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TODAY'S HEADLINES:

The assorted rats in the Trump administration continue to flee his sinking ship. Today, it was Acting Homeland Security head Chad Wolf, while business leaders and other institutions cut ties en masse.

Meanwhile, the right wing hints at further violence for the days leading up to Joe Biden’s inauguration, while DC authorities scramble to contain the crazies in their midst.

And lastly, the ACLU is pressuring the Department of Justice to postpone three federal executions scheduled for this week, citing coronavirus risks. Even a short stay could be enough to give death row inmates a chance to live if Trump leaves office.

THESE ARE THE STORIES YOU NEED TO KNOW:

The Trump administration has been toxic since the start, but in recent days even the assorted scum that have hung on this long have started to jump ship. The list of resignations at this point is too long to count: Betsy DeVos, Elaine Chao, Mick Mulvaney, and so many more from the West Wing and various departments in the Executive Branch.

The latest is acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf, who led the department through Trump’s use of it as his private police force to beat, harass, and kidnap protesters across the country during the widespread movement for black lives this summer.

Wolf will remain in the DHS at a lower position, but is clearly seeking some distance from the big man in office, for obvious reasons. Will it be enough to save his career as an authoritarian ghoul? Time will tell.

Meanwhile, business are finally deciding that any profits they may still glean from associating with Trump probably aren’t worth it in the long run. In recent days ecommerce giant Shopify terminated Trump-linked stores and hotel chain Marriott dropped their PAC donations.

But perhaps one of the funniest and most cutting betrayals was by Trump’s beloved Professional Golfers Association voted to terminate a contract to play the PGA championship at Trump’s Bedminster resort in 2022. Even the golfers are ditching him! It’s just too good.

Right Wing Plans More Violence

Even as Trump’s star wanes faster than one of those cheap glow-in-the-dark stickers you put on kids ceilings, the right wing isn’t done with their violent fantasies about taking over the nation.

Authorities and extremism reporters now warn that various right wing groups and militias may be coalescing around demonstrations at various state capitols in the days leading up to Biden’s inauguration next Wednesday.

Security in DC is expected to be massively beefed up: at least 10,000 national guard troops will be deployed to the city for inauguration, and it seems pretty unlikely that DC authorities will let themselves get clowned on again.

To add more chaos to the mix, Capitol Police and the Secret Service also have to deal with traitors in their own midst. Capitol Police said Monday that they had suspended two officers and placed more than a dozen under investigation for their roles in aiding or abetting the rioters last week. Meanwhile, the Secret Service said that it had placed one officer under investigation after she allegedly posted comments on Facebook supporting the rioters and accusing lawmakers who supported Biden’s victory of treason.

But even if DC gets its house in order, the right wing is also allegedly planning mass armed demonstrations outside of various state capitols, which have already seen similar events and attacks over the past few months. It’s going to be a dicey last few days.

Activists Oppose Lame Duck Executions

And finally, legal activists are seeking to block one of the Trump administration’s final acts of barbarism, asking for a temporary stay in three federal executions that are scheduled for this week.

A group of former corrections officers from Indiana on Monday petitioned acting Attorney General Jeff Rosen to temporarily postpone three federal executions planned for this week at the government’s Terre Haut prison.

The officers cited the coronavirus pandemic as their main reasoning for foregoing the executions, as vaccination of prisoners and staff has already begun but isn’t finished yet. But if they’re successful in getting a temporary stay, it could change everything for the prisoners on death row, as Biden has indicated that he’s open to abolishing the federal death penalty.

That makes it all the more evil that the Trump administration has pushed an almost unprecedented rush of federal executions in recent days.

Propublica reported on Monday that quote "Justice Department officials scheduled executions in defiance of court orders, flouted pandemic safety measures and lied about it, and demanded that judges yield to the administration's self-imposed deadline of January 20” endquote.

Seems like things are pretty clear: Trump wants these three prisoners dead, and he doesn’t care who else he endangers to make that happen. We can only hope someone in a position of power comes down on the side of mercy.

AND NOW FOR SOME QUICKER QUICKIES:

Bill Bellicheck, the notoriously antagonistic coach of the New England Patriots, refused President Trump’s offer of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Man, if even Bellicheck refuses to go near you, you know things must be bad, and we all know this one’s going to get Trump where it hurts.

Meanwhile, Conservative commentator Dan Bongino, last seen vowing to go bankrupt before allowing big Tech to censor the conservative platform Parler, has now announced that he is bankrupt, after big tech censored the conservative platform Parler. Who could possibly have seen this coming!

Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, who was barricaded inside the Capitol during the siege last week, said that she had tested positive for coronavirus today. She believes she was infected by maskless Republican members who were in the room with her.

And finally, Buzzfeed News reports that a disgruntled State Department employee briefly changed the official web pages for the department to say that Donald Trump and Mike Pence’s terms in office were ending on Monday night. This prediction did not, unfortunately, come true.

That’s it for the Majority Report’s AM Quickie! Stay tuned for the full show this afternoon.

JAN 12, 2021 - AM QUICKIE

HOSTS - Sam Seder & Lucie Steiner

WRITER - Jack Crosbie

PRODUCER - Dorsey Shaw

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER - Brendan Finn