Monday, February 22, 2021

And another day of Supreme Court action, a nominee’s priority, learning the TX AG went to Utah, that teachers may play a role in transmission, a $1.3 billion defamation lawsuit, and video and sounds from Mars comes to a close:

“We often hear people described as ordinary Americans. There's no such thing. There's nothing ordinary about them. The people we’ve lost to COVID-19 were extraordinary.” -- President Joe Biden

Deaths

US: 512,590 (+1457)

World: 2,485,364 (+7529)

Cases

US: 28,826,307 (+60,884)

World: 112,261,327 (+305,911)

Supreme Court won’t halt turnover of Trump’s tax records. Trump’s tax records are not supposed to become public as part of prosecutors’ criminal investigation, but the high court’s action is a blow to Trump because he has long fought on so many fronts to keep his tax records shielded from view. The ongoing investigation that the records are part of could also become an issue for Trump in his life after the presidency. Trump has called it “a fishing expedition” and “a continuation of the witch hunt — the greatest witch hunt in history.”

Supreme Court won't review Pennsylvania GOP election lawsuit. The Supreme Court on Monday declined to review a series of challenges by Pennsylvania Republicans to the state’s expansive mail voting policy.

Justice Clarence Thomas reveals some sympathy for Trump's baseless fraud claims. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas on Monday claimed election fraud is a threat to America, revealing in a forceful dissent some support for former President Donald Trump and Republicans who have refused to accept the result of the 2020 election. A longtime conservative, Thomas' legal views naturally aligned with the Trump administration. But his dissent stands out for how much it subscribed to the Trump worldview of fraud, a notion debunked by election law experts and that has failed overwhelmingly in dozens of state and federal court challenges.

Supreme Court agrees to hear challenge to Trump administration's public charge rule. The Supreme Court agreed on Monday to take up a case brought by various groups and state and local officials challenging a Trump-era rule that makes it more difficult for immigrants to obtain legal status if they use public benefits, such as Medicaid, food stamps and housing vouchers.

AG nominee Garland vows Capitol riot will be top priority. Merrick Garland, President Joe Biden’s attorney general nominee, vowed Monday to prioritize combating extremist violence and said his first focus would be on the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol as he sought to assure lawmakers that the Justice Department would remain politically independent on his watch.

Texas attorney general and wife went to Utah amid deadly winter storm that left millions without power.

Teachers may play role in in-school COVID-19 transmission: U.S. CDC.

Dominion has filed a $1.3 billion defamation lawsuit against MyPillow Inc. and its CEO Mike Lindell — saying Lindell knowingly spread disinformation and a false conspiracy that its voting machines rigged the 2020 election.

Stevie Wonder is moving to Ghana. He added, "I don't want to see my children's children's children have to say, 'Oh please like me. Please respect me, please know that I am important, please value me.' What is that?"

German rock band Milliarden is playing gigs for one fan at a time in a van which they have converted into a club. The vehicle is ventilated and disinfected between gigs which last about 25 minutes each.

Nasa releases video of Perseverance rover landing on Mars. Space agency also reveals audio recorded by Perseverance on surface of the red planet

Life’s short. Live, love, create, and help others.

Until next time, my friends. Stay safe and stay sane. Good night.