There also appeared to be smoke launchers, laser warning receivers, and crosswind sensors. Two side-mounted anti-tank missile launchers were also present on the turret of the tanks, which were strangely painted in a desert-camouflage scheme.

Accelerated modernization

North Korean multiple launch rocket systems on parade, October 10, 2020.

KCNA

There were a number of other new systems in the parade as well.

Generals and senior officers were driven around in what looked like mine-resistant ambush protected (MRAP) vehicles. New 155 mm self-propelled guns were rolled out, as were new armored multiple launch rocket systems and a new anti-air defense and radar comparable to Russia's TOR system, which fills a gap in North Korean air defenses.

The parade was the latest indication that Kim Jong Un is accelerating North Korea's military modernization efforts, a trend that has been evident with its nuclear weapons and missiles.

"Kim Jong Un was able to achieve this," Dr. Sue Mi Terry, a senior fellow and Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said of the efforts.

"Some people really underestimated him when he came into power," Terry told Insider. "But at the end of the day, all this modernization took place under him."

Kim has made strengthening his country's military his top priority and wants to prove that despite international pressure and tight sanctions, North Korea is capable of fielding a strong force.

"They want to show that since Singapore they've been making progress," Terry said, referring to Kim's 2018 meeting with President Donald Trump. "That's the main message, that they're not going to stop."

'A Potemkin parade'

North Korea's new intercontinental ballistic missile.

Screenshot from KCTV broadcast

As impressive as the new hardware is, there is reason to believe that the parade may have been a display of systems and weapons that North Korea may not actually have, at least not yet.

"Every parade is a Potemkin parade in the sense that North Korea always wants to hype up what they have," Terry said.

For example, despite the new tank's impressive electronics, none of the boxes containing the optics were open, which means no one can be sure what is inside them.

Additionally, many of the systems have not been seen in tests or military exercises, which means they could just be mockups - especially the Pukguksong-4 and Hwasong-16 missiles. This is also the case for North Korea's ballistic-missile submarines, the Gorae-class and Sinpo-C-class.

Finally, North Korea simply may not have the resources to build and maintain such a large conventional force.

North Korea troops celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea on October 10, 2020.

KCNA via REUTERS

"I sincerely doubt that much of that stuff is seriously propagated among the North Korean forces," said Dr. Bruce Bennett, a senior defense analyst at the RAND Corporation.

North Korea can't fund its nuclear and conventional ambitions and the economy its elites desire, Bennet told Insider. "The money is just not there."

Despite the hype, it's clear that military modernization has "made some kind of progress," Terry said, but it's likely that only certain specialized units have benefited from it.

"I think what we saw in the parade was really very selective modernization," Bennett said. "Take those [infantry] soldiers that we saw. I'll bet they're almost all special forces."

North Korea's Special Operations Force, one of the KPA's five branches, accounts for only 200,000 of the KPA's nearly 1.3 million active-duty personnel, but it is expected to have a primary role in a conflict.

Nuclear leverage

The Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile before a test, in an undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency, November 30, 2017.

Reuters

While the KPA's conventional military modernization is impressive, there is little doubt it remains qualitatively inferior to South Korea's military and no doubt it is inferior to the US military.

But North Korea's real power is its nuclear arsenal. Pyongyang has made clear that it has no reservations about its tactical deployment, meaning it'd likely be front and center in any combat scenario.

With an arsenal believed to be between 30 and 40 warheads, North Korea can use those weapons to destroy important infrastructure like airfields, military bases, and ports, preventing reinforcement and resupply efforts.

"The North Korean approach could impair the South Korean air capability. It could impair our deployment capability," Bennet said. "Then all of the sudden, their conventional capabilities, even if they're only very selectively modernized, might make a big difference. With [North Korea's] special forces out there with that kind of equipment, that gets a little daunting for South Korea."

That approach would most likely result in North Korea's destruction, but being able to do it gives Kim "tremendous coercive capability against the South," Bennet said.

The KPA's evident modernization, combined with Pyongyang's growing nuclear and missile arsenal, put Kim in a position to assert himself and limit the US's leverage in future negotiations.

"Kim Jong-un is a very different kind of leader," Terry said. "I think it's better for us to not underestimate him."

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Jan
19

A photographer who has visited 91 countries with only hand luggage reveals the 8 things that make it possible

Dr. Moncef Slaoui, chief adviser to Operation Warp Speed, speaks in the Rose Garden of the White House, Friday, Nov. 13, 2020, in Washington.

AP Photo/Evan Vucci

Moncef Slaoui, head of the White House's Operation Warpspeed, said the new coronavirus variant "should be under control" with the vaccines. "This virus actually mutates as part of its normal behavior, and therefore it is normal to expect there will be variants," Slaoui said in an interview on CBS' "Face the Nation" on Sunday.Vaccine companies and health experts have said that the coronavirus vaccines, should work to protect against the new variant that is believed to be up to to 70% more transmissible.Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Moncef Slaoui, head of the White House's Operation Warpspeed, said the new coronavirus variant "should be under control" with the vaccines. 

