by Associated Press in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania on (#5DMY2)
Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow but the Pennsylvania rodent’s inner circle struck an upbeat note after a year of coronavirusThere will be six more weeks of winter, Punxsutawney Phil predicted as he emerged from his burrow on a snowy Tuesday morning to perform his Groundhog Day duties.Related: How Groundhog Day changed my life Continue reading...
Fashion house has attracted controversy over clothing and advertising seen to be racially offensiveKamala Harris has been criticised for wearing clothes by Dolce & Gabbana, a luxury fashion brand which has attracted controversy over clothing and advertising seen to be racially offensive.The new US vice-president wore a polo-necked wool jumper from the Italian fashion house during a lunch with President Joe Biden; a grey checked blazer and trouser suit when swearing in the treasury secretary, Janet Yellen; and a chevron jumper when Biden signed executive orders in the White House. Continue reading...
Singer says she’s not sure she’ll accept it from Biden either because it might seem political to do soDolly Parton twice turned down the highest US civilian honour when Donald Trump offered it – but isn’t sure she’ll accept the presidential medal of freedom from Joe Biden, because it might seem political to do so.Related: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says she is a sexual assault survivor Continue reading...
Republicans will continue talks with White House over coronavirus aid package after two-hour meeting fails to resolve issue. Plus, police officers suspended after 9-year-old is pepper-sprayed
Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez speaks about how her experience of Capitol riot was affected by her experience as a survivor of sexual assault
There will be fewer fans that usual in Tampa for the big game this weekend. But Covid-19 brings far more challenges than in normal yearsTerra Pinckley was six the last time the Tampa Bay Buccaneers made the Super Bowl. She remembers sitting with her parents – both longtime Bucs supporters – cheering the team to victory, then joining them at the championship parade, where she high-fived then-star fullback Mike Alstott, and shook All-Pro linebacker John Lynch’s hand. It was a moment that cemented her fandom forever.In a perfect world, the St Petersburg native would watch this Sunday’s Super Bowl among hordes of fellow Bucs fans, preferably at a sports bar. But the pandemic has muddled those plans. Her Super Bowl Sunday will take place from the comfort of her own couch. Continue reading...
Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh will be held under guard after being moved off death rowPakistan’s supreme court has ordered that the Pakistani-British man acquitted of the 2002 beheading of the American journalist Daniel Pearl be moved off death row and to a government “safe house”.Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, who has been on death row for 18 years, will be under guard and not allowed to leave the safe house, but his wife and children will be able to visit him. Continue reading...
Senate minority leader didn’t name congresswoman, but the remarks were clearly directed at the QAnon supporterMitch McConnell, the top Republican in the US Senate, has intensified pressure on the extremist Georgia congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, calling the “loony lies and conspiracy theories” that she endorses a “cancer for the Republican party”. Continue reading...
State is expected to vote on a bill to end 413-year history of capital punishment, a practice rooted in slavery and racial lynchingEarl Washington came within nine days of being put to death by the state of Virginia. The date was set, the arrangements finalized. He would be taken to the death chamber, strapped into an electric chair, then jolted with 2,200 volts that would have paralysed his brain, stopped his heart and cooked his internal organs until his legs blistered and steam rose from his rigid and lifeless body.That was in 1985. Days before the execution Washington, a black man with severe learning difficulties who could barely read or write and had been assessed as having the developmental age of a 10-year-old, had a lucky break. He was contacted by a fellow death row inmate versed in the law who heard his story, sounded the alarm, and had the electrocution delayed. Continue reading...
Blackstone founder Stephen Schwarzman faces scrutiny over donations to rightwing Republicans including Kelly LoefflerThe Wall Street billionaire who has been heralded for giving Oxford University its largest donation “since the Renaissance” gave campaign contributions during the election cycle to seven of the Republican lawmakers who later voted to overturn the 2020 election results and backed candidates late last year even as they disputed Joe Biden’s victory.Related: Biden official involved in removal of DoJ lawyer concerned by family separations Continue reading...
Democratic congresswoman reveals past trauma during candid account of Capitol attackThe Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Monday spoke in an emotional video about the insurrection at the US Capitol, and how what she went through was affected by her experience as a survivor of sexual assault.In an account remarkably candid for an American lawmaker, Ocasio-Cortez recounted going into hiding as rioters scaled the Capitol on 6 January, hiding in a bathroom in her office while hearing banging on the walls and a man yelling: “Where is she? Where is she?” She had feared for her life, she told an Instagram Live audience of more than 150,000 people. Continue reading...
