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 dies after alleged hazing incident
An Ohio college student who was in critical condition after an alleged fraternity hazing incident has died, his family's attorney said Sunday. "At this time we are gathering all of the facts leading to his untimely death and we have no interest in commenting on speculation." Foltz was being kept alive so his organs could be donated, which the family had agreed to "so that others may have a second chance at life," Alto's statement said.
U.S.The Telegraph'Fake heiress' who conned US elite says being called a sociopath is a compliment
The fraudster known as 'the fake heiress' takes criticism of her as a 'sociopath' as a compliment, she has revealed in her first post-prison interview. Anna Sorokin, 30, a Russian-born German citizen who moved to the US in 2013 was charged with grand larceny after she conned the New York elite for several years, pretending to be a rich heiress called Anna Delvey. Her crimes earned her the nickname, 'the fake heiress'.
HealthAssociated PressFully vaccinated people can gather without masks, CDC says
Fully vaccinated Americans can gather with other vaccinated people indoors without wearing a mask or social distancing, according to long-awaited guidance from federal health officials. The recommendations also say that vaccinated people can come together in the same way with people considered at low-risk for severe disease, such as in the case of vaccinated grandparents visiting healthy children and grandchildren. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced the guidance Monday.
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.
PoliticsAxiosRepublican Sen. Roy Blunt will not seek re-election in 2022
Roy Blunt (R-Mo. widely seen as a member of the Republican establishment in Congress, will not run for re-election in 2022, he announced on Twitter Monday. Why it matters: The 71-year-old senator is the No.
WorldThe TelegraphRussian colonel asks women to send in their ex-boyfriend's details so they can be 'sorted out'
A Russian colonel has asked women to send in their ex-boyfriends' details so they can be 'sorted out' in a video posted to mark International Women's Day. Yuri Khromov, a colonel of a local military commissariat in north-western Russia, posted a video on the official Instagram account of the Leningrad region, in which he urged Russian women to share social-media usernames of their exes in the comments below the post, so their former men could be sent to the army. Using March 8 as a hook for the recruitment drive, he packaged his statement as 'a gift for women,' implying that their ex-lovers would 'be taken care of'.
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.
HealthAxiosCDC: Fully vaccinated people can gather indoors without masks
People who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 can take fewer precautions in certain situations, including socializing indoors without masks when in the company of low-risk or other vaccinated individuals, according to guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released Monday. Why it matters: The report guidance early evidence that suggests vaccinated people are less likely to have asymptomatic infection, and are potentially less likely to transmit the virus to other people. At the time of its publication, the CDC said the guidance would apply to about 10% of Americans.
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 lengthy 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. "The filibuster should be painful, it really should be painful, and we've made it more comfortable over the years," Manchin said on Fox News Sunday.
U.S.Raleigh News and ObserverHotel kicks out guests, including NHL team, after filing bankruptcy in California
An iconic California hotel closed abruptly Friday after filing bankruptcy, evicting dozens of guests including a visiting National Hockey League team. The 805-room Fairmont Hotel in San Jose relocated fewer than 50 guests to other local hotels and paid for their lodging, The San Francisco Chronicle reported. Relocated guests included the Las Vegas Golden Knights hockey team, in town for a two-game stand against the San Jose Sharks, SFGate reported.
U.S.Miami HeraldMama Florida panther and kittens seen on national refuge camera. That was a rare sight
In a sight becoming increasingly rare, a Florida panther mom and two young kittens were spotted by a trail camera at the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge near Naples earlier this year. Staff at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said it was the first time in three years that very young panther kittens were documented at the refuge. The camera is located at one of several wildlife crossings in the area to allow these endangered big cats to safely move on and off of refuge lands.
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.
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Texas Democrat on migrant surge at border: Biden owns this now
Rep. Henry Cuellar, who represents a district on the U.S.-Mexico border, says he has a lot of tough questions for the Biden administration on immigration policy.
U.S.The StatePeople threaten to call ICE on Texas Mexican restaurant that kept mask rule, it says
A Mexican restaurant in Houston says it's been getting some “horrific” threats after announcing it was keeping its mask requirement as Texas reopens. Last week, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed an executive order lifting the statewide mask mandate and allowing businesses and facilities to operate at 100% capacity. After Picos announced it would still require masks for diners, co-owner Monica Richards said she started receiving some disturbing messages and calls from people threatening to report the Picos staff to Immigration and Customs and Enforcement, The Houston Chronicle reported.
CelebrityTheGrioCNN’s Chris Cuomo called out after saying he’s ‘Black on the inside’
During the handoff from his show, Cuomo, singing the 'Good Times' theme, made the joke causing cringes. The Cuomo brothers are having a bad week. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has been besieged by sexual misconduct accusations from at least two former female staffers plus three others, not to mention a persisting inquiry into his handling of moving elderly people between nursing homes and hospitals at the height of the coronavirus pandemic.
CelebrityThe TelegraphNew Zealand 'not likely' to become a republic in wake of Harry and Meghan interview, says Jacinda Ardern
New Zealand's prime minister says the country is “not likely” to become a republic in the wake of Prince Harry and Meghan's interview, as Commonwealth countries face calls for the removal of the Queen as Head of State. Jacinda Ardern was asked whether the unflattering picture of the British royal family painted by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had given her pause about New Zealand's constitutional ties to Britain. "I've said before that I've not sensed an appetite from New Zealanders for significant change in our constitutional arrangements, and I don't expect that's likely to change quickly," she said.
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.
WorldBusiness InsiderHow Canadian soldiers set 2 records for longest sniper kill during the first major battle in Afghanistan
Nineteen years ago, a team of Canadian snipers set back-to-back world records for the longest sniper kill during one of the largest battles of the war in Afghanistan. The US response to the September 11 terrorist attacks caught Al Qaeda and its Taliban hosts by surprise. Instead pouring tens of thousands of troops into Afghanistan's harsh terrain, as the Soviets had done, the US military took the unconventional route.
CelebrityThe TelegraphMeghan, Duchess of Sussex says member of Royal family worried about colour of Archie's skin
Follow the latest reaction in our live blog An unnamed member of the Royal family raised "concerns" about how dark Archie's skin would be before his birth, the Duchess of Sussex has claimed. The Duchess, who is African American, said there were "several conversations" with Harry about Archie's skin tone and "what that would mean or look like". "Those were conversations family had with him," she added.
HealthBusiness InsiderFauci says the plateau of COVID-19 cases in the US is unacceptable and warns against an 'on and off' reopening strategy
The US recently has averaged about 60,000 to 70,000 new coronavirus cases reported each day. Dr. Anthony Fauci told CBS on Sunday that this was "not an acceptable level." The US COVID-19 case count is plateauing at "not an acceptable level," Dr. Anthony Fauci told CBS' "Face the Nation" on Sunday, warning against public-health measures being turned "on and off."
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.
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."
CelebrityBusiness InsiderElon Musk posted a rare family photo with Grimes and their baby, X Æ A-Xii, taken in the new city he hopes to create in Texas
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk shared a rare family photo on Twitter on Monday. Musk is seated with his girlfriend, Grimes, while holding their 10-month-old son, X Æ A-Xii. The photo is captioned "Starbase, Texas," the city Musk hopes to create around SpaceX's facilities.
“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.”