PoliticsThe WeekSen. Joe Manchin, a key Democratic swing vote, is open to crafting a 'more painful' filibuster
The House is expected to clear President Biden's $1.9 trillion COVID-19 stimulus bill on Tuesday, after the Senate narrowly passed it Saturday morning, following a lengthily negotiation with Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) over unemployment benefits. The narrow Democratic majority is now discussing how to pass other legislative priorities, and Manchin said Sunday he's open to reforming the filibuster.
U.S.AxiosDeSantis faces deepening controversy over vaccines for ultra-rich Florida community
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said "the state was not involved" in helping to vaccinate 1,200 residents of the super-rich Ocean Reef community in January. Why it matters: DeSantis has faced increasing criticism for directing vaccines toward wealthy communities. The state of play: A spokeswoman for Baptist Health Systems, which administered the Ocean Reef vaccines, told the Times/Herald that "Florida asked Baptist Health to take delivery of the doses to our ultra-cold freezer storage for delivery to the Medical Center at Ocean Reef."
WorldReutersBrexiteer Nigel Farage steps down as leader of Reform UK
Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage said on Saturday he would step down as the leader of Reform UK, the rebranded Brexit Party he launched two years ago to campaign for what was commonly known as "no deal Brexit". Farage, who as leader of the eurosceptic UK Independence Party (UKIP) applied pressure on the government to hold the 2016 EU referendum, said the Brexit Party had helped the Conservatives "come to their senses" and chose Boris Johnson as their leader with a pro-Brexit agenda. "The final outcome (of Brexit) has cut off Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK and treated our fisherman terribly, but we are out and there is no going back," he said in a statement.
U.S.Associated PressClaimed value of sleepy NY estate could come to haunt Trump
It's sleepy by Donald Trump's standards, but the former president's century-old estate in New York's Westchester County could end up being one of his bigger legal nightmares. Seven Springs, a 213-acre swath of nature surrounding a Georgian-style mansion, is a subject of two state investigations: a criminal probe by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. and a civil inquiry by New York Attorney General Letitia James. Both investigations focus on whether Trump manipulated the property's value to reap greater tax benefits from an environmental conservation arrangement he made at the end of 2015, while running for president.
PoliticsReutersU.S. could send $1,400 COVID bill payments within days; child tax credit a bigger challenge
With plenty of practice sending coronavirus relief payments to Americans, the federal government should be able to launch the delivery of $1,400 checks almost immediately once Congress finalizes the new aid bill and President Joe Biden signs it, tax experts say. Some Americans might see direct payments as soon as this week if the bill passes the House of Representatives on Tuesday as expected, compared with several weeks' lag in April 2020. The Treasury Department's Internal Revenue Service will have new challenges on its hands, though, thanks to the $1.9 trillion relief bill.
U.S.Business InsiderThousands of people who visited a COVID-19 vaccination site in California reportedly received the wrong dose, but officials say nobody needs a booster shot
An estimated 4,300 people received less of the Pfizer vaccine than they should have, KTVU reported March 4. Too little of the vaccine was administered due to a problem with syringes on March 1, the media outlet said. Thousands of people who visited a mass vaccination site in Oakland, California, on March 1 received the wrong dosage of the Pfizer vaccine, KTVU reported.
BusinessFort Worth Star-TelegramEven Texans with fixed electricity plans may face high energy costs due to this fee
Heather Helton thought she was in the clear, at least when it came to her February electricity bill. Despite those headaches, Helton considered herself spared from the brunt of the electricity crisis. She has a fixed rate plan with Berkshire Hathaway's MidAmerican Energy Services, which insulates her from the skyrocketing electricity prices faced by Texans who signed up for variable rate plans with companies like Griddy. “I didn't have any concerns for myself,” Helton said.
CelebrityThe TelegraphUS reaction: America's fury at Royal family over Duchess of Sussex's racism accusations
America reacted with widespread anger at Buckingham Palace following the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey. Serena Williams, the US tennis star who co-hosted the Duchess's baby shower in 2019, said she was a victim of "systematic oppression". Ms Williams added: "I know first hand the sexism and racism institutions and the media use to vilify women and people of colour to minimise us."
