Billboard Magazine reports: Sophie, one of the most important figures in the last decade of underground pop and dance music, has died. A statement tweeted by their Future Classic label on Saturday morning (Jan. 30) confirms the artist’s passing, explaining, “Our beautiful Sophie passed away this morning after a terrible accident. True to her spirituality she had climbed up to …

The Montrose Press reports: What would have been U.S Rep. Lauren Boebert’s first stop in Montrose since being sworn in was canceled Saturday. Boebert, R-Colorado, had apparently been scheduled for an event here, word of which began circulating online Friday evening. But by Saturday, the event had been canceled and the host site, Circle 3 Cowboy Fellowship, reported receiving a …

The Independent reports: Following comments by former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, Lincoln Project founder Steve Schmidt says the group will take legal action against both him and his client, Donald Trump. In an appearance on former Trump adviser Steve Bannon’s podcast on Friday, Mr Giuliani accused the anti-Trump former Republican of being playing a role in the organisation …

Newsweek reports: Supermarket chain Publix is seemingly trying to distance itself from heiress Julie Jenkins Fancelli, who is one of Publix’s founder George W. Jenkins’ seven children, following reports that she was a key funder in the January 6 rally, which culminated in rioters storming the United States Capitol. Following the article’s publication, some people called on Publix for a …

The Washington Post reports: When die-hard supporters of President Donald Trump showed up at rally point “Cowboy” in Louisville on the morning of Jan. 5, they found the shopping mall’s parking lot was closed to cars, so they assembled their 50 or so vehicles outside a nearby Kohl’s department store. Hundreds of miles away in Columbia, S.C., at a mall …

The Hill reports: The South Carolina Republican Party voted to censure Rep. Tom Rice (R-S.C.) for his vote earlier this month to impeach former President Donald Trump in a rare rebuke of one of the party’s own lawmakers. The censure formally condemns Rice for his surprise vote to impeach Trump over his role in inciting the violent mob that attacked …

The Associated Press reports: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday announced stricter restrictions on travelers in response to new, likely more contagious variants of the novel coronavirus — including making it mandatory for travelers to quarantine in a hotel at their own expense when they arrive in Canada and suspending airline service to Mexico and all Caribbean destinations until April …

Reuters reports: A man has been charged after a suspicious package was sent to a factory in Wales that produces AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine resulting in a temporary suspension of manufacturing, British police said on Saturday. The Wockhardt plant in Wrexham provides so-called fill-and-finish capacity for AstraZeneca’s British supply chain, which is the final manufacturing step of putting vaccines into vials …

Boston’s NBC News affiliate reports: Rep. Stephen Lynch, D-Mass., has tested positive for COVID-19, his office announced Friday. Lynch was tested for coronavirus after a staff member in his office tested positive earlier in the week. The congressman received his positive test Friday afternoon. A statement from Pfizer said that it can take seven days for protection from the second …

The Wall Street Journal reports: U.S. travelers and commuters will be required to wear a mask on nearly all forms of public transportation and inside of transportation hubs, according to a late Friday emergency order from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The mandate, which goes into effect on Tuesday and applies to most everyone over the age of …

The Independent reports: QAnon supporting congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene has said she has the “full support” of former US president Donald Trump, after they spoke on the phone. Ms Greene, who has become surrounded by controversies in recent days, said on Saturday that she was “so grateful for his support” following their conversation. It comes amid accusations that she previously …

NBC News reports: A rabbi from the Tampa Bay area became the latest person with ties to Florida to be arrested for their alleged role in the U.S. Capitol riot earlier in January. The Department of Justice has filed several charges against Michael Stepakoff, who was caught on camera among the group that stormed the building on January 6th following …

Media Matters has the transcript: Now today, The New York Times published a lengthy article detailing the affiliations between certain GOP lawmakers, including Arizona Reps Paul Gosar and Andy Biggs, and supposedly racist, right wing militias. According to The Times, Mr. Gosar and a handful of other Republican members of the House had deeper ties to extremist groups who push …

The Hill reports: Former President Trump and the Republican National Committee (RNC) raked in about $86 million between Nov. 24 and the end of 2020, a haul that came as the then-president and the GOP sought to undermine the results of the presidential election. The donations were disclosed in a Friday filing with the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) by WinRed, …

Bloomberg News reports: The Donald Trump supporter who wore a coyote-skin headdress into the Senate chamber and called himself the “QAnon Shaman” pleaded not guilty to a series of charges stemming from the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Jacob Chansley entered his plea Friday at an arraignment in federal court in Washington. He is facing charges including violent entry, disorderly conduct …

Just in via email from hate group leader Monica Cole: The online dating site eharmony.com is advertising its services with a new gay pride commercial featuring the theme, “Here for Real Love – I Scream.” I t’s the site’s attempt to normalize and glorify the LGBTQ lifestyle by featuring a lesbian couple kissing, cooking together, and feeding each other ice …

Law & Crime reports: “We were looking for Nancy to shoot her in the friggin’ brain but we didn’t find her.” Federal authorities are attributing those words to Dawn Bancroft, and they say she was talking about House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Bancroft and Diana Santos-Smith are now facing charges over the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. Investigators alleged …

The New York Times reports: Federal prosecutors investigating the violent riot at the Capitol this month announced their first conspiracy charges against the Proud Boys on Friday night, accusing two members of the far-right nationalist group of working together to obstruct and interfere with law enforcement officers protecting Congress during the final certification of the presidential election. In a brief …

The Wall Street Journal reports: The rally in Washington’s Ellipse that preceded the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol was arranged and funded by a small group including a top Trump campaign fundraiser and donor facilitated by far-right show host Alex Jones. Mr. Jones personally pledged more than $50,000 in seed money for a planned Jan. 6 event in …

Variety reports: The April dates of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and its companion Stagecoach country music festival have been canceled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, according to Riverside County Public Health Officer Dr. Cameron Kaiser. A rep for the officer tells Variety that it remains possible that the festivals could be rescheduled for later in the …