5 things you need to know before January 12: Capitol riot, fundraising, Covid-19, death row, Cuba

The Capitol uprising is shaking up the world of political fundraising, as big companies like Google, Coca-Cola and UPS have all pledged to suspend contributions across the board. Other companies are targeting lawmakers they believe are complicit in Trump’s attempt to disrupt confirmation of Biden’s election victory. PR and lobbying experts wonder if the upheaval is temporary or represents a permanent political shift. More companies are also creating policies in response to last week’s violence. GoFundMe says it will no longer allow people to raise money for travel expenses used for potentially violent political events, and Airbnb says it will try to prevent violent Capitol rioters from making reservations in the DC area during the inauguration . Parler, the social media app that serves as a safe space for the far right, sued Amazon for its removal on the grounds that the app encourages and incites violence.

We will not be done with social distance any time soon. The World Health Organization has warned that herd immunity will not occur in 2021, and social distance measures will have to be enforced “for the remainder of this year,” despite vaccine advances. In the US, more than 200,000 new cases of coronavirus have been reported every day for a week. In the UK, health officials say the country is entering the “worst point” of the pandemic as the number of cases grows and the number of deaths increases. Malaysia has announced more restrictions and South Africa has closed its land borders to stop the spread. At the San Diego Zoo, there’s a new complication: At least two gorillas have tested positive for Covid-19, the first known cases in great apes.

A federal judge halted the execution of Lisa Montgomery, the only woman on federal death row, just hours before she was scheduled to die. Montgomery, who was sentenced to death in 2008 after murdering a woman and kidnapping her fetus, will now be subject to a competence hearing. Montgomery was one of three people who, according to the federal execution, would die during the remainder of President Trump’s tenure. The Trump administration revived the federal death penalty last year. Before that, there were no more federal executions since 2003. As of July, the federal government has executed 10 people, more than in any presidency since 1896.

The Trump administration has designated Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism, hampering the future Biden administration’s efforts to restore relations with the former Cold War enemy. President Obama removed Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism in 2015, but Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the new name was given to “repeatedly support acts of international terrorism by providing a safe haven for terrorists.” A top Cuban called the movement hypocritical and an act of ‘political expediency’. Cuba now joins three other countries on the list: Iran, North Korea and Syria.

It’s nice to see that the underdogs sometimes come out on top.

Yes of course. You need your summer Crocs and your winter Crocs, your goin ‘out Crocs and your yard work Crocs … It’s a spectrum.

If anyone can make an energy drink brand, it’s The Rock.

No thank you, we will not process this information today.

You just have to convince yourself the vaccine is worth it: forget to eat because you’re nervous, pass out in the nurse’s chair, and chew on crackers and juice for 15 minutes until they let you go.

That’s the percentage of Americans who could cover an unexpected expense of $ 1,000, according to a new report from Bankrate.com. That is a decrease of 41% in 2020.

Enjoy the cinematic thrill of watching baby ducks climb a small flight of stairs. (Click here to view.)