Biden’s Cabinet could become the first in U.S. history to have more women than men.
President Joe Biden on Tuesday signed four executive actions pertaining to racial equity, including phasing out the use of private prisons at the federal level. "We have never fully lived up to the founding principles of this nation, to state the obvious, that all people are created equal and have a right to be treated equally throughout their lives," Biden said just before signing the actions. Biden signed an order directing the attorney general to not renew contracts the Department of Justice has with privately-operated criminal detention facilities.
All travelers flying into the U.S. must now provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test, taken no more than three days before their flight, or they will be denied boarding. The order was initially announced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Jan. 12 and formalized in an executive order President Joe Biden signed last week. International travel is still down considerably compared to last year, but there was an uptick in Americans flying to beach locales like Mexico that did not require them to quarantine upon arrival.
On the campaign trail, Joe Biden guaranteed his White House would "look like the country." As he enters the White House, he's taken steps towards keeping that promise -- assembling a historically diverse slate of top-level nominees. Half of the president's Cabinet picks are women and the majority are people of color.
The acting chief of the Capitol Police apologized to lawmakers in a closed-door briefing on Tuesday for not being more prepared for the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. "Let me be clear: the Department should have been more prepared for this attack," acting Chief Yogananda Pittman told the House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday, in opening remarks obtained by ABC News. Pittman confirmed that the panel supervising the Department, the Capitol Police Board, rejected a request from then-Capitol Police chief Steven Sund two days before the riot for National Guard troops.
The Norwegian Data Protection Authority said in a statement Tuesday that it's notified Grindr of its intent to fine the company 100 million Norwegian krone (approximately $11.7 million). The agency said Grindr has the opportunity to comment until Feb. 15, and then it will make its final decision. The regulators accuse Grindr of illegally sharing users' personal data from the free version of the app with third parties for marketing purposes.
Adidas introduced its debut maternity collection featuring performance tops and tights for women throughout all stages of pregnancy. Expertly created, the new Adidas maternity collection was created closely with women at different trimesters and includes lightweight, high-stretch fabric around the stomach and chest areas, allowing the activewear to be worn throughout pregnancy as well as postpartum. Retailing between $25-$45, key pieces from the Adidas maternity activewear collection include the Adidas Maternity 7/8 Tight which has a tailored waistband and lighter fabric to minimize pressure on the belly.
Antony Blinken, a longtime aide to Joe Biden and former deputy Secretary of State, has been confirmed by the Senate to be America's next top diplomat. Blinken, confirmed on Tuesday 78-22, takes over an agency beleaguered by budget cuts and low morale, but has vowed to reinvest in American diplomacy. The former second-in-command at the agency is a longtime aide to Biden -- a close personal relationship that will be key to effectively speaking on behalf of the president while overseas.
Top EU officials have expressed "deep dissatisfaction" and mulled legal action against the British-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, after reports emerged over the weekend that the vaccine supplier would provide 60% less doses in the first quarter of 2021 to the 27-state bloc. The row emerged when a senior European official told Reuters that the company was experiencing production problems, and that they had informed the EU that only 31 million COVID-19 vaccines would be supplied to the EU by the end of March. The vaccine, developed by the University of Oxford, has not yet been approved by the European Medicines Agency.
"Bachelorette" alum Dale Moss is setting the record straight about the end of his engagement with former fiancee Clare Crawley. The former NFL star took to his Instagram stories Monday and opened up about his heartbreak, saying he now feels more "comfortable" talking about it. After taking "some time to process everything," Moss said he's been forcing a smile ever since ending things with Crawley.
Federal authorities are continuing to charge rioters who took part in the siege on Capitol Hill on Jan. 6. The Justice Department filed charges Jan. 25 against a New York man who allegedly posted a selfie video to his Facebook showing him smoking what appeared to be a marijuana cigarette in the Capitol, according to the FBI affidavit.
