Australia Twitter: 2021-02-28

Saturday, March 6, 2021

Trump White House associate tied to Proud Boys before riot via cell phone data

The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) used location, cellular and call record data to make the connection between the unnamed person and the fringe far-right group.

The Times also noted that none of the phone data showed any connection between rioters and members of Congress on Jan. 6. In the aftermath of the insurrection, Democrats made claims that Republicans lawmakers had been involved in the incident, leading to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) calling for any members of Congress involved to be criminally charged.

Biden announces $1,400 payments will begin this month

President Biden on Saturday announced that the $1,400 coronavirus stimulus checks will begin being distributed in March.

The payments come after the Senate passed the nearly $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill Saturday in a 50-49 partisan vote.

This is the first round of stimulus checks that will be given out under Biden. Former President Trump passed two stimulus checks last year, one for $1,200 and another for $600.

Myanmar military conducts violent night raids

Myanmar’s military overnight Saturday conducted violent raids throughout the country's largest city of Yangon amid ongoing protests following last month’s military-led coup.

Reuters reported that local residents said the military late Saturday and into the early hours of Sunday local time stormed and fired several shots into crowds of demonstrators in several districts throughout the city.

Albany Times Union editorial board calls for Cuomo's resignation

The Albany Times Union’s editorial board has joined in on calls for New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) to resign amid a series of controversies surrounding the elected official, writing that Cuomo “has squandered the public’s trust at a time when it’s needed more than ever.”

The editorial board in a Saturday opinion piece specifically cited revelations of Cuomo’s administration intentionally withholding coronavirus death toll numbers in nursing homes, as well as multiple allegations of sexual harassment against the governor.

Another former Cuomo aide accuses him of harassment

A third former aide of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) has come forward with allegations of sexual harassment, including inappropriate remarks and unsolicited touching while she worked in his office.

Ana Liss, who served as a policy and operations aide in Cuomo’s office from 2013 to 2015, told The Wall Street Journal in an interview published Saturday that Cuomo asked if she had a boyfriend and also called her “sweetheart.”

Biden to sign executive order aimed at increasing voting access

President Biden on Sunday will sign an executive order leveraging federal resources to protect and strengthen access to the ballot as Republican legislatures around the country seek to restrict voting rights in the wake of the 2020 election.

Biden will sign an order that will direct agencies to increase access to voter registration materials and reduce barriers to voting for certain groups, including military and overseas voters, Native Americans, people with disabilities and Native Americans.

Advocates warn restrictive voting bills could end Georgia's record turnout

Georgia voting rights advocates are worried Republicans are clawing back hard-won progress made in the state after it saw record turnout among voters in November’s general election and the Senate runoffs earlier this year.

A new batch of bills making their way through Georgia's legislature are raising red flags among voting rights groups who say the state might not have seen the record turnout it did in the recent races if the bills were in place.

Sinema pushes back on criticism of her vote against $15 minimum wage, implying that it's sexist

Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema's (Ariz.) office is pushing back against criticism of her Friday vote to reject a $15 minimum wage bill, with a spokesperson for the senator calling commentary on the way in which she cast her vote sexist.

Sinema was among eight Democrats who voted against the legislation, which was sponsored by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in an effort to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour.

Why Establishment Conservatives Still Miss the Point of Trump

The debate on “What conservatism means after Trump” has begun. Some people want to return to the status quo ante, and others realize that it is dead—but don’t agree on what should replace it.

It’s in this spirit that Avik Roy, president of the Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity, has published an interesting essay in National Review, outlining what he believes should define conservatism after 2020.

The CDC wants you to prepare for a zombie apocalypse. (Yes, you read that right.)

If zombies were to start roaming the streets – yes, we said zombies – the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention wants you to be prepared.

In the midst of providing guidelines on an unprecedented pandemic, the Center for Disease Control updated its tips to prepare for another extreme occurrence: A zombie apocalypse.

While the CDC says it began as a "tongue-in-cheek campaign," it actually is a practical guide for any emergency, like hurricanes, earthquakes or floods.

The Senate is debating Biden's COVID stimulus bill. When can you expect help? Here's what we know.

WASHINGTON – Democrats are racing to pass President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief plan, one that includes $1,400 stimulus checks, an extension of unemployment benefits and money for local and state governments.

The bill is currently being considered in the Senate, where Republicans who oppose it are attempting to delay its final passage in the chamber. Democrats aim to send it to Biden for his signature by March 14, when a federal boost to unemployment benefits expires.

Coronavirus digest: Brazil's Bolsonaro tells people 'stop whining'

Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro said on Thursday that people needed to "stop whining" about COVID-19 in his latest outburst against the protective measures to contain the crisis.

The far-right leader's comments come as Brazil goes through its deadliest week of the coronavirus pandemic, with more than 1,300 deaths per day.

"Stop whining. How long are you going to keep crying about it?" Bolsonaro said as he called for easing restrictions. "We regret the deaths ... But where's Brazil going to end up if we just close everything?

Coronavirus: German businesses offer help with vaccine drive

Businesses in Germany have offered to help the federal government with its vaccination campaign, German newspaper Die Welt and other media reported on Friday.

Several large companies and associations are proposing to use their own means to vaccinate employees, as well as families, and even in some cases non-employees, in view of the snail-paced vaccination program in Germany thus far.

Deutsche Bank: 'We want heard immunity ASAP'

"We want to contribute pragmatically to achieving herd immunity in Germany as quickly as possible," the head of Deutsche Bank, Christian Sewing, told Welt.

New Zealand: New tsunami warning after third earthquake hits

A magnitude 8 earthquake struck off the northeastern coast of New Zealand early on Friday, the National Emergency Management Authority (NEMA) said, triggering tsunami warnings.

