Biden news: President accuses Texas of ‘Neanderthal thinking’ as Trump said to fire Pence in a 2024 run
United States will now have enough doses for every adult to receive Covid vaccines by end of May
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Your support makes all the difference.Joe Biden said ending mask mandates is a “big mistake” after Texas and Mississippi governors moved to reopen their states after a year of pandemic lockdowns.
“The last thing, the last thing we need is Neanderthal thinking that in the meantime, everything’s fine, take off your mask, forget it. It still matters,” he says.
As Donald Trump considers beating Democrats “for a third time”, his allies reportedly want someone other than Mike Pence on the ticket. Quoting two people familiar with discussions, Bloomberg says Trump has privately considered black or female alternatives as he takes stock of who supported him to the very end.
Andrew Cuomo, meanwhile, appeared to get emotional as he apologized during his first press conference since more women began accusing the New York governor of inappropriate behaviour.
The Democrat refused to resign, however, after issuing denials that he touched anyone inappropriately and asked the public to wait for the facts to emerge from the state attorney general’s investigation into the allegations.
Over on Capitol Hill, the Senate is expected to take up Mr Biden's $1.9tn coronavirus relief package, with Democrats aiming to have the president sign it into law before some benefits expire on March 14.
But congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called compromising on the $1,400 checks to narrow the eligibility an "own goal".
Intelligence emerges of another plot to breach Capitol, report says
Capitol police sources have said they have received an intelligence bulletin warning of another plot to breach the Capitol building this week, according to a report Fox 5.
The broadcaster reported that two sources say officers got a bulletin on Tuesday warning of another plot to attack the Capitol on Thursday, 4 March.
According to Fox 5, the warning specifically named the militia group the Three Percenters, members of which have been accused in the Capitol riot on 6 January.
US Capitol police said in a statement on Tuesday that they were planning on “enhancing” their security and staffing efforts in light of “concerning information and intelligence pertaining to 4 March.”
The broadcaster noted that a memo obtained by Fox News from acting House Sergeant at Arms Timothy Blodgett indicates that some threat for 4 March has diminished.
Biden ‘looking forward’ to working towards re-opening schools with new education secretary
President Joe Biden has expressed that he is “looking forward” to working with newly confirmed education secretary Miguel Cardona on the re-opening of schools amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“An educator is leading the Department of Education once again,” Mr Biden tweeted.
“I look forward to working with @SecCardona to safely reopen our nation’s schools and ensure every child has access to a quality education.”
The Senate voted on Monday to confirm Mr Cardona, a former public school teacher who went on to become Connecticut’s education chief, as education secretary.
Mr Cardona will be asked to play a central role in achieving Mr Biden’s goal to have a majority of elementary schools open five days a week within his first 100 days.
Additional reporting by the Associated Press
Beto O’Rourke calls Texas governor’s coronavirus reopening order a ‘death warrant’
Former congressman Beto O’Rourke has said that Texas governor Greg Abbott lifting the face mask mandate amid the ongoing pandemic is a “death warrant” for the state.
Mr Abbott, a Republican, announced on Tuesday that from next week residents of the state will no longer be required to wear face masks and encouraged businesses to reopen at 100 per cent capacity.
Mr O’Rourke, who unsuccessfully ran for Senate in Texas in 2018 and for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2019, condemned the decision on Twitter.
“A death warrant for Texans. Add them to the 44,000+ killed as he failed to confront the pandemic & botched the vaccine rollout,” he said.
He added: “And those who froze to death because he cares more about energy companies’ profits than keeping Texans alive. Abbott is killing the people of Texas.”
James Crump reports:
Beto O’Rourke calls Texas governor’s coronavirus reopening order a ‘death warrant’
‘Abbott is killing the people of Texas,’ says former congressman
Over 200,000 sign up for Biden’s new ‘Obamacare’ coverage offer in first two weeks
More than 200,000 people have signed up for coverage under Joe Biden’s new “Obamacare” coverage offer in the first two weeks after the president re-opened HealthCare.gov, the government has said.
HealthCare.gov offers subsidized private health insurance under the Obama-era Affordable Care Act, catering mainly to low- and moderate-income working people.
The numbers, released Wednesday by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, show that more than 206,000 people signed up for ACA coverage from 15 to 28 Feburary.
While the sweetened subsidies only last through the end of next year, their availability is expected to boost insurance coverage, and Democratic Covid legislation also has incentives for states to expand Medicaid to cover more low-income adults.
The programme fits into Mr Biden's strategy of pushing the US toward coverage for all by building on the health law better known as “Obamacare."
The current figures are partial as they only cover the 36 states served by the federal HealthCare.gov insurance market and National enrollment will be higher when totals from states running their own insurance websites are factored in later.
