“President Biden marked 50 million Covid-19 vaccine doses administered in the US since he took office last month, a halfway point in his promise to get 100 million vaccine doses into arms in his first 100 days. The US has now given a total of 66.5 million vaccine doses, and a third vaccine, from Johnson & Johnson, could be in play as soon as next week if the FDA authorizes its emergency use. A new survey found 55% of adults have either gotten a shot or want to as soon as possible, up from 47% in mid-January and 34% in early December. However, as always, experts are still cautious. That sharp decline in cases has now flattened to a plateau, and a fourth deadly surge is still possible as coronavirus variants spread and restrictions relax.” Read more at CNN
“The House of Representatives passed sweeping legislation prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation and gender identity, though it faces an uncertain future in the Senate.” Read more at USA Today
“Police expected former USA Gymnastics coach John Geddert to turn himself in for arraignment on a multitude of charges on Thursday, but are instead now investigating his death by suicide . The 63-year-old is the former owner of the gymnastics club where hundreds of women and girls said serial-molester Larry Nassar sexually abused them – many even said Geddert knew about it, failed to take action, then lied to police about it. The charges levied against him were 20 counts of human trafficking and forced labor and one count each of first-degree sexual assault, second-degree sexual assault, racketeering and lying to a police officer. Nassar is serving a 175-year prison sentence.” Read more at USA Today
“The US military carried out air strikes on a site in Syria used by two Iranian-backed militia groups. The strikes mark the US military's first known action under Biden and were in response to rocket attacks on American forces in the region in the past two weeks. A February 15 rocket attack on coalition forces near the Erbil International Airport in Iraqi Kurdistan killed a civilian contractor and injured nine others; Iran denied involvement in the attack. The US strikes come as Washington and Tehran position themselves for negotiations about Iran's nuclear program, potentially complicating an already fragile process.” Read more at CNN
“The House will vote on President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package Friday. The Democratic-controlled House will likely pass the package, although it will face some opposition in the Senate. Republicans have united against Biden's relief package, including several moderate senators who said the legislation is excessive and goes beyond its scope. Though Biden had hoped the legislation would be bipartisan, Democrats on Capitol Hill are eager to pass it through both chambers by mid-March, when a federal boost to unemployment benefits expires.” Read more at USA Today
“The Senate parliamentarian ruled against including the proposed minimum wage increase in the coronavirus stimulus bill, saying it would infringe upon the budgetary process known as reconciliation that Democrats are using to move the measure forward. That’s a blow for progressives, but it does mean there is less division over the bill now, and it could be easier to pass in the Senate. The House is expected to pass the $1.9 trillion bill today. Everyone interested in actually getting this thing over the finish line wants it to happen before March 14, when federal unemployment benefits are set to expire.” Read more at CNN
“In his first trip as president to a disaster zone, President Joe Biden is heading to Texas , one week after the state was ravaged by a winter storm that left millions without electricity and clean water for days. Biden, who will spend much of his time accompanied by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, is bringing first lady Jill Biden with him to Houston with plans to meet with local leaders to discuss the storm, relief efforts and recovery. A visit to a COVID-19 health center where vaccines are being distributed is also on the agenda. At least 4.3 million Texans lost electricity last week during the winter storm, and millions more lost water or were under a boil advisory. Texas is not part of the national power grid, and instead has its own electrical grid that covers nearly the entire state. Their grid is operated by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which has come under fire for the outages. Biden has approved a major disaster declaration for over 100 counties in the state.” Read more at USA Today
Native American nominee’s grilling by GOP senators raises questions on bias
“The confirmation hearing for Deb Haaland has raised questions about whether she's being treated differently because she is a Native American woman. She would become the first Native American to lead the U.S. Interior Department. Some Republican, white senators have labeled Haaland as ‘radical’ over her calls to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and address climate change. Those who support the Democratic congresswoman from New Mexico say Haaland is being attacked for her ethnicity and beliefs that are widespread among Native Americans. Republicans expressed frustration at her lack of specifics during the hearing and claim it's not about race.” Read more at AP
Tiger Woods transferred to LA hospital after surgery
“Tiger Woods has been moved to another Los Angeles hospital after undergoing surgery to his right leg that was badly injured in a car crash. Harbor-UCLA Medical Center said Woods was transferred to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center for ‘continuing orthopedic care and recovery.’ Cedars-Sinai has a renowned Sports Medicine Institute and a rehabilitation program. Woods was hurt Tuesday when an SUV he was driving struck a raised median in a coastal LA suburb, crossed into oncoming lanes and flipped several times. The L.A. County Sheriff's Department says there wasn’t any evidence that Woods was impaired by drugs or alcohol.” Read more at AP
“Lady Gaga’s dog walker was shot late Wednesday and her two French bulldogs, Koji and Gustav, were stolen, USA TODAY has confirmed.