TSUNAMI WARNING: Areas that need to evacuate are indicated on this map. Evacuate these areas even if you did not feel the earthquake. DO NOT WAIT. A damaging tsunami is possible. More info at https://t.co/ccVFYQQoBr pic.twitter.com/bnEgZy8ikF
— National Emergency Management Agency (@NZcivildefence) March 4, 2021

The powerful quake, which hit just before 9 a.m. local time (2000 GMT Thursday) off the Kermadec Islands (1,000 km/621 miles northeast of New Zealand), followed earlier 7.4 and 7.2-magnitude quakes.

Opinion: Golden Bear-winning film is more than 'loony porn'

"I don't consider the film a provocation. Even the sex scene is quite banal," said Romanian director Radu Jude at the press conference on Friday, shortly after he found out that he was the winner of the 2021 Berlin International Film Festival's Golden Bear award with his film Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn.

Delivering on its title's promise, the opening scene of Jude's satire is a very realistic-looking homemade porn tape — definitely not for prudes.

EU, US agree 4-month tariff freeze over aircraft dispute

The European Union and the United States agreed on Friday to suspend tariffs imposed on billions of dollars of imports in a dispute over aircraft subsidies that goes back 16 years.

US President Joe Biden and European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen clinched the breakthrough agreement as the two powerhouses seek to rebuild trans-Atlantic relations following the turbulent four years of the Donald Trump administration.

For centuries we have upheld the hoary myth that women lie about rape. This is why it matters so much that Linda Reynolds shamefully called Brittany Higgins a “lying cow” in earshot of a group of people in her office.

The Defence Minster said she was not referring to her former staffer’s rape allegation but other statements Higgins made regarding the poor response from her superiors. It matters because when you call a person a liar, you undermine their credibility on all matters. And because for too long women have been falsely accused of fabricating charges of sexual assault.

A former State Department aide in president Donald Trump’s administration has been charged with participating in the deadly siege at the Capitol and assaulting officers who were trying to guard the building, court papers show.

It’s the first known case to be brought against a Trump appointee in the January 6 insurrection, which led to Trump’s historic second impeachment.

Federico Klein, who also worked for Trump’s 2016 campaign, was seen wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat amid the throng of people in a tunnel trying to force their way into the Capitol on January 6, the papers say.

London: Britain’s Charity Commission is conducting a review of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s philanthropic organisation.

Well-placed sources said that the watchdog was examining how Sussex Royal was run and whether it complied with charity law.

The “regulatory and compliance case” is understood to be looking at concerns about the charity before the royal couple decided to shut it down last July after their move to America.

A woman has been killed and three children air-lifted to hospital after a multi-car crash near Wollongong on Friday night.

Emergency services were called to the M1 Princes Motorway near Masters Road at Figtree about 7.15pm after reports a sedan had struck a tree, trapping its four occupants.

The blue Holden Statesman had careered off the southbound lanes of the highway after it was involved in a collision with another car.

The Howard Springs quarantine centre in the Northern Territory will more than double its capacity over the coming months as the Morrison government faces calls from Victoria and Queensland to open two new facilities in their states.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced on Friday that the quarantine facility near Darwin will expand to 2000 returned Australians a fortnight, up from 850, by late April.

London: Italy has vowed to reject more vaccine exports and France has threatened to join the blockade, as European officials scramble to justify the decision to ban a shipment of 250,000 doses to Australia.

Trade Minister Dan Tehan discussed the standoff with his Brussels counterpart Valdis Dombrovskis on Friday night but the European Commission has no plans to step back from its dispute with the British-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca.

Police want schools to encourage student sexual assault victims to come forward, even if they decide against pursuing criminal charges, saying details about their experience could provide valuable intelligence.

The information will not be held against people unless they were convicted, but could identify trends or repeat offenders, police told independent school principals at a private meeting on how to respond to sexual assaults, multiple sources told the Herald.

Chanel Contos was in the back room of the converted London warehouse she lives in, her phone buzzing every few seconds with new social media notifications, when she decided to go public with her story of teenage sexual assault.

Her petition for earlier sex education in schools, which began as an Instagram poll, was just beginning to reveal hundreds of testimonies from former Sydney schoolgirls about sexual assaults they had experienced at the hands of their male peers. And it was showing no signs of slowing.

Sydney Mardi Gras 2021: Everything you need to know

Sydney's annual Mardi Gras celebration will look very different to previous years, but even in a global pandemic the city's most colourful show must go on.

Held in February, the 2020 festival was the last major event before Sydney went into lockdown.

This year the parade will not be free to attend, the first time in its 40 year history.

'Every Queensland household' entitled to unclaimed millions

An estimated 1.5 million Queenslanders could be entitled to money left sitting in the hands of the Public Trustee's office.

The untouched money is a mix from deceased estates, credits from utility companies and retailers, and overpaid fees from real estate agents and government bodies.

The Public Trustee is currently holding lost fortunes in excess of $169 million and are calling on Queenslanders to come forward to see if any of it belongs to them.

Why educators are rethinking the importance of handwriting

How good is your handwriting? And did you ever learn cursive writing?

Times have certainly changed in our classrooms, the part-replacement of pens and pencils with keyboards has seen our educators have a rethink on the importance of handwriting.

Australian schools now even have the option to type the writing response in the Naplan test.

Ocean search for missing woman Melissa Caddick called off

Police have called off the ocean search for missing businesswoman Melissa Caddick.

Divers today searched 6000 square metres of ocean floor at Dover Heights in Sydney, just a few hundred metres from Caddick's home.

Nothing of interest was found.

New device to revolutionise cancer scans

Cancer patients are set to benefit from a new PET scanner, the first of its kind in Australia which will revolutionise the way tumours are targeted and tracked.

Conventional PET scans require patients to lie on a bed for 20 to 30 minutes, but the new whole-body imaging machine can perform scans in a quarter of that time.

Instead of having to take a series of images, the scanner can capture the body's tissues and organs from head to toe in one single scan.