U.S.USA TODAYMan dies when gunfire erupts near 'George Floyd Square' in Minneapolis as Chauvin trial looms
A manhunt was underway Sunday in Minneapolis after the fatal shooting of a man near "George Floyd Square," an intersection that serves as a memorial to the man whose death at the hands of police in May set off Black Lives Matter protests across the nation. Police provided few details of the shooting, which took place less than 48 hours before jury selection is set to begin in the murder trial of the police officer charged in Floyd's death. Police spokesman John Elder said police were alerted to Saturday's shooting at about 5:45 p.m. local time and were told the victim or victims had been brought to the "autonomous zone" at the edge of the intersection.
U.S.Business InsiderA Trump appointee who was arrested after participating in the Capitol riot asked a judge if he could be transferred to a cell with no cockroaches
Federico Klein, a former State Department aide who was arrested after the Capitol riot, complained of his cell conditions to a judge. Klein is believed to the first Trump appointee arrested in connection with the Capitol riot. Authorities arrested Federico Klein, a former staff assistant at the State Department after he participated in the January 6 insurrection, during which he had been "assaulting officers with a riot shield," an affidavit said.
U.S.The Daily Beast20-Year-Old Bowling Green Sophomore on Life Support After ‘Deathly’ Hazing Incident
A 20-year-old sophomore at Bowling Green State University is fighting for his life after being found in “dire” condition following a fraternity hazing incident. Stone Foltz was rushed to a hospital early Friday after he was found by his roommates following what one fellow student described as a “deathly” and “crazy” alcohol-related hazing event. The 20-year-old had attended an off-campus event for the BGSU chapter of the Pi Kappa Alpha International Fraternity on Thursday night where pledges were pressured to drink “copious” amounts of alcohol, according to Sean Alto, the attorney for the family.
PoliticsThe IndependentBiden immigration strategist Susan Rice burning sage which ‘combats negativity’ in her office after 4 years of Stephen Miller
Susan Rice, director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, is apparently burning sage in her office, which was formerly occupied by Donald Trump strategist Stephen Miller. Mr Miller was the architect of some of the last administration's most controversial immigration plans, including the child separation policy, the Muslim ban and the use of military money to build the border wall. Burning sage has long been used by indigenous peoples in ceremonies meant to cleanse spaces from negativity and to promote healing.
CelebrityThe WeekMeghan Markle, Prince Harry secretly got married 3 days before their televised wedding
When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle got married on May 19, 2018, at St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, it was their second time around. During an interview with Oprah Winfrey that aired Sunday night, Markle revealed that the pair actually were married three days before their wedding, which was televised to millions of people around the globe. The private ceremony was conducted in their backyard by the Archbishop of Canterbury, with no one else present.
U.S.INSIDERLA County may return a beachfront property seized from a Black family nearly 100 years ago that could be worth $75 million
LA County is considering returning a beachfront property that was seized nearly 100 years ago. The property was taken away from the Bruce family in 1924, according to KABC-TV. Willia and Charles Bruce were reportedly the first Black landowners in Manhattan Beach, California.
- PoliticsCBS News Videos
Mayor of Texas border city calls on governor to reconsider federal proposal to fund COVID testing for migrants
Texas' Republican Governor Greg Abbott has rejected a proposal from the Biden administration that would reimburse local officials for offering coronavirus testing and shelter to migrants as they await their immigration hearings. Brownsville Mayor Trey Mendez joins CBSN's Lana Zak to discuss the potential benefits of federal assistance and why he says it's time for Governor Abbott to "stop playing politics."
PoliticsBusiness InsiderBiden says Americans will start receiving their $1,400 stimulus checks 'this month'
President Joe Biden vowed to start sending out stimulus checks "this month." Senate Democrats just passed Biden's $1.9 trillion stimulus package. Individuals earning up to $80,000 will receive $1,400 direct payments.
U.S.Business InsiderProminent Georgia family sued their local grocery clerk after she made claims on Facebook about their role in the Capitol riots, report says
A family is suing a grocery clerk after she posted allegations about their roles in the Capitol riots. Katheryn and Thelma Cagle had helped organize buses from Georgia to DC, according to the Washington Post. Grocery clerk Rayven Goolsby confronted them on Facebook after seeing videos of them at the rally.
