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- Associated Press
Antetokounmpo scores 38 as Bucks outlast Pelicans 129-125
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 38 points, Khris Middleton added 31 and the Milwaukee Bucks outlasted the New Orleans Pelicans 129-125 on Thursday night. It was the fourth straight win for the Bucks, who finished their first half of the season in third place in the Eastern Conference. Zion Williamson scored 34 points and Brandon Ingram added 23 for the Pelicans, who had won two straight.
- The Independent
Costco raising starting wages to $16 amid calls for federal $15 minimum – will competitors follow?
Lawmakers debate gradually raising federal minimum wage to $15 by 2025 as second-largest retailer says raising its wages ‘constitutes a significant competitive advantage’
- Associated Press
Brazil death toll tops 250,000, virus still running rampant
Brazil’s COVID-19 death toll, which surpassed 250,000 on Thursday, is the world’s second-highest for the same reason its second wave has yet to fade: Prevention was never made a priority, experts say. Since the pandemic's start, Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro scoffed at the “little flu” and lambasted local leaders for imposing restrictions on activity; he said the economy must keep humming along to prevent worse hardship.
- Reuters
A patchwork: Europe and COVID-19 vaccination passports
European Union leaders moved closer on Thursday to an agreement on certificates showing that citizens have been vaccinated against COVID-19, a move that could revive international travel and save this summer's holiday season. Halfway through a summit of leaders on the pandemic, officials said "convergence on a harmonised approach" to certificates was emerging. It has reached an agreement with Israel, which has launched a digital "Green Pass", to ease travel for those with proof of vaccination.
- Reuters
U.S. Senator Manchin to back Biden pick for interior secretary
Democratic Senator Joe Manchin will throw his support behind Congresswoman Deb Haaland to lead the Biden administration's Interior Department, he said in a statement on Wednesday, likely securing her confirmation to become the first Native American in a cabinet position. Manchin's "yes" vote is seen as crucial to Haaland's confirmation because he is a supporter of fossil fuel development who wields significant power in a U.S. Congress split 50-50 among Democrats and Republicans, meaning every Democratic backer counts.
- Reuters
Denmark to take 'calculated risk' by easing COVID curbs in March
Denmark plans to allow shops and some schools to reopen in March in a much awaited move that could however send hospital coronavirus admissions soaring in coming months. Denmark, which has one of the lowest infection rates in Europe, has seen general infection numbers drop after it introduced lockdown measures in December in a bid to curb a more contagious coronavirus variant. In what the prime minister has called a "calculated risk", the government will allow stores under 5,000 square metres to reopen, while outdoor leisure activities can resume with an upper limit of 25 people.
- Associated Press
Mickelson eyeing record 3rd straight PGA Tour Champions win
Phil Mickelson made history 30 years ago in Tucson, becoming one of seven amateurs to win a PGA Tour event since 1940. Lefty is back in Arizona this weekend and he has a chance to stand alone in the record book. A winner in his first two PGA Tour Champions starts, Mickelson could become the first player to win his first three starts on a PGA Tour-sanctioned tour this weekend in the Cologuard Classic at Tucson National.
- Reuters
Biden CIA nominee Burns to focus on 'authoritarian adversary' China
President Joe Biden's nominee to be director of the CIA, William Burns, told a Senate committee on Wednesday that he saw competition with China - and countering its "adversarial, predatory" leadership - as the key to U.S. national security. Burns, 64, a former career diplomat during both Democratic and Republican administrations, is expected to easily win confirmation to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency. Burns has already been confirmed by the Senate five times for his stints as ambassador to Jordan and Russia and three senior State Department positions.
- INSIDER
'Matilda' star Mara Wilson pens essay slamming treatment of child stars, Britney Spears
Mara Wilson details the perils of child stardom and draws a line between her experiences with those of Britney Spears.
- Business Insider
While President Biden visits storm-torn Texas, Sen. Ted Cruz will be giving a speech on 'cancel culture' in Florida
The president will tour the state with Gov. Greg Abbott.
- USA TODAY
The Equality Act with protections for LGBTQ Americans is up for a vote in the House. What is it?
"In many ways," the coming vote showed how Congress was "catching up to the rest of the country" on LGBTQ rights, Rep. David Cicilline said.
- INSIDER
Billie Eilish's documentary gives an intimate look at her secret relationship with rapper 7: AMP - and why she decided to end it
They began dating in late 2018, when Eilish was 16. The film chronicles her frustration with his "lack of effort" and "self-destructive" behavior.