Pope Francis arrives in Iraq on historic visit to rally Christians despite pandemic

Pope Francis arrived in Baghdad on Friday to kick off the first-ever papal visit to Iraq and marking his first international trip since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Francis' plane touched down at Baghdad's airport just before 2pm local time (10pm AEDT).

The 84-year-old will urge the country's dwindling number of Christians to stay put and help rebuild the country after years of war and persecution, brushing aside coronavirus and security concerns.

One dead, three injured in horror Princes Highway crash

A woman is dead, another passenger is fighting for life and two children are in a critical condition after a crash on the Princes Highway outside of Wollongong.

A police spokesman said the driver of one car died at the scene and three others were injured when two vehicles collided southbound at Figtree about 7.15pm on Friday.

An off-duty paramedic was first on the scene after driving past the crash, 9News has learned.

YouTube pulls Myanmar military channels as UN prepares to meet on crisis

YouTube has removed five channels run by Myanmar's military for violating its guidelines.

The video service announced the move on Friday, as demonstrators defied growing violence by security forces and staged more anti-coup protests ahead of a special UN Security Council meeting on the country's political crisis.

YouTube said it was watching for any further content that might violate its rules.

Walter Gretzky, the father of hockey great Wayne Gretzky, has died. He was 82.

Wayne Gretzky said in a statement Thursday night that his father battled Parkinson’s disease and other health issues the past few years.

pic.twitter.com/WoOI3Zlm6M
— Wayne Gretzky (@WayneGretzky) March 5, 2021

In his younger days, Walter Gretzky became a name himself, appearing with his famous son in commercials and emerging as a blue-collar symbol of a devoted hockey parent.

A woman was shot Thursday during a robbery at a famed Beverly Hills restaurant, officials said.

Authorities said the woman was eating with two other people at Il Pastaio, a high-end Italian eatery, when three robbers demanded property from a man at the establishment, according to police and reports.

Woman shot during a robbery attempt at Il Pastaio in Beverly Hills today, March 4,2021. She is being treated for non-life threatening injuries, per police pic.twitter.com/557Y90qCDN
— Attorney Eddie (@statelawfirm) March 4, 2021

Police believe the man who was robbed was targeted for his high-end watch, a law enforcement source told the Los Angeles Times.

TMZ reported that a $500,000 Richard Mille watch was stolen.

Being a part of the royal family can incur some hefty costs, as in the case of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Over the course of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s marriage, the royal family, along with British taxpayers, have footed several bills for the couple -- who have stepped back as senior members of the royal family and worked to become financially independent.

From the pair’s big wedding to hefty security costs, here’s a look at how much money the royals have potentially spent on Harry, 36, and Markle, 39.

Charlotte Bennett, a 25-year-old former aide to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo who accused him of sexual harassment, said during a televised interview Thursday night that she believed the 63-year-old governor propositioned her for sex during a workplace meeting.

"Without explicitly saying it, he implied to me that I was old enough for him and he was lonely," the 25-year-old former Cuomo aide told Norah O’Donnell of "CBS Evening News".

She said the governor, at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, felt emboldened as his national profile rose amid his daily televised outbreak updates.

Top advisers to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo influenced state health officials to remove data from a public report that showed coronavirus-related nursing-home deaths in the state had exceeded numbers previously acknowledged by the administration, a bombshell report says.

Details about the July report were disclosed Thursday night in a story first published by The Wall Street Journal.

The final report focused only on nursing-home residents who died inside those facilities and did not include nursing-home residents who were transferred to hospitals after becoming sick, the Journal reported.

Survivor, family pleas as White Island eruption court cases begin

Karen Griffiths rushed from NSW to New Zealand as soon as she learned her son Jason had likely been caught up in the explosion on Whakaari White Island.

Jason, 33, had been on a cruise with eight friends, including Karla Mathews and Rick Elzer who were also on the island when it erupted on December 9, 2019.

But in the hours after news broke of the unfolding disaster, Karen and her husband Craig – who were at their Sawtell home, on the Mid-North Coast – had difficulty finding out if their son was safe.

Serena Williams and daughter Olympia ace debut fashion shoot

Serena Williams is passing on a lot of traits to her three-year-old daughter: Relentless determination, a fierce forearm, and an iconic sense of style.

The tennis goddess and daughter Olympia have shared shots from their mother-daughter fashion campaign, Footsteps to Follow, by footwear brand Stuart Weitzman.

Serena’s fashion is second only to her tennis prowess, and the multi-grand slam champion already has her own line, S.

Tsunami surges hit Norfolk Island, NZ after triple earthquake threat

Tsunami warning sirens have sounded and thousands of New Zealanders on the North Island’s east coast have evacuated to higher ground after a third earthquake within hours on Friday.

There was gridlock in some cities and towns across Northland and the Bay of Plenty as workers, students and residents fled.

Civil defence officials were on the ground to help people evacuate as authorities said tsunami waves could reach three metres above tide levels.

National EpiPen shortage exacerbated by COVID-19 pandemic, experts say

Families are being forced to fork out for children's EpiPens, as chemists warn of nation-wide medication shortages.

The devices normally have an 18-month life span - but they are in short supply due to the pandemic.

It means parents are forced to purchase more frequently with some spending more than $100 for those with a four-month shelf life.

Australia's first AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine jabs begin today

Australia has reached its second vaccine milestone with the country's first AstraZeneca COVID-19 jabs to be poked into South Australian arms today.

The community of Murray Bridge will lead the nation in the rollout of the new vaccine with one thousand doses arriving into regional South Australia today.

A frontline health worker in the town will become the first person in the country to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine.

BREAKING: New tsunami warnings for Norfolk Island and New Zealand after earthquake

A new tsunami warning has been issued for Norfolk Island after an 8.1-magnitude earthquake in the Kermadec Islands, in New Zealand's north.

There is currently no threat to Australia's mainland.

There is also a warning for people near the NZ coast from the Bay of Islands to Whangerei, from Matata to Tolaga Bay, and Great Barrier Island.

