Senate parliamentarian strikes down minimum wage hike in latest COVID-19 relief bill – YouTube

Senate parliamentarian strikes down minimum wage hike in latest COVID-19 relief bill

Progressives are willing to accept defeat on the minimum wage for now and vote for President Joe Biden’s coronavirus relief package. But they’re channeling their energy into a renewed push to kill the filibuster.

One day after the Senate parliamentarian effectively forced a $15 minimum wage hike out of Democrats’ coronavirus relief package, leading liberal activists are racing to turn their bitter setback into opportunity. The need to sacrifice a key Biden priority in order to ensure the Covid aid bill can pass the Senate with a simple majority has handed progressive lawmakers and their allied groups a new talking point in their long-running quest to eliminate the legislative filibuster.

Source: https://www.politico.com/news/2021/02/26/progressives-minimum-wage-defeat-471772

Jamal Khashoggi: US intelligence report finds Saudi Crown Prince responsible for approving operation that killed Washiington Post journalist – CNNPolitics

Washington (CNN)The US intelligence report on the murder of Jamal Khashoggi says that Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman approved the operation to capture or kill the Saudi journalist.

“We assess that Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman approved an operation in Istanbul, Turkey to capture or kill Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi,” the report’s executive summary states.
“We base this assessment on the Crown Prince’s control of decision-making in the Kingdom, the direct involvement of a key adviser and members of Muhammad bin Salman’s protective detail in the operation, and the Crown Prince’s support for using violent measures to silence dissidents abroad, including Khashoggi,” the report says.

Source: Jamal Khashoggi: US intelligence report finds Saudi Crown Prince responsible for approving operation that killed Washiington Post journalist – CNNPolitics

Mr Potato Head to lose “Mr” title in gender-neutral rebrand – BBC News

A gender-neutral makeover will see Mr Potato Head become the toy formerly known as Mr Potato Head.

The classic toy’s branding is being “reimagined for the modern consumer”, its US maker Hasbro announced on Thursday.

From later this year, the toy – launched almost 70 years ago – will be named Potato Head on packaging.

Other toy companies have taken similar decisions in recent years, breaking with traditional gender norms.

“Hasbro is making sure all feel welcome in the Potato Head world by officially dropping the Mr from the Mr Potato Head brand name and logo to promote gender equality and inclusion,” Hasbro said of the name change.

Source: Mr Potato Head to lose “Mr” title in gender-neutral rebrand – BBC News

US launches airstrike against Iranian-backed forces in Syria | Fox News

The U.S. military carried out an airstrike against an Iranian-backed militia stronghold in Syria Thursday, a senior official told Fox News.

In the first known military action by President Biden, multiple facilities were struck by American F15 fighter jets that targeted Iraqi border-based Shia militia groups, Kait’ib Hezbollah and Kait’ib Sayyid al Shuhada.

Both forces are suspected of having received funding and military support from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard.

The senior official said the strike was “shot across the bow” and a defensive strategy, intended to deter Iran and its militia from launching rockets at U.S. forces in the region, like the recent attacks in Iraq.

The Defense Department later confirmed the strikes.

Source: US launches airstrike against Iranian-backed forces in Syria | Fox News

Bob Kudzma, Former KDKA-TV Chief Meteorologist, Dies At 81

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — It’s a sad day for us here at KDKA-TV and for our viewers who spent more than three decades planning their lives around the daily forecast from former KDKA-TV chief meteorologist Bob Kudzma.

Kudzma died Thursday morning, just a few weeks shy of his 82nd birthday.

Source: Bob Kudzma, Former KDKA-TV Chief Meteorologist, Dies At 81

Cashing in: Retailer Dollar General to open smaller DGX store Downtown | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Dollar General is bringing one of its DGX concept stores to 610 Wood St. The store, the first in Pittsburgh, is expected to open “in the coming weeks,” spokeswoman Angela Petkovic said.

In a statement, Ms. Petkovic said the DGX is “specially designed to meet the unique needs of customers in the city’s vibrant metropolitan city center and seeks to provide positive benefits to the downtown community by offering an affordable retail option in a modern retail format.”