President Joe Biden's administration announced Monday it plans to revitalize the effort to put Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill. "It's important that our notes -- our money -- reflect the history and diversity of our country, and Harriet Tubman's image gracing the new $20 note would certainly reflect that," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said at a White House press briefing Monday. Psaki noted the U.S. Treasury Department -- led in the Biden administration by a woman, Janet Yellen, for the first time in history -- has already picked back up the effort to put Tubman -- an African American woman celebrated for her work freeing enslaved people during the Civil War -- on new $20 bills, an effort that was delayed under former President Donald Trump.
Vanessa Bryant paid tribute to her late husband Kobe Bryant and daughter Gianna on the one-year anniversary of their deaths on Tuesday. The Lakers legend, his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and seven others died in a helicopter crash in Southern California on Jan. 26, 2020. The other victims of the crash included college baseball coach John Altobelli, his wife Keri Altobelli and their daughter Alyssa; girls' basketball coach Christina Mauser; Sarah Chester and her daughter Payton; and the pilot Ara Zobayan.
NBA great Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna were just two of the nine people who lost their lives in the Jan. 26, 2020, helicopter crash in Southern California. Bryant and his daughter were headed to a game at his Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks along with others connected to the basketball program.
A connection between mental health and heart health has been confirmed by the American Heart Association. The AHA cites a "growing body of research" that shows good mental health can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and improve overall heart health in its statement, published Monday in the medical journal Circulation. "There is increasing evidence that psychological health may be causally linked to biological processes and behaviors that contribute to and cause CVD [cardiovascular disease]," the statement reads, in part.
Just a day after the attack on the U.S. Capitol, at the formal announcement of her nomination to assistant attorney general for civil rights, Kristen Clarke made it clear where she stands on hate and discrimination. "If I am fortunate enough to be confirmed, we will turn the page on hate and close the door on discrimination by enforcing our federal civil rights laws." If confirmed, Clarke -- through the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice -- will be at the center of issues like the rise of white nationalism, voting rights, immigrant rights, criminal justice reform and so much more.
A trip to space for private travel may soon be a reality. Axiom Space announced on Tuesday that it will be launching private citizens into space next year for spaceflight. Commanding the first flight will be decorated former NASA astronaut, Michael Lopez-Alegria, who holds two NASA records for spacewalks.
Emotions ran high on "The Bachelor" as five new women joined the remaining 18 ladies hoping to win Matt's heart on Monday's all-new episode. Elsewhere, Chelsea opened up to Matt during a group date about the insecurities she experienced as a Black woman growing up around mostly white women, particularly regarding her hair, which she started chemically straightening when she was 2. Brittany -- made up for "lost time" and made out with Matt, from Chicago.
A Texas teenager who alerted federal authorities about his father's alleged role in the Jan. 6 siege on the U.S. Capitol says he wants others to know that "it's OK to come forward." "I want people to know how awful this political strain can be on certain people," Jackson Reffitt, 18, told ABC News' T.J. Holmes in an interview airing Tuesday on "Good Morning America." The Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested Jackson's father, Guy Reffitt, at their home in Wylie, Texas, northeast of Dallas, on Jan. 15.
Several storms moving through the country are bringing tornadoes, heavy snow, freezing rain, flooding and hail. There are 31 states on alert this morning for variety of dangerous weather stretching from California to Massachusetts. The same storm that hit the Midwest overnight with heavy snow and ice also produced at least one tornado north of Birmingham, Alabama, with major damage to homes, and buildings.
Jane Fonda will receive the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the 2021 Golden Globes, the Hollywood Foreign Press announced Tuesday. The 83-year-old actress and activist, who has won seven Golden Globes out of her 15 nominations, will be honored during the 78th annual ceremony on Sunday, Feb. 28. "The Hollywood Foreign Press Association takes great pride in bestowing the 2021 Cecil B. de Mille Award to Jane Fonda," said HFPA president Ali Sar in a press release.