TSUNAMI WARNING: Areas that need to evacuate are indicated on this map. Evacuate these areas even if you did not feel the earthquake. DO NOT WAIT. A damaging tsunami is possible. More info at https://t.co/ccVFYQQoBr pic.twitter.com/bnEgZy8ikF
— National Emergency Management Agency (@NZcivildefence) March 4, 2021

They have been told they must move immediately to nearest high ground, out of all tsunami evacuation zones, or as far inland as possible.

Germany starts COVID testing drive in bid to end lockdown

The days of shelling out €25 or even €50 ($30-60) for a rapid test may be numbered. The latest pandemic plan agreed to late Wednesday between Chancellor Angela Merkel and 16 state leaders, puts forward a complex, step-by-step guide to moving Germany out of lockdown. But little can happen without sufficient testing.

The federal government is expected to start picking up the tab for rapid tests starting next week.

Every person in Germany will be entitled to a weekly test, either from a test center, medical practice, or place of work, administered by trained personnel.

Opinion: No new dawn in Germany's coronavirus measures

They seemed very tired after yet another meeting to tackle the coronavirus pandemic. Once again, they addressed the cameras and thanked the citizens of Germany, cited numbers and pronounced many "if and whens" — it's becoming almost routine. And once again, there was no genuine passionate appeal.

Chancellor Angela Merkel and her co-chairs, Bavarian state minister Markus Söder of the Christian Social Union (CSU) party and Berlin mayor Michael Müller of the Social Democrats (SPD), were exhausted after nine hours, and well over 20 crisis meetings over the past 12 months.

National People's Congress: China plans 'green transformation' of economy

The National People's Congress, China's annual parliamentary event, opens Friday in Beijing. For the second straight year, it will be a mostly virtual event because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Although the NPC is China's main legislature, the Communist Party ensures that important decisions are made long before any proposals reach the body.

The party sometimes uses the NPC to reveal major policy and personnel changes.

Old Delhi retains touristic charm despite adversity

Narrow lanes in New Delhi's old town embody the history of the Indian capital, with street food, bazaars and architecture that have captured the imagination of people from around the world.

How a coronavirus variant is overrunning Brazil

The numbers are alarming. On Tuesday, a new daily record was broken when 1,726 people died of COVID-19 in Brazil. The average death rate over the past week was 1,274. That's almost 25% higher than two weeks ago.

"We are currently experiencing the worst moment of the pandemic, with daily death tolls breaking new records and overburdened intensive care units all over the country," microbiologist Natalia Pasternak told DW.

Over 257,000 Brazilians have died of COVID-19 already. But the spread of the virus has picked up dramatically. On Tuesday, almost 60,000 new cases were registered.

Germany says AstraZeneca vaccine OK for over-65s after all

Germany's independent Standing Committee on Vaccination (Stiko) said on Thursday that the AstraZeneca vaccine can be administered to older people.

Germany had originally balked at approving the vaccine for those aged 65 and over due to efficacy concerns.

However, new data — and quite possibly the faltering national attempts to start vaccinating — caused German health authorities to change their minds.

EU blocks export of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines to Australia

The European Commission and Italy have blocked a shipment of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine destined for Australia after the pharmaceutical company did not fulfil its European Union contract commitments, sources said on Thursday.

It is the first time the EU has employed an export control mechanism it set up to ensure drug manufacturers respect their contracts.

The sources said AstraZeneca had reportedly requested authorization from the Italian government to export some 250,000 doses from its Anagni plant, close to Rome. The site is owned by US group Catalent.

COVID-19: Italy and EU block Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine shipment to Australia as shortages row escalates

The British-Swedish drug manufacturer had failed to meet its EU contract commitments so the Italian government refused its request to export 250,000 doses from its Anagni plant near Rome.

Italy made the request and it was signed off by the European Commission under a new export control system that came into law on 30 January. This is the first time it has been used by a member state.

ORLANDO, Fla. ― After years of claiming he was so rich he didn’t need anyone else’s money for his political campaigns, Donald Trump is officially asking small-dollar donors ― many of them lower income and older ― to send him cash, potentially hurting the Republican Party’s small-dollar program.

The request was tucked in near the end of his first public appearance since leaving the presidency Jan. 20, a 90-minute speech Sunday that largely recycled his oft-repeated lies about the November election and his record in office.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California will begin setting aside 40% of all vaccine doses for the state’s most vulnerable neighborhoods in an effort to inoculate people most at risk from the coronavirus and get the state’s economy open more quickly.

Two officials in Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration shared details Wednesday on condition of anonymity.

The doses will be spread out among 400 ZIP codes with about 8 million people eligible for shots. Many of the neighborhoods are concentrated in Los Angeles County and the Central Valley.

The House of Representatives passed a landmark bill on voting rights, elections, campaign finance and ethics reform by a vote of 220-210 on Wednesday.

The For the People Act, congressional Democrats’ top legislative priority, passed with 220 Democrats in support and one Democrat (Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi) and 209 Republicans in opposition. (Two Republicans did not vote.) This encapsulates a major contrast between the nation’s two major political parties: One is pushing to expand access to the ballot, the other is trying to restrict it.

Interior Secretary nominee Rep. Deb Haaland moved one step closer to confirmation on Thursday, after a Senate committee voted to advance her nomination to the full chamber.

One Republican on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), joined Democrats in voting to move forward with Haaland’s nomination.

Dr. Anthony Fauci Delivers Stark Warning To Republicans Easing Coronavirus Restrictions

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious diseases expert, has a warning for states that are dropping coronavirus restrictions as the number of cases continues to fall.

“It’s certainly from a public health standpoint ill-advised,” Fauci told CNN’s Erin Burnett, adding that past declines in the number of COVID-19 cases also prompted states to move too quickly to reopen.