DGX stores typically are smaller than the standard Dollar General.

Source: Cashing in: Retailer Dollar General to open smaller DGX store Downtown | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Kamala-mania seizes the press and other commentary

Vice President Kamala Harris will “be the deciding vote for major pieces of legislation,” but the “Kamala-mania” that has “swept the media” means she is treated with kid gloves, chides Kate Andrews at Spectator USA. With the intent of “landing blows on the opposition,” Harris told Axios that the Biden administration was “starting from scratch” on vaccine distribution. Axios tweeted the comment with a fact-check quoting Dr. Anthony Fauci saying that wasn’t true — and then deleted it. Even Fauci jumped to her defense, telling reporters to give her “a break.” Harris’ attempts “to play down the country’s vaccine success story” should “be met with intense scrutiny, not free passes, deleted tweets or ‘a break.’  ”

Source: Kamala-mania seizes the press and other commentary

White House defends ‘kids in containers’ as AOC cites hypocrisy

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on Wednesday was forced to again fend off questions about how the Biden administration’s detention camps for child immigrants differ from those that Democrats including President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris decried during the Trump administration.

Psaki was asked how she felt about the widely adopted term “kids in containers” — as opposed to the Trump-era Democratic accusation of “kids in cages” — for the Biden administration centers while saying she couldn’t comment on progressive Democrat Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez rebuking the reopening of the detention facilities.

“I think the difficulty is, I haven’t seen the full context of the quote or interview — of the tweet that was, that she shared,” Psaki said of the New York Democrat’s criticism.

Ocasio-Cortez, an influential figure among the Democratic Party’s left wing, said that the Biden administration was wrong to reopen a detention center in Carrizo Springs, Texas, along with a similar center in Homestead, Fla., that Vice President Kamala Harris protested in 2019 when it was managed by the Trump administration.

Ocasio-Cortez tweeted Tuesday: “This is not okay, never has been okay, never will be okay – no matter the administration or party.”

AOC added: “It’s only 2 mos into this admin & our fraught, unjust immigration system will not transform in that time. That’s why bold reimagination is so impt. DHS shouldn’t exist, agencies should be reorganized, ICE gotta go, ban for-profit detention, create climate refugee status & more.”

Source: White House defends ‘kids in containers’ as AOC cites hypocrisy

Matt Gaetz Claims Democrats Elected Joe Biden Because He’s ‘Too Frail’ to Make Decisions – Newsweek

Republican Representative Matt Gaetz of Florida has claimed that Democrats planned to elect President Joe Biden into the White House because he is “too frail” to stand in the way of their progressive agenda.

In a recent letter, led by Representative Jimmy Panetta of California, more than two dozen House Democrats urged Biden to waive his sole authority to release nuclear weapons.

“‘Sleepy Joe’ wasn’t just a political nickname, it appears to be a government strategy for the Biden Administration,” said the Florida congressman.

Source: Matt Gaetz Claims Democrats Elected Joe Biden Because He’s ‘Too Frail’ to Make Decisions

Biden reverses Trump visa ban on legal immigration – POLITICO

President Joe Biden on Wednesday revoked a Trump-era ban on legal immigration for family members of U.S. citizens and residents, as well as diversity visa lottery recipients.

In a statement, Biden said former President Donald Trump’s order blocking green card applicants and temporary foreign workers “does not advance the interests of the United States.”

“To the contrary, it harms the United States, including by preventing certain family members of United States citizens and lawful permanent residents from joining their families here,” Biden’s statement said. “It also harms industries in the United States that utilize talent from around the world. And it harms individuals who were selected to receive the opportunity to apply for, and those who have likewise received, immigrant visas through the Fiscal Year 2020 Diversity Visa Lottery.”

Source: Biden reverses Trump visa ban on legal immigration – POLITICO

Local woman posts ‘Call 911’ sign to get help

When troopers responded, officials said they were greeted at the door by 44-year-old James Vickers.

