Author: CNN

Here is a look at the life of US President Joe Biden.

Birth date: November 20, 1942

Birth place: Scranton, Pennsylvania

Birth name: Joseph Robinette Biden Jr.

Father: Joseph Robinette Biden Sr., car salesman

Mother: Catherine Eugenia (Finnegan) Biden

Marriages: Jill (Jacobs) Biden (June 17, 1977-present); Neilia (Hunter) Biden (August 27, 1966-December 18, 1972, her death)

Children: with Jill Biden: Ashley; with Neilia Biden: Naomi Christina, Robert Hunter, Joseph Robinette “Beau” III

Education: University of Delaware, B.A., 1965; Syracuse University Law School, J.D., 1968

Religion: Roman Catholic

Had a stuttering problem as a child.

Biden’s son, Beau Biden, was the attorney general of Delaware.

Delaware’s longest serving senator.

1968-1970 – Defense attorney for criminal cases in Wilmington, Delaware.

1970-1972 – Serves on the New Castle County Council in Delaware.

1972 – Is first elected to the Senate at age 29, defeating Republican Senator J. Caleb Boggs. Wins reelection in 1978, 1984, 1990, 1996 and 2002.

December 18, 1972 – While Christmas shopping, Biden’s first wife, Neilia Hunter Biden, and daughter, Naomi Biden, are killed in a car accident. His sons are badly injured, but survive.

January 5, 1973 – Is sworn in as US senator of Delaware at son Beau Biden’s bedside in the hospital.

1987-1995 – Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary.

June 9, 1987 – Enters the 1988 presidential race, but drops out three months later following reports of plagiarism and false claims about his academic record.

February 1988 – Undergoes surgery to repair an aneurysm in an artery that supplies blood to the brain.

January 20, 1990 – Introduces a bill that becomes the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). The act addresses sexual assault and domestic violence. It is signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1994.

2001-2003 – Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

2002 – Votes to authorize military intervention in Iraq, but later becomes a vocal critic of the conflict.

2007-2009 – Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

January 31, 2007 – Files a statement of candidacy with the Federal Elections Commission to run for president.

August 1, 2007 – His memoir, “Promises to Keep: On Life and Politics,” is published.

January 3, 2008 – Announces his withdrawal from the presidential race.

August 23, 2008 – Is named the vice-presidential running mate of Barack Obama.

November 4, 2008 – Is elected vice president of the United States.

January 15, 2009 – Resigns from the US Senate.

January 20, 2009 – Is sworn in as vice president of the United States.

February 7, 2009 – Delivers his first major speech as vice president at a security conference in Germany.

September 1, 2010 – Presides over a ceremony in Iraq to formally mark the end of the US combat mission in Iraq.

November 6, 2012 – Obama and Biden are reelected, defeating Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan.

January 20, 2013 – Is sworn in for his second term as vice president of the United States.

October 2, 2014 – Speaking at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, Biden tells attendees that ISIS has been inadvertently strengthened by actions taken by Turkey, the UAE and other Middle Eastern allies to help opposition groups fighting against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

October 4, 2014 – Biden speaks by telephone with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan regarding remarks made at the John F. Kennedy School of Government. He apologizes “for any implication that Turkey or other allies and partners in the region had intentionally supplied or facilitated the growth of ISIL or other violent extremists in Syria.”

May 30, 2015 – Biden’s eldest son, Beau Biden, passes away from brain cancer at age 46.

October 21, 2015 – Says he will not seek the presidency, announcing that the window for a successful campaign “has closed.”

January 12, 2017 – Obama surprises Biden by presenting him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, during a White House ceremony.

February 1, 2017 – Biden and his wife, Jill Biden, launch the Biden Foundation, an organization that will work on seven issues: foreign policy; Biden’s cancer initiative; community colleges and military families; protecting children; equality; ending violence against women; and strengthening the middle class.

February 7, 2017 – Is named the Benjamin Franklin presidential practice professor at the University of Pennsylvania, where he will lead the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement. He will also serve as the founding chair of the University of Delaware’s Biden Institute, the university announces.

