The Reuters Daily Briefing

Tuesday, January 26, 2021

by Linda Noakes and Hani Richter

Good morning, .

Here’s what you need to know.

'High crimes and misdemeanors'

The House of Representatives set in motion Donald Trump's second impeachment trial, charging him with inciting insurrection.

Wearing masks, House Democrats filed through the ornate Capitol Rotunda and into the Senate chamber to deliver the charge, following the path that a mob of Trump supporters took on Jan. 6 as they clashed with police.

Meanwhile, Trump opened a Florida office to push his former administration's agenda.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell has dropped his objection to a power-sharing deal with Democrats. With Vice President Kamala Harris unable to attend every session to be the tie-breaking vote, the two party leaders have been discussing an arrangement to govern the daily work of the 50-50 chamber.

The Senate voted overwhelmingly to confirm Janet Yellen as the first female Treasury chief and is expected to confirm veteran diplomat Antony Blinken as Secretary of State today.

Today’s biggest stories

Pandemic Indonesia surpassed a million confirmed cases, a grim milestone for the Southeast Asian nation that has struggled since last March to get the epidemic under control. Britain will announce whether it will bring in mandatory quarantine in hotels for some or all arrivals, the country’s coronavirus vaccination minister said as he warned the public not to book summer vacations. California eased strict stay-at-home orders, allowing restaurants to reopen for outdoor dining and greater social mixing, as public health authorities reported slower infection rates and hospitalizations. The number of people hospitalized in France rose by more than 1,000 over the last two days and the number of patients in intensive care units exceeded 3,000 for the first time since early December. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said New Zealand’s borders will remain closed for most of this year, but it will pursue travel arrangements with neighboring Australia and other Pacific nations.

World News Thousands of Indian farmers protesting against agricultural reforms breached barricades to enter the historic Red Fort complex in the capital and hoist flags after clashing with police, who fired tear gas to restrain them. China said it will conduct military exercises in the South China Sea this week, just days after Beijing bristled at a U.S. aircraft carrier group’s entry into the disputed waters. Armed and ready to go, Taiwan air force jets screamed into the sky in a drill to simulate a war scenario, showing its fleet’s battle readiness after dozens of Chinese warplanes flew into the island’s air defense zone over the weekend. Ugandan security forces have withdrawn from around the home of opposition leader Bobi Wine, a Reuters witness said, ending his house arrest since a Jan. 14 presidential election. Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte was set to hand in his resignation to the head of state, hoping to be given the opportunity to try and put together a new coalition and rebuild his parliamentary majority.

Business News Twitter has permanently suspended the account of My Pillow chief Mike Lindell for repeated violations of the company’s policy on election misinformation, the social media firm said. Google said it will not make contributions from its political action committee this election cycle to any Congress member who voted against certifying the results of the presidential election. When Microsoft Corp reports earnings, investors will be looking for signs that big businesses are still investing in cloud computing, that smaller businesses are starting to recover and whether Xbox sales will be slowed by chip shortages. French luxury goods group LVMH plans to overhaul Tiffany & Co’s vast merchandise lineup to focus more on gold and precious gems while going more upmarket with its silver bangles after closing the $15.8 billion takeover of the U.S. jeweler this month.

Quote of the day

"The greatest military in the world will again value readiness over bias, and qualifications over discrimination."

Alphonso David

President of the Human Rights Campaign

Video of the day

Australia Day protests draw thousands

And finally…

Adam Schultz

Major, one of the family dogs of President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, explores the South Lawn after his arrival from Delaware at the White House in Washington, January 24, 2021.

More from Reuters

Thanks for spending part of your day with us.

You are receiving this email because you signed up for newsletters from Reuters. No longer want to hear from us? Unsubscribe from The Reuters Daily Briefing.

© 2021 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.
3 Times Square, New York, NY 10036