SciencePoliticoDiplomats Warned of a Coronavirus Danger in Wuhan—2 Years Before the Outbreak
On January 15, in its last days, President Donald Trump's State Department put out a statement with serious claims about the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic. The statement said the U.S. intelligence community had evidence that several researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) laboratory were sick with Covid-like symptoms in autumn 2019—implying the Chinese government had hidden crucial information about the outbreak for months—and that the WIV lab, despite “presenting itself as a civilian institution,” was conducting secret research projects with the Chinese military. The State Department alleged a Chinese government cover-up and asserted that “Beijing continues today to withhold vital information that scientists need to protect the world from this deadly virus, and the next one.”
U.S.INSIDERFormer neo-Nazi says Fox News radicalizes people by saying the same stuff he used to say
A former neo-Nazi was interviewed by CNN's Pamela Brown Saturday about domestic extremism in the US. Frank Meeink said Fox News has radicalized Americans by saying the same stuff he used to say. Fox News has been accused in the past of using language that echoes white supremacists.
HealthBusiness InsiderMississippi governor says his goal 'has never been to get rid of the virus' in defense of his decision to end COVID-19 mask mandate
Mississippi GOP Gov. Tate Reeves defended his decision to end the state's mask mandate. Reeves told CNN's Jake Tapper that it was never his "objective" to eradicate the virus. Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves, a Republican, in an interview Sunday defended his decision to roll back the state's mask requirement even as public health officials warn such actions are premature.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderCuomo said lawmakers will have to impeach him if they want him out of office after top Democrats call for his resignation
Gov. Andrew Cuomo is facing calls for his resignation over allegations of sexual harassment. The New York Democrat said lawmakers will have to impeach him if they want him out, AP reported. Six New York state lawmakers have already called for impeachment proceedings against him.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderMcConnell planning an 'escape hatch' in case he leaves Senate before his term expires, report says
When President Donald Trump lost his reelection bid in November, Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, then the Senate majority leader, became the most powerful Republican in Washington, DC. With the upper chamber ultimately split between 50 Democrats and 50 Republicans, the 79-year-old McConnell, who was reelected last year to a seventh term, will most certainly fight hard to regain the majority in 2022. But McConnell, always a tactician, is said to have created a list of successors in case he doesn't serve out his full term, which expires in January 2027.
CelebrityThe TelegraphQueen will ramp up engagements to 'show where the focus is' following Sussexes' Oprah interview
The Queen will increase her official engagements this week as the Royal family responds to the Duke and Duchess of Sussexes' Oprah Winfrey interview with a clear message about where the “focus” lies. Her Majesty, 94, is expected to be seen at least once this week as she carries out official duties via Zoom from Windsor Castle. All other senior members of the Royal family will also be highly visible as they conduct a raft of engagements, including marking International Women's Day.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderTed Cruz's claims about undocumented people getting $1,400 stimulus checks were shot down by Dick Durbin as 'just plain false'
Senator Dick Durbin offered a rebuke to Senator Ted Cruz over who would get $1,400 stimulus checks. Senator Dick Durbin on Saturday offered a searing rebuttal to claims made by Senator Ted Cruz about undocumented immigrants getting stimulus checks, as part of the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package. Cruz on Saturday morning had proposed an amendment to the bill, seeking to block some $1,400 stimulus checks that he said would be sent to "every illegal alien in America."
SportsLA TimesColumn: Newsom hits home run as the effort to recall him gets closer to making the ballot
It doesn't get much better for a politician during a pandemic than to announce that fans can probably return to ballparks when the Major League Baseball season opens. Helping to unlock baseball stadiums as season openers approach is guaranteed to be popular and bipartisan. This gives baseball fans and their families in every demographic group — whether they live in East or West L.A. — something normal to look forward to.
“Taking humans to Mars would require an investment astronomically out of kilter with the possible benefits.”
“Can a Mars settlement be a freer society than we enjoy on Earth? Maybe.”
“What we learn...may spark the next revolution that will make life in 2071 beyond anything we can imagine right now.”
“Our presence on Mars could jeopardize one of our main reasons for being there — the search for life.”
“The future of geologic investigation of other worlds lies with highly improved versions of our Mars rovers.”