"This virus actually mutates as part of its normal behavior, and therefore it is normal to expect that there will be variants," Slaoui said in an interview on CBS' "Face the Nation" on Sunday. "Based on the information shared with us by the UK scientists and early data that we have here, we think that this virus variant should be under control with this vaccine."

A new coronavirus variant that is believed to be possibly up to 70% more transmissible was reported in the UK in late December. Since then, parts of the UK entered strict restrictions, and many countries around the world have restricted incoming travel from the country.

—Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) January 3, 2021

 

At least 33 countries have detected cases of the new variant, and the US reported cases of the new variant in San Diego and Colorado last week. 

Vaccine companies and health experts have said that the coronavirus vaccines, which started being distributed across the country last month, should work to protect against the new variant. The CEO of BioNTech said that there was a "relatively high" chance the company's vaccine with Pfizer will work, and AstraZeneca's CEO said that their vaccine "should remain effective." As Business Insider's Dr. Catherine Schuster-Bruce reported, experts have doubled down this vaccine will likely work against the new strains of the virus. 

Read more:BioNTech's CEO said there's a 'relatively high' possibility the vaccine they made with Pfizer will protect against the UK's new coronavirus variantAstraZeneca's vaccine is expected to work on new COVID-19 strains, says CEOSan Diego man tests positive for new, more contagious UK variant of COVID-19At least 33 countries have reported cases of the new, possibly more infectious coronavirus variant from the UK
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Jan
19

An influential Silicon Valley investor said that talking about paternity leave is a sign that society is becoming 'unhinged'

Tetra Images/Getty Images

A Facebook video showed a Casaville, CA police officer punching a canine partner in the face.The witness said the officer had punched the dog repeatedly before he started filming.The Casaville Police Department said in a statement that the dog has been removed from the officer's home, and that the dog had been "aggressive" before the officer hit it.The Department has not released the name of the officer. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

A Vacaville, CA police officer who was filmed punching a canine partner during a training exercise has now had the dog removed from their home, according to a statement released on the Vacaville Police Department's Facebook page.

The video, recorded by witness Robert Palomino, shows a police office restraining the dog and punching it in the face. In the original Facebook post, now deleted, Palomino wrote that the officer had punched the dog multiple times before he started recording, and stopped after Palomino started filming, according to SF Gate

The Vacaville Police Department said that the canine has been removed from the care of the police department and was found to have no signs of distress or injury by a veterinarian. The police department also said that the canine will remain with a third party "pending a thorough and complete investigation into the incident."

The department has not yet named the officer who punched the dog in the video.

The department's original statement noted that the officer's punch came after the dog itself became violent. 

"Yesterday evening a video surfaced of an interaction between one of our officers and his canine partner during training," the statement read. "We understand how disturbing the video appears to many who view it and the range of emotions it creates. What the video doesn't show is the moments prior, when the canine became aggressive towards his handler."

The post has now received more than 12,000 Facebook comments.

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Jan
14

The Royal Navy updated a famous WWII propaganda poster to warn its sailors about tweeting

In this March 20, 2018 file photo, Speaker of the House Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., greets President Donald Trump to speak to the National Republican Congressional Committee March Dinner.

AP Photo/Evan Vucci

Former House Speaker Paul Ryan, a Republican who represented Wisconsin in Congress from 1999 to 2019, spoke out against members of his own party attempting to reject to the certification of the Electoral College vote.About a dozen GOP senators have said publicly they plan to reject the certification of December's Electrical College vote, and some House Republicans are expected to do the same.Some other Republicans, like Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan and Sens. Susan Collins and Mitt Romney, have also spoken out against the lawmaker's plan.Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Former Rep. Paul Ryan, a Republican and the former speaker of the US House of Representatives, on Sunday spoke out against members of his own party who have hatched a plan to object to the certification of the Electoral College's December vote that re-affirmed Trump's November loss.

"All our basic rights and freedoms flow from a fidelity to the Constitution and the rule of law," Ryan, who represented Wisconsin in the House from 1999 until 2019, said in a statement. "This principle is not only fundamentally American but a central tenet of conservatism. Under our system, voters determine the president, and this self-governance cannot sustain itself if the whims of Congress replace the will of the people. I urge members to consider the precedent that it would set." 

Sen. Ted Cruz is leading an effort to reject the certification of President-elect Joe Biden's Electoral College victory, and about a dozen Republican senators have said publicly they plan to do the same. Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley has also said he plans to reject the certification, and approximately 140 members of the House of Representatives are also believed to be planning to reject the counting the Electoral College's vote, CNN reported.

