PoliticsThe IndependentAngry Democrat Gerry Connolly tells Trump ally he ‘will not be lectured’ by someone who tried to overturn election
Virginia Democratic Representative Gerry Connolly blasted Ohio Republican Representative and staunch Trump ally Jim Jordan, telling him during a hearing on the postal service that he "will not be lectured" about partisanship by people who voted to overturn the election. The hearing before the House Oversight Committee included questioning of the president of the American Postal Workers Union Mark Dimondstein and the Postmaster-General, Trump appointee Louis DeJoy. Mr Jordan defended Mr DeJoy who he argued had been unfairly criticised by Democrats during the lead-up to the 2020 election, saying: "They accused you of things, they said you were restricting overtime - False.
PoliticsThe GuardianBiden is already backtracking on his promises to provide student debt relief
Biden absolutely has the legal authority to use executive power to cancel all federal student debt. Congress granted this authority decades ago as part of the Higher Education Act. It's even been put to the test: in response to the Covid pandemic, Donald Trump and his former education secretary, Betsy DeVos, used that authority three times to suspend payments and student loan interest.
- WorldAssociated Press
Diamond tycoon Modi loses bid to avoid extradition to India
Diamond tycoon Nirav Modi lost his bid Thursday to avoid extradition from Britain to India to face allegations he was involved in a $1.8 billion bank fraud. District Judge Samuel Goozee ruled in London that the fugitive jeweler has a case to answer before the Indian courts. Modi, whose jewels once adorned stars from Bollywood to Hollywood, has been held without bail in London since he was arrested in the capital in 2019.
WorldReutersU.N. aid chief urges Gulf states to step up to avert Yemen famine
U.N. aid chief Mark Lowcock urged Gulf states to step up next Monday when the world body seeks to avert a large-scale "man-made" famine in Yemen by raising $3.85 billion for humanitarian operations in the war-torn Arabian Peninsula country for 2021. The United Nations describes Yemen as the world's largest humanitarian crisis, with 80% of the people in need. Lowcock warned that if the world body does not receive the money it needs at a virtual pledging conference on Monday "we're going to see is the worst famine the world has seen for decades."
PoliticsThe IndependentBiden news - live: President lifts Trump visa ban as Ted Cruz approval rating crashes after Cancun holiday
President Joe Biden on Wednesday revoked a Trump-era policy that blocked most green card applicants from entering the US. Mr Trump issued the ban last year, saying it was needed to protect workers amid high unemployment due to the coronavirus pandemic. However the President rejected that reasoning and rescinded the visa ban, saying it had prevented families from reuniting in the United States and harmed US businesses.
U.S.Associated PressVilsack confirmed for 2nd stint as US agriculture secretary
The Senate on Tuesday voted overwhelmingly to confirm Tom Vilsack as agriculture secretary, his second run at the Cabinet post. The former Iowa governor spent eight years leading the same Department of Agriculture for former President Barack Obama's entire administration. “We're going to be a USDA that represents and serves all Americans,” Vilsack said after the vote.
BusinessReutersU.S. audit report cites 'weaknesses' in FAA certification of Boeing 737 MAX
The U.S. Transportation Department's inspector general faulted "weaknesses" in U.S. government certification of the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft that was grounded for 20 months after two crashes killed 346 people, according to a report released Wednesday. The 63-page report said the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) did not have a complete understanding of a Boeing Co safety system tied to both crashes and said "much work remains" to address outstanding issues. Boeing said it has "undertaken significant changes to reinforce our safety practices, and we have already made progress" on recommendations outlined in the report.
LifestyleArchitectural DigestNo Need to Call an Architect—These 9 Room Dividers Elegantly Get the Job Done
From ornate to subtle, these beautiful screens double as functional art Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
PoliticsThe IndependentBiden nominee Neera Tanden’s tweet about Joe Manchin’s daughter may come back to haunt her
Neera Tanden, Joe Biden's nominee to head the Office of Management and Budget, previously criticised Democratic Senator Joe Manchin's daughter, a slight that might factor into whether or not she is confirmed for the position. Ms Tanden tweeted an image of an article about Mr Manchin's daughter, Heather Bresch, taking aim at a significant increase in her pay while she was CEO of Mylan. In the tweet, Ms Tanden pointed out that the company's board was justifying the pay raise by saying Ms Bresch had "contributed significantly to the company's growth in recent years".
