PoliticsAxiosBiden says $1,400 stimulus payments can start going out this month
President Biden said Saturday that the Senate passage of his $1.9 trillion COVID relief package means the $1,400 direct payments for most Americans can begin going out later this month. Driving the news: The Senate voted 50-49 Saturday to approve the sweeping legislation. The House is expected to pass the Senate's version of the bill next week before it heads to Biden's desk for his signature.
U.S.Associated PressPolice: Texas rapper dead in interstate shooting in Georgia
A shooting on Interstate 85 in suburban Atlanta has claimed the life of a rising Texas rap artist, one of three interstate shootings in the metro area in two days, authorities said Saturday. Rapper Corey Detiege, who performed under the stage name Chucky Trill, died at an area hospital after Friday's predawn shooting, police in suburban Gwinnett County said. Collin Flynn, a department spokesman, said someone pulled up beside Detiege's car and opened fire around 3 a.m. Friday, WSB TV reported. Ditiege, 33, was from Sugar Land, Texas.
PoliticsThe IndependentTed Cruz ‘traitor’ billboards go up in his Texas neighbourhood
The group took aim at Mr Cruz after he voted against the congressional certification of the electoral college votes despite the ransacking of the Capitol by a mob of Trump supporters on 6 January. In a 17 January statement, the group said that “Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley deserve the most blame for firing up the violent mob of Trump supporters that attacked the U.S Capitol and killed five people”. On the fundraising page for the billboard campaign, the group adds that “rioters who broke into the Senate were quoted as saying Cruz 'would want us to do this.
LifestyleArchitectural DigestThe 7 Best Refrigerators on the Market, According to Kitchen Designers
Quality food preservation, storage space, and good-looking design are priorities among kitchen designers when it comes to refrigerators Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
PoliticsLos Angeles Times OpinionAbcarian: Joe Biden levels an innocuous insult and his Trump-loving, mask-hating critics go wild
“It is now time to open Texas, 100%,” a maskless Gov. Greg Abbott announced at a Mexican restaurant in Lubbock, where the only person wearing a mask seemed to be the news photographer who was shooting the event. There were so many ways that President Biden could have criticized Abbott — along with Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves, who also lifted all COVID-19 restrictions in his state. Biden, who had met with Abbott in Houston several days earlier to discuss federal assistance after the deadly winter storms that crippled Texas (and also to visit a mass vaccination site), could have said that Abbott and Reeves were anti-scientific, or politically opportunistic, or just plain dumb for ignoring the advice of public health officials.
PoliticsThe GuardianTrump reportedly told Republican party to stop using his name for fundraising
Donald Trump has told the Republican National Committee and other party bodies to stop using his name and likeness in fundraising efforts, it was reported on Saturday. “President Trump remains committed to the Republican party and electing America First conservatives,” Politico quoted an unnamed adviser to the former president as saying about the legal cease-and-desist notice, “but that doesn't give anyone – friend or foe – permission to use his likeness without explicit approval.” The website previously reported that Trump's ire was stoked by bodies including the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) and the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) using his name while fundraising for Republicans who voted for his impeachment.
U.S.INSIDERA Missouri pastor is reportedly seeking 'professional counseling' after he told women to lose weight and strive to be like Melania Trump for their husbands
Missouri pastor Stewart-Allen Clark in a February sermon encouraged women to stay slim for their husbands. Clark used first lady Melania Trump as an example during his sermon before warning, "don't let yourself go." Local outlet KCTV reported he has taken a leave of absence and is seeking counseling.
U.S.Fort Worth Star-TelegramHere’s why Gov. Abbott’s order on masks won’t make Texas the ‘Wild West’ of COVID-19
Last week, after Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley renewed the county mask order and told me he hoped he'd be in a position to lift it by July 4th, I doubted that many Texans would wait that long. Less than a week later, Gov. Greg Abbott announced the “re-opening of Texas” by lifting state capacity limits on businesses and the masking requirement, effective March 10. Whitley's move may have been in part because Abbott removed local authorities' ability to penalize mask or capacity-limit violators; however, Abbott's order allows local authorities' ability to impose some restrictions when the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients exceeds 15 percent of total hospital capacity.
