President Biden Reverses Transgender Military Ban

Pres. Biden will allow qualified transgender people to serve in the military, reversing a controversial move by Pres. Trump. CBS2's Tony Aiello reports.

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    Britain and the European Union are on course to agree a deal on regulatory cooperation in financial services this month, but the UK's actions in Northern Ireland makes it harder to build trust, the bloc's financial services chief said on Thursday. "We are on track," Mairead McGuinness told a Politico event. The British government unilaterally extended a grace period for checks on food imports to Northern Ireland, a move Brussels said violated terms of Britain's divorce deal.

  • Meghan accuses Buckingham Palace of 'perpetuating falsehoods'

    Prince Harry's wife Meghan has accused Buckingham Palace of "perpetuating falsehoods" about her and her spouse, saying the royal couple would not be silent in telling their story. Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, made the comments to American talk show host Oprah Winfrey in an interview about why they quit their royal roles that is due to be broadcast on U.S. television on Sunday. An advance excerpt of the interview was released on Wednesday, hours after Buckingham Palace said it was "very concerned" about reports in the Times newspaper that assistants working for Meghan two years ago had been bullied by her.

  • Nearly 160 million U.S. households to get virus stimulus checks: White House

    A total of 158.5 million households would receive direct payments under the Senate version of a $1.9 trillion coronavirus stimulus bill, the White House said on Thursday. White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters that the figure, crunched by the National Economic Council, means that 98% of the households that received payments in December would get checks under the stimulus. The stimulus package passed the Democratic-led House of Representatives and is soon to be debated in the Senate, with Republicans opposed.

  • Tsunami watch in Hawaii following significant earthquake in Pacific

    The latest in a string of powerful earthquakes shook part of the southwestern Pacific on Friday morning, local time, leading to far-reaching tsunami concerns. The magnitude 8.1 earthquake occurred at 8:28 a.m. NZST Friday, or 2:38 p.m. EST Thursday, according to the USGS. The epicenter was located well northeast of New Zealand, but the shaking was felt on part of the country and nearby islands in the region. "[This] is directly related to the M7.4 in nearly the same location just under 2 hours before," the USGS said in a Tweet. "Both of those occurred on the subduction interface between Pacific and Australia plates." A tsunami warning was initially issued for the Kermadec Island region, but that was later changed to a tsunami advisory, where tsunami waves could reach 3 meters (10 feet), according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) A tsunami warning was issued for New Zealand coasts, the country's emergency management agency said. This includes the Great Barrier Island and part of the north-facing shores of the North Island. Tsunami waves are also possible along the coasts of Fiji, American Samoa and other nearby islands. There is no tsunami threat to mainland Australia. CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP A tsunami watch has been issued for Hawaii. People in Hawaii do not need to take action immediately but should prepare in the event that tsunami waves do arrive. According to the PTWC, if a tsunami does reach Hawaii, the earliest arrival of the first wave would be 4:35 p.m. HST Thursday. The tsunami threat has not been completely ruled out for the Pacific Coast of the U.S. and Canada, according to the U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center (NTWC). "Earthquakes of this size are known to generate tsunamis potentially dangerous to coasts outside the source region," the NTWC said. "More information will be issued as it becomes available." TSUNAMI WATCH continued for Hawaii. A WATCH means a tsunami may impact Hawaii. Threat and potential impacts are still being evaluated by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. KNOW if you are in an EVACUATION RED ZONE. See this link for Oahu Evacuation ZONES https://t.co/716pXxq7kb— Oahu Emergency Mgmt. (@Oahu_DEM) March 4, 2021 This is a breaking situation. Continue to check back with AccuWeather for more updates. Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier, Spectrum, Fubo, and Verizon Fios.

  • Kamala Harris breaks tie as Senate proceeds with lengthy debate on COVID relief bill

    The Senate on Thursday voted 51-50 — with Vice President Kamala Harris breaking the tie — to proceed to debate on President Biden's $1.9 trillion coronavirus rescue package, likely setting up a final vote this weekend.The state of play: Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) is forcing the Senate clerk to read the entire 628-page bill on the floor, a procedural move that will likely add 10 hours to the 20 hours already allotted for debate.Get market news worthy of your time with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free.During that time, Republicans will propose amendments — some unrelated to COVID relief — intended to force uncomfortable votes for Democrats, in a practice known as vote-a-rama.Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) promised Thursday that the Senate will stay in session "no matter how long it takes" to finish voting on the "American Rescue Plan."Because the bill is being considered under the budget reconciliation process, it only requires a simple majority to pass, rather than the usual 60-vote Senate threshold for major legislation.Driving the news: Speaking on the Senate floor ahead of the vote to proceed, Schumer accused Johnson of going to "ridiculous lengths" to show his opposition to a COVID relief package widely supported by the American public — including a majority of Republicans.What they're saying: "It will accomplish little more than a few sore throats for the Senate clerks who work very hard day in, day out to help the Senate function," Schumer said."Still, we are delighted that the senator from Wisconsin wants to give the American people another opportunity to hear what's in the American Rescue Plan. We Democrats want America to hear what's in the plan," he continued."Oh, yes, when the senior senator from Wisconsin reads, the American people will get another chance to hear about the tax breaks for low-income workers, and assistance for American families struggling with child care — two measures that help make the American Rescue Plan one of the single largest anti-poverty bills in recent history."Go deeper: Senate Republicans plan to exact pain before COVID relief voteLike this article? Get more from Axios and subscribe to Axios Markets for free.

  • Barrett authors first U.S. Supreme Court ruling, a loss for environmentalists

    Justice Amy Coney Barrett on Thursday authored her first ruling since joining the U.S. Supreme Court in October - a decision that handed a defeat to an environmental group that had sought access to government documents. In the 7-2 ruling, the justices sided with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, thwarting the Sierra Club's bid to obtain documents concerning a regulation finalized in 2014 relating to power plants. Barrett and the court's other five conservative justices were joined by liberal Justice Elena Kagan in the majority, with liberals Justices Stephen Breyer and Sonia Sotomayor in dissent.

  • How much YouTube pays influencers for 100,000, 1 million, and 150 million views, according to top creators

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  • Fox News' scrappy White House correspondent grills Biden, who plays along

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  • Trump wants revenge on Alaska's Sen. Murkowski. His advisers think he won't follow through because the flight is too long.

    Don't bet on former President Donald Trump traveling to campaign against Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) — and not because of any sudden change of heart. A new report from The Washington Post discusses the Alaska Republican's influence during President Biden's administration, as well as the fact that Trump is "vowing publicly and privately to work to oust her" as she seeks a fourth Senate term in 2022. Murkowski was one of seven Republican senators who voted to convict Trump in his second impeachment trial, and she's reportedly "higher on his list of enemies" than other lawmakers, coming in just under Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) At the same time, the Post reports that while Trump "does want to spend money against" Murkowski, some "people in his circle doubt, though, that he will be as much of a potent force in the race because traveling to campaign against her would require such a long flight, which Trump generally avoids." There's also the fact that, the Post says, Trump's advisers "recognize the complexity of winning in Alaska," which uses ranked-choice voting, though the report adds that it's likely Murkowski will face pro-Trump opposition in the race in some form. Trump recently went after Murkowski during his first speech since leaving office at the Conservative Political Action Conference, naming her while he slammed a series of Republican "grandstanders" and called on supporters to "get rid of them all." Murkowski has defended her vote to impeach Trump, saying she couldn't "be afraid of" the political repercussions and that if Alaska voters decide that "because I did not support my party that I can no longer serve them in the United States Senate, then so be it." More stories from theweek.com7 scathingly funny cartoons about Trump's CPAC appearanceU.S. birth rates plunged in 2020, a sure sign 'things are not going well for a lot of people'Joe Biden just yanked away stimulus checks from 17 million Americans

  • It is hard to overstate just how unusual Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's media war with Buckingham Palace is

    A series of extraordinary confrontations have seen the Queen's household accused of a smear capaign and Markle accused of bullying.

  • Rudy Giuliani, who helped lead Trump's bogus election-fraud conspiracy theory, is being mocked after warning of the dangers of misinformation

    After spending months pushing Trump's election fraud conspiracy theory, Giuliani unexpectedly warned of the dangers of misinformation.

  • A New Orleans police officer groomed and raped a 14-year-old girl he was assigned to take to a rape kit exam, a lawsuit alleges

    The lawsuit alleges the officer began grooming the girl as they sat in the waiting room of a New Orleans children's hospital.

  • Nintendo is releasing a new and improved Switch console this year, report says. Here's everything we know.

    Nintendo is on the verge of announcing a more powerful version of the Nintendo Switch console after four years of runaway sales success, report says.