Criticism Grows After Texas Lifts COVID-19 Restrictions, Top Health Official Not Consulted

Texas’ top health official said Wednesday that Gov. Greg Abbott (R) did not consult him before announcing that the state would become the largest in the nation to lift its COVID-19 restrictions.

Abbott said Tuesday that he would end the state’s mask mandate and that all businesses could operate at full capacity, effective March 10. Other governors have also begun easing precautions as coronavirus cases and deaths decline thanks to an ongoing vaccination blitz and social distancing measures.

The unbelievable 1983 coincidence linking two NFL greats

On March 3, 1983, ‘Tom Brady’ had surgery on the elbow of his throwing arm. That’s not so groundbreaking. Except it wasn’t THE Tom Brady.

“Thomas Brady” was actually an alias used by legendary Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw to avoid press finding out about his hospitalisation.

Joe Montana admits the obvious: Tom Brady is the NFL's GOAT

There was plenty to take away from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Super Bowl championship last month, but by far the loudest story to emerge from Tampa was the further solidification of Tom Brady's legacy.

By winning a title under a coach not named Bill Belichick, Brady removed what

Golden Tate released by New York Giants two seasons into four-year, $37.5m deal

The 32-year-old had an underwhelming 2020, starting just four of his 12 games and recording 35 receptions for 388 yards and two touchdowns.

Linebacker David Mayo has also been released just one season into his three-year deal. The moves save the Giants $8.4m in cap space.

Sam Darnold: New York Jets GM Joe Douglas to listen to calls on quarterback

That position is of stark contrast to the call Douglas made last season on Darnold, who has struggled to get up to speed since being selected by the Jets with the third overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.

Darnold, 23, showed modest improvement from his rookie year to his second

THE NEW YORK JETS ARE APPARENTLY DECIDING BETWEEN SAM DARNOLD AND ZACH WILSON

The starter under center for the New York Jets heading into the 2021 NFL season is still to be determined, with new snippets of information coming to light daily. The latest is that New York's front office is willing to entertain the idea of trading three-year starter Sam Darnold.

New York Jets GM Joe Douglas open to Sam Darnold offers, downplays idea of trading for a star player

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- The New York Jets, who once considered quarterback Sam Darnold an untouchable asset, are open to listening to trade offers.

"I will answer the call if it's made," general manager Joe Douglas said Wednesday

An NFL basketcase just made a huge backflip — and it could trigger chaos in the draft

New York Jets general manager Joe Douglas has a message for any teams interested in trading for Jets quarterback Sam Darnold: Call me.

Douglas confirmed Wednesday that he will not hang up the phone if teams

Waiting for big Broncos news isn’t easy

In this new era of Denver Broncos football, it’s the not knowing that might be the most frustrating part of this offseason.

When George Paton became the Broncos new GM, he replaced John Elway, which meant the media had to get used to a new man at the top of the organization

Supreme Court rules against immigrant who was denied chance to make his case against deportation

WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled against an immigrant who has lived in the country illegally for 25 years and who asserted he was wrongfully denied a chance to convince a judge his deportation would cause unusual hardship on his son, who is a U.S. citizen.

Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote the majority opinion and was joined by four of the court's conservatives. The high court found that Clemente Pereida did not meet the burden required to show he should have been allowed to present his case to an immigration judge.

Human smuggling probe: SUV in California crash entered through hole in border fence, officials say

Thirteen people who died after a semitruck slammed into their packed SUV near the U.S.-Mexico border were among 44 who entered the United States through a 10-foot hole cut into Southern California’s border fence, Customs and Border Protection said Wednesday.

"All are suspected to have entered the U.S. illegally," the agency said in a statement. "Border Patrol is investigating the smuggling events."

Biden calls out states for rolling back mask mandates

Plus, managing politics editor Caren Bohan updates us on the pandemic relief bill, the House cancels its Thursday session amid security threats, wellness reporter Alia Dastagir talks about the seriousness of accusations against New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, an investigation continues following a deadly car crash near the U.S./Mexico border and economics reporter Paul Davidson talks about how some cities are experimenting with universal income.

A ‘gobsmacking number’ of students in need aren’t applying to college. Are we missing 'an entire generation'?

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — A few weeks ago, ahead of a nor’easter that unleashed biting winds and snow across New England, Alyssa Washington, a high school senior who wants to be a nurse, made her big college decision: Not to go next fall.

There was no single reason. Rather, mounting obstacles led Washington, a senior at Metropolitan Business Academy, a public school in New Haven, to hit pause.

Internal watchdog said ex-Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao misused position, referred case for prosecution

The U.S. Transportation Department's inspector general's office formally investigated former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao for potential violations of ethics rules and misuse of her position — and ultimately referred the case for criminal prosecution in late 2020.

The inspector general's investigation focused, among other things, on how Chao — who is married to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. — may have aided her family's shipping company, Foremost Group, which does significant business in China, according to a report that was publicly released this week.

Boy, 15, who was 'targeted' in Arkansas school shooting dies after two days in hospital, officials say

PINE BLUFF, Ark. — A 15-year-old boy shot at an Arkansas junior high school earlier this week died Wednesday, officials said.

Lt. David DeFoor, Pine Bluff police spokesman, confirmed the death Wednesday night, citing the Pulaski County Coroner's Office in Little Rock. A deputy at the coroner's office referred inquiries back to Pine Bluff police.

The boy, identified by his family and the Watson Chapel School District as Daylon Burnett, died after two days under intensive care at Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock.

WASHINGTON — The House of Representatives canceled its Thursday session after receiving information about a possible security threat at the Capitol on March 4.

The United States Capitol Police said Wednesday they were aware of a “possible plot to breach the Capitol by an identified militia group,” and a notice sent to all congressional offices said the agency was bolstering its security presence on Capitol Hill.