WorldThe IndependentTucker Carlson calls QAnon supporters ‘gentle’ patriots a week after suggesting the conspiracy didn’t exist
Tucker Carlson appeared to change his tune on supporters of the false QAnon conspiracy theory during his primetime show on Friday, describing them as “gentle people waving American flags” following the Capitol insurrection. The Fox News host said QAnon supporters “like this country” and suggested some were “maybe kind of confused with the wrong ideas” while referring to the entirely inaccurate conspiracy theory, which claims former President Donald Trump is defending the world from a wealthy network of child predators, conveniently including his apparent political enemies, like Hillary Clinton, while ignoring his own friends and allies. “Do you ever notice how all the scary internet conspiracy theorists – the radical QAnon people – when you actually see them on camera or in jail cells, as a lot of them now are, are maybe kind of confused with the wrong ideas, but they're all kind of gentle people now waving American flags?” he asked during his opening show on Friday, adding: “They like this country.”
PoliticsBBCWho truly was the most dishonest president?
While it has never been established that Bush knew the incubators story he repeatedly told was unfounded, the White House is generally expected to verify claims made by the president - especially one so horrifying. American journalists failed to debunk the Nayirah testimony until after the war. The controversy was omitted from a recent admiring biography of Bush, and from glowing coverage of his presidency when he died in 2018.
U.S.INSIDERA Texas middle school student said he was forced to drink urine by teammates at a sleepover. His mom called the bullying racially motivated.
Florida police are investigating allegations of a student being bullied at a Texas middle school. In a viral video, Summer Smith posted on Facebook that other students forced her son to drink urine. Florida police are investigating allegations of a student being bullied at Haggard Middle School in Plano, Texas.
U.S.Business InsiderAmerica's oldest college debate society votes to strip Ted Cruz of a prestigious Princeton honor for public service
Princeton's American Whig-Cliosphic Society voted to strip Sen. Ted Cruz of a public service award. Cruz is facing criticism for his role in the insurrection on January 6 and an ill-timed Cancun trip. America's oldest collegiate debate society has voted to strip Sen. Ted Cruz of its highest honor, according to The Daily Princetonian.
PoliticsThe Independent‘People need the help now’: Senate at standstill over coronavirus relief as Biden makes final plea for passage
The US Senate came to an hours-long standstill on Friday, with off-the-floor negotiations among Republicans and moderate Democrats over the future of unemployment benefits for jobless Americans, a compromise that threatened to derail a $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief legislation that is critical to Joe Biden's efforts to combat the pandemic. Attention centred around moderate Democrats like Joe Manchin of West Virginia as Republicans offered last-minute revisions to jobless aid, along with more than 100 amendments to the aid package as it clears its last major hurdle one year after a public health crisis that has upended American life and its economy.
U.S.NY Daily News18-year-old Capitol rioter wants to go home to his ‘loving family’ who drove him to DC
A Georgia teen charged for alleged involvement in the U.S. Capitol riot now admits he “was wrong” for his actions and hopes to spend his pretrial days with his folks, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Friday. Bruno Cua, 18, is the youngest of more than 300 people accused of having stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6 in support of former President Donald Trump and has been in custody since his Feb. 5 arrest. Hoping U.S. District Court Judge Randolph D. Moss might take pity on him, Cua vowed “not to step one foot out of line,” not least because he “will never be the same person” after a month behind bars, according to his Thursday letter to the judge, obtained by the newspaper.
CelebrityThe TelegraphMeghan, Duchess of Sussex 'called all the PR shots', say royal sources despite Oprah interview claims she was gagged
The Duchess of Sussex “called all the shots” when it came to managing her own media, royal sources have said, casting doubt on her claim she could not be interviewed by Oprah Winfrey three years ago. Multiple royal sources have told The Telegraph the 39-year-old former actress “had full control” over her media interviews and had personally forged relationships not only with Ms Winfrey, but other powerful industry figures including Vogue editor Edward Enninful. In a teaser clip released from the Sussexes's interview with the US chat show host, due to be aired in the US on Sunday, the Duchess said it felt “liberating” to be able to speak and accused the Royal family of effectively gagging her and taking away that choice.
