--:-- Tracy Mumford: From the New York Times, it's the headlines. I'm Tracy Mumford. Today's Monday, January 6th.
--:-- [Sound of papers shuffling]
--:-- Tracy Mumford: Here's what we're covering. Today at 1 p.m., a joint session of Congress is set to convene at the Capitol to certify the results of the presidential election.
--:-- Tracy Mumford: The process is largely ceremonial and was for the most part uneventful until last time, January 6, 2021, when rioters, fueled by Donald Trump's lies about a stolen election, broke into the building and disrupted the event.
--:-- Tracy Mumford: The rioting led to the deaths of seven people, including three police officers. And there are reminders of that violence all over today. The Capitol will be on heavy lockdown, with tall black metal fencing surrounding the building.
--:-- Tracy Mumford: But there's no hint of violence breaking out this year. Kamala Harris has not disputed her loss to Trump. Today, she will be the one presiding over the certification in her role as president of the Senate.
--:-- Tracy Mumford: Congress has also overhauled the process to make clear that what Trump pushed his vice president, Mike Pence, to do, to unilaterally throw out a state's electoral votes, is not allowed.
--:-- Tracy Mumford: Democratic Representative Jamie Raskin said today's process will, quote, be a lot more like what we've seen for the rest of American history.
--:-- Tracy Mumford: Meanwhile, more than 1,600 people have been prosecuted in connection with the riot at the Capitol that day. Some faced felonies like assault or seditious conspiracy. Hundreds were charged with lesser crimes.
--:-- Tracy Mumford: And Trump has said that he plans to pardon those who were convicted. The promise of pardons is part of Trump's effort to rewrite the violent history of that day.
--:-- Tracy Mumford: You might remember that immediately after the attack Donald Trump called January 6th and I quoting a heinous attack on the United States Capitol And he promised that all the lawbreakers that day would pay.
--:-- Tracy Mumford: But as I followed this story, not only has Trump changed that narrative, changed his position on it, but he's come up with an alternate reality.
--:-- Tracy Mumford: Today on The Daily, my colleague Alan Foyer looks at the whitewashing of January 6th.
--:-- Tracy Mumford: As lawmakers gather in Washington today, they're facing a freezing winter storm that is barreling across the country from the plains to the East Coast.
--:-- Tracy Mumford: This weekend, snow, sleet, and freezing rain led to hundreds of flights being canceled or delayed in Kansas, Missouri, and Indiana.
--:-- Tracy Mumford: Tens of thousands of people have lost power along the storm's path, and highways have been blanketed in ice.
--:-- Tracy Mumford: The storm has now pushed east towards the mid-Atlantic states. D.C.'s mayor declared a snow emergency, and the area could see as much as nine inches of snow.
--:-- Tracy Mumford: The bad weather is supposed to move offshore later today, but meteorologists say brutally cold air will settle behind it.
--:-- Tracy Mumford: As Donald Trump moves closer to the White House, his legal team's been trying to fight one of the last remaining criminal cases against him, his New York felony conviction in the Hush Money case.
--:-- Tracy Mumford: After multiple legal challenges, the judge in that case announced sentencing will move forward. It's set for this Friday.
--:-- Tracy Mumford: Trump's conviction on 34 counts could have meant up to four years in prison. But the judge indicated that he will likely give Trump what known as an unconditional discharge. It's a rarely used alternative to jail or probation that will let Trump go free with no punishment.
--:-- Tracy Mumford: Trump's team is still expected to appeal his conviction and try to get it thrown out altogether.
--:-- Tracy Mumford: This weekend in New York, a bold and controversial effort to reduce traffic and boost public transportation went into effect.
--:-- Tracy Mumford: The city became the first in the country to launch a congestion pricing program. Most cars entering the southern half of Manhattan now have to pay a $9 toll.
--:-- Tracy Mumford: City officials have said it will cut down on pollution and gridlock and generate billions of dollars for upgrading the subway, trains, and buses, including making them more accessible for riders with disabilities.
--:-- Tracy Mumford: But legal challenges almost doomed the effort, and polls have shown that congestion pricing is largely unpopular in the city.
--:-- Olivia: I'm so sorry to bother you. My name's Olivia. I'm a reporter. I'm here for The New York Times talking to people about congestion pricing.
--:-- Olivia: It sucks. It sucks. Tell me more about that.
--:-- Olivia Ben-Simon: [Speaking to Olivia] You're a reporter for The New York Times. What do you think about congestion pricing?
--:-- Olivia: It sucks. It's a tax on the working class. I want to take my kids to Jersey. You know, it's going to be impossible for someone like me that has three kids to be able to take them out and to do anything with them anymore.
--:-- Olivia Ben-Simon: [Speaking to Olivia] Some people are worried about the cost of the program. Others are concerned about safety on public transit.
--:-- Olivia: Yeah, it's a problem. Public transportation is appearing to be more and more dangerous. Some people raise concerns about safety on public transit.
--:-- Olivia Ben-Simon: [Speaking to Olivia] What do you think about the rollout of the congestion pricing program?
--:-- Olivia: Officials said the rollout of the new system went smoothly, but the first major test of its impact on traffic in the city will come this morning during rush hour.
--:-- Tracy Mumford: And finally. Are you guys ready to kick this thing off? The Golden Globes were last night, the traditional glitzy start to award season.
--:-- Tracy Mumford: This year's ceremony was hosted by the comedian Nikki Glaser.
--:-- Tracy Mumford: I, like, did not know much about Wicked going into this year because I had friends in high school, but I loved it.
--:-- Tracy Mumford: And while the absolutely inescapable Wicked got some love, the awards veered way more towards movies that very few Americans have had a chance to see.
--:-- Tracy Mumford: And the Golden Globe goes to The Brutalist. Brutalist. Best drama went to The Brutalist, a historic epic about an architect after World War II, which isn't even in wide release yet.
--:-- Tracy Mumford: The film is long enough that it has an intermission. No one was asking for a three-and-a-half-hour film about a mid-century designer. But it works.
--:-- Tracy Mumford: Director Brady Corbet acknowledged how much of a long shot his film was when he accepted the award.
--:-- Tracy Mumford: Best comedy or musical then went to Amelia Perez, a Spanish-language musical about a cartel boss who is transgender.
--:-- Tracy Mumford: The film is on Netflix and in just a few theaters. The Globes are usually seen as a preview of what could win big at the Oscars.
--:-- Tracy Mumford: But these big wins for little-seen movies don't offer a clear picture. Oscar nominations come out January 17.
--:-- Tracy Mumford: Those are the headlines. I'm Tracy Mumford. We'll be back tomorrow. Have a great day.