Reporting by the Associated Press
National Guard Capitol troops made sick by eating raw chicken, mouldy bread, and metal shavings
National Guard troops stationed at the US Capitol have complained that they are being made ill after being served undercooked meat and meals containing metal shavings.
An anonymous staff sergeant with the Michigan National Guard told WXYZ on Tuesday that more than a dozen soldiers on his deployment have been made ill after being served undercooked meat since they arrived in Washington, DC, shortly after the Capitol riots on 6 January.
The sergeant also claimed the troops, some of whom he said have been hospitalised after eating the food provided for them, were also served mouldy bread and food containing metal shavings.
James Crump reports:
National Guard troops defending Capitol say they’ve been made sick by meals containing raw chicken and metal shavings
Around 5,200 soldiers are still deployed in Washington, DC
Police ‘prepared for any potential threats’ following ‘intelligence’ of ‘possible plot to breach Capitol'
The United States Capitol Police Department has said it is ‘aware of and prepared for any potential threats’ following ‘intelligence that shows a possible plot to breach the Capitol’ on Thursday.
In a new statement on Wednesday, the department said: “We have obtained intelligence that shows a possible plot to breach the Capitol by an identified militia group on Thursday, March 4.
“We have already made significant security upgrades to include establishing a physical structure and increasing manpower to ensure the protection of Congress, the public and our police officers.
“Our Department is working with our local, state, and federal partners to stop any threats to the Capitol.
“We are taking the intelligence seriously. Due to the sensitive nature of this information, we cannot provide additional details at this time.”
Cuomo watch: ‘You make that gown look good'
“This is Dr Elizabeth Dufort, in the appropriate PPE wear, nice to see you doctor. You make that gown look good.”
At least he didn’t follow it up with something like “I want to see you eat the whole sausage”, which he told a local news reporter in 2016.
Nevertheless, Dr Dufort is among nine senior New York state health department officials that have left their jobs in recent months as Cuomo comes under scrutiny over his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, not to mention his alleged handling of young women that work for him.
The Independent’s Gustaf Kilander has the latest.
Clip of Cuomo telling doctor ‘you make that gown look good’ during Covid test resurfaces amid scandal
At least nine senior New York state health department officials have left their jobs in recent months, one being doctor who swabbed Mr Cuomo
Right-wing militia group plotting to ‘breach’ the US Capitol on March 4, police warn
Law enforcement officials are beefing up security at the US Capitol this week after receiving intelligence that some of Donald Trump’s most hardcore fans are considering coming to Washington on Thursday, 4 March, to breach the legislature.
“We have obtained intelligence that shows a possible plot to breach the Capitol by an identified militia group on Thursday, March 4,” the US Capitol police said in a statement on Wednesday.
“We are taking the intelligence seriously,” the statement said.
Griffin Connolly has the full report.
Police heighten security at the US Capitol over threats of QAnon violence on 4 March
Some far-right activists believe Donald Trump will return to Washington on 4 March to retake the presidency
John Boehner’s so-called ‘reckless a**hole’ Ted Cruz responds to slur from former GOP House speaker
The Texas senator says John Boehner is looking to sell some books by putting him in the crosshairs.
“Amazing. In my whole life, I haven’t spoke 50 words to John Boehner. But his lead book blurb is his latest insult directed at me,” Cruz said in a tweet.
“I’m certainly not sad that House Members threw him out for being the embodiment of the Swamp!”
Mr Boehner’s comment that “there is nothing more dangerous than a reckless a**hole who thinks he is smarter than everyone else” was featured on the back cover of his upcoming book, On The House: A Washington Memoir.
The Independent’s James Crump has the full story.
Former GOP speaker says Cruz a ‘reckless a**hole’, and says he repeatedly told Trump to ‘shut up’ when asked for advice
John Boehner reportedly told Texas senator to go ‘f*** yourself’ during audiobook recording last week
Jeff Bezos would pay more than $5bn a year under Warren’s ‘Ultra-Millionaire’ tax plan
On Monday, several senators including Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Bernie Sanders of Vermont, unveiled a proposed wealth tax to help reduce inequality in the US.
The proposed tax would include a 2 per cent levy annually on wealth that totals more than $50m (£35m) and 3 per cent on wealth of more than $1bn (£714m).
Warren said on Monday that the tax is predicted to raise around $3 trillion (£2.1 trillion) over a ten-year period, and would only affect 100,000 of the wealthiest families in the US.
James Crump has the full report.
Jeff Bezos would pay more than $5bn a year under Warren’s new tax plan
Amazon founder saw his wealth rise by around $75bn in 2020
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