- Reuters Videos
Yangon protesters adopt umbrella symbols in protests
This week has seen huge rallies and a general strike to denounce the Feb 1. coup and demand the release of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi, despite a warning from authorities that confrontation could get people killed.Protesters also held a banner which calls for Indonesia to not support dictatorship.Indonesia has taken the lead in efforts steer a path out of the crisis with the help of fellow ASEAN members but its plans appeared to falter earlier on Wednesday with the scrapping of a proposed trip to Myanmar by its foreign minister.The army seized power after alleging fraud in the November elections, detaining Suu Kyi and much of the party leadership. The electoral commission dismissed the fraud complaints.
- INSIDER
How a woman lives in a 500-square-foot apartment with 2 roommates, a dog, 100 houseplants - and zero clutter
Maximalist Bruna Mello lives in a sunny, vibrant tiny apartment in South London, and she doesn't let the small space keep her from collecting things.
- Business Insider
Coinbase says the entire crypto market could be destabilized if Bitcoin's anonymous creator is ever revealed or sells their $30 billion stake
Satoshi Nakamoto owns about 5% of the bitcoin market. If their 1.1 million cache was transferred, bitcoin prices could plummet, Coinbase said.
- Business Insider
Biden orders airstrikes against infrastructure used by 'Iranian-backed militant groups' in Syria
The Department of Defense said the strikes were carried out at the president's direction following attacks on the US military in Iraq.
- The Week
New York prosecutors finally have Trump's tax records — and the public will likely never see them
In the race to get former President Donald Trump's tax records, New York prosecutors have won. While it was more of a marathon than a sprint, the Manhattan District Attorney's Office confirmed Thursday that it had received Trump's tax records a year and a half after first requesting them. Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance and his team will now be able to dig through what sources tell CNN are "millions of pages" of documents spanning January 2011 to August 2019. Vance got the documents, which include financial statements and engagement agreements, from Trump's accounting firm Mazars USA. The transfer happened within an hour of the Supreme Court ordering that Mazars hand over the documents on Monday, Vance's spokesperson told reporters. Forensic accountants and analysts are now prepared to root through the records to find potential fraud or wrongdoing by the former president. But because the records were handed over as part of a grand jury investigation, they're unlikely to ever be made public. Democrats in the House had meanwhile been trying to access Trump's tax returns from the time they gained a majority two years ago. Courts had ruled both for and against the Democrats' subpoenas, but the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ultimately decided in December not to rule in the case, essentially letting Trump run out the clock. It's unclear if Congress will try to pursue Trump's records again now that he's out of the White House. More stories from theweek.comDemocrats should take the Romney-Cotton proposal seriouslyThe MyPillow guy might be Trump's ultimate chumpThe GOP's apathy for governing is being exposed
- Axios
Acting Capitol Police chief: Phone logs show Jan. 6 National Guard approval was delayed
Acting U.S. Capitol Police chief Yogananda Pittman testified on Thursday that cellphone records show former USCP chief Steven Sund requested National Guard support from the House sergeant-at-arms as early as 12:58pm on Jan. 6, but he did not receive approval until over an hour later.Why it matters: Sund and former House sergeant-at-arms Paul Irving clashed at a Senate hearing on Tuesday over a dispute in the timeline for when Capitol Police requested the National Guard during the Capitol insurrection.Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. Subscribe for freeIrving insisted that he has no recollection of receiving the request until after 2pm. Lawmakers are looking for accountability over that hour of lost time, when pro-Trump rioters were able to breach and ransack the Capitol."I did not get a request at 1:09 that I can remember," Irving, who resigned after the insurrection, testified. "The first conversation I had with chief Sund in that timeframe was 1:28, 1:30. In that conversation, he indicated that conditions were deteriorating and he might be looking for National Guard approval."Details: Pittman testified to a House subcommittee that Sund's phone records show the former chief first reached out for National Guard support to Irving at 12:58pm.Sund then spoke to former Senate sergeant-at-arms Michael Stenger to make the same request at 1:05pm, per Pittman.Pittman says Sund repeated his request to Irving at 1:28pm, then spoke to him again at 1:34pm, 1:39pm and 1:45pm.Go deeper: Pittman testifies officers were unsure of lethal force rules on Jan. 6Like this article? Get more from Axios and subscribe to Axios Markets for free.
- Associated Press
Helicopters, firefighters battle 2 forest fires in Japan
A forest fire broke out in a rural area north of Tokyo on Thursday, near another blaze burning for a fourth day. One man suffered burns and was hospitalized, and firefighters have been deployed, said Hitomi Hirokami, an official at Kiryu in Gunma prefecture, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) northwest of Tokyo. Another fire has been raging in nearby Ashikaga in Tochigi prefecture, where 207 households have been asked to evacuate, said spokesman Minoru Takayama.
- The Independent
College library shut down after discovery of venomous ‘Mediterranean recluse’ spiders
The building was closed for two days out of an abundance of caution