The Biden administration says the US is willing to sit down for talks with Tehran and other signatories to the Iran nuclear deal.
It’s a significant move meant to break an impasse between the two nations,
given that neither the US nor Iran had taken any real steps yet to salvage the agreement (
which the US abandoned during the Trump administration). Fino ad ora,
both sides had insisted that the other act first.
It’s one of several such efforts that the Biden government unveiled Thursday to jumpstart diplomacy. Ancora,
it’s unclear whether Iran would accept and a meeting has yet to be scheduled.
3. Coronavirus
The governors of some of the biggest US states are facing intense criticism over their leadership during the Covid-19 pandemic. California Gov.
Gavin Newsom is under fire for his restrictive stay-at-home orders that some say crippled the economy,
even as he attended a party in a fancy restaurant. New York Gov.
Andrew Cuomo is being panned for how he handled nursing home deaths.
And Florida Gov.
Ron DeSantis is facing accusations of political favoritism after a pop-up vaccination site was set up to serve affluent zip codes. Allo stesso tempo,
più di 1,500 cases of concerning variants have been reported in the US as vaccine efforts experience weather delays.
That means people will have to work “
double time”
to get vaccinations back on track,
says Dr. Anthony Fauci.
4. NASA
Perseveranza,
NASA’s most advanced rover to date, ha
flawlessly landed itself on Mars after a monthslong, 292.5
million-mile journey from Earth. “
Percy” —
as she is otherwise known —
sent back her first images immediately after touchdown,
showing her shadow on the surface of the landing site.
The rover is going to be exploring Jezero Crater,
the site of an ancient lake that existed 3.9
billion years ago,
and searching for microfossils in the rocks and soil there.
The mission is historic,
and might finally yield answers to the long-enduring question:
Was there ever life on Mars?
5. Rivolta del Campidoglio
Sei agenti della polizia del Campidoglio degli Stati Uniti sono stati sospesi con paga, e 29 altri sono stati posti sotto inchiesta,
over their actions in the January 6 sommossa, ha detto il dipartimento.
The announcement comes during a time of turmoil for the force,
as its officers continue to grapple with the events that led to the death of one of their colleagues.
Members of the Capitol Police issued a vote of no confidence in the department’s top leaders earlier this month.
At least seven officers in five other departments across the nation have also come under internal investigations as their presence in Washington during the assault comes to light through social media or other means.
And as those probes continue,
the number could grow..
And as those investigations continue,
the number could grow.
BREAKFAST BROWSE
Tim Tebow’s professional baseball career has come to an end
The 33-year-old former college and NFL quarterback announced he’s retiring from the sport.
Remember that proposal to have a statue of Dolly Parton erected at the Tennessee capitol?
Luke Combs is apologizing for past use of the Confederate flag
Il
country singer ha detto che aveva “
grown in my time as an artist”
and now hoped to use his platform for good.
An Indiana art museum posted a job listing seeking a director to uphold its ‘traditional, nucleo, pubblico d'arte bianca’
French bakers want UNESCO designation for baguetteS
PROFILES IN PERSEVERANCE
February is Black History Month, and every day we’re highlighting Black pioneers in American history. Learn more here.
Fritz Pollard, NFL player and coach, 1894-1986
A 5 piedi, 9 inches and 165 libbre, Pollard was small for football. Ancora, he bulldozed barriers on and off the field. He joined the Akron Pros of the American Professional Football Association, which later became the NFL. Nel 1921, while he was still a player, the team also named him its coach — the first African American head coach in league history. He would go on to coach four different teams and found a Chicago football team of all-African American players. Pollard was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2005.
TODAY’S NUMBER
10
That’s the number of countries that have administered 75% of the world’s available Covid-19 vaccine supply,
according to the UN. Più di 130
countries haven’t even received their first doses.
TODAY’S QUOTE
“Per troppo tempo, we have been waging a senseless and suicidal war on nature. The result is three interlinked environmental crises: climate disruption, biodiversity loss and pollution that threaten our viability as a species.”
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, on a new report about the health of the planet. Called “Making Peace With Nature,” it proposes a radical shift in the way mankind thinks about it.
TODAY’S WEATHER
AND FINALLY
‘Pretty much defying gravity’
This teenage girl is one of the world’s best indoor skydivers.
Watch her twirl her way through wind tunnels and be amazed. (
Click here to view.)