Court documents said troopers spotted a knife on Vickers and detained him after a brief struggle. Inside, police said, a woman was found to have multiple injuries to her face and she accused Vickers of trying to strangle her.

According to the criminal complaint, the woman told police she feared for her life.

State police said the suspect had broken the woman’s phone

Source: Local woman posts ‘Call 911’ sign to get help

Wendel Post Office Closes, Leaving Residents With Questions And Concerns – CBS Pittsburgh

WENDEL, Pa. (KDKA) — People in a Westmoreland County community are unhappy with the Postal Service after their Post Office was closed.

When Nicholas White pulled up to the Wendel Post Office, he was met with an empty building. The building closed on Feb. 13.

The Post Office did not have a delivery service, so people would have to come to the building to get their mail. Wendel’s residents have been told by the Postal Service to now pick up their mail at the Manor Post Office, which is about a 10-minute drive.

So why did the U.S. Postal Service shut down this small Post Office in an area that relies on it? According to the Post Office, it had to do with the rent.

Source: Wendel Post Office Closes, Leaving Residents With Questions And Concerns – CBS Pittsburgh

Dozens of House Democrats want Biden to give up sole authority to launch nuclear weapons | Fox News

About three dozen House Democrats have signed a letter asking President Biden to renounce his sole authority to launch nuclear weapons, according to reports.

Democrats previously expressed concern with former President Trump having access to such power. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in January, for example, said she spoke with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley about protecting nuclear codes from an “unhinged president.”

About three dozen House Democrats have signed a letter asking President Biden to renounce his sole authority to launch nuclear weapons, according to reports.

Source: Dozens of House Democrats want Biden to give up sole authority to launch nuclear weapons | Fox News

Levin Furniture reopens stores in McMurray, Robinson; soon Mt. Pleasant | TribLIVE.com

Jeff Federoff had just been laid off from his job at Levin Furniture & Mattress. The new ownership had gone bankrupt — and then the pandemic hit.

“I open my mail and there is a letter and a check from Robert Levin,” said Federoff, a 20-year employee from Canonsburg, as he stood inside the reopened Levin store on Wednesday in McMurray. “Robert is the best boss you could ever work for. He is so gracious and employees are blessed to work for him.”

Source: Levin Furniture reopens stores in McMurray, Robinson; soon Mt. Pleasant | TribLIVE.com

Mother called 911 after shooting, killing 2 children inside Ambridge home, police say

AMBRIDGE, Pa. — A woman has been charged with shooting her two children to death inside an Ambridge home on Monday.

Ambridge police said the incident occurred in the 900 block of Maplewood Avenue around 1:30 p.m.

Inside the home, police found the children dead. They were identified as 16-year-old Jeffrey Bright and 22-year-old Jasmine Cannady.

The mother, 48-year-old Krisinda Bright, was arrested for the shooting, according to Interim Chief John Deluca. She was the one who actually called 911.

Source: Mother called 911 after shooting, killing 2 children inside Ambridge home, police say

NASA delays launch of DART asteroid defense mission | Space

NASA has delayed the launch of its first-ever planetary defense mission aimed at deflecting potentially hazardous asteroids from colliding with Earth.

The mission, called Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART), will send a spacecraft to test crash into the near-Earth binary asteroid system called Didymos, in 2022. NASA announced Feb. 17 that this year’s primary launch window of July 21 to Aug. 24 is no longer an option. Instead, the space agency is targeting a backup window that opens Nov. 24 and runs to Feb. 15, 2022, according to a statement from NASA.

The decision to postpone the launch was made by NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) senior leadership following a risk assessment of the DART project schedule. Delaying the launch of the mission will not affect the spacecraft’s arrival at its target, which is slated for October 2022, NASA officials said.

Related: Potentially dangerous asteroids (images)

Source: NASA delays launch of DART asteroid defense mission | Space

Seven Springs seeing surge of catalytic converter thefts | TribLIVE.com

 

Thieves have been hacking parts off cars to sell for scrap in and around the borough of Seven Springs in Somerset and Fayette counties, according to Tribune-Review news partner WPXI.