U.S.NBC NewsNYC woman discovers empty apartment behind bathroom mirror
A woman in New York City went viral on TikTok Wednesday after posting a video series documenting her journey to discover a secret unoccupied apartment behind her bathroom mirror. In the first video of her four-part saga, Samantha Hartsoe said she was trying to find the source of cold air that was blowing into her Manhattan apartment. When she discovered that the air was coming from behind her bathroom mirror, Hartsoe said she removed it from the wall.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderBiden says Americans will start receiving their $1,400 stimulus checks 'this month'
President Joe Biden vowed to start sending out stimulus checks "this month." Senate Democrats just passed Biden's $1.9 trillion stimulus package. Individuals earning up to $80,000 will receive $1,400 direct payments.
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Biden's aid package reaches Senate, debate delayed after 628-page bill read in full
The Senate voted on Thursday to take up President Biden's $1.9 trillion coronavirus aid bill, but put off the start of a contentious debate until the full text of the 628-page bill was read aloud.
PoliticsCBS NewsJohnson & Johnson vaccines come with uplifting messages
President Joe Biden's promise, that 100 million Americans would be vaccinated in his first 100 days in office, is close to completion. At McKesson, the company distributing the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, the first shipments on Monday delivered hope and a message. Brown and the other supervisors, including Kristi Larson, signed the very first box.
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Civil war within the GOP continues as Trump fires back at strategist Karl Rove
Former President Donald Trump intensified his war with the Republican establishment on Thursday by attacking Karl Rove, a longtime Republican strategist who criticized Trump's first speech since leaving office for being long on grievances but short on vision.
U.S.INSIDERA judge questioned the 'QAnon Shaman' about his '60 Minutes+' interview that was billed to the jail as a call with his lawyer
A federal judge questioned the "QAnon Shaman" and his lawyer over a "60 Minutes+" interview. The judge asked whether the lawyer attempted "subterfuge" in arranging the interview. A federal judge on Friday questioned the self-described "QAnon Shaman" and his lawyer following his appearance this week on 60 Minutes+, pressing them about whether they went through the necessary channels to set up an interview.
U.S.USA TODAY'Let kids be kids': California considers bill requiring gender-neutral children's sections at large retailers
Retail stores in California may be required to become more gender-neutral under proposed legislation. State lawmakers are debating a new bill that would prohibit department stores with more than 500 employees from dividing products for children by gender. The restriction would ban separate areas and signage and mandate online retailers that have a physical location in the state use gender-neutral terms to label children's items in a section of their websites.
CelebrityNBC NewsRoyal tensions erupt into 'all-out war' ahead of Harry and Meghan's 'liberating' Oprah interview
While royals have given many interviews before, she said, the decision to invite such public scrutiny on the tensions that have played out behind palace doors will have been "controversial" with the family. Meghan accused the palace of "perpetuating falsehoods" about the couple in a 30-second excerpt from the interview that was released Thursday. "I don't know how they could expect that after all of this time, we would still just be silent if there's an active role that 'The Firm' is playing in perpetuating falsehoods about us," she tells Winfrey.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderMSNBC host and former Republican congressman Joe Scarborough says there's 'no doubt' that the GOP is 'unsavable'
Joe Scarborough said on HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher" that the Republican Party was "unsavable." Scarborough, who served in the US House as a Republican, now identifies as an independent. "What issues does this guy share with conservatives?" Scarborough said of former President Trump.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderSenate shatters record with longest vote in history as Democrats negotiated the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill
A Friday vote on Capitol Hill became the longest vote in the Senate's modern history. The vote on a Sanders-backed minimum wage amendment was held open for 11 hours and 50 minutes. The extended open vote was attributed to a Democratic scramble to get votes for future amendments.
“Taking humans to Mars would require an investment astronomically out of kilter with the possible benefits.”
“Can a Mars settlement be a freer society than we enjoy on Earth? Maybe.”
“What we learn...may spark the next revolution that will make life in 2071 beyond anything we can imagine right now.”
“Our presence on Mars could jeopardize one of our main reasons for being there — the search for life.”
“The future of geologic investigation of other worlds lies with highly improved versions of our Mars rovers.”