The sole Democrat elected to statewide office in Florida is calling on the U.S. House of Representatives coronavirus committee to investigate the state's Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, for “alleged political favoritism” in coronavirus vaccine distribution. Crist's letter, sent on Feb. 21, alleged that DeSantis, a close ally of former President Donald Trump, “is establishing vaccine distribution and administration sites in select locations to benefit political allies and donors, over the needs of higher risk communities.”
The Drug Enforcement Administration now believes the CJNG is responsible for tons of meth and fentanyl flowing into the United States each month. CJNG is our No. priority right now,” said Bill Bodner, the special agent in charge of the DEA's Los Angeles field division, who oversees a group of agents specifically tasked with tracking down the cartel's leader.
Ukrainian medical facilities have thrown away some unused COVID-19 vaccines after doctors failed to show up for their own appointments to be vaccinated, ruling party lawmakers said on Monday. Ukraine has just begun vaccinating its 41 million people against COVID-19 after receiving a first batch of 500,000 doses of Indian-made AstraZeneca shots last week, but faces a battle against vaccine scepticism that predates the pandemic. "It is important for us to understand how all the processes are set up, why doctors refuse to be vaccinated," Oleksandr Korniyenko, the head of President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's Servant of the People party, told a televised meeting.
The Duke of Edinburgh has been transferred to another hospital by ambulance where he will undergo tests for an pre-existing heart condition, Buckingham Palace has announced. Prince Philip, 99, was taken from King Edward VII's Hospital to St Bartholomew's Hospital at 11.15am on Monday morning. Buckingham Palace said doctors would continue to treat him for an infection but would also "undertake testing and observation for a pre-existing heart condition".
Police were out in force early and opened fire in different parts of the biggest city of Yangon after stun grenades, tear gas and shots in the air failed to break up crowds. Several wounded people were hauled away by fellow protesters, leaving bloody smears on pavements, media images showed. "Police and military forces have confronted peaceful demonstrations, using lethal force and less-than-lethal force that – according to credible information received by the UN Human Rights Office – has left at least 18 people dead and over 30 wounded," the U.N. human rights office said.
For months, Thomas Hladish, a research scientist at the University of Florida's Emerging Pathogens Institute, asked the Florida Department of Health to let him use information from thousands of contact tracers the state had hired to interview Floridians who tested positive for COVID-19. He and his colleagues wanted to better understand where transmission was occurring in Florida so officials could put more effective policies in place. But Hladish, who was on FDOH's payroll for part of last year building statistical forecasting models about the disease, was stonewalled.
Lady Gaga is poised to hand over a $500,000 reward to a mystery woman who returned her beloved French bulldogs kidnapped in a violent street robbery near her home in Hollywood. Koji and Gustav, thought to be worth up to $10,000 dollars each, were given in at a downtown LAPD Police Station by an unnamed woman late on Friday night. Authorities believe the woman who handed the dogs in was "uninvolved and unassociated" with the attack - but she is still eligible for the "unconditional" $500,000 and is said to be in contact with Gaga's representatives.
Several Republican lawmakers said they could not attend Congress on Friday to vote for the coronavirus stimulus package due to the pandemic, but were due to appear in-person at the conservative conference taking place in Orlando, Florida, this weekend. According to CNN, the Republican lawmakers included those who were former US president Donald Trump's closest allies - some of whom were scheduled to speak at this weekend's Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Florida. The group of twelve House Republicans said they were unable to attend a number of votes in the House of Representatives that day "due to the ongoing public health emergency”, in a written letter seen by CNN.
Cawthorn's election also came despite an extraordinary effort by former classmates and other alumni of Patrick Henry College urging that the voters of North Carolina's 11th Congressional District reject him on grounds of alleged sexual misconduct. Three women told The Post in on-the-record interviews that they objected to Cawthorn's behavior, with one saying he tried forcibly to kiss her after she rejected his advance. Cawthorn declined an interview request.
Minneapolis city council approved funding to hire social media influencers for Derek Chauvin's trial, WCCO-TV reported. The influencers will be paid to provide the local community with information about the trial. Chauvin was charged in Floyd's death, and his trial is set to begin on March 8.
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.
