Lawsuit: 1st Wyoming Black sheriff fires deputy for racism

Wyoming's first Black sheriff last year fired a white deputy who is accused of tormenting a Black subordinate for years with racist name-calling that led him to quit, a new federal lawsuit reveals. Albany County Patrol Sgt. Christian Handley once drove past and yelled a profanity and the N-word at Cpl. Jamin Johnson while Johnson and his wife and children were walking out of their home, according to one example of racism alleged in the discrimination lawsuit filed last week.

‘I’ve lost my son because of this.’ I cosigned student loans for my son, but he dropped out of school, and now I’m struggling with $50K in debt. What should I do?

One big question many parents facing this issue might have is whether to save more for retirement or pay off the student loans faster. Depending on the interest rate on the student loans, it may not make sense to rush to pay down the debt (though always pay the minimums), if that means not saving any money for your own retirement. If the rate on the student loans is low, it's possible your investment return may be higher, and by rushing to pay down the debt, you'll shortchange your retirement savings,” says Weeks.

Virginia's new Republican governor, who banned critical race theory in schools, is launching a tip line for parents to report their kids' teachers

Virginia's newly-elected governor banned critical race theory teaching in his first month in office. Glenn Youngkin promoted a government email to which parents can report teachers. Virginia's newly-elected Republican governor, who has banned critical race theory in public schools, is launching a tipline to report teachers of "divisive subjects."

77 years after Auschwitz, Jews honor those who rescued them

Andrzej Sitkowski was 15 years old when his mother told him that she had been asked by a neighbor to hide a little Jewish girl from the Nazis at their home. “It was a short conversation, and then, yes, we decided to take in Hadassah and she was brought over to our house in 1943,” Sitkowski says, looking back at those difficult years during World War II when he lived with his widowed mother Helena and younger sister Magda on the outskirts of the Polish capital of Warsaw under German occupation. “Of course, we were afraid, but fear was our daily dish during those years anyway,” Sitkowski told The Associated Press at his home in the Bavarian village of Durach where he settled 10 years ago with his German wife.

Florida woman took off mask to ‘drink water’ then got kicked off flight, lawsuit says

A woman unhappy with how she was treated on her Southwest Airlines flight from Washington, D.C., to Palm Beach is now suing the airline over the experience. In the suit filed in federal court in NYC last Tuesday, Medora Clai Reading said she was wrongly ejected before takeoff after a flight attendant repeatedly asked her to keep the mask over her nose and mouth before takeoff. Reading claims she has a medical exemption for a heart condition, claustrophobia and low blood sugar — requiring her to stay hydrated.

NFL’s Odell Beckham Jr. took his $750,000 salary in bitcoin — how much did that end up costing him?

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. made headlines last November when he announced he would be converting his 2021 NFL salary into bitcoin. The problem for Beckham: that bitcoin (BTCUSD) prices are plummeting. Ether was down 8% over the past 24 hours, and bitcoin prices fell below $35,000, including a 4% drop in the past 24 hours.

Australian reportedly killed when explosive vest detonates

Police were investigating the death of a man who was reportedly killed when an explosive vest he was wearing detonated while he was driving his car in the street in the Australian city of Melbourne. The vest was understood to have been triggered by the car hitting a speed bump in suburban Hallam on Saturday morning, Seven News reported. Security camera video showed the flash of the explosion rise about the roof and from the driver's side window.

Fox News' Peter Doocy Says Joe Biden Can 'Call Me Whatever He Wants' After President Swears on Hot Mic

Joe Biden found himself in hot water after his microphone appeared to pick up an insult directed at Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy at a White House press event on Monday. Fellow Fox News anchors, including Tucker Carlson and Tomi Lahren, were quick to call out Biden, 79, for his choice words against Doocy, with Lahren issuing harsh words of her own to the President about his relationship with the press on Twitter. Appearing on Hannity after the exchange took place, Doocy told the longtime Fox News anchor that Biden reached out to him on his cell phone "within about an hour of that exchange" to talk through what happened.