A powerful winter storm has engulfed the US north-east, blanketing much of the region in heavy snow. The storm is expected to bring nearly 2ft of snow to New York, Boston and several other cities. ’This is a dangerous, life-threatening situation,’ New York's governor, Andrew Cuomo, said while declaring a state of emergency in 44 counties and New York City. Mayor Bill De Blasio also declared a local state of emergency - suspending in-person classes, restricting non-essential travel and putting coronavirus vaccination appointments on hold. ‘You're going to see two to four inches of snow per hour. That is extremely intense snow. That's blinding snow’
by Adam Gabbatt in New York and agencies on (#5DKD9)
Outrage swells in western New York city after body-cam video shows officers spraying girl in face with chemical ‘irritant’The city of Rochester, New York, has suspended police officers seen in body-camera videos spraying a chemical “irritant” in the face of a distraught and handcuffed nine-year-old girl, officials announced on Monday.The city did not specify how many officers were suspended. The suspensions will last at least until an internal police investigation is completed. Continue reading...
Detective who worked on high-profile cases such as the Jonestown massacre suffered a head injury during an attempted robberyThe famous San Francisco private eye Jack Palladino died on Monday after suffering a head injury during an attempted robbery last week.Palladino hit his head while tussling with would-be robbers in his Haight-Ashbury neighborhood on Thursday and never regained consciousness. Continue reading...
Trump-appointed judge ruled against president’s 100-day suspension, raising questions over whether Ice will resist reformUS Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) is preparing to resume deportations of asylum seekers after a Trump-appointed Texas judge ruled against a 100-day suspension ordered by Joe Biden.The ruling, in response to a challenge from a leading figure in the Republican effort to overturn the election result, marks the first shot in a legal rearguard action by Trump loyalists intended to stymie the Biden administration’s agenda. Continue reading...
New York City and northern New Jersey were bracing for as much as 22in and parts of New England for a foot or moreA sprawling, lumbering winter storm walloped the eastern US on Monday, shutting down coronavirus vaccination sites, closing schools and halting transit as snow piled up from the Appalachians to New England, with the heaviest accumulations yet to come in many places.With snow falling since Sunday evening, New York City and northern New Jersey were bracing for as much as 22in and parts of New England for a foot or more. The National Weather Service (NWS) warned that high winds and snowfall could persist into Tuesday in New York and Wednesday in New England. Continue reading...
Carmaker signs deal with Alphabet in latest sign of tech firms’ interest in automotive sectorGoogle and Ford have signed a deal under which the Android operating system will be installed in most of the US carmaker’s vehicles in the latest sign of technology companies’ interest in the automotive sector.Ford will start installing Android in all its cars outside China from 2023 for at least six years. Google, owned by the Alphabet holding company, will also work with the carmaker on projects including modernising its manufacturing processes and developing new ways of buying cars. Continue reading...
Giant pandas at the Smithsonian’s national zoo enjoyed the cold weather in the US capital by rolling and sliding around in the snow in their enclosure. In a clip shared by the zoo, Mei Xiang and Tian Tian took full advantage of the wintry conditions Continue reading...
Police reportedly stopped the woman due to a non-functioning brake light, took her to a local jail and then soon deported herA survivor of a Walmart mass shooting that killed 23 people in El Paso, Texas, and targeted Latino people has been deported to Mexico, triggering widespread outrage among activists and local politicians.Police reportedly stopped the woman – who was not named in full – due to a non-functioning brake light, then took her to a local jail. She was then placed into the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice), where she was soon deported to Mexico. Continue reading...
NYU law professor, an expert in civil rights and racial justice, takes over from Susan Herman, president since 2008Deborah Archer, a professor at New York University School of Law with expertise in civil rights and racial justice, has become the first Black person in the 101-year history of the American Civil Liberties Union to be elected its president.The ACLU announced on Monday that Archer was elected over the weekend in a virtual meeting of the 69-member board of directors. She succeeds Susan Herman, a professor at Brooklyn Law School, president since 2008. Continue reading...
