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BREAKING: Trump Signs Last Minute Bill - Adult Americans Now Eligible For Free CBD LEARN HOW

January 08, 2021 View Online | Sign Up TOGETHER WITH Good morning. As many readers know, we’ve got a real soft spot for Alex Trebek, the legendary Jeopardy! host who died November 8 of pancreatic cancer. Well, his final episode airs tonight.  If you've still got some energy for trivia on a Friday night, gather up your loved ones and give it a watch. MARKETS NASDAQ 13,049.99 + 2.43% S&P 3,805.56 + 1.53% DOW 31,092.92 + 0.85% GOLD 1,917.50 + 0.47% 10-YR 1.071% + 3.20 bps OIL 50.92 + 0.57% *As of market close Transition: In a video last night, President Trump acknowledged that a “new administration” would take over on Jan. 20. He condemned the rioters at the Capitol, and said “my focus now turns to ensuring a smooth, orderly, and seamless transition of power.” Markets: Stocks shrugged off the unrest in D.C. and surged to record highs. The Nasdaq closed above 13,000 for the first time. Economy: Jobless claims inched downward last week, but remain at elevated levels. The big December jobs report will arrive at 8:30am ET. SOCIAL MEDIA Social Media Companies Mute Trump’s Megaphone

Francis Scialabba If you’re like us, you spent yesterday trying to cope with Wednesday’s siege on the U.S. Capitol. Also doing that: social media companies. In response to the anti-democracy invasion by pro-Trump extremists, platforms on which Trump has gargantuan followings placed unprecedented restrictions on his ability to communicate.  Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced Trump would be blocked from posting on both Facebook and Instagram at least until President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration in about two weeks.  Zuckerberg explained that, given the events that took place Wednesday, the risk of allowing Trump to post was too great. “The shocking events of the last 24 hours clearly demonstrate that President Donald Trump intends to use his remaining time in office to undermine the peaceful and lawful transition of power to his elected successor, Joe Biden,” Zuck wrote. It was a notable switcheroo for Zuckerberg, who in the past has supported a more hands-off approach to content moderation.  Twitter was under pressure to apply similar measures; on Wednesday night it suspended Trump’s account for 12 hours and demanded the removal of three tweets.  Google-owned YouTube removed the video Trump recorded while the siege was still underway, in which he repeated lies about the election.  And Amazon-owned Twitch disabled President Trump’s account indefinitely. The reaction  Some experts said it was too late to get serious about preventing violence after the national legislature had been breached and four people had died. Other critics suggested the companies were repositioning in anticipation of a Democrat-controlled Congress and White House.  Former Facebook exec Chamath Palihapitiya drew a connection between Facebook’s consistently stellar financial performance and its lackadaisical attitude about moderation: “...we optimized for short-term profitability at the sake of our democracy,” he told CNBC.  Bottom line: It's symbolic that Trump's term is concluding with a referendum on his social media activity. He's used the platforms, to various ends, like no president—or world leader—we've seen before.

WEALTH Elon Musk and Bitcoin Yesterday

Giphy Elon Musk and bitcoin—you either think they’re a joke or you have a neck tattoo of them. What can we agree on? Both hit major milestones yesterday. Let’s start with Musk Yesterday, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX became the richest person in the world, topping Jeff Bezos with a net worth of $188.5 billion.  Musk has gained more than $150 billion in net worth over the past 12 months, amounting to “possibly the fastest bout of wealth creation in history,” writes Bloomberg.  What happened? As Tesla shares rise, so does Musk’s fortune. Tesla stock gained 743% last year and rose nearly 8% yesterday, thrusting Musk past his rocket rival Bezos (if he hadn’t ceded ~25% of his wealth in a 2019 divorce, Bezos would still be No. 1). Now to bitcoin  The cryptocurrency everyone wishes they didn’t sell in 2018 broke through $40,000 yesterday, bringing the total value of cryptocurrencies past $1 trillion.  Zoom out: Bitcoin’s starting out 2021 even better than its legendary 2020, when it gained more than 300%. It’s doubled its value in less than a month.

