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Ted Cruz may have come up with a bright idea on his flight back from Cancun — if no one else gives him props, he’ll do it himself.

Ted Cruz Posts Pics of Himself Delivering Water to Texans

https://www.tmz.com/2021/02/21/ted-cruz-delivers-water-in-texas-twitter-aoc-cancun-storm

Ted Cruz may have come up with a bright idea on his flight back from Cancun — if no one else gives him props, he’ll do it himself.

An 11-year-old boy who had just seen snow for the first time and an ailing 75-year-old Vietnam vet who left home to fetch an oxygen tank from his truck are among the dead.

Texas counts its losses and begins to mourn those who died in the cold

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/texas-counts-its-losses-begins-mourn-those-who-died-cold-n1258365

“I fear there will be more once we thaw out,” said one Abilene charity activist.

A growing group of people who get sick with Covid-19 never fully recover. In support groups, they sometimes refer to themselves as long-haulers; their condition is alternately called long Covid, post-Covid syndrome or post-acute Covid syndrome.

Almost a third of people with 'mild' Covid-19 still battle symptoms months later, study finds – CNN

https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/19/health/post-covid-syndrome-long-haulers-gupta-wellness

It’s been almost a year since Michael Reagan, 50, came down with Covid-19.

“I said, I know there’s not a klan sign in the window next door,” said Jedonna Dinges. “And I opened the curtains and I looked and sure enough, there was a klan sign in the window next door.”

Grosse Pointe Park man hangs KKK flag in window facing Black neighbor sparking outrage

https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/grosse-pointe-park-man-hangs-kkk-flag-in-window-facing-black-neighbor-sparks-outrage

“I said, I know there’s not a klan sign in the window next door,” said Jedonna Dinges. “And I opened the curtains and I looked and sure enough, there was a klan sign in the window next door.”

Your facts-first view on the day’s most important stories. Watch CNN live now.

Biden Admin Jabs Ted Cruz For Trip To Mexico During Texas Weather Chaos

Biden Admin Jabs Ted Cruz For Trip To Mexico During Texas Weather Chaos

https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlieporterfield/2021/02/18/biden-admin-jabs-ted-cruz-for-trip-to-mexico-during-texas-weather-chaos

Cruz has been slammed for taking his daughters on a trip instead of staying in his home state.

Poland proposes social media ‘free speech’ law

Poland proposes social media 'free speech' law – BBC News

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-55678502

The law would see social networks fined if they ban a Polish user who has not broken local laws.

Officials said Arizpe assaulted a woman in the home with a construction hammer before the man that lives there, a North Carolina concealed carry permit holder, shot at the suspect several times.

ENC man shoots burglar assaulting a woman with a construction hammer | WCTI

https://wcti12.com/news/local/enc-man-shoots-burglar-assaulting-a-woman-with-a-construction-hammer

An eastern North Carolina man was shot when investigators say he broke into a home with the intent to rob it. Nash County Sheriff’s Office Deputies said the burglary attempt was made at a home on Old Middlesex Rd in Bailey at about 11 p. m. on Monday. The suspect, identified as Jose Luiz Arizpe, was given first aid and taken to the hospital for further treatment; as of Tuesday morning he was in surgery and was in stable condition.

BREAKING: Rush Limbaugh, the monumentally influential media icon who transformed talk radio and politics in his decades behind the microphone, helping shape the modern-day Republican Party, died Wednesday at the age of 70 after a battle with lung cancer, his family announced.

Rush Limbaugh, conservative talk radio pioneer, dead at 70 | Fox News

https://www.foxnews.com/media/rush-limbaugh-dead-talk-radio-conservative-icon

Rush Limbaugh, the monumentally influential media icon who transformed talk radio and politics in his decades behind the microphone, helping shape the modern-day Republican Party, died Wednesday morning at the age of 70 after a battle with lung cancer, his family announced.

Two dead from carbon monoxide poisoning after using a car for heat in Texas winter storm, police say.

