PoliticsThe WeekTrump inadvertently boosts Biden's stimulus messaging with another statement raging against McConnell
Former President Donald Trump has released a new post-presidency statement, and Democrats might just be glad he did. The former president, who remains permanently banned from Twitter, released a statement Thursday once again raging against Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), blasting him as the "most unpopular politician in the country" while blaming him for Republicans' Senate losses in Georgia — losses for which Trump himself has been blamed by other Republicans. One of the reasons Republicans lost the two Georgia Senate runoffs in January, Trump argues, was "Mitch McConnell's refusal to go above $600 per person on the stimulus check payments when the two Democrat opponents were touting $2,000 per person in ad after ad."
U.S.Raleigh News and ObserverKentucky man — and a motorcycle — found after 465-foot Grand Canyon fall, officials say
A missing Kentucky man was found dead after a 465-foot fall from the Grand Canyon, according to the National Park Service. A motorcycle was also found beside the body of John Pennington, a 40-year-old man from Walton, officials say. He was believed to have entered the Grand Canyon around Feb. 23 and abandoned his vehicle at Yaki Point, a scenic overlook, officials say.
U.S.NextSharkHigh School Teacher's Nose and Teeth Damaged After Being Attacked With a 'Rock' in Seattle Chinatown
A Japanese American woman ended up with a fractured nose and chipped teeth after she was struck with a hard object in Seattle's Chinatown-International District last week. The incident, which was caught on surveillance video, occurred while Noriko Nasu and her boyfriend, Michael Poffenbarger, were walking near 7th and King Streets around 9:30 p.m. on Feb. 25. Police records say a male suspect struck Nasu in the face with what felt like a rock in a sock.
PoliticsReutersBarrett authors first U.S. Supreme Court ruling, a loss for environmentalists
Justice Amy Coney Barrett on Thursday authored her first ruling since joining the U.S. Supreme Court in October - a decision that handed a defeat to an environmental group that had sought access to government documents. In the 7-2 ruling, the justices sided with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, thwarting the Sierra Club's bid to obtain documents concerning a regulation finalized in 2014 relating to power plants. Barrett and the court's other five conservative justices were joined by liberal Justice Elena Kagan in the majority, with liberals Justices Stephen Breyer and Sonia Sotomayor in dissent.
U.S.AxiosMan pictured with feet on Pelosi's desk yells at judge: "It's not fair"
The Arkansas man who was pictured with his feet on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's desk during the Jan. 6 insurrection had an outburst in court Thursday, yelling at the judge and his own lawyers that it isn't "fair" he is still in jail, KNWA reports. Background: Richard Barnett, 60, has been asking to be freed on bond since he was arrested days after the attack at the Capitol, per the New York Times. Barnett lost his patience after D.C. District Court Judge Christopher Cooper continued his trial until May 4.
- PoliticsYahoo News Video
Businesses tied to South Dakota Gov. Noem family reportedly got $600,000 in coronavirus grants
Family members of South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem received more than $600,000 in funds from a state grant program pushed by the governor that directed federal coronavirus relief funds to small businesses.
PoliticsThe WeekCapitol riot's 'QAnon Shaman' defends himself by claiming he 'stopped somebody from stealing muffins'
A suspect charged in the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol building is speaking from jail in a new interview — and offering a unique defense positioning himself as simply a savior of baked goods. Jacob Chansley, the Capitol riot suspect who refers to himself as the "QAnon Shaman" and was photographed during the insurrection wearing fur and horns, spoke with 60 Minutes in an interview broadcast Thursday, in which he claimed his "actions were not an attack on this country" as he faces up to 20 years in prison for them. "I sang a song, and that's a part of shamanism," he said.
WorldReutersClash over Myanmar U.N. seat averted as diplomatic revolt against junta widens
A clash was averted over who represents Myanmar at the United Nations in New York following a Feb. 1 military coup, after the junta's replacement quit and the Myanmar U.N. mission confirmed that Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun remained in the job. Kyaw Moe Tun was fired by the junta on Saturday, a day after he urged countries at the 193-member U.N. General Assembly to use "any means necessary" to reverse the coup that ousted the nation's elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The junta appointed deputy U.N. Ambassador Tin Maung Naing to replace him, but he has since resigned and Myanmar's U.N. mission told the United Nations, in a note seen by Reuters on Thursday, that Kyaw Moe Tun remained the country's envoy.
