Philadelphia police discover van loaded with explosives

At least two more ATMs and a SEPTA kiosk were blown up in a night of looting in Philadelphia.

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    Though he voted to acquit Trump at his impeachment trial, McConnell said there's "no question" Trump provoked the mob in the deadly Capitol riot.

  • Tim McGraw and Faith Hill are selling their private island in the Bahamas for $35 million, and it's an 80-minute flight from Miami

    The country music couple bought the undeveloped island in 2003 and spent years building a house, beach yurts, and staff quarters.

  • Bernie Sanders unveils his Plan B for a $15 minimum wage after Senate parliamentarian setback

    Senate parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough on Thursday effectively killed a Democratic push to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour in President Biden's $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill, ruling that the measure doesn't pass muster under the budget reconciliation rules Democrats are using to pass the package with a simple majority in the Senate. Two Democrats, Sens. Joe Manchin (W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (Ariz.), have already said they would vote against including the $15 minimum wage provision in the relief package, dealing it a near-fatal blow in the 50-50 Senate. But many supporters of the wage hike were nonetheless irritated that an obscure, unelected Senate official was the one to ax the broadly popular measure. Senate Budget Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) was among them, but he also had a Plan B. "In the coming days, I will be working with my colleagues in the Senate to move forward with an amendment to take tax deductions away from large, profitable corporations that don't pay workers at least $15 an hour and to provide small businesses with the incentives they need to raise wages," Sanders said in a statement. "That amendment must be included in the reconciliation bill." Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) echoed Sanders, saying he's "looking at a tax penalty for mega-corporations that refuse to pay a living wage." The House is scheduled to vote on the $1.9 trillion package, including the $15 minimum wage, on Friday, but the measure can be amended when it arrives in the Senate. If they reconfigure the minimum wage increase as a tax penalty, which is "likely to qualify under the reconciliation rules," Bloomberg News reports, "Democrats have less than three weeks to draft the changes, convince all 50 senators who caucus with the party to support the tax increases — and the specifics of the minimum-wage hike. ... Targeting only large, profitable companies could help assuage concerns from some moderate Democrats who are hesitant to support large-scale tax increases." More stories from theweek.comJournalist Tim O'Brien, who's seen Trump's taxes, thinks Trump's accountant will now flip in D.A. inquiryJosh Hawley, Senator NoHusband of Hitler-quoting GOP congresswoman parked his militia-stickered truck outside Capitol Jan. 6

  • While Biden visits storm-torn Texas, Sen. Ted Cruz will be giving a speech on 'cancel culture' in Florida

    The president is set to tour the state with Gov. Greg Abbott.

  • 'WandaVision' finally gives Wanda her Marvel superhero name and fans are overjoyed

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  • What is CPAC? A brief history of the conservative movement’s most influential gathering

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  • Police chief says militia groups ‘want to blow up’ Capitol building at Biden State of the Union

    US Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittman argued to maintain increased law enforcement presence at the Capitol ahead of Joe Biden’s first address to Congress, following warnings from militia groups that she says want to “blow up the Capitol and kill as many members as possible” in connection with the president’s upcoming State of the Union. “So based on that information, we think that it’s prudent that Capitol Police maintain its enhanced and robust security posture until we address those vulnerabilities going forward,” she said.

  • Thierry Henry resigns as coach of Montreal in MLS

    CF Montreal lost a head coach and Major League Soccer said goodbye to a marquee name with news Thursday that Thierry Henry was stepping down. Citing family reasons, the 43-year-old former star striker said he was quitting the club after one season at the helm to return to London. Kevin Gilmore, Montreal’s president and CEO, called it a “difficult day,” but said Henry was leaving on good terms.

