WorldReutersPope's risky trip to Iraq defies sceptics
Rockets have hit Iraqi cities and COVID-19 has flared,yet, barring last-minute changes, Pope Francis will embark on a whirlwind four-day trip starting on Friday to show solidarity with the country's devastated Christian community. Keen to get on the road again after the pandemic put paid to several planned trips, he convinced some perplexed Vatican aides that it is worth the risk and that, in any case, his mind was made up, three Vatican sources said. "He is itching to get back out on the road after such a long period," said one Vatican official.
PoliticsThe StateWhat’s next for $1,400 checks? Biden weighs lower income threshold, Senate vote looms
After the U.S. House of Representatives approved President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion stimulus deal and sent it to the Senate, White House officials indicated Biden is open to lowering the income threshold for direct payments. The legislation passed by the House last week includes $1,400 direct payments for individuals making up to $75,000 a year and married couples earning up to $150,000 a year. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on Fox News Sunday that Biden is willing to lower the maximum income for stimulus check eligibility to “ensure they hit the Americans who need that help the most.”
WorldThe TelegraphFireball over Gloucestershire sparks hundreds of reports as public told not to touch meteorite fragments
A fireball over Gloucestershire sparked hundreds of reports of sightings, experts have said, prompting warnings for the public not to touch meteorite fragments. Pieces of meteor are believed to have landed in Cheltenham or nearby after the yellow-green fireball was visible for around six seconds at 9.55pm on Sunday night. There have now been more than 900 reports of sightings to the International Meteor Organisation (IMO), which have come from as far away as Belgium and the Netherlands.
WorldReutersOver 60% of Russians don't want Sputnik V vaccine, see coronavirus as biological weapon: Reuters poll
Nearly two thirds of Russians are not willing to receive Russia's Sputnik V vaccine, and about the same number believe the new coronavirus was created artificially as a biological weapon, an independent pollster said on Monday. The Levada Center said a poll it conducted last month showed that 62% of people did not want to get Russia's domestically produced vaccine, and that the highest level of reluctance was identified among 18 to 24-year-olds. The poll, which sampled 1,601 people in 50 regions, also found that 64% of people thought the new coronavirus was created as a biological weapon.
WorldNBC NewsThe New Chapo: An inside look at the hunt for El Mencho, Mexico's bloodiest drug lord
The Drug Enforcement Administration now believes the CJNG is responsible for tons of meth and fentanyl flowing into the United States each month. CJNG is our No. priority right now,” said Bill Bodner, the special agent in charge of the DEA's Los Angeles field division, who oversees a group of agents specifically tasked with tracking down the cartel's leader.
U.S.The State‘Are they crying for me?’ Young boys vanish along with their father, Missouri cops say
Police are searching for a dad and his two young sons after they disappeared late last week in Missouri. Police responded to the Warsaw home of Darrell Peak, 40, Friday morning and family explained that Peak had left the home with his two sons — Mayson, 3, and Kaiden, 4 — around 4 p.m. the day before, the Greene County Sheriff's Office said Sunday. Officials have tried several times to issue an Amber Alert, but say the case doesn't meet the criteria.
PoliticsNational ReviewCuomo Apologizes for ‘Insensitive’ Remarks as Pelosi Calls Harassment Allegations ‘Credible’
New York governor Andrew Cuomo on Sunday responded to recent allegations of sexual harassment by former aides by saying that he was “being playful” at work, after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) and other prominent Democrats called for an investigation into the claims. Two former aides, Lindsey Boylan and Charlotte Bennett, came forward over the past week to allege sexual harassment by Cuomo. Boylan wrote on Medium that in one incident the governor kissed her on the lips without consent, which Cuomo has denied, while Bennett described interactions in which Cuomo asked intrusive questions regarding her sex life, including whether she was open to sleeping with older men.