‘Decline in groups should not be interpreted as a reduction in bigoted beliefs and actions motivated by hate,’ report saysDuring one of the most politically divisive years in recent memory, the number of active hate groups in the US actually declined as far-right extremists migrated further to online networks, reflecting a splintering of white nationalist and neo-Nazi groups that are more difficult to track.In its annual report, to be released Monday, the Southern Poverty Law Center said it identified 838 active hate groups operating across the US in 2020. That’s a decrease from the 940 documented in 2019 and the record-high of 1,020 in 2018, said the law center, which tracks racism, xenophobia and anti-government militias. Continue reading...
Growth will generate tax revenues not just for federal government but for cash-starved states and citiesJoe Biden has proposed a $1.9tn (£1.4tn) rescue plan to help the American economy recover from the pandemic. Many Republicans oppose it, suddenly consumed with the fiscal religion they unceremoniously abandon whenever their party controls the White House. The massive tax cuts the GOP bestowed on billionaires and corporations in 2017 resulted in the highest US fiscal deficits on record, outside a deep recession or war. But the promised investment and growth never materialised.By contrast, Biden’s proposed spending plan is urgently needed. Recently released data show a slowdown in America’s recovery both in terms of GDP and employment. There is overwhelming evidence that the recovery package will provide enormous stimulus to the economy, and that economic growth will generate substantial tax revenues, not just for the federal government but also for the states and municipalities that are now starved of the funds they need to provide essential services. Continue reading...
by Jasper Jolly, Graeme Wearden and Natasha May on (#5DJRW)
Prices of precious metal surges as Reddit posts and YouTube videos encourage interestSilver prices hit an eight-year high on Monday as the precious metal became the latest asset to be subject to a flurry of interest from small investors.Spot silver reached $30 an ounce for the first time since 2013 on Monday and the 10% gain put silver on track for its biggest one-day rise since 2008. Continue reading...
David Schoen also represented ‘all sorts of reputed mobsters’ while Bruce Castor declined to prosecute Bill Cosby in 2005One of two attorneys named to defend Donald Trump in his second impeachment trial represented Roger Stone, believes Jeffrey Epstein did not kill himself and numbers among his clients “all sorts of reputed mobster figures”, including “a guy the government claimed was the biggest mafioso in the world”.Related: Donald Trump hires new impeachment defence team after lead lawyers quit Continue reading...
US secretary of state condemns actions against advocates for Alexei Navalny and speaks about denuclearizing Korean peninsulaThe Biden administration will consider new sanctions against North Korea as well as other possible actions against Russia said Antony Blinken, the secretary of state, in a television interview on Monday, as the administration continued its foreign policy review.Blinken told NBC News tools aimed at denuclearizing the Korean peninsula include additional sanctions in coordination with US allies, as well as diplomatic incentives he did not specify. Continue reading...
To protect the country’s democratic values, the international community will have to work with her elected partyMyanmar’s democratic transition in the years following 2009 was a near-miracle. To see it so callously rolled back is a tragedy, a sign that the army is nervous about giving up its power and privileges to rowdy civilian rule, as in neighbouring Thailand. With a state of emergency declared for a year and important civilian leaders detained, notably the state counsellor, Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar’s army will be tempted to turn the clock back and permanently hold on to power.That would be a strategic blunder because Myanmar in 2021 is not Myanmar circa 1962, when General Ne Win seized power, or even 1988, when generals Saw Maung and Than Shwe staged a putsch in the face of civilian protests and appointed themselves to run the country via the State Law and Order Restoration Council. Myanmar today is a flawed but flourishing democracy. The ruling National League of Democracy (NLD) enjoys broad popular support, evidenced by the overwhelming mandate it received in the November 2020 elections. Ordinary Burmese have enjoyed the democratic dividend and are not about to give it up. Continue reading...
The lion of North Broad Street – part philosopher, part humanitarian, part poet – leaves behind a towering legacy in Philadelphia that only begins on the basketball courtThe city of Philadelphia is poorer today for the passing of John Chaney, the legendary Temple University basketball coach, champion of the disadvantaged and lion of North Broad Street who died on Friday just eight days after his 89th birthday.Chaney transformed what was known primarily as a commuter school on the city’s rugged north side into an unlikely national power in the 80s and 90s, mostly by recruiting high school players from disadvantaged backgrounds who were overlooked, disregarded or unwanted by the sport’s traditional bluebloods. The Owls became a March Madness staple at his peak, reaching the NCAA tournament in 17 of 18 seasons, including five runs to the Elite Eight. He retired with 741 career wins, including 516 at Temple, earning induction to the Basketball Hall of Fame along the way. Continue reading...