PHARMA China Puts Best Shot Forward One year ago, we wrote about how a new coronavirus strain was expected to disrupt travel and shopping during China’s Lunar New Year. Twelve very disruptive months later, Beijing is executing an ambitious plan to vaccinate 50 million frontline workers ahead of the holiday in February.  It has two vaccines to help, both of which use inactivated viruses to create immune responses (Pfizer’s and Moderna’s vaccines use mRNA).  CoronaVac, developed by Sinovac Biotech, was 78% effective in late-stage trials in Brazil, officials said yesterday. The vaccine is already approved for limited use in China. BBIBP-CorV, from state-owned drugmaker Sinopharm, needs a nickname. But last week it was the first to receive commercial use approval from Chinese regulators; it’s reportedly 79% effective. China’s thinking globally Western governments, skeptical of Chinese vaccines, have opted for approved vaccines from U.S. firms Pfizer and Moderna. That’s left Chinese (and Russian) vaccines as the best available options for some developing countries.  Developing countries have already purchased 300 million CoronaVac doses. Bottom line: For China, “vaccine diplomacy” is a new front to extend influence abroad, particularly in Africa, where it’s made infrastructure investments for years.

SPONSORED BY H&R BLOCK News Flash: It’s Tax Season Put away the holiday lights and throw out the fruitcake. It’s time to get down to business. Tax business. This tax season, we’re teaming up with the know-it-alls from H&R Block (seriously, their tax pros have an average of 10 years' experience) to get you the friendly financial help you need. So even if you took on a side gig, got a promotion (congrats, btw), or want to expense a Norwegian ergonomic cushion, Block can get you the refund you deserve.  Block’s got many options for you this season, so you can file: However: Us cool millennials can go the DIY route and do everything on a smartphone. Wherever: File from the couch or head to one of Block’s offices across the country. Whenever: Block’s open early and late. Make an appointment or just stop in.  See? Taxes don’t have to be tedious. Let Block have your back this tax season.

FINANCE SoFi Feeling Spactacular

TechCrunch Yesterday, SoFi confirmed it’s going public through a merger with a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), a deal valuing the startup at $8.7 billion. Quick background: SoFi: a fintech company that’s moved beyond student loan refinancing to mortgages, insurance, wealth management, and even crypto trading.  SPAC: a shell company that raises money through an IPO and then acquires or merges with a private company, thereby taking the private company public.  SoFi is doing the deed with the mastermind behind last year’s SPAC craze, Chamath Palihapitiya (second appearance in today’s newsletter, congrats). A prolific investor, Palihapitiya’s firm Social Capital Hedosophia has completed several high-profile SPACquisitions, including Virgin Galactic, Opendoor, and Clover Health (a deal that closed yesterday). Zoom out: SPACs have been around for years, but took off in 2020 with over 240 of them announced and an average deal size of $335 million. But some investors have questioned massive payouts to SPAC managers, who often receive 20% equity, as well as mixed returns. Looking ahead...Palihapitiya reserved tickers IPOA through IPOZ. The SPAC merging with SoFi, IPOE, gained 58% yesterday. Bets on who goes public through IPOF?

QUIZ First News Quiz of 2021 Francis Scialabba Getting a 5/5 on the Brew’s Weekly News Quiz is like taking an outdoor shower after a beach day.  It’s that satisfying. Ace the quiz.

WHAT ELSE IS BREWING Boeing will pay more than $2.5 billion to settle charges with the DOJ that it misled the FAA about the safety of the 737 Max. CNN said Wednesday’s coverage of the Capitol riot was the network’s most-watched day in history. The U.S. trade deficit hit a 14-year high in November as retailers imported all your holiday gifts. President-elect Joe Biden has reportedly finalized his cabinet, nominating Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo as commerce secretary, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh as labor secretary, and California economic development official Isabel Guzman as head of the Small Business Administration. Mortgage rates hit another record low last week. Mercedes-Benz unveiled a 56-inch (not a typo) Hyperscreen display for its upcoming EQS luxury electric car.