  • Israel's unvaccinated fear exclusion

    Israel has led the world in COVID-19 vaccination with health ministry figures on Friday (February 25) showing 50% of the population has received at least one shot.But now the country is facing another challenge that other countries will have to grapple with - how to balance public health and the rights of the unvaccinated. Despite the strong government numbers, some officials privately estimate that 10% of Israelis over 16 - that's around 650,000 - do not intend to get vaccinated.Some employers already plan to ban unvaccinated workers from the office, which rights groups fear could cost them their jobs, especially for those where remote working is not possible. And asking employees to share their vaccine status could violate medical privacy rights. Some employers and advocates are concerned parliament hasn't passed any laws on returning to offices or offering protections for the unvaccinated.The health ministry did not comment when asked if legislation was being drawn up.Early discussions on guidelines and legislation point to employers, authorities and courts putting public health concerns before individuals' demand. This is Sharon Abraham-Weiss, executive director of the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, or ACRI. "The question is how do we reopen the market, the economy, and life, without harming people that cannot or would not get vaccinated."Israel's largest labor union suggested that unvaccinated workers who can't work at home show negative tests to their employers every 72 hours as a potential workaround.The "Green Pass system" was launched in the country last Sunday (February 21).A government-validated certificate is granted for those who have had both doses of the vaccine or have recovered from COVID-19. In one of its first applications, only those who carry this pass were allowed to attend a small open-air concert in Tel Aviv this week.

  • Hungary may have to tighten lockdown as COVID cases jump, PM says

    Hungary may have to tighten lockdown curbs as coronavirus infections are expected to rise "drastically" in the next two weeks, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday, as the daily tally of new infections jumped to 4,668, the highest this year. Orban also said all the 2.5 million to 2.6 million Hungarians who have registered for COVID-19 vaccinations so far would receive at least one dose by Easter, in early April. Orban, speaking on state radio, said he hoped to get vaccinated with a shot developed by China's Sinopharm early next week.

  • Jets spoil Dominique Ducharme’s debut as Montreal’s coach

    Kyle Connor scored twice and the Winnipeg Jets spoiled Dominique Ducharme's debut as Montreal's coach, rallying to beat the Canadiens 6-3 on Thursday night to open a two-game series. The Jets rallied after Montreal took a 2-0 lead into the second period.

  • Prince Harry Tells Friend James Corden He Left the Royal Family Because It Was Destroying His Mental Health

    KOEN VAN WEELPrince Harry has said that he stepped back from royal duties because the British press was “toxic” and “destroying” his mental health.In an extraordinary interview unparalleled in the annals of royal history, Harry gave a candid interview to his close friend James Corden on The Late Late Show while they toured Los Angeles on an open-air double-decker bus. Corden was a guest at Harry and Meghan’s wedding in 2018 and arrived at the evening reception dressed as Henry VIII. Another guest at the wedding, Oprah Winfrey, has taped an interview primarily with Meghan that will be screened next weekend.Oprah Winfrey’s Interview With Meghan Markle and Harry Will ‘Shine a Light on What They Have Been Through’The two men were served afternoon tea, which Corden said he had provided to remind Harry of home, however the tea service was abandoned after the bus braked sharply, depositing the contents of a tea trolley on top of the prince.“Clear it up, Harry,” Corden joked as the prince picked up tea cups and scones.While the 17-minute long package had a humorous tone and was packed with jokes and gags, it also provided the most candid insight yet into why Harry withdrew from royal duties.Asked about his decision to leave royal life, Harry said he was left with no choice because the British press “was destroying my mental health.”He said of the “toxic” situation: “I did what any husband and father would do—I need to get my family out of here.”In what will be perceived as a dig at the royal establishment that refused to accept Harry and Meghan’s proposal of a hybrid public-private role, Harry said: “We never walked away, and as far as I’m concerned, what decisions are made on that side, I will never walk away.”Royal Family ‘Wringing Their Hands’ at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s ActivismHarry said that his life now would continue to be about “public service” and added that he and Meghan were “trying to bring some compassion and try to make people happy and try to change the world in any small way we can.”When Harry said he and Meghan often watched Jeopardy! and Netflix (with whom the couple recently signed a $100 million production deal) in the evenings after putting Archie to bed, Corden asked him about The Crown and its controversial portrayal of his family’s history.Harry, who joked he would like to be played in the series by Damian Lewis, said he preferred it to the tabloid media coverage of the royals because it “does not pretend to be news.”He added: “It’s fictional. But it’s loosely based on the truth.“Of course it’s not strictly accurate, but it gives you a rough idea about what that lifestyle—the pressures of putting duty and service above family and everything else—what can come from that.”He continued: “I’m way more comfortable with The Crown than I am seeing the stories written about my family, or my wife or myself, because it’s the difference between fiction—take it how you will—and being reported on as fact because you’re supposedly news. I have a real issue with that.”Harry also opened up about meeting Meghan and how he knew she was the one on their second date.“We hit it off with each other, and we were just so comfortable in each other’s company,” he said.“Dating me or any member of the royal family is kind of flipped upside down. All the dates become dinners or watching the TV or chatting at home.“We went from zero to 60 in the first two months.”Meghan, who is pregnant with the couple’s second child, made a cameo in the interview via FaceTime when Harry and Corden paid a trip to the house from the ’90s TV show The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.When Corden suggested the couple should buy the house, Meghan said: “I think we’ve done enough moving.”During the visit to the house, Corden and Harry spoke to the owner and jokingly made an offer to buy it, before Harry asked if he could use the toilet.“I’m actually dying for a pee. Can I use your bathroom?” he asked.Showing that family relations are at least still somewhat functional, Harry said his grandmother, the queen, bought his son Archie a waffle maker for Christmas.He revealed Meghan now makes waffles with a “beautiful organic mix” and they eat them for breakfast with toppings including berries and syrup.He also said that both his grandparents know how to use Zoom, but joked that his grandfather slams the laptop shut physically to finish a call.Over to you, Oprah.Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

