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.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.
U.S.Miami HeraldDeSantis joins GOP governors, says $16 billion in federal relief to Florida is unfair
The $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package pending before the U.S. Senate would give Florida state and local governments $16 billion in one-time aid, more than enough to wipe out the state's $2 billion shortfall, but Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday said the funding formula is unfair to Florida because it is tied to unemployment. “You shouldn't be penalizing states for doing a good job, which is exactly what this bill does,” DeSantis told reporters Monday, adding his voice to a chorus of GOP officials opposed to President Joe Biden's first legislative initiative.
PoliticsNational ReviewHillary Clinton: Cuomo Sexual Harassment Allegations ‘Raise Serious Questions’
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Monday supported an investigation into sexual harassment allegations against New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. “These stories are difficult to read, and the allegations brought forth raise serious questions that the women who have come forward and all New Yorkers deserve answers to,” she said in a statement. “I'm glad to see that there will be a full, independent, and thorough investigation,” the former senator from New York added.
- WorldAssociated Press
On 1st anniversary of pandemic, Mexico has lost over 185,000
In the year since the first coronavirus case was identified in Mexico, the disease has killed at least 185,257 people and sickened almost 2.1 million. Mexico registered its first case on Feb. 26, 2020, in a man who had travelled to Italy. The Health Department reported just over 8,000 more confirmed infections and 783 more confirmed deaths Saturday, but because Mexico does so little testing the real number is certainly much higher.
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.
U.S.The StateAre your tires among the 440,000 across 9 brands that have just been recalled?
Cooper's Discoverer models A/T3/275/65R18; AT3 4S/275/55R20; AT3 4S/275/65R18; RTX/275/65R18; and Evolution H/T/275/65R18. Discount Tire's Discoverer ATP/275/65R18. Hercules' Terra Track A/T II/275/65R18.
PoliticsTheGrioMarcus Flowers to run for Congress against Marjorie Taylor Greene
The military veteran announced his campaign on social media as Georgia Democrats aim to oust the freshman representative. Sgt. Marcus Flowers has announced his official campaign against Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene for her seat in Georgia's 14th Congressional district. In his newly released campaign video shared on social media, the military veteran laid out his case as a Democratic candidate.
U.S.Business 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.
PoliticsUSA TODAY21 Republican governors attack Biden's COVID-19 stimulus bill for 'penalizing' their states
Twenty-one Republican governors and one Democrat are taking aim at a key component of President Joe Biden's COVID-19 relief bill, arguing a proposed allocation of funds "punishes" states that did not fully lock down businesses amid the pandemic. The governors, led by South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, issued a statement over the weekend critical of what they called a "biased" formula used to decide how much money in direct aid each states receives. One Democrat, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, also supported the statement.
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.
- PoliticsReuters Videos
At least seven dead in Myanmar police crack down
Myanmar is being described as a battlefield. In the bloodiest day of weeks of demonstrations against a military coup the police brutally cracked down on protesters across the country. Witnesses say they're using all means possible - stun grenades, tear gas and bullets.
U.S.The Daily BeastFauci Fires Back at Kristi Noem Saying He’s ‘Wrong’: ‘The Numbers Don’t Lie’
Biden's chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci hit back at South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem's harsh criticism of him on Sunday, saying her comments about him at this weekend's Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) were “not very helpful” and “unfortunate.” Noem, who has received praise from conservatives for largely ignoring coronavirus restrictions and guidelines, got a standing ovation from the CPAC crowd when she boasted about ignoring the medical advice of experts and called out Fauci for supposedly being “wrong.” Appearing on CBS News' Face the Nation, Fauci was asked if that sentiment was an impediment to the nation's recovery.
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."
U.S.The Daily Beast‘Heartbreaking’: Ohio 6-Year-Old Died After Clinging to Car as Mom Abandoned Him, Cops Say
An Ohio mother who police say tried to abandon her 6-year-old son at a local park, dragged him along the pavement when he tried to get back into the car, then dumped the boy's lifeless body in a river the following day, confessed to killing the child but has shown little remorse, the Middletown police chief revealed Monday. Brittany Gosney, 29, is charged with murder, abuse of a corpse, and tampering with evidence. Cops say Gosney's two other children—both of whom are second-graders—were in the car at the time of the killing, but were not harmed.
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 InsiderSenate Democrats prepare to advance the $1.9 trillion stimulus plan without a $15-an-hour minimum wage
Senate Democrats set the stage to advance the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill without a minimum wage increase. "I expect a hearty debate and some late nights," Schumer said on Monday. Senate Democrats are preparing to advance the $1.9 trillion stimulus bill this week as efforts to push through a $15-per-hour minimum wage with a new tax penalty for large corporations crumbled over the weekend.
WorldBusiness InsiderHyatt Hotels said it's taking claims the CPAC stage was inspired by a Nazi rune 'very seriously' and called hate symbols 'abhorrent'
Hyatt, the event host, said it took the concerns seriously and called hate symbols "abhorrent." Hyatt Hotels Corporation called hate symbols "abhorrent" after the stage at the 2021 Conservative Political Action Conference, which took place at a Hyatt hotel, resembled a Nordic rune that appeared on Nazi uniforms. CPAC was held Thursday to Sunday at the Hyatt Regency in Orlando, Florida.
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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)
U.S.INSIDERA man who refused to wear a mask at a high-school basketball game killed a police officer following a confrontation, authorities say
A man in Louisiana was accused of fatally shooting a police officer named Martinus Mitchum. The police in Louisiana said they arrested a 35-year-old man who killed an officer who tried to break up an altercation over face masks at a high-school basketball game. The New Orleans Police Department identified the officer as Martinus Mitchum, an officer in Tulane.
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 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.
HealthBusiness InsiderWhy Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine is probably the best shot
Americans have had two extremely similar authorized COVID-19 vaccines since December one mRNA vaccine from Pfizer, and another mRNA vaccine from Moderna. But now, there is another coronavirus shot authorized for use across the US: Johnson & Johnson's adenovirus jab, which got a green light from the US Food and Drug Administration on Saturday after an expert committee unanimously recommended on Friday evening that it should receive emergency-use authorization. In trials around the world, J&J's shot was shown to be 66% effective at preventing coronavirus infections altogether, and 85% effective at preventing severe COVID-19 cases, when given four weeks to take effect.
“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.”