politicnewsbusterinsiderpostreview: U.S. orders embassy families from Ukraine amid fears of Russia invasion

Monday 24 January 2022

U.S. orders embassy families from Ukraine amid fears of Russia invasion

By Nick Visser

Monday, Jan. 24

U.S. PULLS EMBASSY FAMILIES FROM UKRAINE The State Department ordered the families of all American personnel at the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine to leave the country amid ongoing fears of a Russian invasion. The move doesn't constitute an evacuation, and essential workers will remain in Kyiv, but officials said the situation along the border remained "unpredictable" and predicted security conditions could "deteriorate with little notice." [AP]

THE BEST NFL PLAYOFF GAME EVER? It's a playoff game for the history books: The Kansas City Chiefs won a thriller matchup against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night in overtime. In mere moments, both teams unleashed highlight play after highlight play, and 25 points were scored between them in the last two minutes of the game. The Chiefs will play the Cincinnati Bengals next Sunday for a spot in the Super Bowl. [AP]

BILL BARR HAS SPOKEN TO JAN. 6 COMMITTEE Rep. Bennie Thompson, chair of the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack, revealed that former Attorney General William Barr has already spoken to investigators, a major development in the ongoing probe. Thompson was asked about recent reports that Donald Trump was presented with a draft executive order that would have directed the Pentagon to seize voting machines in battleground states and if he planned to talk to the former AG about it: "To be honest with you, we've had conversations with the former attorney general already," Thompson told CBS News. [HuffPost]

TRUMP ACCUSES JAN. 6 LAWMAKERS OF GOING AFTER 'CHILDREN' Trump claimed lawmakers investigating the Jan. 6 attack were going after "children" by trying to speak with his daughter, Ivanka Trump, who worked closely with his administration. Ivanka Trump is 40 years old, with children of her own. [HuffPost]

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100 MILLIONAIRES AND BILLIONAIRES PLEAD: TAX US MORE! More than a hundred of the world's wealthiest people published an open letter calling for nations to increase taxes on the rich to address the "injustice" of tax systems. "To put it simply, restoring trust requires taxing the rich," the letter, which includes heiress Abigail Disney, says. "The world — every country in it — must demand the rich pay their fair share." [HuffPost]

TRUMP'S OWN 'PLEASE CLAP' MOMENT Trump may have had his own, infamous "please clap" moment at his Mar-a-Lago resort. A new clip posted to Twitter shows the former president standing at his table at the venue, appearing to gesture for those dining nearby to applaud him. They did. [HuffPost]

RFK JR. OFF THE RAILS WITH ANTI-VAX COMMENTS Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a noted anti-vaccine advocate, spewed a series of wild and offensive conspiracy theories at a rally in Washington this weekend, at one point comparing the experience of anti-vaxxers to victims of the Holocaust, including Anne Frank. He went on to share false claims about Bill Gates and 5G networks. The Auschwitz Memorial and Museum promptly said his remarks were "exploiting" victims of the Holocaust. [HuffPost]

EXPERTS REJOICE, CROSS FINGERS FOR NEWBORN ELEPHANT TWINS Conservationists have their fingers crossed for a rare pair of elephant twins born at a reserve in Kenya this month. The babies, a male and female, are highly unusual: Only about 1% of elephant births result in twins, and the mothers often have trouble producing enough milk to support two calves. "The next few days will be touch and go for the new twins but we all have our fingers crossed for their survival," a zoologist monitoring them said. [HuffPost]

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