"Efforts to reject the votes of the Electoral College and sow doubt about Joe Biden's victory strike at the foundation of our republic," Ryan continued. "It is difficult to conceive of a more anti-democratic and anti-conservative act than a federal intervention to overturn the results of state-certified elections and disenfranchise millions of Americans."

Ryan announced his retirement from the House of Representatives in 2018. He served as speaker of the House from 2015 until his exit from Congress in 2019.

Since his loss to President-elect Joe Biden in November, Trump and his allies have refused to accept Biden's win, instead alleging widespread voter fraud without providing evidence to back up the claim, lobbing pressure on officials in some states where Trump lost and filing dozens of unsuccessful lawsuits

"The Trump campaign had ample opportunity to challenge election results, and those efforts failed from lack of evidence. The legal process was exhausted, and the results were decisively confirmed," Ryan said Sunday.

The former House speaker also noted that the Department of Justice had also said it had not "seen fraud on a scale that could have effected a different outcome in the election," as the president has alleged.

Some Republicans like Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan have also spoken out against the effort. A group of 10 bipartisan senators, including Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, and Mitt Romney of Utah, lawmakers to "move forward." 

"If states wish to reform their processes for future elections, that is their prerogative. But Joe Biden's victory is entirely legitimate," Ryan concluded.

While the lawmakers' objections will force a vote by the House and Senate, it is extremely unlikely to have any impact on the outcome of the election. Biden won 306 Electoral College votes compared to Trump's 232. A candidate must receive at least 270 votes to win the presidency.    

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14

Ford just revealed the pickup truck we've all been waiting for (F)

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, prepares to receive his first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine at the National Institutes of Health on December 22, 2020 in Bethesda, Maryland.

Patrick Semansky-Pool/Getty Images

After a painfully slow start, US coronavirus vaccinations could speed up soon, Dr. Anthony Fauci told ABC News' Martha Raddatz on Sunday.Fauci said there's no reason why the US can't immunize 1 million people per day right now.That would put the country on track to meet President-elect Joe Biden's goal of vaccinating 100 million people in his first 100 days in office.Depending on how many people choose to get vaccinated, Fauci said, it might also achieve herd immunity in around 75% to 80% of the population by the end of summer or early fall. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

A few weeks after the first coronavirus vaccine was authorized in the US, it became clear that the nation's vaccine rollout was off to a painfully slow start

Operation Warp Speed, the Trump administration's coronavirus vaccine initiative, predicted 20 million Americans would get a coronavirus shot by the end of 2020. As of December 30, less than 2.8 million people had received their first injections, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

But Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told ABC News' Martha Raddatz on Sunday that vaccinations could speed up soon.

Fauci said there's no reason why the US can't immunize 1 million people per day right now.

That pace would put the country on track to fulfill President-elect Joe Biden's goal of vaccinating 100 million people in his first 100 days in office.

"We are not where we want to be, there's no doubt about that, but I think we can get there if we really accelerate, get some momentum going, and see what happens as we get into the first couple of weeks of January," Fauci said.

He pointed to New York City's widespread smallpox vaccination efforts in 1947 as an example.

"I was a six-year-old boy who was one of those who got vaccinated," Fauci said. "So if New York City can do 5 million in two weeks, the United States could do a million a day."

Getting vaccinations back on course 

In the absence of clear federal guidance, the US vaccine rollout has devolved into a patchwork response that places a heavy burden on already overwhelmed state health departments.

Local officials have been tasked with coordinating vaccination schedules while also confronting a tsunami of sick patients. Many health departments lack the funding to hire enough staff to administer doses in large batches. Others lack the expertise to transfer thousands of doses from local warehouses to the arms of individuals - what experts call the "last-mile" challenge.

"Vaccines sitting on shelves are doing nothing while thousands of Americans are dying," Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of Brown University's School of Public Health, told Business Insider. "This is a travesty. This is the most ridiculous example of an incredible ability of our country to be innovative in producing the vaccine and yet inability of our government to help get it to people."

He added that "the Biden team is going to have a lot of hard work ahead."

Biden's 100-day target will likely require more funding from Congress, in addition to December's roughly $8 billion relief package that helps states with vaccine distribution issues. Many public-health experts say it will also require increased partnership between federal and state governments. 

"To say the federal government should do it themselves, that'll never happen," Fauci told Raddatz. "To just leave the states on their own without any help, without any instruction, without any resources, is going to be tough. You've got to have a combination of both."

Seniors and first responders wait in line to receive a COVID-19 vaccine at the Lakes Regional Library on December 30, 2020 in Fort Myers, Florida.

Octavio Jones/Getty Images

Some progress so far offers a 'little glimmer of hope'

The US has now administered more than 4.2 million initial doses of coronavirus vaccines as of Saturday morning, the CDC reported. A good chunk of those doses were given out over the last few days.

"Some little glimmer of hope is that in the last 72 hours they've gotten 1.5 million doses into people's arms, which is an average of about 500,000 a day," Fauci told Raddatz.