'I am better mom': After quitting their jobs during the pandemic to care for family, here's how it changed these women

NEW YORK — More than 2.2 million women left the U.S. workforce since the start of the pandemic. Last fall, there were 1.6 million fewer mothers in the labor force than would be expected without COVID-19-related school closures, according to an analysis by Ernie Tedeschi, an economist at the investment banking advisory firm Evercore.

Working mothers have long faced "the second shift" – coming home to unpaid work that includes household labor and child care – and the pandemic has heightened the caregiver burden with children learning at home instead of returning to school.

The decision by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s administration to withhold the true COVID-19 death toll at nursing homes faces new scrutiny as a self-inflicted political wound that is contributing to the Democratic governor’s potential downfall.

Political observers suggested Cuomo should have acted sooner to release the number of nursing home residents who died of COVID-19 at hospitals last year as requested by lawmakers and reporters, thus avoiding the scandal of undercounting the deaths to seemingly boost his popularity and fend off political attacks from the Trump administration.

'Not forgotten': 150 missing Tennessee children recovered in Operation Volunteer Strong, officials say

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A coordinated effort led to the recovery of 150 missing children across Tennessee, the state's Bureau of Investigation announced Wednesday.

Operation Volunteer Strong launched Jan. 4 after 240 missing children were identified in the state. A series of "two-week blitzes" led to the recovery of 150 of those children, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said in a news release.

Six weeks into the Biden administration and there still has been no solo press conference from the president. That is the longest stretch of silence from any new president in at least a century. By refusing to speak directly to the media, Joe Biden is attacking our most cherished democratic norms. Even CNN is complaining about it.

We would echo those complaints if we really cared, but we’re happy to listen to Joe Biden’s flacks and mouthpieces explain why he bombed Syria, why he blocked the passage of a $15 minimum wage, and why Dr. Seuss is racist.

The White House raised eyebrows on Wednesday when it suddenly cut the feed of a virtual event after President Biden said he was "happy to take questions" from Democratic lawmakers.

Accompanied by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. and the House Democratic Caucus, Biden addressed lawmakers on the topics of COVID relief and the ongoing vaccine rollout. He closed his remarks by calling on Democrats to help "restore faith" in government.

Two SUVs involved in separate accidents in California on Tuesday entered the U.S. from Mexico through a 10-foot gap in a border barrier, federal authorities said Wednesday, according to a report.

One of the SUVs, said to have 25 illegal immigrants crammed inside, soon became involved in a deadly crash at State Highway 115 and Norrish Road in Holtville that killed 12 of the vehicle’s occupants at the scene and a 13th a short time later, the Los Angeles Times reported.

A Colorado woman who was set to testify next week in the murder trial of a defendant accused of killing a pregnant woman in 2013 was herself found shot and killed at a Denver intersection last Thursday, according to a report.

The Denver Police Department distributed a release Wednesday asking for help from the public in making an arrest and offered a $2,000 reward for information on the death of witness Roxann Martinez.

Chris D'Elia has been accused of sexually exploiting a minor and soliciting child pornography in a new federal lawsuit. But a spokesperson for the comedian said he denies the accusations.

"Chris denies these allegations and will vigorously defend against them in court," the spokesperson told Fox News.

Filed in California on behalf of a Jane Doe, the suit -- a copy of which was obtained by Fox News -- alleges that D'Elia, now 40, sexually abused a 17-year-old girl in 2014.

Brother of Colorado mom allegedly gunned down by boy, 14, calls attack 'random, inhumane hell on earth'

The Denver mother who died after she was shot in the head in a seemingly random attack was remembered for her "heart of gold," and her brother recalled how she previously insisted her family forgo a fancy funeral to ensure as much money as possible could be left to her young son.

Alex Cabriales fought back tears on Wednesday as he remembered his younger sister, Pamela Cabriales, who died days after a 14-year-old boy allegedly shot her on Feb. 20, while officials say her SUV was stopped at a red light. Pamela, who was on her way home from dinner with a friend when she was shot, left behind a 6-year-old son, Leo.

Las Vegas murder: Retired cop killed in random one-punch attack on the strip

A retired cop vacationing in Las Vegas was killed in the early hours of Sunday morning on the strip when a man attacked him in a "single punch pre-dawn confrontation," authorities said.

Thomas Driscoll, 57, was walking across a street bridge around 4 a.m. with a female when Brandon Marcus Leath, 33, started shouting at them and following them.

Leath waited for them at the bottom of an escalator then allegedly punched Driscoll, causing him to fall to the ground unconscious.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said President Biden will wait to address a joint session of Congress until after Congress decides on the American Rescue Plan, his coronavirus relief package.

No date for the address has yet been scheduled, even though the president had suggested it would take place in February. Psaki, during Wednesday's briefing, explained the delay.

Aaron Finch, Ashton Agar lead Australian comeback in must-win Twenty20

Aaron Finch defied the doubters as Australia kept alive its Twenty 20 series hopes with a 64-run victory over New Zealand on Wednesday.

At an empty Sky Stadium in Wellington, Finch roared back into form with 69, before Glenn Maxwell’s quick-fire 70 pushed Australia to 4-208 and beyond the Black Caps’ reach.

Ashton Agar then provided a second-innings turning point, claiming three wickets in the 13th over on his way to a career-best 6-30.

Collingwood calls on long-time supporter to apologise for racist comments about Indian workers

Collingwood Football Club says racist comments made by a long-time supporter about Indian aged-care workers does not reflect the club’s views.

Joffa Corfe, known in AFL circles as one of Collingwood’s most passionate fans, sent out a tweet on Tuesday after the final report of the aged care royal commission was handed to the federal government.

Mr Corfe tweeted: “Get rid of all Indian workers in aged care might be a start.”

Madonna King: Our schoolkids aren’t immune to sexual assault – they need our help most

For years, schools have been silently dealing with a tricky and vile problem: Counselling sessions, often on Monday, with girls aged as young as 13, who are traumatised from sexual assault.

