U.S.National ReviewNew Orleans Archdiocese Asks Catholics to Avoid Johnson & Johnson COVID Vaccine
The Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans is asking Catholics to avoid the recently-approved Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, which it says is “morally compromised” by its “extensive use of abortion-derived cell lines.” In a statement on Friday, the archdiocese noted that while deciding whether to receive the vaccine is an individual choice, that “the latest vaccine from Janssen/Johnson & Johnson is morally compromised as it uses the abortion-derived cell line in development and production of the vaccine as well as the testing.” While a number of COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers have used cells originally derived from an aborted fetus in the 1970s, the archdiocese argues that Johnson & Johnson “extensive use” is worse than that of Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines, which used the cells lines only to test their vaccines, according to Religion News Service.
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.NextSharkSacramento Teacher Gets Death Threats After Using 'Slant-Eyes' to Explain Racism in Zoom Class
A high school teacher in Sacramento, California is under investigation after making a controversial gesture in an online class last week. Nicole Burkett, who teaches Spanish and serves as a student advisor at Grant Union High School, stretched her eyes up and down to demonstrate “slant eyes,” a gesture considered racist by many Asians. Burkett allegedly made the gesture while explaining racist stereotypes toward Asian Americans, which she said were more prevalent in the 1980s.
HealthReutersNew York virus variant harbors another worrisome mutation; vaccinating elderly adds most years of life
The following is a roundup of some of the latest scientific studies on the novel coronavirus and efforts to find treatments and vaccines for COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus. New York variant harbors a third worrisome mutation The coronavirus variant on the rise in New York City contains the same E484K mutation seen in variants in Brazil and South Africa believed to make COVID-19 vaccines and antibody therapies less effective, as well as a mutation called S477N that helps it bind more tightly to cells when it breaks into them. A report by New York State Department of Health researchers posted on Monday on medRxiv ahead of peer review adds new information.
PoliticsArchitectural DigestHouse Call: Cue the Waterworks and Welcome to March
Zoë's newsletter comes to a web page near you, and the theme of the day is damp Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
PoliticsThe WeekTrump reportedly quietly got his COVID-19 vaccine in January
Former President Donald Trump never ended up getting his COVID-19 vaccine publicly before he left office — but he reportedly did so off camera. At the Conservative Political Action Conference on Sunday, Trump encouraged supporters to get their COVID-19 vaccine, renewing questions over whether the former president has done so himself. Numerous officials, including former Vice President Mike Pence, got vaccinated on live television as part of an effort to demonstrate to Americans that it's safe.
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DHS Sec.: Trump admin. 'gutted' immigration system
Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas says immigration was "gutted" by the Trump administration. After 27 days in office, Mayorkas told reporters: "It takes time to build out of the depths of cruelty," (March 1)
PoliticsNational ReviewBorder Dems Warn Biden Border Policies Will Be ‘Catastrophic for Our Party, for Our Country’
Representative Vicente Gonzalez (D., Texas) on Monday warned that President Biden's immigration policies will be “catastrophic” for the country and the Democratic Party. In an appearance on CNN, Gonzalez expressed growing concern over migrants who have crossed the border ahead of even those who have waited in Mexico while their asylum claims have been processed, in line with the Trump-era Migrant Protection Protocol, or “Remain in Mexico” policy. “If that is the message that we send to Central America and around the world, I can assure you it won't be long before we have tens of thousands of people showing up to our border and it will be catastrophic for our party, for our country, for my region, for my district,” he said.
U.S.Associated PressUnited Methodist conservatives detail plans for a breakaway
Conservative leaders within the United Methodist Church unveiled plans Monday to form a new denomination, the Global Methodist Church, with a doctrine that does not recognize same-sex marriage. The move could hasten the long-expected breakup of the UMC, America's largest mainline Protestant denomination, over differing approaches to LGBTQ inclusion. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the UMC's General Conference — at which the schism would be debated — has been postponed for two consecutive years, and is now scheduled to take place in Minneapolis starting in late August of 2022.
U.S.The WeekCOVID-19 vaccine hesitancy plummets among Black and Latino Americans — but not white Republicans
As the United States adds another COVID-19 vaccine to its arsenal and ramps up its distribution drive, potentially pushing the country closer toward herd immunity, concerns about vaccine hesitancy among the population remain. Data from the KFF Vaccine Monitor shows 55 percent of Americans have either already received a vaccine dose or plan on getting one as soon as possible, Axios reports. The share of Americans who say they won't get vaccinated is now small enough that the U.S. should be able to reach herd immunity even if the most reluctant people don't change their minds, according to polling.
