PoliticsAxiosJill Biden is traveling with newly confirmed Education Secretary Miguel Cardona on Wednesday
Jill Biden will travel to Connecticut and Pennsylvania on Wednesday with newly confirmed Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, a testament to a first lady well on the move. Why it matters: Biden already is the only first lady to hold a full-time job. Now, she's built a robust staff in the East Wing and is planning a busy travel schedule of her own.
PoliticsAssociated PressRomney knocked unconscious in fall, but 'doing better'
Sen. Mitt Romney said Monday that he was knocked unconscious in a fall over the weekend, but he was “doing better.” The Utah Republican said the accident happened when he was spending time with his grandchildren in Boston. “I had kind of a tough, tough weekend,” Romney joked.
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.
U.S.ReutersFauci says U.S. must stick to two-shot strategy for Pfizer, Moderna COVID-19 vaccines: paper
The United States must stick to a two-dose strategy for the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, top U.S. infectious disease official Anthony Fauci told the Washington Post newspaper. Fauci said that delaying a second dose to inoculate more Americans creates risks. He warned that shifting to a single-dose strategy for the vaccines could leave people less protected, enable variants to spread and possibly boost skepticism among Americans already hesitant to get the shots.
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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CDC's Walensky concerned about decline in COVID-19 cases and deaths stalling
At the White House COVID-19 response team briefing on Monday, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky expressed concern about a leveling off of the decline in weekly coronavirus cases.
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.
WorldAssociated PressChinese vaccines sweep much of the world, despite concerns
Amid a dearth of public data on China's vaccines, hesitations over their efficacy and safety are still pervasive in the countries depending on them, along with concerns about what China might want in return for deliveries. Nonetheless, inoculations with Chinese vaccines already have begun in more than 25 countries, and the Chinese shots have been delivered to another 11, according to the AP tally, based on independent reporting in those countries along with government and company announcements. It's a potential face-saving coup for China, which has been determined to transform itself from an object of mistrust over its initial mishandling of the COVID-19 outbreak to a savior.
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.”
BusinessAxiosBoeing's first fighter-like jet completes historic test flight
Boeing and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) announced Tuesday local time that they've completed the first test flight of a pilotless fighter-like jet devised to operate alongside crewed aircraft. Why it matters: The "Loyal Wingman" combat drone is serving as the foundation for the Boeing Airpower Teaming System being developed for the company's global defense customers. It has the potential to "revolutionize the RAAF's air combat tactics playbook," per The Drive.
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
U.S.The WeekWealthy alumni demand University of Texas defy 'cancel culture' and defend racist school song
Wealthy alumni are threatening to pull their donations from the University of Texas at Austin because students have been protesting the university's controversial alma mater song, The Texas Tribune reports. "The Eyes of Texas," which plays after football games, is a cherished tradition for many, but it was historically performed at campus minstrel shows, and the title is linked to a saying from Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. It appears, however, many donors consider the movement to be the product of "cancel culture" and "Marxist ideology," and emails obtained by the Tribune show they're willing to pull their financial support for the university over the issue.
WorldReutersCanada vaccine committee advises against use of AstraZeneca COVID-19 shots for 65 years and above
Canada's National Advisory Committee on Immunization released new guidelines on Monday that advise against vaccinating people who are 65 years and older with AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine, citing lack of information about efficacy in that age group. The vaccine was authorized for people who are 18 and older by drug regulator Health Canada on Friday. Health Canada's decision noted that available clinical trial data was too limited to reliably estimate how well the vaccine worked in people 65 and older.
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.
PoliticsThe IndependentRepublican congressman appears at white nationalist conference whose founder called Capitol riot ‘awesome’
Republican congressman Paul Gosar appeared at a white nationalist political conference before attending the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), according to reports. The Arizona Republican appeared on-stage at the "America First Political Action Conference" (AFPAC) on Friday, following the far-right conference's founder, Nicholas Fuentes. Mr Fuentes, an alleged white nationalist, said on Friday that the Capitol riot – in which five people died – was “awesome”, and that "white people are done being bullied".
U.S.Fort Worth Star-TelegramGov. Abbott to make ‘statewide announcement.’ Could COVID-19 order changes be coming?
It's unclear what Abbott is announcing during the news conference at Montelongo's Mexican Restaurant, but the governor has recently hinted that his order requiring masks and other COVID-19 orders in Texas could soon be lifted. During a news conference in Corpus Christi, Abbott was asked about the mask mandate. We're working right now on evaluating when we're going to be able to remove all statewide orders, and we will be making announcements about that pretty soon,” Abbott said.
U.S.Associated PressCNN's Chris Cuomo says he 'obviously' can't cover brother
CNN host Chris Cuomo told viewers Monday that he “obviously” couldn't cover the stories surrounding his older brother, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who has been accused of sexual harassment by three women. “Obviously, I'm aware of what's going on with my brother,” Chris Cuomo said on Monday. Both Andrew Cuomo, 63, and Chris, 50, are sons of the late New York Gov. Mario Cuomo, a Democrat who served three terms in the 1980s and 1990s.
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 - retaliation for the death of a top Iranian general.
U.S.The IndependentLawmaker breaks down confronting Ercot officials over death of boy in Texas freeze
A Texas lawmaker broke down as she confronted officials from the state's energy supplier, Ercot, over dozens of deaths during a power blackout and a winter storm last week. It came as Ercot officials appeared before Texas's legislature on Thursday to answer questions as part of a hearing into the firm's role in the crisis. That was when, as reported by MSNBC, a lawmaker broke down in tears as she confronted the officials from Ercot over the deaths, which are thought to be in the dozens – and include an 11-year-old boy, Cristian Pineda, who died of hypothermia.
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.
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Expert uncovers new Chinese nuclear missle sites
China appears to be moving faster toward a capability to launch its newer nuclear missiles from underground silos, according to an American expert who analyzed satellite images of recent construction at a missile training area. (March 1)
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."
PoliticsThe Independent‘He won’t let the grift go’: Mary Trump thinks Donald’s 2024 ‘ambitions’ are a money-maker
“There's no way that he is going to put himself in the position of losing again,” Dr Mary Trump told Mehdi Hasan on MSNBC on Sunday. Dr Trump, a psychologist and author of a bestselling book criticizing her uncle, spoke just minutes after the former president finished his speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC. During that speech, the former president once again falsely claimed that he won the 2020 election, adding, “Who knows, I may even decide to beat them for a third time.”
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.
EntertainmentLA TimesWhat to expect in Viet Thanh Nguyen's sequel to his Pulitzer-Prize winning 'The Sympathizer'
Viet Thanh Nguyen's debut novel “The Sympathizer” introduced readers to its unnamed protagonist, a half-Vietnamese, half-French communist double agent navigating life, love, loyalty and espionage in Los Angeles after the fall of Saigon. “I wasn't done with his story,” says Nguyen, who joins the Los Angeles Times Book Club on March 10. “I'm very cognizant of the fact that people read “The Sympathizer” as a Vietnam War novel and me as a Vietnamese American writing about the Vietnam War.”
“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.”