A new federal lawsuit claims that a disabled Vietnam veteran was beaten and choked in his front yard by a gang of attackers. In fact, Jerry Baxter's complaint alleges that four North Carolina state troopers came onto his Lincoln County property without warrants in 2018, refused to leave, then beat and choked Baxter in front of his wife and 4-year-old grandson — to the point that the then-69-year-old thought he was about to die. The court filing names troopers Randall Lee Neal, Brian Matthew Black, Joshua Lee Craig and Chuck Lee, and accuses them of assault, federal and state constitutional violations, excessive force, malicious conduct, among other claims.
Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio has condemned the rioters who besieged the US Capitol, but will not “cry” about lawmakers who came under attack on the day. Mr Tarrio, who was arrested two days before some members of the Proud Boys – and other Trump supporters – rioted at the US Capitol, told CNN that lawmakers did not need sympathy after the attack. The remarks come despite concerns among members of Congress that they were targets of those who broke into the complex on 6 January, citing baseless claims the 2020 election was “stolen”.
A 6-year-old reported missing from Middletown was killed and thrown in the Ohio River, police said Sunday night. James Robert Hutchinson was reporting missing Sunday morning by his mother, Brittany Gosney, officials said in a statement. "Sadly, upon further questioning of Brittany Gosney and her boyfriend, James Hamilton, they now say that James was killed in Preble County a few days ago," the statement said.
The House approved a $1.9 trillion pandemic relief bill that was championed by President Joe Biden, the first step in providing another dose of aid to a weary nation as the measure now moves to a tense Senate. Feb.
People are calling for a boycott on Trader Joe's after one of its employees was fired. A New York man said he was fired from his job after asking the company to do more to protect its workers from COVID-19. Ben Bonnema shared his termination letter on Twitter.
The Bidens immediately greeted the White House staff upon entering the building on Inauguration Day. "Usually we meet them in the first days or first weeks, but never in the first minutes," a staffer said. Biden has publicly expressed some reservations about being waited on by residence staff.
The Associated Press obtained internal State police records which stated that body camera footage showed Master Trooper Kory York dragging Ronald Greene "on his stomach by the leg shackles." The footage was only released to the family and their lawyer and has not been made publicly available. His family watched body camera footage of Greene's arrest earlier this week, saying it contradicts initial police statements, which said Greene died in a car crash following a chase.
An American Airlines flight from Dallas-Fort Worth to Los Angeles was diverted to Phoenix after an in-flight passenger altercation, the company confirmed. Two passengers got into a fight with another passenger who asked them to stop using a racial slur, Phoenix police told Yahoo. "Upon arrival, the flight was met by local law enforcement who removed and arrested two individuals for verbally and physically assaulting other customers and flight crew members," an American Airlines statement read.
Starlyn and Bill Cafferata recall their experience; NewsNOW from FOX host Stephanie Weaver has the story
Senior Democrats tossed out a backdoor plan to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour, per a person familiar with the decision. The proposal was ditched as Democrats appeared reluctant to finalize a complex plan that could delay stimulus passage. Experts said the backup plan risked being inefficient at raising hourly wages.
CPAC 2021 took place in the Hyatt Regency in Orlando, Florida, this past week. Critics said the stage of the event resembled a symbol on Nazi uniforms, a claim the organizer denied. Hyatt Hotels said it's taking those claims seriously and called hate symbols "abhorrent."
An Indian man died after being stabbed by a rooster he was training for cockfighting. The rooster had been outfitted with a three-inch knife on its leg. A rooster fitted with a knife around its foot stabbed its owner to death during practice for an illegal cockfight in India.
The Democratically controlled House approved President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package early Saturday, a measure that would provide millions of Americans $1,400 payments, ramp up vaccine distribution and extend unemployment aid through the summer. The measure heads to the Senate where it faces a rocky path in the evenly divided chamber. The bill is unlikely to receive any support from Senate Republicans, who cite its size and scope, so the president would have to count on every one of the 50 Democratic senators – and a tiebreaking 51st vote from Vice President Kamala Harris – to make sure its pillars remain intact.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo responded to allegations of sexual harassment on Sunday by saying his “playful” banter had been “misinterpreted as an unwanted flirtation”—and telling his allies to stop venting at one of his accusers. “I now understand that my interactions may have been insensitive or too personal and that some of my comments, given my position, made others feel in ways I never intended,” Cuomo said in a statement as criticism of his behavior and calls for an investigation spread through the political world. “To be clear I never inappropriately touched anyone and I never propositioned anybody and I never intended to make anyone feel uncomfortable, but these are allegations that New Yorkers deserve answers to.”
“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.”