State police spokesman Steven Limani told WPXI about 30 catalytic converters have been stolen off of area vehicles in the past few weeks.

Catalytic converters, which are located between the engine and muffler of almost all modern cars, filter harmful emissions that would otherwise pollute the air.

They contain precious metals like palladium, platinum and rhodium — which makes them valuable targets for thieves who sell them for scrap.

 

Source: Seven Springs seeing surge of catalytic converter thefts | TribLIVE.com

Possible ‘prank’ prompted lockdown at Latrobe Elementary School, officials say | TribLIVE.com

 

What police believe may have been a prank 911 call on Wednesday shut down Latrobe Elementary School as authorities investigated a reported threat, according to Greater Latrobe district officials.

The situation was cleared just before 2 p.m. and no one was hurt. Anxious parents who gathered outside the police perimeter on Lincoln Avenue were told that dismissal would happen at the normal time.

City and state police were called to the Cedar Street school just before 1 p.m. Officers searched the building after an anonymous phone call was made to Westmoreland 911 reporting a threat. All district buildings were locked down as a result.

“The agencies believe this threat may have been a prank,” district officials said in a Facebook post.

Latrobe police said they were investigating the source of the call that was found to be not credible. Anyone with information is asked to call police at 724-537-5526. Officers from other nearby departments assisted at the scene.

Source: Possible ‘prank’ prompted lockdown at Latrobe Elementary School, officials say | TribLIVE.com

American Airlines not denying possible UFO spotting, says: ‘Talk to the FBI’ | Fox News

The pilot on flight 2292 radioed around 1:00 p.m. CST and said that the unidentified object was flying right on top of them, according to a transmission recorded by Steve Douglass on his blog, Deep Black Horizon. American Airlines verified to Fox News that the transmission is from flight 2292.

“Do you have any targets up here? We just had something go right over the top of us,” the pilot said in the radio transmission.

“I hate to say this but it looked like a long cylindrical object that almost looked like a cruise missile type of thing moving really fast. It went right over the top of us.”

‘ODD’ LIGHTS SPOTTED IN NORTH CAROLINA SKY PROMPT SEVERAL THEORIES

American Airlines confirmed that the radio transmission is authentic, but did not give any further comment on the possible alien encounter. “Following a debrief with our Flight Crew and additional information received, we can confirm this radio transmission was from American Airlines Flight 2292 on Feb. 21,” an American Airlines spokesperson told Fox News in a statement. “For any additional questions on this, we encourage you to reach out to the FBI.”

The FBI did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday. Flight 2292 was around 37,000 feet at the time of the sighting, and Albuquerque Center did not respond because local air traffic interfered, according to Douglass. The flight went on to land in Phoenix, Arizona.

Source: American Airlines not denying possible UFO spotting, says: ‘Talk to the FBI’ | Fox News

Here’s a link to the flight path of AAL2292: https://flightaware.com/live/flight/AAL2292

Link to  audio: https://wetransfer.com/downloads/80939a600fb1c94b28032f656ba293df20210221223956/bc53c0c39e53ecf44d0bba30de96d70f20210221224041/d041eb

Link to entire morning recordings: https://wetransfer.com/downloads/dd1f53a0fdfe024d2a4d8bfb71d8ea6320210221213022/68d2909f048a84fb04fe06dc330f8ec920210221213107/c3f0e2

Former aide charges Cuomo kissed, sexually harassed her

NEW YORK — A former aide to Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the governor kissed her without her consent and asked her to play strip poker, alleging a pattern of sexual harassment she detailed in a new account Wednesday.

Lindsey Boylan, who is running for Manhattan borough president and formerly worked for Cuomo and the state’s economic development agency, wrote in a Medium post that Cuomo kissed her on the lips against her will at his office in Manhattan.