Two dead from carbon monoxide poisoning after using car for heat in Texas storm

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/weather/two-dead-carbon-monoxide-poisoning-after-using-car-heat-texas-n1257972

Houston police said the victims were a woman and a girl. Two others, including a boy, were taken to a local hospital for treatment.

“Norway isn’t the only country preaching sustainability while simultaneously cashing in on the very thing that is causing climate change,” writes CNN’s Ivana Kottasová.

Climate change: Why Norway, the UK and Canada are climate hypocrites – CNN

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/02/17/world/climate-hypocrites-uk-canada-norway-intl

In Oslo, street lamps are powered by renewables. To conserve energy, the smart lights dim when nobody is around. The Norwegian capital, like the rest of the country, is proud of its exceptional green credentials. Its public transportation system too is powered entirely by renewable energy. Two thirds of new cars sold in the city are electric. There’s even a highway for bees.

Jeff Bezos has reclaimed his title of world’s richest person, ending Elon Musk’s roughly six-week reign atop the list.

Jeff Bezos overtakes Elon Musk to become the world's richest person again – CNN

https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/17/investing/jeff-bezos-elon-musk-worlds-richest-person/

Jeff Bezos has reclaimed his title of world’s richest person, ending Elon Musk’s roughly six-week reign atop the list.

Bluefield College president suspends players because kneeling “shuts down a number of individuals from listening to the message” protesting racial injustice.

Virginia College Forfeits Basketball Game After Suspending Players For Kneeling During Anthem | HuffPost

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/bluefield-college-basketball-game-forfeited-kneeling_n_60289a61c5b6741597e29143

Bluefield College president suspends players because kneeling “shuts down a number of individuals from listening to the message” protesting racial injust…

Trump thanked lawmakers, saying they “stood proudly for the Constitution we all reverse and for the sacred legal principles at the heart of our country.”

Read Trump’s full statement: Former president welcomes impeachment acquittal | WGN-TV

https://wgntv.com/news/read-trumps-full-statement-former-president-welcomes-impeachment-acquittal

Former President Donald Trump released a statement Saturday following the Senate vote to acquit him in his second impeachment trial, saying his movement “has only just begun.”

Breaking news

BREAKING: Missing 12-year-old boy found dead near golf course with multiple gunshot wounds – Crime Online

https://www.crimeonline.com/2021/02/11/breaking-missing-12-year-old-boy-found-dead-near-golf-course-with-multiple-gunshot-wounds/

A 12-year-old boy who had been reported missing Tuesday night was

Lucasfilm says Gina Carano is no longer a part of “The Mandalorian” cast after many online called for her firing over a social media post that likened the experience of Jews during the Holocaust to the U.S. political climate.

Gina Carano fired from ‘The Mandalorian’ over social media post | WGN-TV

https://wgntv.com/news/deans-list/gina-carano-fired-from-the-mandalorian-over-social-media-post/

Lucasfilm says Gina Carano is no longer a part of “The Mandalorian” cast after many online called for her firing over a social media post that likened the experience of Jews during the Holocaust to…

Poll: 1 in 3 Americans skeptical of COVID shots
About 1 in 3 Americans say they definitely or probably won’t get the COVID-19 vaccine. That’s according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. (Feb. 10)

WATCH: Full video: Impeachment managers show multiple new graphic security videos from the Capitol riot.

Full video: Impeachment managers show new graphic security footage of Capitol riot

https://www.nbcnews.com/video/full-video-impeachment-managers-show-new-graphic-security-footage-of-capitol-riot-100824645592

House impeachment managers presented newly-released security camera video showing the events of the pro-Trump Capitol riot unfolding from inside the building. 

The officer “fired his gun at two unarmed Latino men who were sitting in a car, posing no risk to anyone,” their lawyers said.

Video of off-duty officer shooting driver in Albany Park released by COPA – ABC7 Chicago

https://abc7chicago.com/10324866/

The officer “fired his gun at two unarmed Latino men who were sitting in a car, posing no risk to anyone,” their lawyers said.