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  On hot mic, Biden calls reporter ‘a stupid son of a b****’

  Yahoo News Video
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  Biden caught on hot mic swearing at Fox News reporter

  Associated Press

Russia posts video of soldiers, tanks, and missile launchers near Ukraine border as West warns of invasion

Russia's Western Military District posted video of drills, including what looked like missile launchers. The troops' commander said the drills were to check combat readiness. The footage comes as the West warns of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.

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  UAE Video Shows Attack on Missile Launcher in Yemen

  Bloomberg
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  Ukraine-Russia crisis: What is going on?

  The Independent

German caution on arms to Ukraine rooted in history, energy

Germany's refusal to join other NATO members in providing weapons to Ukraine has annoyed some allies and raised questions about Berlin's resolve in standing up to Russia. The issue rose to the fore over the weekend following a report that Berlin had gone so far as to block Estonia from supplying old German howitzers to Kyiv to help defend itself against Russian troops massing near the Ukrainian the border. Germany's stance on arms supplies does “not correspond to the level of our relations and the current security situation," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Twitter.

New Omicron Offshoot BA.2 Arrives In U.S. After Spreading In U.K., Denmark, India

Just as the Omicron wave may have broken across the U.S. comes word of another version of the more transmissible variant, dubbed BA.2. It's been nicknamed by some “stealth Omicron” because it seems to evade identification better than its predecessor. While other new variants that seemed worrisome — like Mu or Lambda — have had little impact, and details remain sketchy, early indications are that BA.2 seems to be spreading even in countries where the original Omicron lineage, BA.1, is dominant.

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  ‘Stealth Omicron’: Everything we know about new ‘under investigation’ Covid-19 strain BA.2

  The Independent
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  Scientists are watching an Omicron subtype spreading in Denmark, the U.K., Singapore and India

  Business Insider

Another delay for ex-deep-sea treasure hunter stuck in jail

The long-running case of a former deep-sea treasure hunter marking his sixth year in jail for refusing to disclose the whereabouts of missing gold coins has hit yet another roadblock. Research scientist Tommy Thompson has been held in contempt of court since Dec. 15, 2015, for that refusal. A hearing held Monday in hopes of helping draw the case to a conclusion ended with a federal judge giving Thompson two months to find a new attorney ahead of yet another hearing.

Move Over MyPillow Guy: Aaron Rodgers Is Trumpworld’s Hot New Election Conspiracy Theorist

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is very good at football. He's probably going to be named the NFL's MVP in a few weeks, an award he also won last year, and in 2014, and in 2011. This year's been a little different, though, as his play on the field hasn't been near as big of a story as his judgement off of it.

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  Matt LaFleur: Packers brass 'all on the same page' in wanting Aaron Rodgers back

  Yahoo Sports
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  If Aaron Rodgers leaves Packers, here’s how the NFC North QB situation looks

  Bears Wire

The No. 1 emerging real-estate market in America also has some of the nation’s best beaches

Here is the full list of the Top 20 emerging housing markets, according to the index: International travel demand is set to surge The list's make-up reflects heightened expectations for travel demand as COVID-19 lessens as a concern with more people getting their vaccines globally. They're not just domestic destinations, but international buyers are interested in them too,” said Danielle Hale, chief economist at Realtor.com. The idea that people are traveling more and borders are a little bit more open than they have been is giving international buyers the confidence to get out” Hale said.

Jan. 6 committee member reacts to Newt Gingrich jail comment: 'Really unconscionable'

Rep. Elaine Luria, who sits on the House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection, appeared on CNN Newsroom With Pamela Brown Sunday, where the Virginia Democrat responded to comments former Republican congressman Newt Gingrich made on Fox News earlier in the day. On Sunday Morning Futures With Maria Bartiromo, Gingrich said of the investigation, “I think when we have a Republican congress, this is all gonna come crashing down, and the wolves are gonna find out that they're now sheep, and they're the ones who will, in fact, I think, face a real risk of jail.”

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  Republicans Mock Newt Gingrich Over Threat Of 'Jail' For Jan. 6 Panel

  HuffPost
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  Newt Gingrich, Who Is Advising GOP Leadership, Floats Jail Time for Jan. 6 Committee Members

  Rolling Stone

Laura Ingraham Imitates Kate McKinnon's Impression Of Her And Reviews Pour In

Laura Ingraham on Monday broke out her impression of Kate McKinnon imitating her on “Saturday Night Live” over the weekend ― and the Fox News host didn't make a very good impression. Watch the videos below. Critics convened on Twitter to roast the right-wing TV personality, telling her to stick to propaganda.

