Ticker
Why did an Olympic champion invade the US Capitol?
Coach Bill Belichick says he won't accept Presidential Medal of Freedom
New Jersey: Bedminster stripped of 2022 US PGA
Sebastian Vettel joined Aston Martin
Novak Djokovic out of U.S. Open
Style
Joe Biden signals another severe reversal from Donald Trump
The White House released its interim national security strategic guidance, stressing a need to build alliances and strengthen democracy, an implicit rebuff of former President Trump’s “America first" strategy. “We will only succeed in advancing American interests and upholding our universal values by working in common cause with our closest allies and partners, and by renewing our own enduring sources of national strength,” President Biden wrote in the guidance.


'Neanderthal thinking': Biden lays into states lifting restrictions
President Joe Biden said Wednesday that moves by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and others to lift statewide Covid restrictions showed 'Neanderthal thinking': “I think it’s a big mistake. I hope everyone has realized right now these masks make a difference," Biden said of the decision to lift mask mandates and other Covid mitigation measures. "We are on the cusp of being able to fundamentally change the nature of this disease because of the way in which we are able to get vaccines in people’s arms.”
US warned of possible militia plot to attack Capitol
Andrew Cuomo says he won't resign amid sexual harassment allegations

Andrew Cuomo stays quiet amid calls to quit over sexual harassment claims
New York governor Andrew Cuomo has avoided public appearances for days as some members of his own party call for him to resign over sexual harassment allegations. The governor hasn’t taken questions from reporters since a 19 February briefing, an unusually long gap for a Democrat whose daily, televised updates on the coronavirus pandemic were must-see TV last spring.

US hits Russian officials with fresh sanctions
The US has announced sanctions on seven Russian government officials and 13 Russian and European companies in response to the poisoning of the opposition leader Alexei Navalny, which a US intelligence assessment confirmed to be the work of the FSB.

No charges for man who displayed Klan flag next to Black neighbor's home
A prosecutor has declined to file charges against a man who displayed a Ku Klux Klan flag in his window in suburban Detroit, next to the home of a Black family. Such “horrible conduct” doesn’t violate Michigan law, Wayne county prosecutor Kym Worthy said on Tuesday, adding that an ethnic intimidation charge would require physical contact, property damage or threats of such activity.

They will sell Norman Rockwell paintings to fund sexual abuse claim payments
The Boy Scouts of America has said it will establish a victims’ fund of at least $300m, to deal with payments arising from lawsuits over sexual abuse and funded in part by selling its portfolio of Norman Rockwell paintings. More than 85,000 former scouts have made legal claims against the 111-year-old organization about alleged sexual abuse by leaders, according to reports.

Donald Trump's reemergence poses risks for GOP
Former President Trump's reentry into public life at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Sunday exacerbates challenges for political leaders in both parties, as well as the media. Washington has been a relatively Trump-free zone for the first 40 days of President Biden's administration, particularly with Trump banned from Twitter, the megaphone that allowed him to gin up news cycle after news cycle.

Catholics should avoid Johnson & Johnson vaccine
The Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans urged Catholics against taking a vaccine for COVID-19 manufactured by Johnson & Johnson because the vaccine is developed from stem cells obtained from two abortions. In a statement on the archdiocese's website, the organization argued that Johnson & Johnson's vaccine was "morally compromised."

Christopher Wray says no evidence of 'antifa' involvement in Jan. 6 attack
FBI Director Christopher Wray said Tuesday that the bureau has no evidence that far-left violent extremists were involved in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. “We have not to date seen any evidence of anarchist violent extremists or people subscribed to antifa in connection with the sixth,” Wray told lawmakers on the Senate Judiciary Committee, using a term to refer to the left-wing anti-fascism movement.

Opinion: Maybe Donald Trump is just a huge asshole
Getting vaccinated publicly could have gone a long way toward dispelling Republican doubts about the Covid vaccine — so of course Trump didn’t do it. Former President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump both received the Covid-19 vaccine. They just didn’t tell anyone about it.

Joe Biden's approval tops 60 percent in new poll
President Joe Biden is starting his tenure in White House with the approval of 61 percent of voters, according to a new Harvard CAPS-Harris Poll survey released exclusively to The Hill on Monday.

Governor says comments possibly ‘misinterpreted’ - calls to resign
A collective of former New York state legislative employees on Monday denounced Andrew Cuomo’s apology for his past behavior, after the governor was accused of sexually harassing two women, and called for his removal or resignation. Members of the Sexual Harassment Working Group also said they expected more allegations to follow – and accused Cuomo of “gaslighting” his accusers. New York attorney general Letitia James, meanwhile, announced the first step in mounting an external investigation of the governor’s behavior.

Calls to can Goya Foods grow after CEO Unuane repeats Trump's election lies
Calls for a boycott of Goya beans, chickpeas and other foodstuffs have grown louder after chief executive Robert Unanue made a series of false claims about the presidential election in a speech to the Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC, in Florida on Sunday. Unanue has previously courted controversy with praise for Donald Trump, which last year prompted Ivanka Trump to pose, infamously, with a can of Goya beans. Onstage in Orlando, Unanue called Donald Trump “the real, legitimate and still actual president of the United States”.

Hyatt Hotels says stage resembling Nazi rune is 'abhorrent'
The Hyatt Hotels Corporation called symbols of hate “abhorrent” on Sunday after the design of a stage at the right-wing Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at one of its hotels drew comparisons to a Norse rune used by Nazis during the second world war.