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GAMES Friday Puzzle Complete the words below using three consecutive letters in alphabetical order. Example: _ _ A _ U S; add A B and C it would become ABACUS. 1. F _ _ R I _ 2. T H I _ _ _ 3. A _ U _ _ A 4. _ _ _ I N E 5. A _ _ _ T E 6. _ _ _ A C K

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ANSWER

1. Fabric
2. Thirst
3. Alumna
4. Define
5. Astute
6. Hijack

Columnists What Happened, and What Now? Larry O'Connor Trump's Agenda Must Survive His Presidency David Limbaugh Va. Lawmakers Should Pass New Sunday Hunting Bill Gabriella Hoffman President Trump: Pardon Caleb Bailey Stephen Moore The Road to Ruin in Riots Tim Graham If Trump Cares About the Movement He Helped Build, He Should Now Go Away Josh Hammer The Worst of Days for Trump & Trumpists Pat Buchanan Washington’s Revenge of the Nerds Tom Tradup Will Democrats Ditch a Policy That's Produced More Equal Incomes? Michael Barone ADVERTISEMENT What's Wrong with Public Schools? It's the Unions John Kass Trump Is Merely the Symptom D.W. Wilber Patriots Do Not Storm Their Nation's Capitol Neil Patel If Government Is the Answer, What Could Possibly be the Question? Loyd Pettegrew A New McCarthyism? Jerry Rogers Weren’t the U.S. Capitol Protesters ‘Mostly Peaceful?’ Rob Natelson Video Gov. Evers: Saying Abortionists 'Execute Babies' Is 'Blasphemy' Trump blasts Schiff as 'political hack' Pelosi's condescension offers some laughs Pelosi open to border infrastructure INVESTING Why the Stock Market Soared After the Democrats Won - Mark Skousen January 6th Will Live In Infamy Socialized Medicine: Karen Locking You In Your House, Forever Arch Coal, Inc. Announces Extension of Private Debt Exchange Offers and Support Agreement | Personal Fascism Is Socialism: Here’s The Proof Nathan Slaughter: Biography and Latest Articles

Tipsheet Tucker Rails Against CNN's Description of US Capitol Riot Leah Barkoukis DOL’s Independent Contractor Rule Will Enable Americans to Choose the Careers They Want Dean Heyl CBP Chief Says Biden's Immigration Proposals Already Leading to Skyrocketing Numbers at the Border Bronson Stocking Officer Dies From Injuries Following Attack on Capitol Bronson Stocking New Footage Yields More Questions Regarding the Woman Shot And Killed Inside the Capitol Building Matt Vespa Trump Condemns 'Heinous Attack' on Capitol, Commits to Smooth Transition in New Video Bronson Stocking Video Shows Trump Supporters Attempting to Stop People From Breaking Into the Capitol Bronson Stocking Capitol Police Chief Resigns Following Debacle at Capitol Bronson Stocking Will the Left Say Her Name? Leah Barkoukis McEnany Condemns Capitol Violence, Confirms a Peaceful Transition to Biden Is Underway Katie Pavlich Nancy Pelosi Joins Democratic Chorus Who Want to Invoke the 25th Amendment to Remove Trump Matt Vespa ADVERTISEMENT Political Cartoons Bearing Arms Democrats Already Using Capitol Riot To Push Gun Control | Cam Edwards After Wednesday, Where Do We Go From Here? | Cam Edwards The Left Begins Its Push To Remake The Supreme Court | Cam Edwards Proposed Gun 'Buyback' Won't Reduce Philly Violence | Cam Edwards What Georgia Senate Results Means For Everyone | Tom Knighton

Today's Top Headline

GOP senators blame Trump after mob overruns Capitol

US human rights lawyer arrested in Hong Kong granted bail

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The U.S Government Is Watching Every Move You Make. Do You Want To Stand For That!?