He estimated that all of the nation's priority groups - including healthcare workers, nursing home residents, frontline essential workers, elderly Americans, and Americans with high-risk medical conditions - could be vaccinated by the end of March or beginning of April.

Around that time in the spring, he added, the US may "have what I call open season on vaccines - namely, anybody who wants a vaccine can get a vaccine." That's in line with previous estimates from federal officials.

"If from April, May, June, July, and August, we do the kind vaccine implementation that I'm talking about, at least a million people a day and maybe more, by the time we end the summer and get to the fall, we will have achieved" herd immunity in around 75% to 80% of the population, Fauci said.

But some experts have called for vaccinations to ramp up even further.

"For us to reach 80% herd immunity through vaccination, it will take us 10 years at a rate of 1 million vaccines a week," Dr. Leana Wen, former Baltimore health commissioner, recently told CNN. "Or, put in a different way, if we want to get there within six months, we have to be doing 3.5 million vaccinations a day."

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14

Canada could become the world's bitcoin mining capital as China cracks down

A 20-year-old Nancy Pelosi and John F. Kennedy.

Pelosi Facebook

Nancy Pelosi was re-elected to serve as House Speaker on January 3, 2021, the only woman to hold the position.Since first running for office at age 47, Pelosi has managed to become the most powerful woman in Washington. It's been a long road, but with impressive fundraising skills and a political sixth sense, Pelosi has managed to break gender barriers and break her way into the notorious old boys' club on Capitol Hill.Here's how Pelosi became the most powerful female politician in US history.
Pelosi grew up in Baltimore, the daughter of the Democratic Mayor Thomas D'Alesandro Jr. As a young girl, she managed her father's book of people who owed him political favors.

Web of Entertainment

Source: U.S. NewsNancy Pelosi Biography

She attended her first Democratic National Convention at age 12. Here she is at age 20 with John F. Kennedy at his inaugural ball.

Pelosi Facebook

Source: Nancy Pelosi Biography

Pelosi met her husband, Paul, at Georgetown University. She was a mother of five by 1969, when the family moved to San Francisco. Paul worked as a banker, while Nancy raised their children and started a Democratic Party club at her home.

AP

Source: U.S. News

In 1976, she worked for the presidential campaign of California Gov. Jerry Brown, and by 1981, she was the Democratic Party chair for the state of California, working behind the scenes to recruit candidates and raise money in the left-leaning state. She was tapped to chair the Host Committee for the 1984 Democratic Convention.

AP

At age 47, after her youngest child had left for college, Pelosi was encouraged by a dying congresswoman to run for her seat. She threw 100 house parties, recruited 4,000 volunteers, and raised $1 million in seven weeks.

AP

Source: Baltimore Sun

She defeated a San Francisco supervisor in a special election, winning one of the most solidly Democratic seats in the country. In June 1978, she was sworn in with her father by her side.

AP

With innate political acumen, Pelosi rose fast in the Democratic caucus. Here she is with former California Rep. Leon Panetta, who would go on to serve as secretary of Defense and director of the CIA.

AP

Source: AP

One of Pelosi's earliest and most prominent financial backers is E & J Gallo Winery, which produces 25% of the wine in America. The Pelosis own two vineyards in California.

AP

Source: Extra TV

Pelosi knew California Sen. Dianne Feinstein as a neighbor years before they became two of the most powerful women in Congress. Here they are hanging out after Feinstein lost the California gubernatorial election in 1990.

AP

As the member of the House from San Francisco, Pelosi took the lead on LGBT rights and the AIDS crisis back when those were unpopular topics nationally.

AP

Source: AP

Pelosi was also one of the House architects behind the 1994 assault-weapons ban, along with Feinstein and then Rep. Chuck Schumer.

AP

Source: AP

Pelosi was also put on the powerful House Appropriations and Intelligence committees, and was the ranking Democrat on the Foreign Operations committee. Here she is with then Rep. Barney Frank at a 1995 news conference.

AP

Source: SFGate

Here she is promoting public television with a creepy Ernie.

AP

Source: AP

Paul Pelosi has managed to avoid the spotlight, focusing on his real-estate and venture-capital business Financial Leasing Services Inc. He also owns the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League.

AP

Source: SFGate

Pelosi got a big promotion in 2001, when she was named the House Democratic whip, the No. 2 job in the party.

AP

After raising $1.8 million for Democrats through her leadership PAC in 2002, Pelosi got the top job when Dick Gephardt stepped down as minority leader. She was the first woman to ever lead a party in Congress.

AP

In 2006, she teamed up with Schumer, then Sen. Harry Reid, and then Rep. Rahm Emanuel to hatch a plan to take back Congress ...

AP

... and it totally worked! Democrats won the majority in both chambers, and Pelosi became the first female speaker of the House. Rahm Emanuel, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and Chuck Schumer.