But in our own “me too’’ moment, and lifted by the courage of Brittany Higgins, school girls across Australia this week are speaking up to tell their own awful stories of being raped by peers while drunk at parties.

US Capitol Police boost security amid siege threat

The US House of Representatives has cancelled a planned session after Capitol Police warned a militia group could be plotting to breach the building again.

The House had been scheduled to debate and vote on a police reform bill on Thursday (local time).

But a Democratic aide said plans changed due in part to the police warning, based on intelligence that “an identified militia group” could present a security threat.

‘There’s a lot that’s been lost’: Meghan’s swipe at ‘the Firm’ amid bullying claims

Meghan Markle has taken a swipe at “the Firm” in a new clip from her tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey released on Thursday.

The second teaser for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s much-anticipated two-hour TV special comes as the relationship between the couple and Buckingham Palace appeared to take a turn for the worse this week.

South Australia to get first AstraZeneca virus vaccines

South Australians will be the first in the nation to receive the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine.

Around 300,000 doses of the jab arrived in Australia on Sunday and Prime Minister Scott Morrison says they have been “batch-tested” and approved for use.

They are being distributed to the states, with SA to be the first on Friday.

International borders to remain closed for a further three months

Australians hoping to get back overseas will have to wait it out a little longer, with international borders to remain closed until at least June 2021.

Health Minister Greg Hunt confirmed the three-month extension to border closures on Tuesday, in a devastating blow to the thousands of Australians who remain stranded overseas.

Mr Hunt said the decision to extend the ban on international trave was based on medical advice.

Family of Porter’s rape accuser wants inquiry into her death

The family of a woman who alleged Attorney-General Christian Porter raped her in 1988 wants an inquiry into her death.

It comes as the South Australian coroner mulled ordering an inquest but NSW Police stood by their decision not to interview Mr Porter during their inquiries into the allegations.

Police said on Thursday it would have harmed “future investigative strategies” if they had spoken to Mr Porter before getting a formal statement from the alleged victim.

Communities warned Tropical Cyclone Niran could intensify with 100km/h winds

Tropical Cyclone Niran is hovering off Far North Queensland this morning, with warnings the category two storm could intensify.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) said the weather system will strengthen this morning.

Residents in areas between Cape Flattery and Innisfail are being warned they could experience gale-force winds of up to 100km/h as the cyclone intensifies.

Fierce fire tears through adjoining Melbourne factories

More than 70 firefighters have spent the night tacking a fire at two adjoining factories in Melbourne's south-east.

Fire crews were called to the blaze on Age Street in Cheltenham just after 12.40am.

External walls collapsed and windows exploded during the fierce fire, which crews were forced to attack from above.

Man attacks eight with axe before being shot by police

Swedish police said a man assaulted at least eight people in a southern town yesterday and that the case was being investigated as ”attempted murder”.

Police said a man in his 20s attacked people in the small town of Vetlanda, about 190 kilometres southeast of Goteborg, Sweden’s second largest city.

The Broncos are in excellent cap position for the 2021 offseason

As we move further into the 2021 offseason, we’re delving into all manner of possible free agents that your Denver Broncos may target in order to improve. As we’ve seen them make some moves to release good players that are expensive

Broncos select QB Justin Fields in 2021 NFL mock draft

In her first 2021 mock draft, NFL.com’s Cynthia Frelund has the Denver Broncos selecting Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields with the ninth overall pick, but there’s a catch. Frelund included a disclaimer above her mock that explained she is “NOT

Chris Simms

Christopher David Simms (born August 29, 1980) is a former NFL quarterback who was drafted in the third round of the 2003 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who also played for the Denver Broncos and Tennessee Titans during the course of his playing career.

Chris Simms' 2021 NFL Draft QB ranking is out; Trevor Lawrence isn't No. 1 — and neither is Justin Fields

Trevor who? Former NFL quarterback and current NFL analyst Chris Simms has made waves in the past for his yearly NFL draft quarterback rankings and breakdowns. This year's edition was released on the March 3 edition of "PFT Live

Washington Football Team replaces cheerleaders with coed dance squad

ASHBURN, Va. -- The Washington Football Team has discontinued its cheerleader program after more than 50 years, replacing it with a coed dance squad as part of its rebranding effort. The team had announced last month that the cheerleader

Ex-NFL player Kellen Winslow II faces sentencing for rapes

SAN DIEGO -- Kellen Winslow II — once the highest-paid tight end in the NFL — could face more than a decade in prison for multiple rapes and other sexual offenses against five women in Southern California, including one who was homeless when he attacked her in 2018.

108 illegal immigrants released by Border Patrol in Texas test positive for coronavirus, officials say

More than 100 illegal immigrants released by the Border Patrol into Texas since late January have tested positive for the coronavirus following their arrival, officials in a city on the U.S.-Mexico border tell Fox News.

Felipe Romero, a spokesperson for Brownsville, said Wednesday that the 108 positives represent 6.3% of the number of total migrants who have been rapid-tested at the city’s main bus station, where they are being released by the Border Patrol. Rapid testing of the individuals began there on Jan. 25.

Migrants wear Biden T-shirts at US-Mexico border, demand clearer policies

Migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border on Tuesday were photographed wearing T-shirts in support of President Biden at the San Ysidro crossing port in Tijuana, Baja California state.

One apparent migrant held up a poster that read, "Biden, please let us in!"

Prospective U.S. residents and progressive Democrats are hoping the new president will implement more lenient immigration policies than former President Trump, though some politicians like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., have expressed concern with Biden's use of migrant holding facilities at the border.

Rep. Crenshaw slams Biden's border policy: 'Prioritizing illegal immigrants over US citizens’

Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, says he believes the Biden administration’s immigration policies are "prioritizing illegal immigrants over U.S. citizens."