  • UK committee: Vaccine rollout 'should continue by age'

    Britain's vaccine advice committee has said that the COVID-19 vaccine rollout should continue to prioritize people by age - rather than occupation.Some frontline workers such as police and teachers had been calling for prioritization for shots on the basis of their jobs.But Chair for the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation Professor Wei Shen Lim said the current system was the best way to keep up the pace of immunisations."Of all the different approaches to vaccination, getting vaccines into arms as quickly as possible is the fastest way and the best way to maximise benefit to the population. Taking all of these factors into account, we advise that the offer of vaccination in phase two should still be age based, starting with the oldest and proceeding in the following order: Those age 40 to 49, followed by those age 30 to 39, and lastly, those age 18 to 29. // An occupation-based vaccine program has never been tested before on a large scale in the UK, it is in that sense untested and untried. So trying to switch from an age-based program to an occupation-based programme will be more complex and potentially introduce more delays to the program."Britain, whose rollout has been among the fastest in the world, aims to complete phase 1 of its vaccine program by mid-April.

  • US implicates Saudi crown prince in journalist's killing

    Saudi Arabia's crown prince likely approved an operation to kill or capture a U.S.-based journalist inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, according to a newly declassified U.S. intelligence report released Friday that could escalate pressure on the Biden administration to hold the kingdom accountable for a murder that drew bipartisan and international outrage. The central conclusion of the report was widely expected given that intelligence officials were said to have reached it soon after the brutal Oct. 2, 2018, murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a critic of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s authoritarian consolidation of power.

  • The surprising real-life age differences between 14 famous movie pairs

    Some on-screen love interest age gaps are surprising, and other times, actors are almost the same age as their on-screen children.

  • Experts say Dominion and Smartmatic could win their defamation lawsuits, but MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell says they have 'zero' chance

    The Trump backers Rudy Giuliani, Sydney Powell, and Mike Lindell face defamation lawsuits from Dominion and Smartmatic that may succeed, experts say.

  • Texas lieutenant governor says people getting huge energy bills 'gambled on a very, very low rate' - but suggests they won't have to pay the full amount

    Texans on variable-rate energy deals were faced with enormous bills as the wholesale price of electricity spiked 10,000% during a winter storm.

  • Here's what Trump's tax returns could mean for the investigations into his finances

    Donald Trump has fought hard to keep his personal tax returns, and the Trump Organization's a secret. The Supreme Court just let prosecutors get them.

  • After a chaotic year, Biden moves to reclaim the USPS, despite a defiant Postmaster General Louis DeJoy

    Biden nominated three people to open positions on the agency's governing board, who, if confirmed by the Senate, would create a Democratic advantage.

  • Georgia prosecutor investigating Trump call urges patience

    The Georgia prosecutor investigating potential efforts by Donald Trump and others to influence last year's general election has a message for people who are eager to see whether the former president will be charged: Be patient. “I'm in no rush,” Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said this week in an interview with The Associated Press. Willis, a Democrat elected in November, sent letters to state officials on Feb. 10 instructing them to preserve records related to the election, particularly those that may contain evidence of attempts to influence elections officials.