PoliticsAxiosJoe Manchin pledges to block Biden's infrastructure bill if Republicans aren't included
The big picture: Manchin said he'll push for tax hikes to pay for Biden's upcoming infrastructure and climate proposal, and will use his Energy Committee chairmanship to force the GOP to confront climate reality. Why it matters: My conversation yielded the most extensive preview yet of how Manchin — a Democrat from a Trump state, in a 50-50 Senate, who relishes standing up to a Democratic White House — will use his singular power. Manchin, 73, said Biden expects, and understands, the pushback: "He's the first president we've had to really, really understand the workings of the Senate since LBJ."
U.S.NBC NewsOhio college student's organs to be donated after alleged hazing incident
An Ohio college student is being kept alive so his organs can be donated after a fraternity hazing incident on Thursday left him in critical condition. Stone Foltz, 20, a sophomore at Bowling Green State University and a new member of Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity, was allegedly hazed during an initiation event where he was made to drink alcohol, school officials said. Foltz was taken to the hospital after the alleged incident, and remains there as of Sunday.
U.S.Fort Worth Star-TelegramSWAT officers hit with bricks while breaking up 800-person party, Colorado cops say
A raucous — and largely maskless — 800-person party in Colorado left SWAT officers injured and several vehicles damaged overnight Saturday, police say. The party had been going for hours in Boulder's University Hill neighborhood near the University of Colorado Boulder when police responded to the scene, the Daily Camera reported. Three SWAT officers were pelted with bricks and rocks and an armored rescue vehicle and fire truck sustained heavy damage, police said, according to KUSA.
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.
- WorldAssociated Press
Pakistan security forces say 8 militants killed in raids
Pakistani security forces say they raided militant hideouts in two different operations in former Taliban strongholds in North Waziristan Saturday, killing eight Islamic militants. In a statement, the military said the two intelligence-based operations in Boya and Dosali areas killed three commanders of the Pakistani Taliban, in an exchange of fire with security forces. The military said the slain local Taliban commanders were involved in militant activities against security forces and civilians.
U.S.Business InsiderA Trump appointee who was arrested over the Capitol riot asked a judge if he could be transferred to a cell with no cockroaches
A former State Department aide arrested over the Capitol riot has complained of his cell conditions. The former aide, Federico Klein, told a judge he felt "cockroaches crawling" all over him. Klein is believed to be the first Trump appointee arrested in connection to the Capitol riot.
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.
PoliticsThe IndependentBiden signs executive order to expand voting rights: ‘If you have the best ideas, you have nothing to hide’
President Joe Biden marked the 56-year anniversary of the “Bloody Sunday” march in Selma, Alabama by signing an executive order to protect and strengthen nationwide voting access, while calling on states to expand voting rights for all eligible Americans. The order was described by the White House as an “initial step” towards securing voting rights just days after the passage of HR1, legislation focusing on expanding access to mail-in voting and making it easier for Americans to register to vote. The right to vote is sacred and fundamental — and H.R. 1 is urgently needed to protect that right, to safeguard the integrity of our elections, and to repair and strengthen our democracy.
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 TelegraphForget hiding behind the sofa, the Royal family needed a bullet-proof vest as Harry and Meghan let rip
From Meghan's revelation that she was almost driven to suicide by being in the Royal family, to the astonishing claim that Harry was questioned about the potential colour of Archie's skin, it's fair to say this two-hour tell-all represented a worst-case scenario for what the couple kept referring to as The Firm. At first, it seemed as if Meghan casually letting slip that she and Harry were secretly “married” by the Archbishop of Canterbury three days before their actual wedding day in Windsor in May 2018 would be the biggest marmalade dropper of the morning. Contrary to reports, which first surfaced in the Daily Telegraph in November 2018, that Meghan had made Kate cry during a bridesmaids' dress fitting, the former actress insisted it was actually the other way round.
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.
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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."
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.
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.
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Mainers using Elon Musk's satellite internet say it's no silver bullet for rural access
Mar. 8—SpaceX's satellite service is bringing warp-speed internet to rural parts of Maine, but early users say its high price and dropped connections may limit its contribution to widely expanding Maine's lagging high-speed internet. The much-anticipated Starlink satellite network operates in an orbit that is much closer to Earth and holds many more satellites than those in existing networks, factors the company claims account for high speeds. One Reddit poster who says they live in rural Maine boasted last year of download speeds 33 times higher with Starlink than their previous service.
CelebrityThe TelegraphDuchess of Sussex reveals she contemplated suicide when pregnant due to 'stress' and 'isolation'
The Duchess of Sussex has revealed she had suicidal thoughts and struggled with her mental health after joining the Royal family. The Duchess, 39, said in an extraordinarily candid interview that the “stress and isolation” drove her to contemplate taking her own life while pregnant with son Archie. She claimed she told a senior Palace official that she wanted to get treatment for her depression, but was denied because it would “look bad”.
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.
PoliticsThe New York TimesA Governor in Isolation: How Andrew Cuomo Lost His Grip on New York
When Gov. Andrew Cuomo came under fire just a few weeks ago over his handling of nursing home deaths in the pandemic, he and his top advisers followed their usual playbook to stem the fallout: They worked the phones, pressing his case in private calls to legislators and other New York Democrats. As three women stepped forward with claims of sexual harassment and other unwanted advances by Cuomo, the most visible governor in America effectively went dark. After one of the women detailed her accusations against the governor in a Medium post, state Sen. Liz Krueger, a Manhattan Democrat, decided that she would come out with a statement calling for an independent investigation — an implicit rebuke of Cuomo.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderLindsey Graham says he deals with Trump's 'dark side' because he thinks he has a 'magic' other Republicans don't
Sen. Lindsey Graham told "Axios on HBO" that he still thought Donald Trump was good for the GOP. Graham said Trump had a "dark side" but also a "magic" lacked by other Republicans.
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.
EntertainmentLA Times'The Real World' made 'Julie from Alabama' a star. The spotlight wasn't what she hoped
Gentry (née Oliver) was cast in the inaugural season of “The Real World,” which as anyone over 35 can readily recite, told “the true story of seven strangers picked to life in a loft and have their lives taped. The groundbreaking reality series altered the course of television history and, arguably, American politics, by proving that unscripted programming could make for gripping and lucrative entertainment with a profound cultural impact. And Gentry's spur-of-the-moment decision would turn her into one of the earliest examples of a now-ubiquitous breed of celebrity — the reality star — well before there was a roadmap for this type of fame.
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."
U.S.Business InsiderCalls for Cuomo to resign ramp up after the NY governor says stepping down over harassment allegations would be 'anti-democratic'
Five women have now accused the New York governor of inappropriate behavior. Cuomo said resigning over the allegations would be "anti-Democratic." New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Sunday said during a phone call with reporters he would not resign in light of the rising number of allegations against him, saying that doing so would be "anti-Democratic."
HealthUSA TODAYVariant cases in US have doubled since Feb. 18; Idahoans burn masks at State Capitol: Live COVID-19 updates
Idaho State police on Sunday were investigating a protest at the state Capitol in Boise during which scores of Idahoans burned masks to protest coronavirus public health recommendations they view as restrictions on freedom. Health experts say masks are critical tools against a disease that has killed nearly 525,000 Americans, including almost 2,000 in Idaho. Gov. Brad Little, a Republican, has never ordered a statewide mask mandate, but seven counties and 11 cities have them in place.
“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.”