Around 9:40 p.m. in Hollywood, Calif., a man in his 30s was walking three dogs when a male suspect approached the dog walker and shot him, according to Los Angeles Police Department's Officer Drake Madison. The victim, whose name has not been released, was walking the dogs when a four-door sedan pulled over and two men tried to steal the animals, Los Angeles Police Capt. Jonathan Tippett told the Associated Press.
Surveillance video from a neighboring house shows the dog walker repeatedly yell for help as he tried to fight off the suspects. The struggle escalated before one suspect wielding a semiautomatic handgun shot the dog walker.
It’s not yet known if both men were armed, Tippett said.
LAPD says the suspects stole the two bulldogs and took off in a white vehicle. Surveillance footage shows the victim pleaded he was ‘bleeding out’ on the sidewalk while trying to flag down help. A third dog was left behind and later recovered.
LAPD Public Information Officer Tony Im confirmed to USA TODAY Thursday evening that the victim is now in stable condition after previously being listed as critical.” Read more at USA Today
“Mitch McConnell said he would ‘absolutely’ support Donald Trump if Trump becomes the party’s 2024 nominee, after calling him responsible for the Capitol riot.” Read more at New York Times
“The Manhattan District Attorney's Office has taken possession of former president Donald Trump's tax returns and a wealth of other financial data, an official said Thursday — records deemed central to prosecutors' sprawling criminal investigation into Trump's business activities.
The transfer, involving millions of pages of documents spanning eight years, occurred within hours of this week’s Supreme Court order rejecting Trump’s last-ditch bid to shield the information. In a statement, a spokesman for the district attorney’s office confirmed that Trump’s longtime accounting firm, Mazars, had complied with its subpoena after 18 months of delay while the former president challenged the matter in court.
Supreme Court ends Trump’s bid to shield his tax returns and effort to challenge election losses
A team of analysts working for District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr., including experts from an outside forensics accounting firm, have been at the ready for months to dissect the records and scour for any evidence of criminal activity at the Trump Organization or by its executive employees. That group includes Trump, three of his adult children — Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump and Ivanka Trump — and Allen Weisselberg, the company’s longtime chief financial officer.” Read more at Washington Post
“‘Sham-peachment,’ they say, and warn that ‘corporate America helped rig the election.’ They call former president Donald Trump a ‘savior’ who was robbed of a second term — despite no evidence — and President Joe Biden, a ‘thief.’ ‘Patriots want answers,’ they declare.
A faction of local, county and state Republican officials across the country is pushing lies, misinformation and conspiracy theories online that echo those that helped inspire the deadly U.S. Capitol insurrection. Garance Burke, Martha Mendoza, Juliet Linderman and Larry Fenn have this exclusive story worthy of your time.
These GOP officials’ posts are being amplified by algorithms that boost extreme content, allowing the officials to grow their bases on social media and exert outsize sway on their communities, city councils, county boards and state assemblies.
The AP reviewed social media accounts of nearly 1,000 federal, state and local elected and appointed Republican officials. The rhetoric exposes the party’s internal struggle over whether it can include traditional conservative politicians, conspiracy theorists and militias.” Read more at AP
VIDEO: Conspiracy theories and lies drive rift within GOP.
EXPLAINER: What were the intelligence warnings before the Capitol riot?
“Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, the freshman congresswoman whose support for QAnon and other extremist conspiracy theories has made her a flashpoint in the House, is facing condemnation again for putting up a sign denying the existence of transgender identities — across the hall from another congresswoman who has a transgender child.
The Republican from Georgia’s back-and-forth with Rep. Marie Newman, D-Ill., started with Newman's remarks on the House floor about the Equality Act. The legislation protecting the civil rights of LGBTQ Americans passed the House on Thursday.
Newman talked about the importance of the Equality Act for transgender individuals such as her daughter. Greene then posted a tweet denying her daughter's gender identity.
‘Your biological son does NOT belong in my daughters’ bathrooms, locker rooms, and sports teams,’ Greene said.
In response, Newman displayed a transgender pride flag outside her office and posted a video of her putting it up, saying she wanted Greene to see it. Newman later told New York Magazine that she put up the flag to send a message to a ‘bully.’
‘I’m going to put this flag here so you can see it every day and see about your actions and your hate and your disrespect. So that’s all that was meant to do. It was just making a statement,’ she told the magazine after the incident.” Read more at USA Today
“Pennsylvania prepared Dr. Rachel Levine for this moment.
Not the moment when she would have to offer her medical expertise as former state health secretary and professor of pediatrics and psychiatry at Penn State University.
