Video of Biden vowing to share vaccines goes viral – follow live

In a live-streamed discussion with the Washington Post, GOP Missouri Senator Josh Hawley has defended himself against charges he helped incite the 6 January insurrection at the Capitol.

Mr Hawley, who along with Ted Cruz was one of only two senators to object to the election results after the insurrection was over, said that he didn’t know people in the crowd of Trump supporters were planning to storm the Capitol, and that most of them were there with peaceful intentions.

This does not address his decision to side with them after they attacked the Capitol.

Val Demings, a Democratic congresswoman from Florida who served as one of the impeachment managers in Donald Trump’s second trial, has posted a charismatic promotional video to her official campaign Twitter account – without making it clear what she’s running for.

Several top-tier Democrats are lining up to challenge Florida’s Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, in his re-election bid next year; some of them are also eyeing up the chance to challenge GOP Senator Marco Rubio, who may face a Republican primary challenge too. Ms Demings recently confirmed she is considering a statewide candidacy, but declined to be more specific.

A former cop and police chief, Ms Demings was thought to be a strong runner for the number two slot on Joe Biden’s presidential ticket.

Already out of the gate in the gubernatorial race is the famously tanned Charlie Crist, who served a term as governor from 2007 to 2011. He was elected to that office as a Republican, then ran for the state’s open senate seat – losing the GOP primary to Mr Rubio, whom he then challenged as an independent. Since then, Mr Crist has switched his party affiliation to the Democrats and is now serving his third term in the House of Representatives.

After her latest condemnation of Donald Trump and loyal Republicans still perpetuating the false narrative the election was stolen, Liz Cheney may be about to meet her Waterloo.

Speaking to Fox News this morning, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said he is not under pressure to “get rid of her”, as the host put it, over her impeachment vote – but that there is clearly great rancour about her pronouncements about the party given her leadership position.

Mr McCarthy’s lengthy insistence that the GOP needs to stay on message made it clear that he views Ms Cheney as an obstacle to “earning” a House majority once again.

One of the numerous figures preparing to challenge California Governor Gavin Newsom in a recall election is Republican John Cox, a perennial candidate who stood against Newsom in 2018.

An outlandish campaigner who has announced a 1,000 live bear as his running mate and embarked on a “meet the beast” tour of the state, Mr Cox is now hitting Californians’ TV screens with a campaign ad – one every bit as off-the-wall as the rest of his campaign.

Donald Trump and his allies have intensified efforts to remove critics from the Republican Party.

One figure whose position is under threat is Liz Cheney, of Wyoming, who is currently the thirds most important Republican in the House.

Ms Cheney has accused Mr Trump and his supporters of “poisoning our democratic system”.

An American activist and ASL sufferer has reminded Joe Biden of the promise in made in July 2020 to share the coronavirus vaccine with the world.

Ady Barken posted a clip showing the pledge online.

It comes as the US is under growing pressure to waive intellectual property rights for coronavirus vaccines.

Mayank Aggarwal has the details:

The CIA has been criticised by conservatives over a recruitment video which they say is “full of woke propaganda”.

Liberals also mocked the advert for co-opting leftist and progressive messages.

Maroosha Muzaffar reports:

The US will encourage “more constructive behaviour” from the president of El Salvador, a White House official told Reuters.

Nayib Bukele was criticised by the Biden administration for firing the country’s leading prosecutor and most senior judges from office.

“What we have found is that popularity does not give you carte blanche to undermine democratic institutions,” the source said.

The Taliban launched a large offensive in southern Helmand following a missed US deadline for troops to leave Afghanistan.

Last year’s promise to withdraw by 1 May was supersesed by Joe Biden’s announcment that all US personnel would leave by 11 September, 20 years on from the attack on the World Trade Center.

The decision has led to concerns that the Taliban will attempt to take back power once US troops have gone.

Mulah Jan, a resident of Lashkar Gah, told Reuters: “There was a thunderstorm of heavy weapons and blasts in the city and the sound of small arms was like someone was making popcorn.

“I took all my family members to the corner of the room, hearing the heavy blasts and bursts of gunfire as if it was happening behind our walls,” he said.