Yahoo Movies Powerful quakes rock the Pacific
A magnitude 8.1 earthquake struck off the coast of New Zealand. LSU banned a former coach from contacting female students. And what could states ditching mask mandates mean for the rest of the United States?
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3 powerful earthquakes hit off coast of New Zealand: Tsunami threat remains
Several powerful earthquakes hit near the coast of New Zealand Thursday night and Friday morning, prompting tsunami warnings for New Zealand and tsunami watches for Hawai'i. The most powerful was a magnitude 8.1 quake (that’s quite large) that hit some 600 miles off of New Zealand on Friday morning, the U.S. Geological Survey said. There were no immediate reports of serious damage or casualties. Following the 8.1 quake, civil defense authorities in New Zealand said a damaging tsunami was possible. Hawaii was under a tsunami watch. “A tsunami may have been generated by this earthquake that could be destructive on coastal areas even far from the epicenter,” the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said. I texted my dad in Hawai’i to warn him about the tsunami, and he replied: “Put my floaties on.”
Good thing it's National Reading Month 📚
Netflix break, anyone? The Senate voted Thursday afternoon to begin debate on President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 bill. However, Sen. Ron Johnson forced the Senate to read the entire bill (literally, hundreds of pages) aloud on the Senate floor. The entire process could take at least 10 hours. Johnson said his tactic was about “educating” the American public on what was in the $1.9 trillion package, which he has derided as full of provisions unrelated to COVID-19 relief. Once the reading of the hundreds of pages of the legislation is complete, the Senate will start 20 hours of debate on the bill, aiming to pass it by the end of the week. Democrats aim to move the bill through Congress by March 14, when a federal boost to unemployment benefits expires.
Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill, U.S. Capitol Police were bracing for a “possible plot to breach the Capitol by an unidentified militia group.” National Guard troops formed a visible presence at the U.S. Capitol complex on Thursday with hundreds of troops unloading from a dozen large tour buses while carting long rifles, helmets and backpacks.
How much money will your state get if Biden's COVID-19 relief bill passes?
What everyone’s talking about
The National Park Service said they believe they have found the body of a missing Kentucky man 465 feet below the Grand Canyon rim.
Victims in the deadly California crash were from Mexico and Guatemala. Officials suspect they entered the U.S. illegally.
George Floyd's brutal death sparked a racial justice reckoning. One officer involved goes on trial this month. What you should know.
SpaceX’s futuristic Starship looked like it aced a touchdown on Wednesday, but then it exploded on the landing pad.
LSU banned coach Les Miles from contacting female students
An internal investigation at Louisiana State University found that former football coach Les Miles was caught texting female students on a burner cellphone and making sexual advances toward them. The investigation, done by an outside law firm on behalf of LSU in 2013, did not find that Miles had sexual relationships with any of the women, but it found his behavior inappropriate. As a result of the investigation’s findings, the university prohibited Miles from having one-to-one contact with student employees and required him to use his LSU-issued cellphone for communication with employees. The allegations against Miles – now head coach at the University of Kansas – were first made public after USA TODAY sued for the records in January.
Mask, or no mask? (Mask, please)
Alabama, Mississippi, Texas, Montana and Iowa are ditching mask mandates and COVID-19 restrictions to the dismay of public health experts. What could that mean for the rest of the United States? Like so much with the pandemic, the path ahead is unclear. Nationally, the number of COVID-19 cases has steadily declined over the months. But the notion of easing precautions "just feels like so the wrong time," said Eric Rubin, an infectious diseases specialist, and puts the rest of the country at risk for continued spread.
While some local mayors are telling residents to ignore the words of their state governors, families are now tasked with making their own choices of whether to wear masks or go to restaurants. The mixed messaging has become another unfortunate reality of COVID-19's impact. "The part that doesn't make any sense at all is the masking part," Rubin said. "There's no economic reason to not wear masks ever."
Three out of 4 Texas medical advisers say they were not consulted before Gov. Greg Abbott lifted the mask mandate.
Real quick
A "gobsmacking" number of students in need aren’t applying to college. Are we missing "an entire generation"?
"People came forward": The harassment allegations against Gov. Andrew Cuomo show the success of #MeToo and the challenges ahead.
Supreme Court rules against immigrant who was denied a chance to make his case against deportation.
Daisy Ridley reveals her initial "heart-pounding" reaction to Twitter spat with Ted Cruz.
Get well soon, Prince Philip
Prince Philip has had a successful heart procedure at a London hospital, Buckingham Palace said Thursday. The palace says the 99-year-old Duke of Edinburgh, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II, “underwent a successful procedure for a preexisting heart condition.” The elderly royal, who has been hospitalized since Feb. 16, is expected to remain at St Bartholomew’s Hospital for treatment and rest for a few days. The longest-serving royal consort in British history has had heart issues in the past. In 2011, he was rushed to a hospital by helicopter after suffering chest pains and was treated for a blocked coronary artery.
Duchess Meghan questions the palace's role in "perpetuating falsehoods" about the couple in Oprah Winfrey promo.
A break from the news (but not streaming)
Paramount Plus, the latest streaming service from ViacomCBS, is finally here. The service is available starting at $5.99 a month.
Fast Laughs: Netflix launches short-form video feature similar to TikTok.
Spring TV preview: Five new TV shows worth your time, from "Aretha" to "Shadow and Bone."
Women's History Month: Shout out to Jeannette Rankin
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: New Zealand earthquake, COVID-19 relief, LSU, Prince Philip: Thursday's news
