Your Daily Roundup for January 8th

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Good morning. As the COVID-19 pandemic takes a toll on life in America, our team at Future Majority is tracking the latest updates: 

More fallout from the pro-Trump attack:

After the violent attack incited by President Trump on Wednesday, a growing chorus of primarily Democratic lawmakers are calling for Trump’s swift removal from office, whether by the 25th Amendment or through Impeachment. Vice President Mike Pence, who would be required to initiate the 25th Amendment process, has already indicated that despite the attack that put his own life in danger as he presided over the Electoral College ceremonial count, is not interested in doing so. Top Trump Administration Cabinet officials, including Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, have resigned in protest. After a Twitter suspension, Trump released a video in which he read off a script to condemn the violence he incited and finally accept the results of the election he lost, but the damage was already long done. The U.S. attorney in Washington, Michael Sherwin, has indicated that Trump might be subject to his investigation of all involved in Wednesday’s attack. President Trump, according to reporting from the New York Times, has discussed preemptively pardoning himself from this and any other potential federal crimes -- a step that has never been taken in American history. 

A terrible milestone has been reached:

On Thursday, as many Americans and leaders in Washington focused on the January 6th pro-Trump mob attack, the United States surpassed a grim milestone. For the first time since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 4,000 people perished due to the virus in a single day. With over 280,000 new confirmed cases, that daily record was set on Thursday, too. Public health officials warned that January would be a tragic onslaught after many gathered for the holidays and New Year.

140,000 jobs were lost in December:

According to Labor Department statistics, U.S. employers cut 140,000 jobs in the month of December. This marks the first dropoff since the massive layoffs when the country first responded to the pandemic in March and April. The unemployment rate remained at 6.7%, nearly double the unemployment rate in December of 2019.