Jon Stewart once told Jeff Bezos at a dinner with the Obamas that workers wanted fulfillment, not jobs running errands for rich people: 'That's a recipe for revolution'

Jon Stewart once told Jeff Bezos that his vision for the economy was a "recipe for revolution." Stewart said during a recent podcast episode that President Barack Obama agreed. In recent years, Amazon employees have gone on strike, filed lawsuits, and attempted to unionize.

New space telescope reaches final stop million miles out

The world's biggest, most powerful space telescope arrived at its observation post 1 million miles from Earth on Monday, a month after it lifted off on a quest to behold the dawn of the universe. On command, the James Webb Space Telescope fired its rocket thrusters for nearly five minutes to go into orbit around the sun at its designated location, and NASA confirmed the operation went as planned. The mirrors on the $10 billion observatory still must be meticulously aligned, the infrared detectors sufficiently chilled and the scientific instruments calibrated before observations can begin in June.

Florida Congresswoman Gets Sworn In to Seat After Winning Special Election By a Landslide, But Republican Opponent Still Won’t Concede

U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick was sworn in as the first Black woman to represent the predominantly Democratic 20th District in Florida on Tuesday, but her Republican opponent she defeated by a landslide the week before, still has not conceded the race. Cherfilus-McCormick won the special election for the 20th District on Jan. 11, securing 78.7 percent of the vote over Jason Mariner's 19.6 percent. “People are supposed to have a fair shake at choosing governance,” Mariner told reporters in a video posted on his campaign Facebook page.

A rookie cop mistook my sons for gang members and searched them at gunpoint. Where's our justice?

On this cold, rainy night the boys had spent the evening with their grandparents and were walking the short distance back to my house. When officer Lamont Marzolf encountered my kids, who were just 12 and 14 at the time, he could have acted in a professional manner, asked them some questions, and it would have been readily apparent (1) they didn't come close to matching the description of the suspects, and (2) they were just young kids walking back to their mom's house after spending time with their grandparents. In a just and reasonable world, this conversation between my children and officer Marzolf would have resolved the situation and everyone could have gone on with their lives.

The James Webb Space Telescope arrives at its final orbit

The James Webb Space Telescope has reached its new home. NASA has confirmed the remote observatory successfully entered its final orbit around the second Sun-Earth Lagrange point (aka L2) after one last course correction burn. The telescope's primary mirror segments and secondary mirror have already been deployed, but you'll have to wait until the summer for the first imagery.

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  Nasa’s James Webb Telescope arrives at its final destination – a million miles from Earth

  The Telegraph
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  Webb Space Telescope reaches orbit location

  WESH - Orlando Videos

Liu Xuezhou: Outrage over death of 'twice abandoned' China teen

The 17-year-old's story first came to national attention after he posted a video asking for help finding his biological family. According to media reports, Liu was sold by his biological parents in 2005 and was taken in by another family. However, his adoptive parents later died in an accident, and he spent most of his life with his grandparents and other relatives.

A vaccine scientist's discredited claims have bolstered a movement of misinformation

As Robert Malone stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial before thousands of anti-vaccine and anti-mandate demonstrators Sunday, the medical doctor and infectious-disease researcher repeated the falsehoods that have garnered him legions of followers. "Regarding the genetic covid vaccines, the science is settled," he said in a 15-minute speech that referenced the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and John F. Kennedy. The misinformation came two days after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released its first studies based on real-world data showing that coronavirus vaccines provide strong protection against hospitalization from the rapidly spreading omicron variant.

Thai PM arrives in Saudi Arabia, easing diamond heist row

Thailand's prime minister arrived in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday for the first high-level meeting since relations between the nations soured three decades ago over a sensational jewelry heist that led to a diplomatic row and string of mysterious killings. The official visit by Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha to Riyadh signals the nations are seeking to thaw ties, long chilled by the 1989 scandal. Saudi Arabia downgraded its diplomatic relations with Thailand over the theft that became known as the Blue Diamond affair.