U.S.INSIDERA New Orleans police officer groomed and raped a 14-year-old girl he was assigned to take to a rape kit exam, a lawsuit alleges
A new lawsuit accuses a New Orleans cop of grooming and raping a 14-year-old rape survivor. Officer Rodney Vicknair was arrested last year and fired from the police department in January. The lawsuit alleged the police department shouldn't have allowed Vicknair to assist the girl.
PoliticsThe WeekTrump wants revenge on Alaska's Sen. Murkowski. His advisers think he won't follow through because the flight is too long.
Don't bet on former President Donald Trump traveling to campaign against Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) — and not because of any sudden change of heart. A new report from The Washington Post discusses the Alaska Republican's influence during President Biden's administration, as well as the fact that Trump is "vowing publicly and privately to work to oust her" as she seeks a fourth Senate term in 2022. At the same time, the Post reports that while Trump "does want to spend money against" Murkowski, some "people in his circle doubt, though, that he will be as much of a potent force in the race because traveling to campaign against her would require such a long flight, which Trump generally avoids."
PoliticsReutersNearly 160 million U.S. households to get virus stimulus checks: White House
A total of 158.5 million households would receive direct payments under the Senate version of a $1.9 trillion coronavirus stimulus bill, the White House said on Thursday. White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters that the figure, crunched by the National Economic Council, means that 98% of the households that received payments in December would get checks under the stimulus. The stimulus package passed the Democratic-led House of Representatives and is soon to be debated in the Senate, with Republicans opposed.
BusinessAssociated PressAmazon opens first UK checkout-free grocery store in London
Amazon has opened a cashier-free supermarket in London, its first bricks and mortar expansion outside the U.S. as the company bets on strong demand for its contactless shops. The online retailing giant opened the doors to its Amazon Fresh shop in West London's Ealing neighborhood on Thursday, in what it said will be the first in a wave of shops in the British capital using its automated checkout technology. Purchases are charged to an Amazon account after leaving and a receipt sent by email.
WorldCBS NewsIndian man accused of beheading daughter in apparent "honor killing"
Indian police have arrested a man and accused him of decapitating his own teenage daughter in a rage over her relationship with another man he didn't like, BBC News reported on Thursday, in what appears to be the latest gruesome case of so-called "honor killing" in the Asian nation. Police in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh said Sarvesh Kumar was arrested as he walked toward the local police station carrying his daughter's head. BBC News said the local police released a video of Kumar confessing to the crime, in which he explains that he was enraged to learn of his daughter's relationship, came home to find her alone, locker her in a room and decapitated her with a sharp object.
CelebrityRaleigh News and ObserverPastor tells women to look pretty or husbands will stray in sermon to Missouri church
A Missouri pastor is on leave after delivering a sermon telling women to lose weight and submit to the sexual desires of their husbands to keep them from straying. Pastor Stewart-Allen Clark took a leave of absence Tuesday from First General Baptist in Malden after widespread criticism of his sexist sermon in late February. Although the church in southeastern Missouri deleted videos from its website, a recording of the sermon appears on Facebook.
WorldReutersIndia's foreign minister travels to Bangladesh amid Rohingya repatriation crisis
India's foreign minister arrived in Bangladesh on Thursday ahead of a visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi amid efforts to resolve the fate of 81 Rohingya refugees who are on a boat adrift in international waters. Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar will hold talks with his Bangladeshi counterpart on water sharing, trade and border issues, said two Indian officials in New Delhi. "Of course, the Rohingya refugee issue will come up during the Indian minister's day-long visit but the prime agenda will remain around Modi's upcoming visit," said a senior foreign ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to the media.
PoliticsLA TimesFox News' scrappy White House correspondent grills Biden, who plays along
Whenever President Biden leaves a stage or lectern after an appearance in front of the media, the last voice viewers hear usually belongs to Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy. In a post-Trump age when reporters are no longer dealing with a tsunami of misinformation or general hostility toward their trade, Doocy has emerged as an old-school, combative correspondent, peppering White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki — and occasionally Biden — with queries on how the president's policies differ from promises made on the campaign trail. President Biden has taken notice, and not in the hostile way journalists experienced when covering Donald Trump, who was more accessible but often contentious when dealing with the White House press corp.
