The telescope at the famous Arecibo Observatory, built in the 1960s, had already been badly damaged. It was featured in the movies ‘Golden Eye’ and ‘Contact.’
For decades, Margaret Court was the pride of Australia. Court -- now a Christian pastor -- is a vocal critic of transgender athletes and once called the teaching of LGBTQ content in schools the work “of the devil." Court, who collected her record haul of grand slam wins between 1961 and 1975, wrote an open letter in 2017 saying she would boycott airline Qantas over its support over same-sex marriage.
According to Southwest Airlines, emotional support animals will be banned from their flights from March 1, 2021. “With this revision, Southwest Airlines will only allow service dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a qualified individual with a disability to travel with the Customer,” Southwest Airlines said in a statement released on Monday evening. “The types of disability include a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability and only dogs will be accepted (including those for psychiatric service) — no other species will be accepted as a trained service animal.”
The Los Angeles County Fire Department has seen a dramatic decrease in its COVID-19 positivity rate since firefighters started getting vaccinated during the last week of December. Approximately 75% of the county’s firefighters, over 3000 people, have received their first dose of the vaccine. In December their COVID-19 positivity rate was 18%.
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.
President Joe Biden's embrace of bipartisanship has already faced its first test amid a tepid response from Republicans to his coronavirus relief proposals and the start of his predecessor's impeachment trial. Several moderate Republican and Democratic senators -- whose votes would be essential for passage of a massive spending package -- in recent days expressed concerns about the COVID-19 package's large price tag. The president's ability to sway them will show whether he can translate his decades of experience on Capitol Hill to his perch atop the executive branch.
From boosting your mental health to finding the tips and inspiration to become your strongest self, we have you covered. Jay Elle Alexander credits running with helping her lose 115 pounds. The 33-year-old mother of a 16-month-old son is now the CEO of Black Girls Run, an organization that encourages Black women to take charge of their health through running.
Former Trump White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders has officially announced she's running for governor of Arkansas in 2022 -- in what's slated to become one of the first tests of how much influence former President Donald Trump maintains over the Republican Party versus the GOP establishment. Sanders announced her run in a nearly eight-minute-long campaign video posted to her Twitter feed Monday morning, appearing to target disgruntled Trump supporters in her pitch. Sanders touted her tenure in the Trump administration and listed a few campaign promises throughout the video, including prohibiting sanctuary cities, expanding school choice, lowering income taxes and fighting back against "radical left" environmental policies like the Green New Deal.
Vanessa Bryant recently revealed new tattoos in honor of her late husband and daughter, Kobe and Gianna Bryant. In two Instagram posts Wednesday, the former NBA star's widow said the tattoos are messages her loved ones previously shared with her. "I wanted my boo boo’s @kobebryant sweet message transferred on me," she captioned a video of tattoo artist Nikko Hurtado giving her the ink.
Vanessa Bryant's birthday this year is beyond bittersweet. Tuesday marked Vanessa's first birthday since her husband, Kobe Bryant, and one of their daughters, Gianna Bryant, died in a tragic helicopter crash in late January. "The irony is that Kobe had a photo of me drawn with an Angel holding me up by an artist on the cover," Bryant continued.
A Tacoma Police Department officer who struck at least one pedestrian with his patrol car while trying to clear a crowded scene has been placed on administrative leave. Officers responded to the intersection of South 9th Street and Pacific Avenue in Tacoma around 6 p.m. Saturday night after receiving "numerous reports" of an incident that was occurring there, according to a police press release. When authorities arrived, there were several vehicles and about 100 people blocking the intersection, police said, but did not provide additional details on the incident.
In Arizona, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Florida -- states which have made some of their data publicly available -- voters were leaving the Republican Party. "It's definitely a trend and we noticed it right after -- on the 8th or 9th -- right after the insurrection on the 6th," Consuelo Kelly, the Broward County Supervisor of Elections communications director, told ABC News on Saturday about the changes in Florida. The numbers are minuscule in the grand scheme of things -- a few thousand voters here or there doesn't make much of a dent in the Republican Party's voter base nationwide.
After nearly two months, California health officials announced Monday they ended their latest stay-at-home order, citing increased Intensive Care Unit capacity. The new guidelines will allow certain businesses to reopen, including outdoor dining and gyms, with strict restrictions on the maximum number of people allowed, according to the California Department of Public Health. Officials and health experts warned that the state, which still has a 14-day average for hospitalizations over 20,000, is not out of the woods and people need to remain cautious.
Federal authorities are continuing to charge rioters who took part in the siege on Capitol Hill on Jan. 6. A California man who allegedly stole documents, including a letter signed by former President Donald Trump, from the desk of then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has been charged for participating in the Capitol riot. In federal court documents, prosecutors cite a video where Tommy Allan can allegedly be heard saying he stole the documents from McConnell's desk in the Senate chamber.
Five new contestants are joining this season of "The Bachelor" in the hopes of ending up with Matt James. Having premiered Jan. 4, this season began with 32 hopefuls competing for James' heart. James, a real estate broker, entrepreneur and community organization founder, made history last year when he was announced as the franchise's first Black Bachelor.
Juan Carlos Flores was on his delivery route in Houston on Monday when he found a 5-month-old baby abandoned on the side of a road after an apparent carjacking. With the help of nearby residents, Flores was able to reunite the kidnapped baby with his mother.
The Puerto Rican government responded this weekend to the plea of thousands who have asked the island's leaders to address the ongoing crisis of gender violence. Newly sworn-in Gov. Pedro Pierluisi signed an executive order Sunday declaring a state of emergency that would allocate resources to deal with gender violence in Puerto Rico. "Gender violence is a social evil, based on ignorance and attitudes that cannot have space or tolerance in the Puerto Rico that we aspire to," Pierluisi said in a news release.
Indianapolis police announced Monday they have arrested a juvenile suspect in connection with a mass shooting that claimed the lives of five people, including a pregnant teen. A boy suffered a gunshot wound and was taken to a nearby hospital, police said. Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Chief Randall Taylor called the incident the city’s "largest mass casualty shooting in over a decade."
President Joe Biden has signed an executive order that lifts the Pentagon's ban on transgender people serving in the military. It had been put in place by the Trump administration. At a signing ceremony in the Oval Office, Biden said the order reinstates "a position that the previous commanders and, as well, as the secretaries have supported."
To honor the 20th anniversary of her sophomore album, 'J.Lo,' Jennifer Lopez decided to recreate a little snippet of the music video for the album's lead single, "Love Don't Cost a Thing." Over the weekend, the singer took to social media to share a video of her on the beach. In the clip, she reenacts the scene from the music video where she walks toward the camera and starts tossing all of her "bling."
Ohio Republican Sen. Rob Portman announced Monday that he will not seek re-election in 2022 and instead will retire at the end of his term, citing the "increasingly polarized" nature of politics as his decision not to run. “I don’t think any Senate office has been more successful in getting things done, but honestly, it has gotten harder and harder to break through the partisan gridlock and make progress on substantive policy, and that has contributed to my decision," Portman, said. Portman elaborated on his decision at a press conference in Cincinnati Monday morning, speaking to both the length of his service and the increasing partisanship in Congress.