WorldAssociated PressLawmakers, rights groups ask Malaysia to explain deportation
Malaysian lawmakers and rights groups on Wednesday demanded that the government explain why it violated a court stay order and deported 1,086 Myanmar migrants, saying it put their lives in danger following Myanmar's military coup. A high court on Tuesday ordered a stay of the repatriation of 1,200 Myanmar nationals pending an appeal by Amnesty International Malaysia and Asylum Access Malaysia, which said there were refugees, asylum-seekers and minors among the group. But hours later, the immigration department said it had sent 1,086 of them back on three Myanmar military ships.
- ScienceFOX News Videos
Laid-off Keystone XL worker reacts to Biden’s climate pledge with Canada
Kolten Walker weighs in on President Biden's climate change policies on 'Fox and Friends First.
WorldReutersPhilippines to receive first COVID-19 vaccines, start inoculations next week
The Philippines will take delivery of its first COVID-19 vaccines at the weekend, allowing it to kick off its inoculation programme from next week, a senior official said on Thursday. Despite having among the highest number of coronavirus cases and deaths in Asia, the Philippines will be the last Southeast Asian country to receive its initial set of vaccines. The delivery of 600,000 doses Sinovac Biotech's vaccines, donated by China, will arrive on Sunday, said Harry Roque, spokesman for President Rodrigo Duterte.
BusinessBBCNpower app attack exposed customers' bank details
Energy firm Npower has closed down its app following an attack that exposed some customers' financial and personal information. "We've contacted all affected customers to make them aware of the issue, encouraging them to change their passwords and offering advice on how to prevent unauthorised access to their online account." It also advised customers to change passwords on other accounts if using the same one.
BusinessReutersHong Kong plans lower budget deficit as economy expected to recover
Hong Kong plans to run a much lower budget deficit in the coming fiscal year as the economy is expected to recover from its longest recession on record, Finance Secretary Paul Chan said on Wednesday. Often-violent protests and U.S.-China trade tensions in 2019 had plunged the global financial hub into recession even before the pandemic hit. Chan told legislators he expected the budget deficit for the upcoming year to hit HK$101.6 billion ($13.10 billion), smaller than the record HK$257.6 billion expected for 2020/21.
WorldReutersFortescue apologises for clearing land on Aboriginal sacred site
Australia's Fortescue Metals Group has apologised to an Aboriginal group for clearing land on a heritage site while flouting a government condition for representatives of the community to be present when the damage took place. It is the week's second such incident, despite pressure on Australian iron ore miners to show they have improved practices to manage important sites after Rio Tinto destroyed two sacred rock shelters for a mine expansion last May. Fortescue had state government permission to clear the land in the Weelamurra Creek area registered as sacred to the Wintawari Guruma people, on condition that community elders were present to perform salvage and cultural rites, four documents reviewed by Reuters showed.
CelebrityThe IndependentWho is Heidi Cruz? The high-powered Goldman Sachs executive and wife to ‘disgraced’ Texas senator Ted Cruz
Heidi Cruz, the wife of Texas senator Ted Cruz, is reportedly on the hunt for the neighbour who leaked her text messages about their much criticised trip to Cancun during a snow-storm that left thousands without heat or electricity. “Ritz Carlton Cancun $309 plus tax,” she allegedly wrote in messages passed to The New York Times last week, that demonstrated the family was planning to violate government guidelines and the recommendations of her own husband. In 2000, when the pair met whilst working on George W Bush's presidential campaign before marrying the next year and moving into government positions, Heidi Nelson wasn't necessarily destined to be window dressing to someone else's ambitions.