Trump has brought in a new legal team, less than two days before they must outline his defense. Plus, a military coup in MyanmarGood morning.Donald Trump has hired a new legal defense team for his impeachment trial in the Senate next week, a day after his previous team resigned en masse. The new team will have very little time to prepare for the trial, in which Trump is accused of inciting a deadly insurrection at the Capitol, with Tuesday marking the deadline to submit a preliminary memo outlining the former president’s defense. According to CNN, all five of Trump’s previous team resigned after disagreeing with him over strategy. Continue reading...
The responsibility to implement public health measures is shared with state leaders – some of whom see the moves as a threat to the Republican partyJoe Biden inherited a country deeply divided over the coronavirus. A country where public health measures as simple as wearing a mask and social distancing have become symbols of political party affiliation. It’s a divide that may prove a significant blockage to the president’s roadmap to recovery.“Biden speaks to the aspiration of unity, and it’s nice to hope for that, but the pandemic has been understood by much of the country through deeply polarized and politicized lenses,” said Wendy Parmet, a professor of law and public policy at Northeastern University. Continue reading...
The non-binary progressive state representative explains why they refuse to keep putting their identity up for debateWhen 27-year-old Mauree Turner sat down at Holy Rollers, the queer-owned vegan Donut Shop in Oklahoma City in July 2020, it was under strange circumstances. Firstly, Turner, who uses non-binary pronouns, had just won Oklahoma’s 88th district by a mere 228 votes. Secondly, sitting opposite, was the man they just beat.Before being elected to office, Turner spent their days doing the behind-the-scenes gruntwork of community organizing as a regional field director with the ACLU: planning workshops, leading trainings on college campuses, coordinating with dozens of volunteers. Continue reading...
Those who know the attorney general nominee from the 1995 case say the US could have no better ally in the battle against extremismThe message was a stark one. “America is in serious decline,” the person wrote. “Is a civil war imminent? Do we have to shed blood to reform the current system? I hope it doesn’t come to that! But it might.”It reads like an entry on a message board popular with the insurrectionists who broke into the US Capitol on 6 January – expressing a sentiment at once shocking and shockingly routine in 2021 America. Continue reading...
Kushner and his deputy Avi Berkowitz join Greta Thunberg and Alexei Navalny on the nominations listFormer White House senior adviser Jared Kushner and his deputy, Avi Berkowitz, have been nominated for the Nobel peace prize for their role in negotiating four normalisation deals between Israel and Arab nations known as the “Abraham Accords”.Kushner, who is Trump’s son-in-law, and Berkowitz, who was the Middle East envoy, were key figures in negotiating deals between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco. Continue reading...
Lawyers David Schoen and Bruce L Castor will head up new legal team after Butch Bowers clashed with Trump over strategy, according to reportsDonald Trump has named new lawyers to lead the defense at his impeachment trial in the Senate next week on the charge that he unleashed a deadly insurrection upon the US Capitol on 6 January. The announcement comes just a day after his previous team fell apart.Trial lawyers David Schoen and Bruce L Castor will head up Trump’s new legal team, the former US president announced on Sunday evening. Continue reading...
Ten Republican senators pitched plan with a reported $600bn – less than a third of the $1.9tn package the Biden team has laid outRepublicans senators made a lowball offer on Sunday to cooperate with the Biden administration on a new coronavirus relief package, increasing the likelihood that the White House will seek to bypass Republicans to fund its proposal.A group of 10 Republican senators led by Susan Collins of Maine pitched Joe Biden a sketch of a relief plan with a reported $600bn total price tag – less than a third of the $1.9tn stimulus package the Biden team has laid out over the last days. Continue reading...
Leading infectious disease expert predicts that deadlier British strain will become dominant this springA leading infectious disease expert predicted on Sunday that the deadlier British variant of Covid-19 will become the dominant strain of the virus in the US and could hit the country like a hurricane.The worrying forecast came as the total of confirmed infections in the US passed the 26m mark, with the death toll advancing steadily towards the grim milestone of half a million after on Sunday surpassing the total of 440,000, by far the highest in the world according to data gathered by the Johns Hopkins University coronavirus research center. Continue reading...