AP

In the first 100 hours of being speaker in 2006, Pelosi raised the minimum wage, enacted the 9/11 commission report, ended many tax subsidies to oil companies, and made new rules about lobbying.

AP

Source: Washington Post

Her work ethic is legendary. She barely sleeps, doesn't drink coffee - she prefers hot water with lemon - does The New York Times crossword daily, and often eats New York Super Fudge Chunk ice cream for breakfast.

AP

Source: Extra TV, Nancy Pelosi

During the divisive 2008 Democratic presidential primary, Pelosi managed to stay neutral without losing friends.

AP

Source: AP

And she ran the show at the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

AP

Source: AP

Pelosi steered the passage of the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) bank bailout in a last-ditch effort to stop the 2008 financial collapse.

AP

Source: AP

After Barack Obama won the presidency in 2008, Democrats controlled Congress and the White House for the first time in 14 years.

AP

Source: AP

Pelosi convinced Obama to move forward with healthcare reform when all seemed lost in 2009. It worked.

AP

Source: AP

But Democrats lost control of the House, and Pelosi handed over the gavel to Republican John Boehner in 2010.

AP

Source: AP

Despite her diminished role, Pelosi was still a major power player in DC, having spent a decade as the top House Democrat.

AP

Pelosi once again became House minority leader and remained a close ally to Obama during his second term. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of Calif., gestures during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2012, to introduce the 113th Congress Democratic committee leadership members. From left behind Pelosi are, Rep. Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., and Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif.

AP Photo/ Evan Vucci

Pelosi led the House Democrats through the 2013 shutdown, during which she said Republicans were "legislative arsonists" for using healthcare as an excuse to shut down the government.

(AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)

Source: The Guardian

In 2016, Rep. Tim Ryan challenged Pelosi's speaker seat, but he lost 134 to 63.

AP Photo/Susan Walsh

As House minority leader, Pelosi became a chief Trump critic. In 2017, she led the House's charge against Trump's decision to shut down the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli

In response, Trump has called her "High Tax, High Crime Nancy Pelosi" and "MS-13 Lover Nancy Pelosi."

AP Photo/Evan Vucci

Pelosi has clashed with Trump in the last few years, most recently during a televised meeting between them and Schumer over the border wall. In that meeting and for weeks since, Pelosi said Democrats will not offer funding for the wall. Vice President Mike Pence, center, looks on as House Minority Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and President Donald Trump speak during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House, Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2018, in Washington.

Evan Vucci/AP

Pelosi was sworn in as speaker of the House for a second time as the government shutdown nears its third week. She said Democrats have legislation prepared to reopen the government. Nancy Pelosi is handed the gavel by House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy after being elected House speaker on January 3, 2019.

REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

Source: CNN

She regained her position as speaker of the House only eight years after leaving it. Nancy Pelosi of California, surrounded by her grandchildren and other children raises her right hand as Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, the longest-serving member of the House, administers the oath to Pelosi to become the Speaker of the House at the Capitol in Washington.

AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster

So far, Pelosi has focused on the Democrats' legislative priorities and has publicly stated she isn't interested in impeaching Trump, saying "I don't think we should go down that path, because it divides the country. And he's just not worth it." House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images

Source: Business Insider

She's also had to mediate controversy within her own caucus after freshman Rep. Ilhan Omar made a series of comments about pro-Israel lobbying widely criticized as anti-Semitic. Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN) participates in a news conference to call on Congress to cut funding for ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S. February 7, 2019.

Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

Source: Business Insider

Now, Pelosi is gearing up to lead Congress in a fight with the Department of Justice over the full release of special counsel Robert Mueller's report into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., talks to reporters a day after officially postponing President Donald Trump's State of the Union address until the government is fully reopened.

AP/J. Scott Applewhite

Source: Business Insider

Pelosi recently stated she won't accept a classified congressional briefing on the report's contents, calling for the report and all its underlying evidence to be released to Congress and to the public. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., center, speaks as she stands next to Senate Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer of N.Y., left, and Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., right, following their meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2019.

Susan Walsh/AP

Source: Business Insider

In a Tuesday meeting, she reportedly advised fellow Democrats to "be calm" and "take a deep breath," adding "we have to handle this professionally, officially, patriotically, strategically. Let’s just get the goods." House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of Calif., right, and Senate Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer of N.Y., left, walk out of the West Wing to speak to members of the media outside of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2018, following a meeting with President Donald Trump.

Andrew Harnik/AP

As for the 2020 presidential election, Pelosi said she won't endorse a candidate - yet. House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi of California heads into the Democratic Caucus leadership elections unopposed following an effort by a contingent working against her becoming the speaker of the House when her party takes the majority in the new Congress in January, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2018.

J. Scott Applewhite/AP

Pelosi was re-elected to serve as House Speaker by the 117th Congress on January 3, 2021. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., speaks to the media, Wednesday Dec. 30, 2020, on Capitol Hill in Washington.

AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin

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Jan
19

Microsoft promoted its 'Minecraft' boss to be the new executive in charge of all Xbox game efforts (MSFT)

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

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The 117th Congress voted to re-elect Nancy Pelosi to another term as speaker of the House of Representatives.Pelosi has been in the role since January 2019, when Democrats elected her after regaining majority control of the House.She is the only woman to have ever served as House Speaker.Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Nancy Pelosi will begin another term as speaker of the House of Representatives.

The 117th Congress, which met Sunday for its first session of the year, re-elected Pelosi to the position, securing the majority of the total votes cast. 

Pelosi, a Democrat from California, said back in October before the 2020 election that she would seek another term as House speaker if Democrats maintained a majority in Congress' lower chamber. 

She has been in the role since January 2019, when Democrats elected her after regaining majority control of the House. To date, she is the only woman to have served as House Speaker, and has been the most powerful elected woman lawmaker in the United States. With the confirmation of Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, Pelosi becomes the second-most powerful elected woman lawmaker.

Within the House, Pelosi serves as the chamber's presiding officer and administrative head. 

To be elected speaker, a candidate must receive an absolute majority of the total number of votes cast. Five Democrats defected from voting for Pelosi. Maine Rep. Jared Golden voted for Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth and Pennsylvania Rep. Conor Lamb voted for New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries. New Jersey Rep. Mikie Sherrill, Michigan Rep. Elissa Slotkin, and Virginia Rep. Abigail Spanberger voted "present" in lieu of a name.

Republican representatives generally voted for Kevin McCarthy, currently the House minority leader. Several representatives were absent because of concerns related to the coronavirus. 

Since the appointment of the 116th Congress, Pelosi has been a somewhat controversial figure in the House. 

She and progressive Congressional members have engaged in feuds in the past. Some of these tensions have escalated and carried over in recent weeks, as new and old progressive "Squad" members gave signals that they might shun her. 

Earlier in December, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York ripped into Pelosi, saying neither she nor Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer should lead the Democratic arm.

"We need new leadership in the Democratic Party," Ocasio-Cortez said in a podcast. During her first vote, Ocasio-Cortez withheld her vote. During the second call for her vote, she voted for Pelosi. Last year, Ocasio-Cortez also voted for Pelosi for House Speaker.

And last week, just before the start of the first session, then Reps.-elect Cori Bush and Jamaal Bowman declined to specify whether they would vote for Pelosi to be re-elected to the role. 

Speaking to CNN's Dana Bash, neither Bush nor Bowman gave a concrete answer when asked whether they'd support her re-election effort in the House. 

"I am going to make sure that voices of the people of St. Louis are heard and we have what we need. And so you will find out then," Bush said.

While Bowman and Bush had previously been noncommittal, they both ultimately cast a vote for Pelosi. The first time the vote was called, Bush withhold her vote. When prompted a second time after the whole House roll was called, Bush voted for Pelosi.

Pelosi's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

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Jan
23

A Jeff Bezos-backed warehouse farm startup is building 300 indoor farms across China

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan speaks at BD Life Sciences on the news of Maryland's purchase of rapid Covid screening tests on September 10, 2020 in Sparks, Md.

Photo by Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post via Getty Images

In a statement released Sunday, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican, criticized members of Congress planning to reject the certification of the Electoral College vote on Wednesday. Despite Biden's winning the race in November, and the Electoral College affirming such in December, some Republicans in the new year have continued to refuse to accept the results of the election, harping on baseless claims of voter fraud.About a dozen Republican senators, led by Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, said Saturday they planned to reject the certification if lawmakers don't agree to a 10-day audit of the baseless allegations.Around 140 House Republicans also reportedly plan to reject the counting of the Electoral College votes.Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican, in a statement issued Sunday, criticized members of his own party for their attempts to object to the certification of the Electoral College vote on Wednesday.

"The scheme by members of Congress to reject the certification of the presidential election makes a mockery of our system and who we are as Americans," Hogan said in the Sunday afternoon statement.

Sen. Ted Cruz is spearheading an effort to reject the certification of President-elect Joe Biden's Electoral College victory, and about a dozen Republican senators have said publicly they'll back his effort. His effort is separate from that of Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley, who has also said he plans to reject the certification. Around 140 members of the House of Representatives are also believed to be planning to vote against counting the Electoral College's vote, CNN reported.

Trump and his Republican allies have since his loss in November claimed President-elect Joe Biden's win was the result of widespread fraud in the election. But neither he nor his allies have been able to substantiate such claims with proof, including in dozens of lawsuits the president and his legal team have lost. 

Read more: Secret Service experts are speculating in group chats about how Trump might be hauled out of the White House if he won't budge on Inauguration Day

Meanwhile, the Washington Post on Sunday published audio of a Saturday call between Trump and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. On the call, Trump, who has publicly bashed Raffensperger, pressured him to "find" the number of votes he needed to win the state in another last-ditch effort to subvert his leaving office later this month.

