5 things you need to know now

Trump tweets response to Women's March protests

President Trump responded Sunday morning to the hundreds of Women's Marches held Saturday in cities across the country and around the globe to protest his election. "Watched protests yesterday but was under the impression that we just had an election! Why didn't these people vote? Celebs hurt cause badly," he said in an initial post. An hour and a half later, he added, "Peaceful protests are a hallmark of our democracy. Even if I don't always agree, I recognize the rights of people to express their views." Interspersed between those two tweets, Trump said he had a "great meeting at CIA Headquarters" Saturday with "long standing ovations" and noted that his inauguration drew 11 million more television viewers than President Obama's 2013 event. Trump did not mention that Obama's 2009 viewership outpaced his own.
Source: Reuters, Donald Trump

2.

Conway: White House did not lie, only 'gave alternative facts'

Kellyanne Conway, counselor to President Trump, said Sunday that White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer did not lie when he claimed Saturday that Trump's inauguration boasted "the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration, period." As Meet the Press host Chuck Todd repeatedly demanded that she explain why Trump would ask Spicer to tell a falsehood, Conway brushed aside his concern. "You're saying it's a falsehood," she said, but actually Spicer simply "gave alternative facts." "Wait, 'alternative facts'?" Todd sputtered in disbelief. "Look, alternative facts are not facts. They're falsehoods." From there, Conway shifted the discussion to a list of statistics about the state of the nation before suggesting there is no way to really know the truth about the size of the inaugural crowd.
Source: The Hill, Mediaite

3.

At least 1.6 million joined Women's Marches against Trump

Official estimates of the crowds at Women's Marches criticizing the Trump administration nationwide on Saturday put the events' attendance at about 1.6 million collectively, CNN reports, with around 600,000 people in Washington, D.C., alone. March organizers' estimates are higher, reporting about 5 million protesters across the United States, including 750,000 in Los Angeles, where the police assessment is just 100,000 marchers. Unknown thousands also marched in more than 20 countries abroad. By any tally, the march in Washington far exceeded initial projections of 200,000 attendees, and the D.C. Metro system reported it saw more riders by 11 a.m. on Saturday than on the day of the inauguration. The Washington rally featured remarks from speakersincluding America Ferrera, Angela Davis, Gloria Steinem, Scarlett Johansson, Melissa Harris-Perry, and more. Trump's campaign rival, Hillary Clinton, did not attend but tweeted her support.
Source: CNN, Reuters

4.

MLB players Yordano Ventura and Andy Marte die in separate Dominican car crashes

Kansas City Royals pitcher Yordano Ventura and former Atlanta Braves, Cleveland Indians, and Arizona Diamondbacks infielder Andy Marte both died in separate car crashes in the Dominican Republic on Sunday. Just 25, Ventura signed with the Royals in 2008 and finished sixth in the American League Rookie of the Year Award voting in 2014. Marte, 33, was reportedly driving alone when he crashed around 3 a.m. He played seven Major League Baseball seasons, mostly with Cleveland.
Source: MLB.com, ESPN

5.

15 dead from severe weather in southern states

At least four people were killed and more injured after a tornado ripped through southern Mississippi Saturday morning, officials from the city of Hattiesburg reported on Twitter. Two of the deaths occurred in a trailer park, where impermanent structures offered less protection from the extreme weather. Another 11 people were killed in Georgia early Sunday in other severe weather events, possibly including additional tornadoes. More tornadoes may occur in the Southeast later Sunday as ongoing storms are anticipated.