  • The Firm and the 'falsehoods': The Duchess of Sussex interview examined

    The Duchess of Sussex has accused Buckingham Palace of “perpetuating falsehoods,” alluding to her belief that royal aides leaked stories about her and Prince Harry and failed to defend them from untruths. In a preview clip from their no-holds-barred interview with Oprah Winfrey the Duchess referred to the Royal Family as "The Firm", while she acknowledged that speaking out came with "risk" but said a lot had been "lost already" and that they should not be expected to remain silent. It was the second excerpt of the interview released by US network CBS ahead of the two-hour special, which will be broadcast in the UK on Monday evening on ITV. The 30-second clip was the first time the Duchess has been heard giving a full answer to one of Ms Winfrey's questions. It is thought to have been released in reaction to this week’s revelations that Meghan had been accused of bullying staff, although the interview was recorded before the allegations became public knowledge. “They obviously want to maximise their content,” a source close to the Duchess said of CBS. “They are very clever at making intoxicating TV.” The fact that the slickly produced interview is designed to shock has caused consternation in palace quarters, not least as it coincides with the Duke of Edinburgh’s longest ever hospital stay. Aides have signalled their intention to distance themselves from the programme. One said: “We are trying to maintain a dignified silence. It’s a media circus and we do not want to be drawn into it.” They point out that it was recorded two weeks ago, suggesting that any attempt to capitalise on the publicity surrounding the bullying allegations was "opportunistic". Members of the Royal Family have not requested, and have not been offered, advanced sight of the recording or a transcript and are expecting to watch it “like everybody else”. The rights to the two-hour programme, which was extended by 30 minutes after the interview was conducted, have been sold across the globe, in more than 17 countries from Australia to Norway, as well as sub-Saharan Africa. The Sussexes are not being paid for the interview, which will net a fortune for CBS and Ms Winfrey’s production company Harpo. In the latest clip, Ms Winfrey asks the Duchess: "How do you feel about the palace hearing you speak your truth today?" The Duchess replied: "I don't know how they could expect that after all of this time, we would still just be silent if there is an active role that The Firm is playing in perpetuating falsehoods about us. "And if that comes with risk of losing things, I mean, I've...there's a lot that's been lost already." Your truth This is an American term that has been used by the Duchess herself. Ms Winfrey is alluding to the fact that the Royal Family and the “grey suits” at Buckingham Palace will hear Meghan’s own version of events for the first time. By speaking “her truth” the Duchess will be providing her own perspective and personal opinion. But the use of the word suggests that other people’s versions of those events have not been truthful. The Sussexes have become ardent followers of American self-help guru Brené Brown, taking to heart her guidance that: “You either walk into your story and own your truth, or you live outside of your story, hustling for your worthiness.” When news of the Duchess’s pregnancy was announced recently, it was accompanied by a picture taken by their friend and photographer Misan Harriman, who said: "I always look for truth with my lens and this is what you see in this image, their truth, their love, it is undeniable".

  • Capitol riot's 'QAnon Shaman' defends himself by claiming he 'stopped somebody from stealing muffins'

    A suspect charged in the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol building is speaking from jail in a new interview — and offering a unique defense positioning himself as simply a savior of baked goods. Jacob Chansley, the Capitol riot suspect who refers to himself as the "QAnon Shaman" and was photographed during the insurrection wearing fur and horns, spoke with 60 Minutes in an interview broadcast Thursday, in which he claimed his "actions were not an attack on this country" as he faces up to 20 years in prison for them. "I sang a song, and that's a part of shamanism," he said. "...I also stopped people from stealing and vandalizing that sacred space, the Senate, okay. I actually stopped somebody from stealing muffins out of the break room." Chansley neglected to mention the fact that, during the deadly insurrection, he allegedly left a threatening note for former Vice President Mike Pence warning, "It's only a matter of time, justice is coming." He was charged with "knowingly entering or remaining in" a restricted building and "violent entry and disorderly conduct," and prosecutors noted he carried around "a spear, approximately 6 feet in length," during the riot. Prosecutors have also said he "incited fellow Trump supporters rioting inside the Capitol building and disobeyed police orders," The Wall Street Journal reports. Despite this, Chansley, who said he regrets "entering that building," bemoaned the fact that former President Donald Trump never pardoned him or any of the other Capitol rioters, telling 60 Minutes this "wounded me so deeply" and "disappointed me so greatly." Still, Chansley added that even though he didn't get the pardon he wanted, he still doesn't regret his loyalty to Trump. The "QAnon Shaman" of the January 6th attack on the Capitol tells his story for the first time from jail, as he faces up to 20 years behind bars. Jacob Chansley spoke with @60minutes+'s @LaurieSegall pic.twitter.com/uhUuFNHRvf — CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) March 4, 2021 More stories from theweek.com7 scathingly funny cartoons about Trump's CPAC appearanceU.S. birth rates plunged in 2020, a sure sign 'things are not going well for a lot of people'Joe Biden just yanked away stimulus checks from 17 million Americans

  • Some Cuomo staffers are 'waking up to the fact that we were in a cult' amid sexual-harassment scandal, according to a new report

    One former aide described Cuomo as a "micromanager to the 100th degree" and said he preferred his events cooled to 67 to 71 degrees.

  • Hilaria Baldwin opens up about having 2 babies who are 'almost like twins'

    The 37-year-old podcaster and yoga instructor recently welcomed her sixth child with her husband Alec Baldwin, about six months after their fifth.

  • Biden and Europe allies worry Israel is preparing a substantial attack on Iran

    President Biden and allies in Europe are worried a revenge attack might scuttle nuclear talks with Iran.

  • Biden supports making a temporary $3,000 payment to parents in the stimulus bill permanent going forward

    Senate Democrats want to make the larger tax credit permanent and give families an option to receive monthly checks. Biden wants a permanent one too.

  • SpaceX Starship prototype sticks landing, then explodes

    The launch and landing were successful, but the prototype exploded a few minutes after touchdown.