February 1 political news briefs

Here are today’s political news briefs.

President Joe Biden is meeting with 10 Republican senators today at the White House to try and reach a deal on a new coronavirus relief package. Biden wanted a $1.9 trillion package that includes $1,400 in direct payments, but the Republicans have proposed a $618 billion package with $1,000 direct payments for those earning $40,000 or less, with the amounts phasing out for higher incomes. We’ll see what they can agree on.

Former President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial will begin next week in the Senate. News reports said Trump has named two new attorneys to lead his defense team after five attorneys exited the team last weekend. One of the attorneys, David Schoen, visited Jeffrey Epstein in a New York City jail to discuss his sex trafficking case shortly before he committed suicide. Schoen said he believes that Epstein was murdered. The second attorney is Bruce Castor Jr, who was a former district attorney in Pennsylvania who refused to press charges against Bill Cosby after the survivor, Andrea Constand, reported sexual assault to police in 2005. Cosby was ultimately found guilty under a different prosecutor in 2018. So that’s who Trump’s lawyers are.

Will Trump be convicted of his charge of inciting an insurrection? It is doubtful because 45 Republican senators voted against holding a trial last week, deeming it unconstitutional because Trump is no longer president. We’ll see what happens next week during the trial.

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In Myanmar, the country’s military seized control of the government and detained Aung San Suu Kyi, who had a position similar to a prime minister, and the country’s president. The army announced that its general, Min Aung Hlaing, is now the country’s leader. This is a coup, a takeover of government.

Myanmar’s political leaders were elected in November 2020, but the army, which is politically active and has representatives in parliament, said there was fraud in the election. Today was supposed to be the first day of Myanmar’s new parliament session. Now the army has seized control and declared it will control the country for a year.

Many countries in the world, including the U.S., criticized the coup. President Biden said he is considering sanctions. Myanmar has had a long history of military rule and struggle with leaders who want the country to be a democracy.

One of the co-founders of the Lincoln Project, a group of Republicans who are activists against Donald Trump, was accused by 21 men of sexually harassing young men who hoped to achieve success in politics. The co-founder’s name is John Weaver. The Lincoln Project said they are disgusted and outraged and have been betrayed. Weaver used to work with the John McCain and John Kasich presidential campaigns.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/myanmar-coup-military-detains-aung-san-suu-kyi-detained-latest-updates/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021_Myanmar_coup_d%27%C3%A9tat



https://www.cnbc.com/2021/02/01/coronavirus-stimulus-joe-biden-to-meet-with-republican-senators-about-relief-bill.html

https://www.npr.org/2021/02/01/962689880/trump-names-new-defense-team-ahead-of-senate-impeachment-trial

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/feb/01/trump-impeachment-attorneys-david-schoen-bruce-castor

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/young-men-accuse-lincoln-project-founder-harassment-75598948?cid=clicksource_4380645_5_heads_hero_live_headlines_hed