Warren Buffett admits to a rare 'mistake'
In his annual letter to shareholders of Berkshire Hathaway (BRKB), investing guru Warren Buffett disclosed that the company took an $11 billion writedown last year on its 2016 purchase of Precision Castparts, describing it as "a mistake." The 90-year-old billionaire, Berkshire's chairman since 1970, said in the company's annual letter to shareholders that the "ugly" writedown had a simple explanation.

CDC signs off on Johnson & Johnson vaccine
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Sunday formally accepted the recommendation from its advisory panel that Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine can be given to people ages 18 and older in the United States. The announcement by CDC Director Rochelle Walensky will allow vaccinations to begin as soon as the doses are received. Walensky called the decision "another milestone toward an end to the pandemic."
News outlets diverge over airing Trump's speech
CNN and MSNBC did not air former President Trump's speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Sunday while Fox News and other conservative outlets such as Newsmax and OANN carried his remarks live. Fox News began airing Trump's speech after the former president took to to the stage at 5 p.m. ET on Sunday. CNN continued on with coverage of the coronavirus pandemic and MSNBC continued to air its "PoliticsNation" program, though it aired a short clip from the speech.

Trump wins straw poll with 55 percent
Former President Trump won the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) straw poll on Sunday, with 55 percent of respondents saying they would vote for him in a hypothetical 2024 primary. In the straw poll that demonstrated Trump's hold on the GOP, 21 percent said they’d vote for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and 4 percent said they’d go with South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R). Almost 7 in 10 of the poll’s participants said they would like to see Trump run for president in 2024, compared with 15 percent who said they would not and 17 percent who said they were unsure.
Justice Department appeals order blocking federal eviction ban
The Justice Department is appealing a ruling by a U.S. judge in Texas blocking the federal eviction moratorium, the agency announced late Saturday, arguing that the ban remains broadly in effect in the meantime. The court in the Eastern District of Texas blocked the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s moratorium on Thursday, ruling that the federal government had overstepped its authority in imposing the sweeping ban. The decision “does not extend beyond the particular plaintiffs in that case, and it does not prohibit the application of the CDC’s eviction moratorium to other parties,” acting Assistant Attorney General Brian Boynton argued. “For other landlords who rent to covered persons, the CDC’s eviction moratorium remains in effect."

Fauci urges Americans to take any of three Covid vaccines available to them
The nation’s leading infectious disease expert has urged Americans to take whatever vaccine is immediately available to them, following this weekend’s approval of the Johnson & Johnson single-dose jab as a third option in the fight against Covid-19.

Republican predicts Trump won’t be party’s presidential nominee in 2024
Bill Cassidy, the Louisiana Republican senator, predicted on Sunday morning that Donald Trump will not be the party’s nominee for president in 2024, pointing to the number of seats lost by Republicans in the House and Senate over the four years Trump was in office.

Completely insane Donald Trump repeats his big lies at far-right summit
Donald Trump on Sunday launched his attempted political comeback, teasing a possible run for the presidency in 2024 and denouncing Joe Biden for “the most disastrous first month of any president in modern history”. The former president made his first speech since leaving the White House at the rightwing Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Orlando, Florida, to an effusive reception. Trump claims, entirely falsely, that he actually won the 2020 election but was fraudulently denied his victory.
Shortnews
NBA flexes muscle amid partisan attacks
When the Milwaukee Bucks refused to play their playoff game against the Orlando Magic in outrage over the police shooting of Jacob Blake on Wednesday, the NBA — already maligned by some as being too political — took a giant step to the forefront on one of America’s most pressing social issues. Fellow players and athletes from other American sports quickly hailed the historic action, forcing the NBA and other leagues to postpone games over multiple days.
New Barcelona manager
Ronald Koeman is set to be appointed the new Barcelona manager this week to take over from Quique Setién. The former Barcelona player, and assistant manager, will leave his role as Netherlands coach to take over at the Camp Nou in time for the new season. Setién’s days looked numbered even before the humiliating 8-2 defeat against Bayern Munich on Friday and he will leave after seven uncomfortable months. Barcelona finished five points behind Real Madrid in the league and lost to Athletic Bilbao at the quarter-final stage in the Spanish Cup.
LA Kings suspend mascot amid sexual harassment allegations
The Los Angeles Kings have suspended the man who portrays the Kings' "Bailey" lion mascot following a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by a former member of the hockey team's ice crew. Tim Smith, the now-suspended mascot, has also served as a senior manager of game presentation and events for the Kings. A woman who was hired onto the team's ice crew in 2018 filed the suit against Smith, the team, and the Kings owner AEG. The lawsuit is seeking over $1 million in damages, the report added. The woman alleges that Smith made lewd jokes and inappropriate sexual comments before firing her when she confronted and condemned his actions.
Real Madrid youngster Reinier Jesus to joint BVB
Borussia Dortmund are set to sign Real Madrid youngster Reinier Jesus on a one-year loan with an option for another season. The 18-year-old joined Real Madrid in a €30 million transfer from Flamengo in January but has yet to make his senior debut for the La Liga champions. He is now unlikely to make his debut for Los Blancos during the 2021-20 season. Sources confirmed that Dortmund are close to sealing the loan deal for Reinier and he could join his new teammates once they return from their training camp in Switzerland early next week. The agreement will not include a buy option for the Brazil under-23 international.