The President’s End Times | RIP @RealDonaldTrump

The nation is trying to right itself after a mob fomented by President Donald Trump staged a deadly attack on the Capitol Wednesday just as Congress was affirming his electoral ouster. But with 11 days left in Trump’s term, House Democrats are taking no chances and plan to fast-track a second impeachment Monday if he doesn’t resign. While there isn’t time to try Trump in the Senate, legal scholars say senators could convict him after he leaves office, barring a return to power. In the meantime, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Friday that she’d spoken to the nation’s top general about curbing the president’s orders, especially those involving nuclear weapons.

Sources: NYT, The Hill, Euronews, Politico

2. Coming Up: Trump Seeks Twitter Substitute

Words matter. Fearing “the risk of further incitement of violence,” Twitter permanently banned President Trump’s @realDonaldTrump account Friday evening, depriving him of his most effective communication tool — which he’d used more than 57,000 times. The microblogging giant said its move was based on how his posts “are being received and interpreted.” It’s since stopped other accounts from posting Trump’s messages, and sparked a mass migration of Trumpist tweeters to Parler, which has been removed from Google’s Android app store, while Apple has threatened removal if Parler won’t moderate dangerous content. Angered by the move, Trump also suggested starting his own platform.

Sources: ABC, Fox News, BBC, AP

3. Biden Plans to Release Vaccine Stockpile

In a controversial break with the Trump administration’s pandemic policy, President-elect Joe Biden plans to stop holding back vaccine supplies intended to be second doses for those who have received the first shot. That means more people will get shots, but fewer will get the full protection that comes with receiving the prescribed follow-up shot within three to four weeks. Meanwhile, some medical centers are finding that as much as 80 percent of medical workers — particularly at elder care facilities — don’t want to be immunized. The number of those who “don’t want to be guinea pigs,” as one doctor put it, has alarmed health authorities.

Sources: CNN, AP

4. Senator’s Comment Chills Dow Amid Job Losses

When Sen. Joe Manchin talks, people listen. At about 1 p.m. Eastern on Friday, the centrist West Virginia Democrat, whose vote matters in a closely divided Congress, said there would “absolutely not” be a round of $2,000 stimulus checks. That reversed a Wall Street upswing on a day when December’s employment report showed a loss of 140,000 jobs, keeping unemployment at 6.7 percent. It was the first time since the first pandemic wave in April that the U.S. lost jobs, indicating that recovery may take longer than expected, but with vaccines providing a light at the end of the tunnel.

Sources: Investors’ Business Daily, Yahoo

5. Also Important …

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un told a party congress that the country is completing plans for a nuclear submarine. A fire in a maternity ward in India has killed 10 babies. And freshman Republican Rep. Mary Miller of Illinois has apologized for saying “Adolf Hitler was right” about the importance of influencing youth.

In the Week Ahead: The NFL playoffs begin today. On Monday, the Consumer Electronics Show begins, but virtually. And next week President Trump plans to present the Presidential Medal of Freedom to staunch congressional supporter Rep. Jim Jordan.

Election Update: The 50-50 balance in the U.S. Senate created by Democrats capturing two seats in Tuesday’s Georgia runoff elections may be altered by the Capitol attack: Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski says she may quit the Republican Party if it continues to support President Trump.

We know a good newsletter when we see one: Morning Brew solves the problem of dry, traditional business news with a clever, witty tone and easy-to-read format. You’ll get the top news stories delivered to your inbox in a five-minute read every Monday through Saturday along with a healthy dose of humor and wit — for free. Check it out.

The wait is over! Cariuma’s IBI sneakers are back in stock just in time for the the new year. We love Cariuma's guilt-free, sustainable and sleek-looking footwear for the entire family. So whether you want to dress it down or dress it up, you’ll always be comfy and carefree in these 100 percent vegan kicks. Oh, and just to show you how much we care, use the code OZY to receive $15 off your next purchase. For a limited time only, so don’t miss out!

We hated it. But Wednesday’s attack on the U.S. Capitol may have done what no PR firm could have accomplished for facial recognition software. There have been calls on social media to use the tech to ID the vandals. One viral story, published and then retracted by the conservative Washington Times, claimed facial recognition had nailed antifa members at the scene. Either way, it follows public calls to prohibit police from using such algorithms, which are known to misidentify the faces of Black people, to find suspects. But in this case, the targets are white, and generally didn’t cover their faces.

Source: . coda

What do you think? Should facial recognition be used to track down the Capitol mob? Reply to this email with your first name, last initial and state or city and we may share your views in the PDB.

2. Can Blockchain Help Them Buy American?

It’s not a question of U.S. vs. them. They are Krissy and Alex Mashinsky, veterans of the fashion and cryptocurrency worlds, and they’re aiming to help American workers and businesses with blockchain technology, OZY reports. How? By launching usastrong.io, a marketplace for goods made in the USA. While sparked by the pandemic downturn, it’s also driven by environmental worries, which advocate for buying locally as well. The husband-and-wife team do it by verifying owners and suppliers of products as diverse as hoodies and honey, and tracking a limited number of components using blockchain. Next up? They’re eyeing all-American wine.

Source: OZY

3. Trump Auctioned the Wilderness, and (Almost) Nobody Came

It was “an epic failure.” At least if your agenda is selling off Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, which is home to polar bears and caribou, along with an estimated 11 billion barrels of oil. Conservationists have long fought to preserve America’s largest untrammeled wilderness, but the Trump administration moved quickly to sell oil drilling leases on Wednesday. But far from the expected $900 million, just two companies and Alaskan state authorities bid only a few leases for $14 million. While the sale, depressed by low oil demand, was a failure, it will still be more difficult to stop future sales, local groups lamented.

Sources: Alaska Public Radio, Euronews

4. Where the Scoops Are Big, Like the Consequences

Journalists can be the worst interview subjects. But the incongruously named Sports Gazette’s staff allowed documentarians to shadow them for 14 months. Alexander Nanau’s Collective, named for the 2015 Bucharest nightclub fire that killed 64 people and spotlighted authorities’ corruption in government and the health care system, became Romania’s submission in the Academy Awards’ Best International Film category. The resulting stories launched mass protests and brought down the government, something that will no doubt resonate with Academy members who’ve lived through their own upheaval — if the film advances that far.

Source: THR

5. Dodgers Legend Tommy Lasorda Dies at 93

He once told his wife that he loved her more than football or basketball — just not baseball. Tommy Lasorda, who led Los Angeles to eight division titles, four National League pennants and prevailed in two World Series, died of a heart attack Thursday in Southern California, but his death was announced yesterday. Lasorda even briefly pitched for the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1950s, beginning 71 seasons, including as Dodgers skipper from 1976 to 1996 and notching 1,599 wins. With an oversize and loud personality, Lasorda was the Dodgers, recently advising the team and watching them win the championship in October, the first time since he had made it happen.

Sources: LA Times, ESPN

Digitizing your operations is more than just a productivity advantage; it’s a necessity. Explore the impact and value that digitization and digital transformation can have on your business with the Operations Management: Digital Strategy online program from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. You’ll gain insight into the latest technologies and learn how to use them to achieve effective operational strategies that directly impact your organization’s bottom-line performance. Sign up to find out more about the program here.