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Archaeologists uncover ancient carriage near Pompeii
This Roman carriage was unearthed outside Pompeii the city buried in a volcanic eruption in 79 AD Archaeologists found it near the stables of a villa "... a unique find, without any precedent in Italy." - Italy's Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism
PoliticsBusiness InsiderThe Supreme Court finally rejected Sidney Powell's election conspiracy theory lawsuits
The Supreme Court rejected two lawsuits filed by the Trump ally Sidney Powell. It extends the extraordinary losing streak for lawsuits seeking to overturn 2020 election results. President Joe Biden was inaugurated more than a month ago.
BusinessReutersOne year into pandemic, sky begins to clear over U.S. economy
Despite the U.S. economy's near miss with a depression last year and an ongoing coronavirus pandemic that has brought travel to a virtual halt, Jeff Hurst, the chief executive of vacation rental firm VRBO, sees a boom on the horizon. "Every house is going to be taken this summer," Hurst said, as the expected protection from vaccines arrives in step with warmer weather, unleashing a cooped-up population with record savings stashed away. "There's so much built-up demand for it."
ScienceBBCRadar images capture new Antarctic mega-iceberg
The Halley research station is sited just over 20km from the line of fracture, but GPS stations installed around the facility reported continued stability. "We didn't think there would be a reaction simply because, glaciologically speaking, the ice around Halley is slightly separated from the area that produced A74; there's not a good way for stress to be transmitted across to the ice under the station," explained Dr Oliver Marsh from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS). "Since Friday's calving, we've had a lot more high-precision GPS data that measures centimetre changes in strain along a whole range of baselines, and none of these show anything different from what was happening before the calving," he told BBC News.
PoliticsThe IndependentCPAC 2021: Kevin McCarthy says he would bet his own home that Republicans take back the House in 2022
Republican House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy has said that he would bet his own home that Republicans take back the House of Representatives in the 2022 midterms. During a panel discussion at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Orlando, Florida Mr McCarthy said to a cheering crowd: "We're going to get the majority back, we're five seats away! I would bet my house ...
HealthReutersGlobal COVID-19 infections up for first time in seven weeks, WHO says
The number of new coronavirus infections globally rose last week for the first time in seven weeks, the World Health Organization said on Monday. "We need to have a stern warning for all of us: that this virus will rebound if we let it," Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO technical lead for COVID-19, told a briefing. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the rise in cases was "disappointing but not surprising" and urged countries not to relax measures to fight the disease.
U.S.Charlotte ObserverNC trooper put man in chokehold and said, ‘This is how they taught me,’ lawsuit says
A new federal lawsuit claims that a disabled Vietnam veteran was beaten and choked in his front yard by a gang of attackers. In fact, Jerry Baxter's complaint alleges that four North Carolina state troopers came onto his Lincoln County property without warrants in 2018, refused to leave, then beat and choked Baxter in front of his wife and 4-year-old grandson — to the point that the then-69-year-old thought he was about to die. The court filing names troopers Randall Lee Neal, Brian Matthew Black, Joshua Lee Craig and Chuck Lee, and accuses them of assault, federal and state constitutional violations, excessive force, malicious conduct, among other claims.
WorldThe IndependentFar-right Proud Boys leader condemns Capitol rioters but says he 'won't cry' about politicians
Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio has condemned the rioters who besieged the US Capitol, but will not “cry” about lawmakers who came under attack on the day. Mr Tarrio, who was arrested two days before some members of the Proud Boys – and other Trump supporters – rioted at the US Capitol, told CNN that lawmakers did not need sympathy after the attack. The remarks come despite concerns among members of Congress that they were targets of those who broke into the complex on 6 January, citing baseless claims the 2020 election was “stolen”.
U.S.INSIDERMinneapolis approved funding to hire social media influencers to spread information about ex cop Derek Chauvin's trial
Minneapolis city council approved funding to hire social media influencers for Derek Chauvin's trial, WCCO-TV reported. The influencers will be paid to provide the local community with information about the trial. Chauvin was charged in Floyd's death, and his trial is set to begin on March 8.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderThe Bidens, in a rare gesture, immediately greeted the White House residence staff upon entering the building on Inauguration Day, staffer says
The Bidens immediately greeted the White House staff upon entering the building on Inauguration Day. "Usually we meet them in the first days or first weeks, but never in the first minutes," a staffer said. Biden has publicly expressed some reservations about being waited on by residence staff.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderGoya Foods CEO said Trump is 'the still actual president' and doubled down on false election claims at CPAC
Goya Foods CEO: Trump is "the legitimate and the still actual president of the United States." CNN reported the executive praised Trump during the Conservative Political Action Conference. The CEO of Goya Foods said Donald Trump is the "actual" US president nearly six weeks after President Joe Biden's inauguration.