Biden won Georgia by about 12,000 votes in one of a few victories that were key to his beating Trump.

—Governor Larry Hogan (@GovLarryHogan) January 3, 2021

 

"President Trump and his team have had every opportunity to provide evidence supporting their claims, and they have failed to do so," Hogan, whose state voted for Biden, said. "Their allegations have been flatly rejected by Trump-appointed judges and a Trump-appointed Justice Department alike.

Hogan has previously criticized the GOP, including at the end of November when he said he was "embarrassed" more members of his own party weren't speaking out against Trump's refusal to concede the race.

"Whether or not you like the result, the process worked as it always has," he said Sunday. "What's not working is that far too many politicians in Washington seem to have forgotten the basic principle that they are beholden to the people, not the other way around."

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Jan
23

Netflix grabbed 8 Oscar nominations amid a big push into original movies — a top analyst tells us what that means for its business

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A federal judge advanced a lawsuit to expedite the roll-out of WiFi to homeless shelters across the city.There are more than 114,000 homeless students in New York City. The class-action suit was filed on behalf of homeless students across the city who have been unable to access the internet in homeless shelters during periods of remote learning this year. The city provided students with iPads with unlimited cellular data, but many students have had trouble getting proper cell service. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

A lawsuit aimed at forcing New York City to provide WiFi for students in homeless shelters is moving forward to trial.

US District Judge Alison Nathan ruled last week that the class-action suit brought by homeless parents and the Coalition of the Homeless would proceed to expedited discovery in preparation for a trial.

"Without internet connectivity, homeless students are deprived of the means to attend classes," Nathan wrote in the opinion that accompanied the decision. "And because homeless children who lack internet access and reside in New York City shelters cannot attend school for as long as that deprivation exists, the City bears a duty, under the statute, to furnish them with the means necessary for them to attend school." 

Some homeless students are still unable to access the internet from a shelter more than nine months since Mayor Bill de Blasio first announced remote learning on March 15, 2020 at the start of the coronavirus pandemic lockdown. New York City schools have approximately 114,000 homeless students according to an Advocates for Children report cited by the judge.

The city's original plan was to provide iPads with unlimited cellular data to students without access to WiFi, first partnering with T-Mobile. After students weren't able to access T-Mobile service in many shelters, the city switched to Verizon, but some students continued to be unable to connect to school. 

On October 26, 2020 Mayor de Blasio announced that the city would install WiFi in all shelters, but officials cautioned this wouldn't be complete until the summer of 2021. 

"It should come as no surprise that the City lacked any real legal basis to prevent this lawsuit from proceeding," said Susan Horwitz, supervising attorney of the education law project at the Legal Aid Society, wrote in a press release.

"Despite months of pushing the City to address the root cause of the problem, City Hall continues to advance ineffective solutions while families in shelters suffer. We look forward to seeing all shelters equipped with working WiFi, far in advance of the city's stated goal of summer 2021." 

City officials said they are working to get WiFi to students in shelters.

"The Court's decision indicates that the City has worked hard to provide internet connectivity to the plaintiffs and is continuing to do so," Nick Paolucci, the spokesperson of New York City's Law Department, wrote in a statement to Business Insider. "The City shifted to remote learning in the context of an unprecedented pandemic and we are working hard to address the needs of all students." 

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Jan
23

Facebook acquires biometric ID verification startup Confirm.io

REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

Paul Krugman expects the US economic recovery from the pandemic to be "much faster and continue much longer than many people expect," he said in a recent New York Times column.The Nobel Prize-winning economist predicts mass vaccination, pent-up demand, greater household savings, technological progress, and the Biden administration's backing to fuel a jobs boom.Americans grew their personal savings by 173% year-on-year between March and November last year, as disposable incomes ballooned by $1 trillion and household spending tumbled by $535 billion, a New York Times analysis shows."I'm in the camp that expects rapid growth once people feel safe going out and spending money," Krugman said.Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Nobel laureate Paul Krugman predicts the US economy will enjoy a strong, sustained recovery once the pandemic threat recedes.

Krugman, who won the Nobel Prize for economics in 2008, warned in a recent New York Times column that the next few months "will be hell in terms of politics, epidemiology, and economics." However, he expects the economic rebound to be "much faster and continue much longer than many people expect."

The economics professor and writer anticipates that once vaccines are rolled out nationwide, a combination of pent-up demand, increased household savings, technological advances, and the Biden administration's support will underpin a jobs boom.

Read more: GOLDMAN SACHS: Buy these 37 stocks that could earn you the strongest returns without taking on big risks in 2021 as the recovery and vaccine distribution get underway

Krugman laid out a "clear case for optimism" in his column, arguing the US economy will bounce back much faster than it did from the financial crisis.

There was a "Wile E. Coyote moment" in 2007 when consumers and businesses woke up to sky-high house prices and vast sums of household debt that promptly tanked the economy, he said. However, the private sector doesn't appear significantly overextended this time around, he added.