The former staffer’s charges come as the governor is deluged with accusations that he covered up coronavirus deaths in New York nursing homes. The fallout has led to accusations in New York’s political world about Cuomo’s tyrannical behavior — including a recent allegation by Assembly Member Ron Kim who said the governor threatened to “destroy” him over Kim’s criticism of the nursing home debacle.“

Governor Andrew Cuomo has created a culture within his administration where sexual harassment and bullying is so pervasive that it is not only condoned but expected. His inappropriate behavior toward women was an affirmation that he liked you, that you must be doing something right,” Boylan wrote. “He used intimidation to silence his critics. And if you dared to speak up, you would face consequences.”

Boylan said the kiss took place after she gave the governor a one-on-one briefing on state economic and infrastructure projects.

“We were in his New York City office on Third Avenue. As I got up to leave and walk toward an open door, he stepped in front of me and kissed me on the lips. I was in shock, but I kept walking,” Boylan wrote.

Source: Former aide charges Cuomo kissed, sexually harassed her

Community Bank closing six branches, four in the Pittsburgh metro area – WPXI

PITTSBURGH — Community Bank, retail arm of CB Financial Services Inc., on Tuesday said it plans to consolidate six branches.

Four are located within the 10-county Pittsburgh metro where Community Bank ranks No. 17 by deposit market share. It is targeting June 30 for the closures.

They are:

Monongahela to be consolidated into Rostraver

Perryopolis to be consolidated into Uniontown and Rostraver

Pioneer to be consolidated into Waynesburg

Southpointe to be consolidated into McMurray

Source: Local bank closing six branches, four in the Pittsburgh metro, and here’s where

Biden orders supply chain review for 4 industries – POLITICO

President Joe Biden will sign an executive order on Wednesday to review the global supply chains used by four key industries in an effort to avoid the shortages in medical equipment, semiconductors and other goods seen as critical during the pandemic.

China reliance targeted: Biden’s order will institute 100-day reviews of the global producers and shippers for: computer chips used in consumer products; large-capacity batteries for electric vehicles; pharmaceuticals and their active ingredients; and critical minerals used in electronics.

The reviews will seek to determine whether U.S. firms in these sectors are relying too much on foreign suppliers, particularly those in China, a senior administration official told reporters. They will also consider other vulnerabilities, like extreme weather and environmental factors.“

Clearly we are looking at the risks posed by dependence on competitor nations, but that is only one of a range of risks we are looking at,” the administration official said.

The order will also direct yearlong reviews for six sectors: defense, public health, information technology, transportation, energy and food production.

Source: Biden orders supply chain review for 4 industries – POLITICO

Texas’s deregulated electricity market raised consumer costs by $28B: WSJ | TheHill

The analysis found that consumers purchasing power from the deregulated electricity market have paid significantly more than state residents whose sources were traditional electric utilities.

The report comes after widespread power outages in Texas that left millions of residents without power for days amid freezing temperatures. That was followed by many households receiving sky-high electricity bills, with warnings from experts that consumers are likely to be hit with covering the costs for grid upgrades.

The decision to have a deregulated electricity market stems back to 1999 when legislation was first introduced to deregulate the market in Texas. Supporters of the bill said it would create more competition in the sector and lower prices for consumers.

However, households under the deregulated market paid rates 13 percent higher than the nationwide average from 2004 to 2019, according to the Journal. Those who used traditional utilities in Texas paid 8 percent less than the national average during that time frame.

The data used for the analysis came from the federal Energy Information Administration.

Although deregulation in Texas was designed to allow for more competition, mergers in the industry have left Texans with two main retail electricity providers.

Source: Texas’s deregulated electricity market raised consumer costs by $28B: WSJ | TheHill

Authorities: Prison riots in Ecuador leave 62 dead

QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — Sixty-two inmates have died in riots at prisons in three cities in Ecuador as a result of fights between rival gangs and an escape attempt, authorities said Tuesday.

Prisons Director Edmundo Moncayo said in a news conference that 800 police offices have been helping to regain control of the facilities. Hundreds of officers from tactical units had been deployed since the clashes broke out late Monday.

Moncayo said that two groups were trying to gain “criminal leadership within the detention centers” and that the clashes were precipitated by a search for weapons carried out Monday by police officers.

Source: Authorities: Prison riots in Ecuador leave 62 dead

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