2020: WTH was that?!

“You don’t care as much if it’s a ‘peaceful protest,'” DeSantis said. “You don’t care as much if they’re celebrating a Biden election. You only care about it if it’s people you don’t like. I’m a Bucs fan. I’m damn proud of what they did on Sunday night.”

Gov. Ron DeSantis defends crowds gathering after Super Bowl win

https://www.fox13news.com/news/gov-ron-desantis-defends-crowds-gathering-after-super-bowl-win

“You only care about it if it’s people you don’t like,” DeSantis said.

Snapchat is dishing out $1m for the best clips

Indiana reported 1,452 new COVID-19 cases and 52 deaths Wednesday.

Indiana COVID Update: IN reports 1,452 new COVID-19 cases, 52 coronavirus deaths – ABC7 Chicago

https://abc7chicago.com/10326365/

Indiana reported 1,452 new COVID-19 cases and 52 deaths Wednesday.

The description by Trump’s defense attorneys in advance of his Senate impeachment trial conflicts with the timeline of events on Jan. 6 and the accounts of people around him that day.


https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-actions-capitol-attacks/2021/02/09/6dada250-6a3b-11eb-9ead-673168d5b874_story.html

Fans of Morgan Wallen are buying up the country star’s latest album after a video showed him shouting a racial slur last week.

Album sales surge for country star Morgan Wallen after racist comment

https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/album-sales-surge-for-country-star-morgan-wallen-after-racist-comment

The country music industry acted quickly to condemn singer Morgan Wallen after he made a racist comment, and radio stations removed his songs from their playlists. But fans responded by playing him even more.

JUST IN: Republican Rep. Ron Wright of Texas has died, his congressional office announces, saying that he had been admitted to the hospital after contracting Covid-19.

Ron Wright, GOP congressman, dies following Covid diagnosis – CNNPolitics

https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/08/politics/ron-wright-congressman-dies/index.html

Republican Rep. Ron Wright of Texas has died, his congressional office announced in a statement Monday, saying that he had been admitted to the hospital after contracting Covid-19.

At least are 19 people have died and more than 200 are missing following a glacier collapse in India. “This looks very much like a climate change event as the glaciers are melting,” a leading scientist says.

India's glacier collapse: At least 19 dead, more than 200 missing

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/india-s-glacier-collapse-least-are-19-dead-more-200-n1256987

“This looks very much like a climate change event as the glaciers are melting,” a leading scientist said.

Sec. Blinken says the US is rejoining the UN Human Rights Council, reversing yet another of the Trump admin.’s moves to exit multilateral organizations and pacts.

Biden administration to rejoin U.N. Human Rights Council in another reversal of Trump

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/joe-biden/biden-administration-rejoin-u-n-human-rights-council-another-reversal-n1256997

The action is one of several undoing the Trump administration moves to pull the U.S. out of international agreements and organizations.

Bellwood police commander charged with possessing child pornJohn Trevarthen, 45, is charged with three felony counts of possession of child pornography, the DuPage County state’s attorney’s office said. 

Bellwood police commander charged with possessing child porn – Chicago Sun-Times

https://chicago.suntimes.com/2021/2/6/22270600/bellwood-police-commander-charged-possessing-child-porn

John Trevarthen, 45, is charged with three felony counts of possession of child pornography, the DuPage County state’s attorney’s office said.

Biden inherited a USPS crisis. Here’s how Democrats want to fix it.The nation’s mail service is slower and more erratic than it’s been in generations, fueling demands to reform the U.S. Postal Service. Congressional Democrats have discussed trying to force out Postmaster General Louis DeJoy and a maneuver to return $100 billion to the financially strapped agency.

President Biden says fmr. President Trump should not receive intelligence briefings due to his “erratic behavior,” even though they typically have been given to other former presidents.