PoliticsLos Angeles Times OpinionLetters to the Editor: Trump's CPAC speech was just about the only thing that could make me thankful for Twitter
To the editor: Can we all acknowledge what a great gift Twitter has given those American people who still cherish and adhere to democratic principles? Former President Trump's 90-minute speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando this weekend was entirely predictable: perpetuating the Big Lie about the 2020 election; excoriating the 17 Republican lawmakers who voted with the Democrats to impeach him; bitterly criticizing and ridiculing President Biden's actions; demonizing Democrats in general; boasting about his "great" accomplishments while in office. If it were not for Twitter's ban on him we would be getting a daily dose of these juvenile, bitter and toxic tirades.
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.
WorldBBCHong Kong charges 47 activists in largest use yet of new security law
Police in Hong Kong have charged 47 activists with "subversion", in the largest use yet of the territory's controversial security law. The 47, among a group of 55 arrested in dawn raids last month, were told to report to police stations for detention ahead of court appearances on Monday. Beijing enforced the law criminalising "subversive" acts last year, saying it was needed to bring stability.
PoliticsFort Worth Star-TelegramWhat’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.”
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.
WorldBusiness InsiderNew video shows US forces getting hammered by a barrage of Iranian missiles after Trump had a top general killed
The US military released new footage of the Iranian missile attack on US troops on January 8, 2020. The footage, shot by a drone, shows the missiles hammering Al Asad Air Base. The US has released previously unseen video footage of the Iranian missile attack on US and coalition forces in Iraq last year.
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.
LifestyleINSIDERI tried orange chicken from Trader Joe's, Panda Express, and P.F. Chang's, and the best is the most affordable
P.F. Chang's dish was my least favorite and also the most expensive. Although Panda Express' was great, Trader Joe's orange chicken won based on affordability. Orange chicken is a popular dish that's been around for decades, but there's still some debate about the best place to get it.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderWhite House staffer describes 'a complete lack of empathy' during Trump administration for keeping residence workers safe from COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has been difficult for the White House residence staff. The White House's approach to COVID-19 shifted dramatically after Joe Biden succeeded Donald Trump. While President Donald Trump and many of his aides were stricken with COVID-19 last year, the White House residence staff never stopped toiling in the background, according to The New Yorker.
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Jurors acquit 30-year-old predatory offender of grabbing woman off Minneapolis porch, raping her
Jurors have acquitted a 30-year-old predatory offender of rape after being accused of grabbing a woman from her Minneapolis front porch last summer and assaulting her. Tyree T. Johnson, of Crystal, was found not guilty by a Hennepin County District Court jury last week of two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and kidnapping. Jurors did convict Johnson of misdemeanor assault.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderAlexandria Ocasio-Cortez shoots back at Ted Cruz, saying he treated storm-hit Texas as a 'layover' between trips to Cancun and CPAC
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez hit back at Sen. Ted Cruz after he mocked her during his CPAC speech. Ocasio-Cortez again criticized Cruz for fleeing Texas during the recent electrical-grid collapse. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez hit back at Sen. Ted Cruz after the Texas Republican mocked her in a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, Florida, on Friday.
PoliticsINSIDERThe lawyer for the 'QAnon Shaman' wants to use Trump's speech before the insurrection as part of his defense
The lawyer for "QAnon Shaman" Jacob Chansley wants to use Trump's January 6 speech for his defense. It's the "public authority defense," where defendants say officials told them to break the law. The lawyer for Jacob Chansley, the "QAnon Shaman" who stormed the Capitol building at the vanguard of the January 6 insurrection, wants to use Donald Trump's words as part of his legal defense.
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.
WorldBusiness InsiderThe White House says it never wants an assassination like Khashoggi's again, but won't punish MBS for ordering the killing
The White House is facing criticism for not sanctioning MBS over Khashoggi's murder. A report released last week explicitly implicated MBS in the murder. White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Monday said that the actions the Biden administration has taken in response to the declassified intelligence assessment on Jamal Khashoggi's 2018 murder represent the "the best way to prevent a crime like this from ever happening again."
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.
“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.”