Indeed, a New York Times analysis found that Americans' personal savings grew by $1.6 trillion or 173% year-on-year between March and November last year, as disposable incomes rose by $1 trillion and household spending fell by $535 billion.

Unemployment insurance benefits, stimulus checks boosted savings, and the Payment Protection Program shoring up incomes, while lockdowns and virus fears hammered spending on flights, cruises, and other services.

Read more: Jeremy Grantham's GMO called the dot-com bubble. His firm now sees 'very odd and speculative things' going on again - and warns large US stocks could see negative returns over the next 7 years.

"I'm in the camp that expects rapid growth once people feel safe going out and spending money," Krugman said. While the pandemic has devastated the livelihoods of millions, the average American has been "saving like crazy," he added.

Krugman doesn't expect the economy to require as much support as it did under President Obama. Moreover, he predicts technological advances in sectors such as biotech and renewable energy, coupled with a president who is "actually interested in doing his job" and not anti-science or obsessed with fossil fuels, to drive growth.

The economist also took a parting shot at Republicans for undermining the legitimacy of the recent presidential election.

The party's members "keep demonstrating that they're worse than you could possibly have imagined, even when you tried to take into account the fact that they're worse than you could possibly have imagined," he said.

Read more: The space industry will grow by over $1 trillion in the next decade, says Bank of America. Here are the 14 stocks best-positioned to benefit from the boom.

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03

Far-right group Proud Boys claim they will attend January 6 DC rally 'incognito' and wear all black to blend in with antifa protesters

Members of the Proud Boys gather in support of President Donald Trump and in protest the outcome of the 2020 presidential election near freedom plaza on December 12, 2020 in Washington, DC.

Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

The Proud Boys, a far-right group, have said they will be attending the rally "incognito."They will forgo their traditional uniform of black and yellow and, instead, wear all-black.Followers of antifa, an anti-fascist movement, typically appear in all-black clothing, have frequently clashed with the Proud Boys.President Donald Trump has advertised a 'stop the steal' rally on January 6 to his followers.Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Members of the far-right group, the Proud Boys, will head to Washington, DC to rally for President Donald Trump on January 6 - the day on which Congress is scheduled to meet to finalize the 2020 presidential election results.

Leaders from the group have shared with their followers that they intend to attend the rally "incognito" and wearing "ALL black."

The Proud Boys' chairman, Enrique Tarrio, revealed on Parler that "the Proud Boys will turn out in record numbers on Jan 6th but, this time, with a twist."

The twist, Tarrio said, is that they will forgo their traditional uniform for something inconspicuous.

He wrote: "We will not be wearing our traditional Black and Yellow."

The group's standard uniform is black and yellow Fred Perry polo shirts, military armor, and MAGA hats.

Instead, the chairman explained: "We might dress in all BLACK for the occasion."

Followers of antifa, an anti-fascist movement, typically wear all-black clothing.

Antifa members gather behind protective shields during a Stop The Steal protest at the Georgia State Capitol on December 12th, 2020 in Atlanta, GA.

Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire

The Proud Boys intend to take further steps to blend in with other protesters.

Tarrio wrote: "We will be incognito and we will spread across downtown DC in smaller teams."

Joe Biggs, an organizer for the group, confirmed the alleged plans on his Parler account.

In a video, he said: "We will not be attending DC in colors. We will be blending in as one of you. You won't see us. You'll even think we are you. "

He continued: "We are going to smell like you, move like you, and look like you. The only thing we'll do that's us is think like us! Jan 6th is gonna be epic."

The Proud Boys and antifa have clashed on numerous occasions. Last month, four people were stabbed and another was shot after the two groups clashed.

In 2018, a video emerged of antifa protesters being beaten up by members of the Proud Boys in New York City

Members of the Proud Boys and antifa stand off near Black Lives Matter Plaza on December 12, 2020 in Washington, DC.

Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

The Proud Boys gained mainstream attention after Trump name-called them at the first presidential debate

They made headlines again after Tarrio claimed responsibility for setting a Black Lives Matter banner on fire during a pro-Trump rally on December 12.

Their plans to gather in support of Trump on January 6 have worried some politicians.

The DC's Attorney General Karl Racine told CBS News: "My level of anxiety is high. My preparation is even more intense than that."

Racine said that he fears that the Proud Boys will "pick fights, create damage, damage property, and then act in a very threatening way."

Trump has been accused of inciting right-wing groups to participate in violent protests on January 6.

A former top aide to Vice President Mike Pence, Olivia Troye, has said that she fears that there could be violence at this rally because "the president himself is encouraging it."

Last month, President Donald Trump promised his supporters that there would be a "wild" rally in Washington, DC.

On Friday, the president reminded his followers that there would be a "BIG Protest Rally" taking place in the capital from 11 a.m.

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