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Congress rejects challenge to Arizona’s presidential vote

Schumer says $2K checks will be top priority of Democratic-controlled Senate

Obama calls mob scene a moment of ‘shame’ but not surprise

The Mexican government’s new banking bill purports to buy up dirty cash

 

January 8th, 2021

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  Sen. Lindsey Graham Press Briefing

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Fox News was live and their video will be available soon. 34 mins ·. Sen. Lindsey Graham holds a press briefing in the Senate Gallery. 267K Views.

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	FOX Daily update ⋅ January 8, 2021
	NEWS
	Fox News Host Who Called BLM 'Poison' Says Pro-Trump Mob Made Up Of 'Solid Americans' Forbes Fox News Host Tucker Carlson was one of several popular conservative media pundits who condemned the violence that took place Wednesday, but ... Fox News' Brian Kilmeade Calls Trump's Recent Behavior "Terrible," Praises Joe Biden - Hollywood Reporter Full Coverage Flag as irrelevant
	Viewers chose CNN over Fox News for coverage of DC's pro-Trump riots Los Angeles Times Fox News is typically the most-watched news network, with 2020 being the best year in its history. But many of its conservative-leaning viewers tend to ... Flag as irrelevant
	Fox News wants its viewers angry enough to watch but not angry enough to riot Vox Because voters think the presidential election was stolen. “We got to this sad chaotic day for a reason. It is not your fault; it is their fault,” Fox's Tucker ... Flag as irrelevant
	Stone Cold Steve Austin Has Thoughts FOXSports.com FOX Sports WWE Analyst. "Straight Up Steve Austin" returns next week for a second season on USA Network. The interview series hosted by "Stone ... Flag as irrelevant
	Twitter, Facebook lock Trump account for violating policies, warn of 'permanent suspension' Fox News Instagram also blocked the president for 24 hours. Brooke Singman. By Brooke Singman | Fox News. Woman shot, killed after pro-Trump protesters charged US Capitol identified - FOX 5 DC Capitol Police officer 'didn't have a choice' in shooting Babbitt, GOP congressman says - Fox News San Diego woman killed in Capitol siege - fox5sandiego.com Full Coverage Flag as irrelevant
	UNC Linebacker Tomon Fox Announces Return, Will Use Extra Year of Eligibility Chapelboro.com Fox has played in 44 games for the Tar Heels over the last five seasons, racking up 21.5 career sacks during that span–a number good enough to move ... Tomon Fox to Return to UNC for 2021 Season - 247Sports Full Coverage Flag as irrelevant
	Facebook blocks Trump indefinitely after Capitol riot response Fox News Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Thursday said that President ... Biden's Electoral College victory certified -- hours after Capitol chaos - Fox News McConnell rips 'shocking failures' in Capitol security, Schumer vows firings - Fox News Pelosi: Will impeach if cabinet won't oust Trump - Fox News Full Coverage Flag as irrelevant
	US Capitol secured after being stormed by pro-Trump supporters FOX 5 DC FOX 5's Tom Fitzgerald is covering the electoral college vote count on Capitol Hill. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Duplicate ad ... Flag as irrelevant
	Trump promises 'orderly transition' on Jan. 20 after Electoral College results certified Fox News Fox News' Adam Shaw and Edmund DeMarche and the Associated Press contributed to this report. -. Flag as irrelevant
	Trump promises 'orderly transition' after Congress certifies Biden win Fox News ... the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police Department told Fox News. The police department later confirmed that a police officer had fired the shot ... Flag as irrelevant
	WEB

Graham Rips Capitol Hill Security, Says Rioters ‘Could Have Killed Us All’

Ex-Attorney General Barr Slams Trump for ‘Betrayal of His Office’

Joe Biden: Trump ‘mob’ left off too easy by police

South Carolina legislation looks to ban mandatory vaccines