Corporations are cutting off the GOP

Corporations pull funding for Republicans who voted against certifying the election; new State Department policy could be disastrous for Yemen.   Tonight's Sentences was written by Gabby Birenbaum. TOP NEWS Election denial is draining GOP coffers Graeme Jennings/Getty Images Companies from Amazon to Intel to Mastercard say they will suspend donations to the 147 congressional Republicans who voted against the certification of the presidential election, on the premise that those objections helped incite Wednesday's insurrection at the US Capitol. [New York Times / Kate Kelly, Emily Flitter, and Shane Goldmacher] The list of corporations who say their PACs will cut off those specific lawmakers also includes Airbnb, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Marriott International; Kansas City-based Hallmark went so far as to call out Sens. Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Roger Marshall (R-KS) by name. [Bloomberg / Kevin Miller] Other big corporate players, including BP, Facebook and JP Morgan, have decided to temporarily pause all political contributions, stymieing Democrats and Republicans alike. [Bloomberg] But corporate PACs are just one part of the complex system that is money in politics, meaning their contribution embargo may prove more symbolic rather than consequential. They made up just 5 percent of donations in the 2020 presidential election, and the greater power lies with those companies' executives and board members. [Recode / Theodore Schleifer] Experts say the momentum behind corporations' decisions is unprecedented. However, there is little to no change coming from individuals, who can give unlimited amounts of difficult-to-track dark money. [Washington Post / Tory Newmeyer] House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy was alarmed enough to reach out to these corporations. But most businesses assured McCarthy they were not abandoning the party writ large. [Politico / Alex Isenstadt, Elena Schneider, Theodoric Meyer and Zachary Warmbrodt] Republicans in Congress are not the only ones who may lose money for their unfounded claims of election fraud. Deutsche Bank, the president's biggest lender, decided to cut him off. Signature Bank, where Trump has $5.3 million deposited, has also announced the closure of his accounts. [The Guardian / Luke Harding and Kalyeena Makortoff] US designation of Houthis as terrorists jeopardizes aid to war-torn Yemen Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced an 11th-hour decision to designate Yemen's Houthis, an Iranian-backed rebel group fighting the country's Saudi-backed government, as a terrorist group. [Associated Press / Maggie Michael and Samy Magdy] The Yemeni civil war, which has become a proxy war for Iran, Saudi Arabia and their allies, including the US, has split the country in two. The Houthis control Yemen's north and its capital Sana'a, meaning humanitarian organizations need Houthi approval to distribute supplies. US-based groups will now find it difficult to offer resources for fear of prosecution at home. [Vox / Alex Ward] Relief groups are furious with the State Department, saying the move will worsen what the United Nations has already designated as the world's worst humanitarian crisis and only serve to further harm citizens on the brink of famine. [The Guardian / Bethan McKernan] In a call, congressional staffers strongly criticized Trump administration officials over the decision, asking State Department representatives how many Yemeni children would die. [Foreign Policy / Jack Detsch, Robbie Gramer] The Trump administration has been fiercely loyal to the Saudis, with the President even using veto power to provide billions of dollars worth of arms to the Saudi-backed coalition. The Biden administration can reverse the decision, but statutes regarding terrorism designations mandate the policy remain in place for at least 45 days. [ABC News / Conor Finnegan] MISCELLANEOUS Three House Democrats have tested positive for coronavirus this week, blaming House Republicans' refusal to wear masks while sheltering together during Wednesday's insurrection. [NPR / Bill Chappell] House Democrats say they have enough votes to impeach President Trump and are ready to do so on Wednesday. [Vox / Andrew Prokop] The Trump administration has called for Americans over 65 to receive the coronavirus vaccine, widening the pool of eligibility. [The New York Times / Michael D. Shear, Katherine J. Wu, Patricia Mazzei and Amanda Rosa] New England Patriots coach Bill Belichek, who in 2016 called Trump a friend, rejected Trump's offer to present him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. [CNN / Kevin Dotson] VERBATIM "It's really hard to address this subject without getting emotional about it. We're very passionate about how we protect and defend our country and how offended we were about this assault perpetrated by the commander in chief." [Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, speaking to House Democrats on the stakes of impeachment] LISTEN TO THIS The platforms have finally stopped the president from posting on social media. Plus, why the largely unmoderated, conservative friendly platform is back in the news following insurrection at the Capitol. [Spotify / Teddy Schleifer] Read more from Vox   Police bias explains the Capitol riot   Insurrection merch shows just how mainstream extremism has become   Once you're vaccinated, can you go back to normal? Not quite.   How the WNBA helped flip Georgia blue   Kamala Harris' Vogue cover controversy, explained   Facebook Twitter YouTube This email was sent to edwardlorilla1986.paxforex@blogger.com. 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