Beto O’Rourke is on the road again, criss-crossing Texas and broadcasting his stops in small towns live. His efforts have been focused on the crises that have gripped the state: Widespread power outages brought on by the failure of the state’s electric grid during last month’s freezing temperatures, and the battle against the coronavirus pandemic…… MORE
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Senate trims weekly unemployment benefits boost but adds a month of payments in stimulus bill
Jobless Americans will get a smaller weekly boost to unemployment benefits but will receive those payments for an additional month under a last-minute revision of the Senate’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package on Friday. The bill, which now differs from the House version passed last week, calls for providing a $300 a week federal enhancement…… MORE
NFL picks its first Black female game official
Maia Chaka will make history when the new National Football League season starts this year. The NFL said Friday it has added Chaka to its roster of game officials for 2021, making her the league’s first Black woman named to the position. Chaka, a Virginia educator and erstwhile college football game official, says she’s honored…… MORE
Man arrested after allegedly defacing ‘America’s Stonehenge’ with suspected QAnon-related graffiti
A New Jersey man was arrested Monday after defacing an ancient rock formation in 2019 with suspected QAnon-related graffiti, according to police in Salem, New Hampshire. Mark Russo, 50, was charged with one count of felony criminal mischief after carving phrases into a rock tablet with a power tool at “America’s Stonehenge” site in New…… MORE
White House and Detroit officials seek to limit fallout after mayor initially declines Johnson & Johnson vaccine
White House and Detroit officials tried to limit fallout after Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan initially declined to accept an allocation of Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine. The move is at odds with federal health officials’ recommendations and the Biden administration messaging that Americans should take whichever vaccine they first have access to. “As I understand…… MORE
A drained swimming pool shows how racism harms White people, too
If you’re a White person who thinks racism only hurts people of color, the story behind an empty, abandoned swimming pool in Missouri might just change your mind. The Fairground Park pool in St. Louis was the largest public pool in the US when it was built in 1919. It featured sand from a beach,…… MORE
GOP lawmakers facing backlash after misleading House about skipping votes to attend CPAC
As he darted down to Florida last week and skipped crucial House votes, Republican Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona neglected to tell GOP Rep. Ann Wagner of Missouri the full story behind why he needed her to vote in his place. In a letter to the House designating Wagner to vote on his behalf, Gosar…… MORE
Eddie Murphy wants to go back to stand-up when the pandemic is over
After three decades and multiple blockbuster movies, Eddie Murphy is planning a return to the medium that helped launch his acting career. The “Beverly Hills Cop” star has revealed that he wants to do new stand-up comedy performances once the pandemic ends. Appearing on SiriusXM’s podcast “Comedy Gold Minds with Kevin Hart” on Thursday, the…… MORE
Michelle Obama has a moving conversation with Dwyane Wade’s daughter, Zaya
Michelle Obama on Thursday held a virtual meeting with the teenage daughter of Dwayne Wade, Zaya Wade. The pair shared advice and discussed Obama’s recently released adaptation for young readers of her No. 1 best-selling memoir, “Becoming.” Zaya, 13, identifies as transgender. She asked Obama for advice for “teens who want to be themselves and…… MORE
CNN analysis: Georgia’s proposed weekend voting restrictions would strike at Black voters
Black Georgians disproportionately cast their ballots on the weekend days that Republican lawmakers want to eliminate as options in future elections, according to a CNN analysis of voting data from last November’s general election. A measure moving swiftly through the Georgia legislature would reduce the number of weekend days available for in-person early voting and…… MORE