Trump White House associate tied to Proud Boys before riot via cell phone data

The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) used location, cellular and call record data to make the connection between the unnamed person and the fringe far-right group.

The Times also noted that none of the phone data showed any connection between rioters and members of Congress on Jan. 6. In the aftermath of the insurrection, Democrats made claims that Republicans lawmakers had been involved in the incident, leading to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) calling for any members of Congress involved to be criminally charged. 

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Biden announces $1,400 payments will begin this month

President Biden on Saturday announced that the $1,400 coronavirus stimulus checks will begin being distributed in March.

The payments come after the Senate passed the nearly $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill Saturday in a 50-49 partisan vote. 

This is the first round of stimulus checks that will be given out under Biden. Former President Trump passed two stimulus checks last year, one for $1,200 and another for $600. 

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Myanmar military conducts violent night raids

Myanmar’s military overnight Saturday conducted violent raids throughout the country's largest city of Yangon amid ongoing protests following last month’s military-led coup. 

Reuters reported that local residents said the military late Saturday and into the early hours of Sunday local time stormed and fired several shots into crowds of demonstrators in several districts throughout the city. 

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Albany Times Union editorial board calls for Cuomo's resignation

The Albany Times Union’s editorial board has joined in on calls for New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) to resign amid a series of controversies surrounding the elected official, writing that Cuomo “has squandered the public’s trust at a time when it’s needed more than ever.” 

The editorial board in a Saturday opinion piece specifically cited revelations of Cuomo’s administration intentionally withholding coronavirus death toll numbers in nursing homes, as well as multiple allegations of sexual harassment against the governor. 

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Another former Cuomo aide accuses him of harassment

A third former aide of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) has come forward with allegations of sexual harassment, including inappropriate remarks and unsolicited touching while she worked in his office. 

Ana Liss, who served as a policy and operations aide in Cuomo’s office from 2013 to 2015, told The Wall Street Journal in an interview published Saturday that Cuomo asked if she had a boyfriend and also called her “sweetheart.” 

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Biden to sign executive order aimed at increasing voting access

President Biden on Sunday will sign an executive order leveraging federal resources to protect and strengthen access to the ballot as Republican legislatures around the country seek to restrict voting rights in the wake of the 2020 election.

Biden will sign an order that will direct agencies to increase access to voter registration materials and reduce barriers to voting for certain groups, including military and overseas voters, Native Americans, people with disabilities and Native Americans. 

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Advocates warn restrictive voting bills could end Georgia's record turnout

Georgia voting rights advocates are worried Republicans are clawing back hard-won progress made in the state after it saw record turnout among voters in November’s general election and the Senate runoffs earlier this year.

A new batch of bills making their way through Georgia's legislature are raising red flags among voting rights groups who say the state might not have seen the record turnout it did in the recent races if the bills were in place.

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Sinema pushes back on criticism of her vote against $15 minimum wage, implying that it's sexist

Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema's (Ariz.) office is pushing back against criticism of her Friday vote to reject a $15 minimum wage bill, with a spokesperson for the senator calling commentary on the way in which she cast her vote sexist.

Sinema was among eight Democrats who voted against the legislation, which was sponsored by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in an effort to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour.  

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