It was the moment when she faced transphobia from a Republican lawmaker.
Levine is on track to become the first out transgender federal official to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate after being chosen last month by President Joe Biden to serve as the assistant secretary of health in his administration.
Levine also made history as the first transgender health secretary in Pennsylvania.
But Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., didn't ask about her years of experience as Pennsylvania's top health official who oversaw an opioid epidemic and coronavirus pandemic — two public health crises that continue to grip the nation.
Instead, he questioned her support of gender reassignment surgery and hormone therapy for minors, comparing transgender medicine to "genital mutilation." Paul asked Levine if she believes minors are capable of making the decision to change one's sex.
‘Transgender medicine is a very complex and nuanced field, with robust research and standards of care that have been developed,’ Levine said.
She said, if confirmed, she looked forward to working with Paul on those standards of care.” Read more at USA Today
“A growing body of evidence suggests that a massive change is underway in the sensitive circulation system of the Atlantic Ocean, a group of scientists said Thursday.
The Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC), a system of currents that includes the Florida Current and the Gulf Stream, is now ‘in its weakest state in over a millennium,’ these experts say. This has implications for everything from the climate of Europe to the rates of sea-level rise along the U.S. East Coast.
Although evidence of the system’s weakening has been published before, the new research cites 11 sources of ‘proxy’ evidence of the circulation’s strength, including clues hidden in seafloor mud as well as patterns of ocean temperatures. The enormous flow has been directly measured only since 2004, too short a period to definitively establish a trend, which makes these indirect measures critical for understanding its behavior.” Read more at Washington Post
“The Army will allow female soldiers to wear ponytails and several other hairstyles in addition to the traditional tight bun — a response to the growing number of women, particularly Black women, in its ranks.” Read more at New York Times
“Lives Lived: In 1974, Rajie Cook’s design firm won a contract to develop symbols that could efficiently convey information in public places. The 34 pictographs Cook helped come up with — depicting bathrooms, train stations, airports and more — are still in use. Cook died at 90.” Read more at New York Times
“Facebook's 3 billion monthly active users, its mountain of money and its control over the flow of information all put the company on a footing with governments around the world — and, increasingly, it's getting into fights with them, Axios' Sara Fischer and Scott Rosenberg write.
Why it matters: Facebook's power alarms governments fearful that the tech giant could tilt the political scales inside their borders.
Facebook yesterday took the unprecedented step of banning the Myanmar military, which seized power in a coup, from using its service.
The ban puts Facebook ‘squarely on the side of the pro-democracy movement’ in the country, the N.Y. Times writes.” Read more at Axios
“Passenger rail could be the big winner if Congress moves ahead with President Biden's ambitious infrastructure plan, Axios Navigate conductor Joann Muller writes from Detroit.
Why it matters: Under Biden, the infrastructure focus has shifted to sustainable projects that fulfill his climate and equity goals.
Rail advocates see a rare opportunity to go big with ‘Amtrak Joe’ in the White House.
Jockeying has already begun among backers of various high-speed rail projects.
In Charlotte, light-rail plays a critical role in an ambitious transportation plan that could cost $8 billion to $12 billion, Axios Charlotte reports.” Read more at Axios
A Mr. Potato Head toy in 1995. Mario Ruiz / The LIFE Images Collection via Getty images
“NEW YORK — Hasbro created confusion on Thursday when it removed the gender from its Mr. Potato Head brand, but not from the actual toy.
The company, which has been making the potato-shaped plastic toy for nearly 70 years, announced Thursday morning that it was dropping Mr. from the brand in an effort to make sure ‘all feel welcome in the Potato Head world.’ That set off a social media frenzy over the beloved toy.
Later that afternoon, Hasbro clarified in a tweet that the Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head characters will still exist, names and all, but the branding on the box will say ‘Potato Head.’
‘While it was announced today that the POTATO HEAD brand name & logo are dropping the ‘MR.’ I yam proud to confirm that MR. & MRS. POTATO HEAD aren’t going anywhere and will remain MR. & MRS. POTATO HEAD,’ the company tweeted.
Toy makers have been updating their classic brands to appeal to kids today. Barbie has shed its blonde image and now comes in multiple skin tones and body shapes. Thomas the Tank Engine added more girl characters. And American Girl is now selling a boy doll.
Hasbro said Mr. Potato Head, which has been around for about 70 years, needed a modern makeover.” Read more at NBC News
“With coronavirus under control in China and cinemas running at half capacity, moviegoers are smashing China's box office records — setting a new high mark for ticket sales in February, with domestic productions far outpacing their Hollywood competitors, AP reports from Beijing.
February marked China's all-time biggest month for movie ticket sales, which have so far totaled 11.2 billion yuan ($1.73 billion). Read more at Axios