U.S.INSIDERChristopher Cantwell, known as 'The Crying Nazi,' sentenced to 41 months in prison on extortion charges
Christopher Cantwell, known as "The Crying Nazi," was convicted on a felony charge. The Keene, New Hampshire, man was sentenced to 41 months in prison. Christopher Cantwell, who was dubbed the "The Crying Nazi" following the 2017 "Unite the Right" rally, was sentenced to 41 months in prison on Wednesday after being convicted on charges of extortion and threatening rape.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderTrump-appointed federal judge indefinitely blocks the Biden administration's 100-day deportation freeze
A federal judge blocked the Biden administration from enforcing a 100-day deportation freeze. The ruling does not mandate that deportations have to return to their previous rate. Democrats are hoping to pass a large-scale immigration overhaul in Congress this year.
BusinessReutersCharlie Munger warns of market 'frenzy'; frowns on gambling mentality, bitcoin, SPACs
Charlie Munger, the longtime business partner of Warren Buffett, on Wednesday warned that the stock market bears signs of a bubble, reflecting a "dangerous" mentality among some investors to gamble on stocks as they would horse races. Munger, 97, lamented the recent mania for GameStop Corp, in which amateur investors encouraged each other online to buy the gaming retailer on platforms including Robinhood, and caught some hedge funds in a short squeeze. "It's really stupid to have a culture which encourages as much gambling in stocks by people who have the mindset of racetrack bettors," he said.
CelebrityFort Worth Star-TelegramTed Cruz on leaked Cancun trip texts: ‘Here’s a suggestion, just don’t be a------s’
Sen. Ted Cruz offered a new response to the criticism and backlash following his trip to Cancun, Mexico, last week during Texas' power crisis. Cruz, a Texas Republican, said on Josh Holmes' Ruthless podcast released on Tuesday that his wife Heidi Cruz is “pretty pissed” about the texts leaked to The New York Times about the Cancun trip. “Here's a suggestion just don't be a------s. Yeah, like just you know treat each other as human beings have some degree, some modicum of respect,” Cruz said.
U.S.Miami HeraldWhen and where will millions of mosquitoes be released? Here are details for Florida Keys
The Florida Keys Mosquito Control District announced this week a wide and vague planned range of deployment for the lab-designed mosquitoes — neighborhoods from mile marker 10 to 93. The trial is being conducted by British biotech company Oxitec. It's a method approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the state of Florida, and the mosquito control district's five-member board, to try to eradicate or significantly reduce the local population of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.
U.S.Business InsiderAn ex-girlfriend tipped off the FBI about an alleged US Capitol rioter after he called her a 'moron'
Richard Michetti has been charged with entering restricted grounds at the US Capitol. The Pennsylvania man was turned in by his ex-girlfriend after he called her a 'moron'. A Pennsylvania man was outed by his ex-girlfriend after trying to stop Congress from recognizing President Joe Biden's election victory, according to court documents.
BusinessReutersShow us the plan: Investors push companies to come clean on climate
In the past, shareholder votes on the environment were rare and easily brushed aside. Things could look different in the annual meeting season starting next month, when companies are set to face the most investor resolutions tied to climate change in years. Those votes are likely to win more support than in previous years from large asset managers seeking clarity on how executives plan to adapt and prosper in a low-carbon world, according to Reuters interviews with more than a dozen activist investors and fund managers.
BusinessBusiness InsiderTexas Lt. Gov. says that people getting huge energy bills 'gambled on a very, very low rate' - but suggests they won't have to pay the full amount
Texas Lt. Gov, Dan Patrick said that Texans getting huge energy bills took a gamble and lost. In Texas, some energy deals are linked to wholesale prices, exposing consumer to sudden spikes. After last week's devastating storm, some Texans faced energy bills as high as $16,000.
BusinessThe IndependentTiger Woods was driving $50,000 luxury SUV at time of crash
Tiger Woods was behind the wheel of a sponsored $50,000 luxury SUV when he crashed in California. The golfer had been loaned a Genesis GV80 SUV by the carmaker for his week in Los Angeles, which coincided with the Genesis invitational tournament. A “Genesis Invitational” logo could be seen by news helicopter crews on the passenger door of the overturned car after the accident shortly after 7am on Tuesday.
“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.”