Presented by The AIDS Institute Welcome to The Hill’s Morning Report. Today is Friday and the last one in February! We get you up to speed on the most important developments in politics and policy, plus trends to watch. Alexis Simendinger and Al Weaver are the co-creators. Readers can find us on Twitter @asimendinger and @alweaver22. Please recommend the Morning Report to friends and let us know what you think. CLICK HERE to subscribe! Total U.S. coronavirus deaths each morning this week: Monday, 498,901; Tuesday, 500,310; Wednesday, 502,660; Thursday, 505,890; Friday, 508,307. House Democrats today are expected to pass legislation that would spend nearly $2 trillion to tackle the coronavirus crisis with direct payments to Americans and money for schools to reopen, small business loans and extended unemployment benefits for some of the 10 million people who are struggling without paychecks. Passage will give President Biden Joe Biden Biden 'disappointed' in Senate parliamentarian ruling but 'respects' decision Taylor Swift celebrates House passage of Equality Act Donald Trump Jr. calls Bruce Springsteen's dropped charges 'liberal privilege' MORE ’s 100-day agenda a significant, but short-lived boost as the narrowly divided Senate next week will start to wrestle with the mammoth measure. Most if not all House Republicans are expected to oppose the Democrats’ bill today. The White House has approached Biden’s ambition to enact a stimulus sized to the national emergency as a public relations and lobbying challenge, fast-tracked with a budgetary tool that clears a path for Senate passage with 50 votes, plus support from Vice President Harris . Bloomberg News describes the administration’s focus on building public support for the relief bill in 13 targeted states, including Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Georgia and Arizona. Biden, through a spokeswoman, said he was “disappointed” that the ...
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Paoletta: Amazon Prime Cancels Justice Clarence Thomas Documentary During Black History Month
Amazon showed it has its limits when it comes to its dedication to diversity and inclusion when it failed to continue streaming a critically acclaimed and popular documentary on the only black Supreme Court justice during Black History Month. Recently, Amazon Prime dropped Created Equal: Clarence Thomas in His Own Words , an acclaimed and popular PBS documentary on Justice Clarence Thomas, making it unavailable to stream during Black History Month. Thomas is our nation’s only black justice currently serving on the U.S. Supreme Court, and one would think that between Amazon’s claim to “building an inclusive culture” and the fact that it’s Black History Month, Amazon would want to stream this inspiring documentary on its platform. In fact, Amazon Prime created an entire Amplify Black Voices page on its site that “feature[s] a curated collection of titles to honor Black History Month across four weekly themes (Black Love, Black Joy, Black History Makers, and Black Girl Magic).” There are scores of films available to stream, including four films available on the Amazon Prime site to stream (two docudramas and two documentaries) on Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, a liberal icon and our nation’s first black Supreme Court justice. There are even two films (one docudrama and one documentary) on Anita Hill, who came forward during Thomas’ confirmation hearing to claim that Thomas had sexually harassed her. (Hill’s story never added up and, and as reflected in a NY Times /CBS News poll after the Senate confirmation hearings, American men and women believed Thomas by a 2-1 margin.) Amazon has made a significant effort to celebrate black voices on its site during Black History Month, including films of Thurgood Marshall and even Anita Hill, but can’t find any space for a documentary on our only sitting black Supreme Court justice? This makes no sense at all, other than Amazon made a decision to not show this film because Justice Thomas is a black ...
Tracy Morgan Gets Real On Crash That Nearly Took His Life, Appearing In ‘Coming To America 2’
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Laughter, someone once said, is the best medicine for what ails you. We all could use a smile these days and the new film “Coming To America 2” hopes to help out where it can. Comedian Tracy Morgan makes it his life’s work to make people smile. He continues to do so after his life came so close to being cut short. He’s part of the cast of the new film and he can’t wait for you to see it. READ MORE: Cherry Hill School District Psychologist Francesca Aldrich Helping Inspire, Connect Students Through Virtual Black History Month Book Club After 30 years, original cast favorites and many talented newcomers, including Morgan, pick up the, in my humble opinion, hilarious storyline. Morgan was also very happy to work with his Saturday Night Live alum colleague and dear friend Eddie Murphy. As a matter of fact, Murphy’s wheels started turning for a sequel in 2015. That’s the year he returned to Saturday Night Live for the first time in over 30 years. “You know, he did the 40th anniversary, he came back to SNL, that was the year I got hit by a truck,” Morgan said. Morgan was involved in a rear-end tractor-trailer crash on the New Jersey Turnpike. One of his friends, a comedy writer, was killed. Morgan sustained life-threatening injuries — he knows he’s blessed and a feeling of giving up was not an option. “At that moment when it first happened, when I didn’t see any hope, when I couldn’t walk, before they taught me to stand up and sit down again, you don’t feel that way. But as the months and months and months went by, part of my therapy was seeing TV and seeing my friends and saying if I’m coming back. I said I’m going back, I wanna go back.” And he did, with his journey culminating to date with a call from Murphy about a new movie. “Yo, I’m in, let me tell you what I’m in. I don’t care what you doing, I’m in,” Morgan recalls thinking. READ MORE: Mr. Potato Head Drops 'Mister' From Brand Name To Be More Gender Neutral In for the ...
Annika Sorenstam’s return to golf brings ‘Tiger feeling’ after 13-year absence
(CNN) After 13 years away from the LPGA Tour, the return of Annika Sorenstam to the course definitely had her competitors fired up. The 10-time major winner, who retired from golf in 2008, announced earlier this month that she was to make her comeback at the Gainbridge LPGA Championship which began on Thursday. Sorenstam shot a 75 in her return, and just the sight of the 50-year-old hitting shots and striding down the fairways had some of the younger players in awe. READ: Grief over her father's death helped drive golfer Danielle Kang to major success Sorenstam hits a shot from the 12th tee during the first round of the Gainbridge LPGA Championship. Patty Tavatanakit -- who won Sorenstam's college event in Minnesota -- said it felt like "a Tiger feeling a little bit" having her back, while Gaby Lopez called it a "dream come true" to be in the same field as her. Read More "Just being with her gave me this kind of peaceful environment and just reminded me of how blessed and how thankful I am to have this opportunity to be able to compete with her, just because I remember the seven-year-old Gaby chasing her down the golf course to get a signed golf ball," the Mexican golfer told the media afterwards. "Her role in this game, at this time of her career, I guess, is just keep inspiring girls. I played with her at Diamond Resorts, and I can tell that you she's still as competitive as probably when she was 20 years ago. "You can see that her short game; putting is still on. That's something that she has in her veins and is going to shine forever. She said that she's probably not hitting it as far or straight as she was before, but at the end of the day, I'm going to say it again: she's my superhero. Her and Lorena are probably why I'm here. Being able to share this with them, with her specifically, is just unbelievable." Sorenstam stepped away from golf in 2008 to start a family. And with her children Will and ...