WorldArchitectural Digest9 of the Best Outdoor Rugs That Literally Ground Any Space
High-traffic areas are about to meet their match Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
HealthMiami HeraldThis recalled dog food can make pets and pet owners sick with salmonella and listeria
Bravo Packing has recalled its Performance Dog and Ground Beef frozen, raw pet food because it has the potential to be contaminated with salmonella and listeria monocytogenes. The recall alert, issued Wednesday by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, is nationwide. Bravo is headquartered in New Jersey and worked with a New York distributor.
WorldThe TelegraphDuke and Duchess of Sussex expect to be notified if formal bullying allegations are made
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex expect to be notified if formal allegations of bullying are made against them by Buckingham Palace, it is understood. The couple have not been contacted about the investigation into claims that their staff were bullied and left “broken”, “terrified” and “shaking” with fear. The unprecedented inquiry will be headed by a human resources manager from the Royal Household, who will invite Sussex employees past and present to be interviewed about their experiences in a bid to improve policies and ensure “lessons have been learned".
WorldBusiness InsiderBiden and Europe allies worry Israel is preparing a substantial attack on Iran
Israel suspects Iran intentionally dispatched a ship to dump hundreds of tons of crude oil onto its beaches, the area's worst ecological disaster in decades, in revenge for the November assassination of the country's top nuclear scientist, according to Israeli officials and media. But Israeli officials tell Insider the statement from the environmental minister directly blaming Iran released Wednesday was premature as the military and intelligence services have yet to make a final determination on both Iranian culpability and the appropriate level of response to what would be the most brazen act of environmental terrorism in recent history.
PoliticsThe Independent‘Textbook voter suppression’: How Trump’s stolen election lies are shaping the future of democracy
On the floor of Georgia's House of Representatives on 1 March, state Democratic Rep Bee Nguyen warned her colleagues that the bill in front of them – a 66-page, Republican-backed proposal to drastically roll back voting access across the state – followed a months-long campaign from Donald Trump and his GOP allies to undermine millions of voters with baseless claims of widespread voter fraud and a “stolen” election. “Members of this body aided and abetted a deliberate misinformation campaign to sow seeds of doubt among Georgia voters with absolutely no facts or evidence.” The bill would, among other things, cut mail-in voting and early voting access, strip elections oversight from the state's Secretary of State, and limit voting access that would disproportionately target Black voters.
LifestyleArchitectural Digest16 Best Poufs, Ottomans, and Footstools for Your Every Need
Footrest, coffee table, laptop stand, bar cart—these tiny but mighty multipurpose pieces get it all done Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
PoliticsBusiness InsiderBiden supports making a temporary $3,000 payment to parents in the stimulus bill permanent going forward
Biden supports making a temporary boost to a tax credit for parents permanent, a Democratic aide said. Senate Democrats want to make this permanent and to give families the option of monthly checks. President Joe Biden told House Democrats on Wednesday that he supported making the temporary beefed-up child tax credit in his stimulus plan permanent, a Democratic aide briefed on the call told Insider.
PoliticsThe Independent‘Always up for a fight’: Mike Pompeo refuses to rule out presidential run on Hannity
Mike Pompeo has refused to rule out a presidential run for 2024, causing speculation the former US secretary of state will throw his hat into the ring. Speaking on Fox News on Wednesday night, Mr Pompeo said he would consider running for president if former President Donald Trump does not. It follows Mr Trump's suggestion on Sunday that he may be considering another run for office in 2024, in a speech delivered to the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Orlando, Florida.
ScienceCBS NewsSpaceX Starship prototype sticks landing, then explodes
A SpaceX Starship prototype blasted off from southern Texas on Wednesday, climbed to an altitude of six miles, tipped over on its side as planned and plunged back to Earth in a high-altitude swan dive, flipping back vertical and then successfully landing near the launch pad. It was the company's third high-altitude Starship test flight and its first successful landing. Despite the explosion, the successful landing marked a major milestone for SpaceX founder Elon Musk in his drive to develop a fully reusable heavy lift rocket, even as it showed the risks that come with an aggressive test program.
“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.”