3/9/21 - It's heating up! -
Nothing Will Fundamentally Change?:
In Rejection of Austerity, Democrats Push Forward Landmark $1.9 Trillion Relief Package {Democracy Now}
- Direct funding to state and municipal governments for rent and mortgage assistance
- Caps Affordable Care Act Marketplace to 8.5% of income and double funding for community health centers
- Permanently increases low-income child benefits from $200 > $300
Covid bill waives taxes on up to $20,400 of unemployment benefits for married couples. {CNBC}
ICE Official Says Biden Not Ending Family Detention; DOJ Drops Expansion of “Public Charge” Rule (meaning, you can get benefits like SNAP with a Green Card) {Democracy Now}
Senate confirms Merrick Garland as attorney general. {CNN}
Dying Earth:
Hawaii governor declares state of emergency following major flooding. {ABC}
Merritt Island park now a ‘manatee graveyard’ as Florida sea cows starve to death. {Click Orlando}
Norilsk Nickel: Mining firm pays record $2bn fine (13% of 2020 revenue) over Arctic oil spill. {BBC}
1/6 DC Riot:
Proud Boy arrested at a "Recall Gavin Newsom" rally after boasting on hot mic about shitting on Pelosi desk. {Independent}
Killer Cops & Courts:
Los Angeles Millionaire Is Accused of Covering Up His Teen Son’s Involvement in a Crash that Killed a Latina Woman. {Wearemitu}
Prosecutors oppose Ghislaine Maxwell's 3rd quest for bail. {ABC}
Investigation into death of Georgia teen found in a rolled-up gym mat 8 years ago will be reopened. I recall, it was a cop's kid who allegedly killed Johnson at school during wrestling practice. {CNN}
Clearview AI built 'most dangerous' facial recognition AI database in nation. {Fox 5 NY}
COVID-19 & America's Mayors:
King County Council approves $4 per hour pandemic pay increase for grocery workers. {KOMO News}
Mother of 5 in coma after entire family, including newborn, contracts COVID-19. {KLTV ABC}
COVID-19 patient dies after rare 3-hour erection in hospital. {Global News.CA}
Marijuana sales reach half a billion in revenue for Washington during COVID-19 crisis. {KIRO7}
Cyber thieves are using 3D masks in their latest attempt to access billions in state and federal unemployment benefits. {Click Orlando}
International Affairs:
'Cold war-era weapon': $100bn US plan to build new nuclear missile sparks concern. {Guardian}
WHO Report: One in Four Women and Girls Experience Domestic Violence. {Democracy Now}
South Korea agrees to 13.9% increase in its share of cost for US troops. {Channel News Asia}
US, China to hold first high-level meet under Biden in Alaska. {AlJazeera}
5 Sentenced to Life for 2016 Art Gallery Assassination of Russian Ambassador Andrei Karlov in Turkey. {Democracy Now}
Second Official from Suu Kyi’s Party Dies in Burma as Security Forces Continue Deadly Crackdown. {Democracy Now}
Young men take up arms in northern Ethiopia as atrocities fuel insurgency. {BBC}
Houthis Accused of Setting Detention Center on Fire with Ethiopian Migrants Inside. {AAWSAT}
At Least 39 African Refugees Drown Off Coast of Tunisia. {Democracy Now}
Idaho ends Powerball in state, fearing foreign participation. {AP}
Markets:
SPY up : $GME up, down, all-around : BTC up
Chipotle will link executive compensation to environmental and diversity goals (this means, manage supply chain better and expand into low-income neighborhoods). {Bloomberg}
Celebs:
For Creators, Everything Is for Sale: Digital stars are coming up with new ways to make money, liking selling voting rights to fans to decide every component of the creator's life. {NYT}
Space:
Anger after Indonesia offers Elon Musk Papuan island for SpaceX launchpad. {Guardian}
Rocket Lab will directly challenge SpaceX with its proposed Neutron launcher. {Arstechnica}
Engineers propose solar-powered lunar ark (a base with cryogenically frozen people in it, like Noah's Arc) as 'modern global insurance policy'. {Phys}
New theories of wormholes—postulated tunnels through spacetime—explore whether they could be traversable by humans. {APS Physics}