U.S.USA TODAY6-year-old boy was killed, thrown into the Ohio River, police say. His mom is charged with murder.
The 6-year-old boy killed over the weekend died after his mother attempted to abandon him in a park and then ran over him when he tried to get back in the car, court documents state. The documents state Brittany Gosney, 29, tried to leave her son, James Robert Hutchinson, at a Preble County Park, according to Cincinnati Enquirer media partner Fox 19. Gosney reported the 6-year-old reported missing Sunday morning, but police said she later admitted what happened.
HealthINSIDERRestrictive dieting and over-exercising is causing women to lose their periods
Madigan, now a healthy personal trainer who helps women regain their menstrual cycles, had what's known as functional hypothalamic amenorrhea (FHA), which is where you have no period for 90 days or more (or less than three in a year), generally due to stress, over-restrictive dieting, not having enough body fat, or over-exercising. Often it's a combination of all factors, according to consultant gynecologist Dr. Lisa Webber. Not only does FHA mean you can't have children, but it can also lead to osteoporosis and possibly a higher risk of cardiovascular disease.
PoliticsThe IndependentCPAC 2021 – live: Roger Stone dances to pro-Trump rap as Kristi Noem and Mike Pompeo woo party faithful
The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) enters its third day in Orlando, Florida, with attendees gearing up for the culmination on Sunday when it is rumoured Donald Trump will announce a 2024 presidential run. Described as “Woodstock for election liars” by CNN anchor Anderson Cooper, Joe Biden has said he will not be paying attention to the four-day gathering. On Saturday morning, Republican senator Marco Rubio's scheduled speech was cancelled just minutes before he was scheduled to take the stage.
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Trump names Republican impeachment supporters
Former President Donald Trump called for GOP unity at a conservative convention in Orlando, Florida and then called out by name the 17 Republican House and Senate members who voted to impeach or convict him. (March 1)
PoliticsBusiness InsiderCuomo reverses course, asks New York Attorney General and top judge to appoint independent investigator over sexual harassment claims
New York Attorney General Letitia James asked Gov. Cuomo to allow her office to investigate claims against him. Two former staffers have accused Cuomo of sexual harassment. Numerous lawmakers, including Biden, have called for an independent investigation into the claims.
U.S.USA TODAYAmerican Airlines flight diverted after 'disturbing and unacceptable' passenger fight over racial slur
An American Airlines flight from Dallas-Fort Worth to Los Angeles was diverted to Phoenix Feb. 24 after an in-flight passenger altercation, the carrier confirmed. Two women got into a fight with another passenger who asked them to stop using a racial slur, Phoenix police told the Arizona Republic, which is part of the USA TODAY Network. One of the women "became upset and allegedly spit at the male passenger who had asked her to stop using that language," Sgt. Mercedes Fortune, a Phoenix police spokesperson, said.
WorldINSIDERThe Queen accepted several horses from the ruler of Dubai after he was accused of kidnapping his daughter
One of his wives, Princess Haya, said she fled Dubai for London after learning of Latifa's plight. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. Queen Elizabeth II accepted gifts from the ruler of Dubai in the wake of allegations that he abducted and tortured his daughter, The Times of London reported Sunday.
“How about we skip ‘he won’t win’ cycle and not do 2016 all over again. Trump can absolutely win another presidential election.”
“With independents deserting him, there is simply no path for Trump to get back into the White House — except as a tourist.”
“They might as well cancel the 2024 primaries...because there is no way he can lose.”
“The next Republican presidential primary will be heavily shaped by Trump — whether or not he decides to run again.”
“Donald Trump will not be running for president again. He will, however, continue to tease the possibility of a 2024 run.”