Newsletter Feb 15, 2021

Despite hearing a strong case for the impeachment conviction of former President Donald Trump, the Senate voted to acquit. Find out the fallout.

3 Things

The real 'Teflon Don': House managers used hours of video footage of pro-Trump supporters ransacking the Capitol and countless clues about former president Donald Trump's role in the Jan. 6 attack. But what looked like an open and shut case was -- just the opposite way.
The Senate voted 57-43 in favor of convicting Trump for the sole charge of inciting an insurrection, 10 votes shy of the two-thirds majority needed. Democrats seemed to make their case beyond a reasonable doubt, but there's nothing "reasonable" about the verdict.
Sen. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell spoke out that he held Trump accountable for the riot, yet he and his fellow GOP members once again stood behind the former president. Only seven Republicans voted to convict and they are experiencing a strong backlash from the GOP, a sign of how loyal the party has stayed to Trump.
Saturday's final day of the trial almost turned into the start of a drawn-out proceeding after Dems voted to call a witness. Trump's defense team vowed to call hundreds of witnesses, forcing the Dems to reverse course for the sake of a speedy trial. The extra time was unlikely to make a difference as the GOP was dug in deep to acquit.
Observers began calling him "Teflon Don" for beating the wrap and the odds on his second impeachment trial in the styling of former mob boss John Gotti. However, the former president now faces a slew of legal issues for which he can't be rescued by GOP loyalists.
SEE WHAT'S NEXT FOR TRUMP AND THE REPUBLICAN PARTY

Last first lady: While all eyes were on the former president during his second impeachment trial, another Trump was starting her transition from first lady to just another citizen. But Melania Trump's efforts to fade into the pages of history haven't been so easy.
Over the weekend, Melania had to defend herself against media reports that she is jealous of the positive attention being given to her replacement, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, and that she has been hiding out in the spa at Mar-a-Lago to avoid being around her husband.
To counter the negative publicity, Melania took to Twitter to wish everyone a happy Valentine's Day (we'll see if she does the same for President's Day) and sharing a video of her greeting children from all over the world as part of her "Be Best" campaign as first lady.
Although her husband has an apparent lust for the spotlight, Melania seems more than content to disappear from the public eye. But that may be easier said than done being married to a media lightning rod.
HOW'S THE FORMER FIRST LADY ADJUSTING TO A NEW LIFE?

Stimulus startup: Now that the second impeachment trial is over, Congress can turn its attention to more pressing matters, such as passing President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion American Relief Plan.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said work is already under way to approve more relief for the American people, including a third and largest round of stimulus checks to date. After receiving payments of $1,200 and $600 last year, eligible citizens are in line to receive a check for $1,400 within the next month, according to Pelosi.
â€œThe House hopes to approve its $1.9 trillion plan by the end of February so we can send it to the presidentâ€™s desk before unemployment benefits expire on March 14,â€ she said.
Dems need to act fast to reach that goal. Passing all the required legislation takes time, and that doesn't include some expected road blocks thrown by GOP counterparts. But with narrow control of the House and Senate, there's a good chance of getting a check soon.
FIND OUT WHAT OBSTACLES DEMS FACE PASSING THE PLAN

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Minority report

With the coronavirus pandemic closing in on the one-year mark in the U.S., millions of Americans are at their breaking point. That's particularly true of minority-owned businesses that are closing at frightening rates.

Despite the additional stimulus funds needed to survive during the down times of the pandemic, the relief has not been enough to help many minority-owned business stay above water. Several are calling for help to get through the final push while cases drop and vaccinations increase.

"We're getting crumbs and it's not enough," one Black business owner said of the relief efforts. "We're still having hope, and still trying to stay afloat, but really we're getting deeper and deeper into the hole."

Small business owners have received a mix of grants and interest-free loans to stay in business during the crisis, but minority-owned businesses have been struggling at a higher rate than those owned by whites.

The same is true for workers. The unemployment rate was at 5.7 percent for white Americans last month but 9.2 percent for African Americans and 8.6 percent for Hispanics, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

SEE WHAT STEPS ARE BEING TAKEN TO ASSIST MINORITIES

It's a ... royal

Americans now have a vested interest in this whole monarchy thing after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle officially announced on Valentine's Day that they are expecting their second child -- potentially the first natural U.S. citizen to be born into British royalty.

That's right, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are ready to expand the royal family's footprints to American soil following their "Megxit" to the U.S. in 2019. First-born son Archie has joined them on their controversial move from the U.K., and now he will have a U.S.-born little brother or sister.

The announcement also follows Markle's revelation that she suffered a miscarriage in July, which could explain the royal couple's delay in making Sunday's proclamation. The adjoining photo features the two (and a half) posing and celebrating Markle's prominent baby bump.

The gender of the child was not revealed but the speculation that is sure to come gives Americans a chance to get in on the British royalty rave. Let's just hope the baby is healthy and happy ... and maybe born waving an American flag and carrying a football -- the laced, egg-shaped variety.

GET ALL THE DETAILS ABOUT HARRY AND MEGHAN'S BIG NEWS

Feeling sketchy

From Trump's second impeachment trial to Tom Brady's seventh Super Bowl ring, nothing was sacred on "Saturday Night Life" this weekend.

Saturday's episode took aim at Trump's acquittal just hours after the final vote, a quick turnaround for the writers and actors but a sketch that hit home nonetheless. Spoofing the FOX News staple "Tucker Carlson," actresses Kate McKinnon and Aidy Bryant played the respective roles of Sens. Lindsey Graham and Ted Cruz, two of Trump's biggest defenders. Graham announced his new agenda to free Britney Spears, while Cruz explained his undying loyalty to Trump despite calling his wife ugly.

"SNL" also took some good-natured shots at Brady, who appeared to be inebriated at last week's Super Bowl boat parade through Tampa Bay. The stammering Brady revealed that he thought winning another Super Bowl would make people like him but to no avail, and he defended his decision to toss the Lombardi Trophy to another boat -- he has so many of them.

WATCH ALL THE HIGHLIGHTS FROM 'SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE'