MITCH McCONNELL is the Senate Minority Leader (Shutterstock).

In a sharp rebuke to his party’s leadership, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) disavowed the censure of fellow Republicans Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger and contradicted the characterization of the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol as “legitimate political discourse.”

His remarks came after the Republican National Committee issued a statement censuring Cheney and Kinzinger for participating in the House of Representatives’ investigation into the attack.

McConnell termed the events of that day “a violent insurrection for the purpose of trying to prevent the peaceful transfer of power after a legitimately certified election, from one administration to the next. That’s what it was,” according to The New York Times.

About 150 people were injured in the incident and six people died. Almost 750 people are facing criminal charges.

“Dog,” “Dune” top Oscar nominations

The nominees for awards from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences were announced Tuesday, and two films were most prominently honored.

“The Power of the Dog” received 12 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. “Dune” received 10 nominations, including Best Picture.

Ten movies were nominated for that honor. They are:

“Power of the Dog,” “Dune,” “Belfast,” “CODA,” “Don’t Look Up,” “Drive My Car,” “Licorice Pizza,” “King Richard,” “Nightmare Alley” and “West Side Story.”

Sports: Russians lead in medal count

The latest tally of medals won in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing has Russian athletes – called the Russian Olympic Committee team – on top with 10 medals.

Norway is second with eight, followed by Netherlands, Italy and Austria, each with seven.  The leader in gold medals is Sweden with four.

The U.S. team has five medals (four silvers and bronze), tied with four other nations, including China.

Weather: Warm, but too warm?

An “excessive heat” advisory has been issued for the Southern California coast area, including West Orange County. The forecast for Wednesday calls for a daytime high of 89 (61 overnight), rising to 90 (55) on Thursday. The thermometer will dip to 86 on Friday but rise again to 89 on Saturday. This heat wave is expected to end on Monday when temps fall back in to the 70s.

Business: China misses trade goal

Despite a 2020 agreement to purchase more American goods, China fell far short of the $500.4 billion it promised to buy. According to The New York Times, China only bought goods worth $288.8 billion over the two-year period of the initial agreement, or 57 percent.

The deal was an attempt to bridge the trade imbalance between the U.S. and China.