Biden says Trump should not receive intelligence briefings due to his 'erratic behavior'

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/biden-says-trump-should-not-receive-intelligence-briefings-due-his-n1256918

“What impact does he have at all, other than the fact he might slip and say something?” Biden said during an interview with CBS News.

Fresh data obtained by the ABC7 I-Team reveals a huge increase in Cook County gun sales since the COVID-19 outbreak.

Cook County gun sales spike during COVID-19 pandemic, data shows – ABC7 Chicago

https://abc7chicago.com/10317548/?

Fresh data obtained by the ABC7 I-Team reveals a huge increase in Cook County gun sales since the COVID-19 outbreak.

A 19-year-old man facing murder and elder abuse charges over the death of 84-year-old Vicha Ratanapakdee has pleaded not guilty during his first court appearance at the Hall of Justice on Wednesday.

Teen Who Pushed Elderly Thai Man to His Death Pleads Not Guilty to Murder

https://www.yahoo.com/news/teen-pushed-elderly-thai-man-213530675.html

A 19-year-old man facing murder and elder abuse charges over the death of 84-year-old Vicha Ratanapakdee has pleaded not guilty during his first court appearance at the Hall of Justice on Wednesday. Details -> https://t.co/6Z5rqIQpcZ pic.twitter.com/PJnuuWgE3Y — Evan Sernoffsky (@EvanSernoffsky) February 1, 2021 Ratanapakdee, who was originally from Thailand, died from injuries on Saturday after being slammed into the ground by Antoine Watson, NextShark previously reported. Watson was arrested on Saturday for the seemingly unprovoked attack on Ratanapakdee, reports SF Examiner.

BREAKING: President Biden to end to American support for offensive operations in Yemen.

Reversing Trump foreign policy, Biden to end to U.S. support for offensive in Yemen

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/reversing-trump-foreign-policy-biden-end-u-s-support-offensive-n1256738

The president’s trip to the State Dept. is meant to signal his desire to bolster U.S. diplomacy, said National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.

BREAKING: Smartmatic, an international elections equipment company, sues Fox News for more than $2.7B over false reports it was part of a conspiracy to steal the 2020 election.

Fox News sued by Smartmatic for $2.7 billion over rigged election claims

https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/security/fox-news-sued-smartmatic-2-7-billion-over-rigged-election-n1256759

The suit names Fox News, network personalities Lou Dobbs, Maria Bartiromo and Jeanine Pirro, and Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell.

BREAKING: Impeachment managers request former President Trump testify under oath at Senate trial.

Impeachment manager requests Trump testify under oath at Senate trial

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-impeachment-inquiry/impeachment-managers-request-trump-testify-under-oath-senate-trial-n1256751

Trump’s Senate trial is scheduled to begin next week.

Corrections and clarifications: A federal magistrate has not granted permission for Jenny Cudd to leave the country, as indicated in a previous version of this story.A woman accused of participating in the riot Jan. 6 at the U.S. Capitol asked a federal judge for permission to leave the country on vacation this month.

Capitol riot suspect asks court's permission to vacation in Mexico

https://www.yahoo.com/news/capitol-rioter-asks-courts-permission-205803111.html

Texas florist Jenny Cudd, who took part in the Capitol riot Jan. 6, asked for permission to travel to Mexico for a work retreat this month.

Jeff Bezos says he will step down as CEO of Amazon.

Jeff Bezos steps down as Amazon CEO

https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/jeff-bezos-steps-down-amazon-ceo-n1256540

Andy Jassy, the chief executive of Amazon Web Services, will take over as CEO of Amazon.

JUST IN: Several FBI agents shot while serving a warrant at a home in Sunrise, Florida, per law enforcement officials; unclear how many agents were shot or extent of injuries; suspect was wanted on charges of violent crimes against children, officials say.

Several FBI agents shot while serving warrant at Florida home

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/shooting-florida-home-fbi-agents-serve-warrant-n1256451

Sunrise police said the suspect was barricaded inside the home.