President Joe Biden yesterday said the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border was not a crisis and that his administration "will be able to handle it." The comments come amid an Axios report citing DHS projections that 117,000 unaccompanied children are expected to cross the border in 2021

Republicans want briefing from Mayorkas after DHS chief claims 'no' border crisis

EXCLUSIVE: House Republicans on the Border Security Caucus are requesting a briefing by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas about the escalating crisis at the southern border and warning that Biden administration policies are fueling it -- days after Mayorkas denied that there was a crisis at all.

Reps. Andy Biggs and Brian Babin, who are the heads of the Congressional Border Security Caucus, wrote to Mayorkas requesting a briefing on the administration’s plans to address what they see as a crisis.

NTSB, CHP to meet amid human smuggling investigation in mass casualty crash in Imperial County

Holtville, Calif. (KABC) -- Authorities are investigating whether human smuggling was involved when an SUV packed with 25 people slammed into a tractor-trailer in a remote Imperial County desert on Tuesday, killing the driver and 12 passengers near the Mexican border.

The National Transportation Safety Board is expected to meet Wednesday with the California Highway Patrol amid growing evidence that the group was being smuggled into the country.

'Mass-casualty' California crash on Mexico border: NTSB, highway investigators to peel through wreckage

Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board are expected to arrive in Southern California on Wednesday to probe the previous day's fatal crash involving an SUV that was said to be carrying 25 people near the U.S.-Mexico border, according to officials. Thirteen people died in the crash.

The NTSB and the California Highway Patrol will begin their investigation into the Tuesday morning crash near Holtville, California. At least three NTSB agents are expected to scour the scene, with the department’s investigator-in-charge expected to arrive first, the agency said. It was not immediately clear what time they were expected to be on scene.

Deadly California crash involving 25 immigrants jammed in SUV probed as human smuggling: ICE

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced Tuesday that agents are conducting a human smuggling investigation and were at the scene of a devastating crash in California that left at least 13 people dead, according to the agency.

The investigation was announced after human smugglers and 25 illegal immigrants jammed into a single SUV, which collided with a big rig and left bodies scattered across a roadway near the U.S. Mexico border on Tuesday, a Border Patrol source told Fox News.

Los Angeles vehicle chase results in death of innocent driver near Farmers Market; suspect arrested: report

A suspect was arrested Tuesday night following a vehicle pursuit that ended in a deadly crash in Los Angeles.

The suspect was wanted for alleged assault with a deadly weapon against a sheriff's deputy, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department's West Hollywood Division said, according to KCAL-TV in Los Angeles.

#BREAKING: A @WHDLASD pursuit ended at 3rd and Fairfax when the suspect slammed into an innocent driver. The suspect vehicle burst into flames and the other driver became trapped in their car when it got wedged between a building and a tree. @RoadSageLA overhead. #CBSLA pic.twitter.com/zIdZqEFLYt
— Mike Rogers (@MikeRogersTV) March 3, 2021

The suspect crashed their car into another driver at Third and Fairfax near the historic Original Farmers Market and the famed Grove shopping center.

Keith Olbermann roasted for asking why we’re ‘wasting vaccinations on Texas’ after state lifts mask mandate

Liberal pundit Keith Olbermann was roasted from both sides of the aisle on Tuesday for declaring that Texans don’t deserve access to the coronavirus vaccines because "Texas has decided to join the side of the virus" by lifting its mask mandate.

#Wednesdayvibe
Liberal pundit Keith Olbermann was roasted from both sides of the aisle because he’s that kind of a guy. pic.twitter.com/zGiNtEfZTT
— Alex Preiss (@AlexPreiss4) March 3, 2021

Olbermann, who walked away from ESPN to start an anti-Trump show on YouTube, responded to a tweet from Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott outlining plans to open the state back up and revoke mask mandates.

Newest Boston Red Sox Coach Bianca Smith Makes History

29-year-old Bianca Smith made history last week when the Boston Red Sox hired her to be a minor league coach with their Rookie-level team making her the first African American female to ever coach in professional baseball. Smith played college softball at Dartmouth University.

I love getting a chance to compete with our players. We all get better and we all have fun. https://t.co/KF82iRd3Dn
— Bianca Smith ⚾️ (@biancaesmith12) February 27, 2021

Her parents also attended Dartmouth, and the newest Red Sock admitted that she only had one school in mind for college, and that was Dartmouth. “Thankfully, I got in because it was the only school I applied to, ” Smith told Sports360.

There is ‘video proof of Canberra double standards’ towards rape allegations

Sky News host Paul Murray says there is clearly “one rule for one and one rule for the other” when comparing the scrutiny given to former opposition leader Bill Shorten and Attorney General Christian Porter.

Mr Porter fronted the media on Wednesday where he vehemently denied any wrongdoing in relation to allegations of sexual assault dating back to 1988.

NSW Police had confirmed it won't proceed with an investigation into the historical rape allegation against the Cabinet minister.

If Mom Could See Her Now

When Bianca Smith landed a job as a minor league coach in the Boston Red Sox organization, becoming the first Black woman to coach professional baseball, she thought about her mother.

So honored to be included!! https://t.co/SoI5RolPbZ

— Bianca Smith ⚾️ (@biancaesmith12) March 1, 2021

Dawn Patterson died of cancer in 2013 and would have been proud of her daughter’s achievement. But also furious. She had particularly strong feelings about the Red Sox.

Tech for People: Avoiding a K-Shaped Future

Covid-19 is deepening inequity both within and beyond borders. And as the world shifts increasingly online, uneven access to technology is leaving much of the global population behind.

If we are to avoid uneven socioeconomic recovery and deeper divisions between people, industries, and nations, tech companies can't just focus on innovation – we need to focus on people, on inclusion, and on empowering individuals and communities. Otherwise, inequality will continue to grow.

Marissa DuBois in Slow Motion Full Fashion Week 2023, Fashion Channel Vlog,

Saturday, March 6, 2021

Friday, March 5, 2021

Thursday, March 4, 2021

Wednesday, March 3, 2021