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.
PoliticsAxiosBiden says $1,400 stimulus payments can start going out this month
President Biden said Saturday that the Senate passage of his $1.9 trillion COVID relief package means the $1,400 direct payments for most Americans can begin going out later this month. Driving the news: The Senate voted 50-49 Saturday to approve the sweeping legislation. The House is expected to pass the Senate's version of the bill next week before it heads to Biden's desk for his signature.
WorldReutersAfghan president says ready to discuss elections to advance talks with Taliban
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said on Saturday, in a bid to push forward peace talks with the Taliban, that his government was ready to discuss holding fresh elections, insisting that any new government should emerge through the democratic process. "Transfer of power through elections is a non-negotiable principle for us," Ghani told lawmakers at the opening of parliament session in Kabul. President Ghani met U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad in Kabul during the past week to discuss ways to inject momentum in the stalled peace negotiations with Taliban representatives being held in Qatar.
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.
U.S.The 74A High School in Ohio Is Giving Students a Choice: Keep Up With Remote Learning — Or You Have to Come Back to the Classroom
Far too many students were skipping online classes and failing this fall at Shaw High School in East Cleveland, one of the poorest districts in the nation and that the state had declared in “academic distress” before the pandemic. As absences increased through the holiday season, that “academic distress” was only getting worse. We saw students struggle in the remote period,” said Henry Pettiegrew, CEO of the district of 1,800 students at Cleveland's border.
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.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.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderLauren Boebert, who once expressed support for QAnon, accused Democrats of being 'obsessed with conspiracy theories'
GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert told Fox News that the Democrats are "obsessed with conspiracy theories." The congresswoman once said she hopes the QAnon conspiracy theory was real but denied being a follower. Freshman GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado, who has previously expressed support for QAnon, accused Democratic of being "obsessed with conspiracy theories."
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.
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.
CelebrityReutersMeghan accuses UK royals of racism, says 'didn't want to be alive'
Meghan, the wife of Prince Harry, accused Britain's royal family of raising concerns about how dark their son's skin might be and pushing her to the brink of suicide, in a tell-all television interview that could send shockwaves through the monarchy. The 39-year-old, whose mother is Black and father is white, said she had been naive before she married into royalty in 2018, but that she ended up having suicidal thoughts and considering self harm after pleading for help but getting none. Meghan said that her son Archie, now aged one, had been denied the title of prince because there were concerns within the royal family about "about how dark his skin might be when he's born".
PoliticsBusiness InsiderAOC, Ilhan Omar, and other progressives continue criticism of Senate's modified $1.9 trillion stimulus package
Progressive lawmakers such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rep. Ilhan Omar this weekend pointed out what they saw as shortcomings in the Senate's revised COVID-19 relief bill, including the removal of a federal minimum wage hike to $15 per hour. The $1.9 trillion package approved by the Senate on Saturday would provide essential aid, but didn't go far enough, they said. "We remain extremely disappointed that the minimum wage bill was not included.
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.
U.S.Business InsiderThousands of people who visited a COVID-19 vaccination site in California received the wrong dosage, report says
An estimated 4,300 people received less of the Pfizer vaccine than they should have, KTVU reported. Too little of the vaccine was administered due to a problem with new syringes, the media outlet said. California health officials have said patients will be informed "immediately" if they need a booster.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderLindsey Graham said 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 thinks Donald Trump is good for the GOP. Graham said Trump has a "dark side," but also a "magic" that other Republicans don't.
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Pope bids farewell to top Shi'ite cleric
Francis's meeting in the holy southern city of Najaf, during a whirlwind and risky tour of Iraq, marked the first time a pope has met with such a senior Shi'ite cleric. After his 55-minute meeting with Sistani, Francis headed to the ruins of ancient Ur in southern Iraq, revered as the birthplace of Abraham, father of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Sistani is one of the most important figures in Shi'ite Islam, both within Iraq and beyond.
CelebrityINSIDERMeghan Markle says members of the royal family had 'concerns and conversations' about how dark Archie's skin would be before he was born
Meghan Markle told Oprah that some royals had "concerns and conversations" about Archie's skin tone. The royal family didn't want Archie to be a prince or to have any security, Markle said. In a tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan Markle said that some members of the royal family had "concerns and conversations" about how dark Archie's skin would be when he was born.
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."
EntertainmentBusiness InsiderThe man behind Britain's anti-'woke' GB News channel explains how he plans to revolutionize TV news in the UK
Britain's newest TV news channel is causing a major stir in the UK, where broadcast news is required to be strictly impartial. GB News promises to be Britain's first anti-"woke" channel and has hired a series of right-leaning presenters. Left-wing campaigners are pushing for an advertising boycott of the channel.
EntertainmentINSIDER'The Walking Dead' made an unexpected choice concerning Daryl's romantic life after a decade
Insider spoke with Kang on why the show added Leah into the mix and some fans on what they make of Daryl's unexpected romance. Why this is so unexpected and feels a bit unnecessary this late into the show If Daryl was ever going to be paired off with someone on "TWD," Carol or Connie would have seemed an obvious choice. The addition of a new character initially feels like a knife to the gut.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderMcConnell planning an 'escape hatch' in case he leaves Senate before term expires, report says
When former President Donald Trump lost his reelection bid, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky became the most powerful Republican in Washington DC. With the upper chamber evenly split between 50 Democrats and 50 Republicans, 79-year-old McConnell, who was reelected to his seventh term last year, will most certainly fight hard to regain the majority in 2022. However, McConnell, always a tactician, has created a list of successors in case he doesn't serve out his full term, which will expire in January 2027, according to The Intercept.
CelebrityINSIDERNicolas Cage just got married to Riko Shibata after spending most of the pandemic apart. Here's a timeline of the relationship.
The couple first met in Shiga, Japan over a year ago but spent most of the pandemic apart. Cage proposed to Shibata through FaceTime and FedExed a ring to Japan after she left New York. Nicolas Cage married Riko Shibata at the Wynn Las Vegas on February 16, his late father's birthday.
SportsRaleigh News and ObserverUNC’s historic blowout of Duke puts a strange bow on a strange season
Most of UNC's team wasn't even born the last time the Tar Heels put a whuppin' on Duke like this. This one went into the history books, all right, but not for the reasons anyone expected. The collision of North Carolina at its best and Duke at its worst produced a different kind of history, a 91-73 UNC win that represented the biggest margin of victory for either team since 2012 and the biggest for the home team at the Smith Center since 1998, when the teams were ranked 1-2 instead of unranked as they were again Saturday.
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The Nets are breaking basketball by signing Blake Griffin
Blake Griffin and the Nets have agreed to a deal, according to ESPN, which means they've successfully pried the six-time All-Star from a Detroit franchise that agreed to buy out the remaining year-and-change of his contract. When the signing is made official, the Nets can run out a lineup that features Griffin, Kevin Durant, James Harden, Kyrie Irving and DeAndre Jordan, easily one of the most talented five-man units this league will have seen in recent history. It was the league's worst-kept secret: In Brooklyn, the rich get richer and a team with championship aspirations just added another talented playmaker desperate to get out of his previous situation.
“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.”