March 1, 2017 – Biden receives the Congressional Patriot Award from the Bipartisan Policy Center. He receives the honor in recognition of his work crafting bipartisan legislation with Republicans and Democrats.

November 14, 2017 – Biden’s memoir, “Promise Me Dad: A Year of Hope, Hardship, and Purpose,” is published.

March 26, 2019 – At an event in New York, Biden says that Anita Hill “paid a terrible price” when she testified in 1991 that she had been sexually harassed by now-Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, adding that he regrets he didn’t give Hill the “hearing she deserved.” As the Senate Judiciary Committee chairman at that time, Biden presided over Thomas’ confirmation hearings.

March 29, 2019 – Lucy Flores, the former Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor of Nevada, makes allegations against Biden in an essay for The Cut, an arm of New York magazine, writing that Biden made her feel “uneasy, gross, and confused” in 2014 when, at a campaign rally in Nevada, she says he kissed her on the back of the head.

March 31, 2019 – “In my many years on the campaign trail and in public life, I have offered countless handshakes, hugs, expressions of affection, support and comfort,” Biden says in a statement. “And not once – never – did I believe I acted inappropriately. If it is suggested I did so, I will listen respectfully. But it was never my intention.”

April 3, 2019 – Biden releases a video on Twitter, saying that he will be “more mindful about respecting personal space in the future.” The video comes in the wake of multiple allegations he made women feel uncomfortable in their encounters, including a woman claiming Biden made her feel uncomfortable at a 2009 Connecticut fundraiser. Two additional women, including Alexandra “Tara” Reade, also told the New York Times that Biden made them feel uneasy by the way he touched them.

April 25, 2019 – Announces he is running for president in a campaign video posted to social media. Hours later, the Biden Foundation board chair, Ted Kaufman, announces the immediate suspension of all the organization’s operations.

June 6, 2019 – Biden announces that he has changed his mind on the Hyde Amendment, dropping his long-held support for a measure that blocks federal funds for most abortions. He says his decision was driven by a wave of state laws restricting the procedure.

October 23, 2019 – Biden’s campaign signals that it is dropping its objection to the creation of an outside group to defend against attacks from President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign.

March 25, 2020 – Reade says on a podcast that Joe Biden sexually assaulted her in 1993 while she was an aide in his Senate office.

May 1, 2020 – During an interview on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, Biden denies allegations made by Reade that he sexually assaulted her, stating “I am saying unequivocally. It never, never happened, and it didn’t.” Biden’s campaign also releases a 21-paragraph statement addressing the allegations. Biden also sends a letter to the secretary of the Senate requesting the release of any documents related to a sexual assault allegation made by Reade.

August 11, 2020 – Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, names Kamala Harris as his running mate.

November 7, 2020 – Days after the election on November 3, CNN projects Biden is elected the 46th president of the United States.

November 24, 2020 – Biden becomes the first presidential candidate to win more than 80 million votes.

November 29, 2020 – Biden’s doctor says that Biden has hairline fractures in his foot and will “likely require a walking boot for several weeks” after he slipped while playing with his dog, Major.

January 20, 2021 – Takes the oath of office from Chief Justice John Roberts during an inauguration ceremony at the Capitol and delivers an inaugural address focusing on unity. Later in the day, Biden signs 17 executive actions, including halting border wall construction, reversing the travel ban targeting largely Muslim countries, and stopping the United States’ departure from the World Health Organization.

April 14, 2021 – Biden formally announces his decision to withdraw American troops from Afghanistan before September 11, 2021.

June 27, 2021 – Biden directs military forces to conduct defensive precision airstrikes against facilities used by Iran-backed militia groups in the Iraq-Syria border region, according to a news release from the Department of Defense.

March 8, 2022 – Biden announces his administration is banning Russian oil, natural gas and coal imports to the United States in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

April 4, 2022 – Biden says the atrocities allegedly committed by Russian forces in Bucha, Ukraine, are a “war crime” and calls for a trial to take place against Russian President Vladimir Putin.

July 21, 2022 – Biden tests positive for Covid-19. According to a White House statement, he is experiencing “mild symptoms,” and will take Paxlovid, Pfizer’s antiviral drug.

September 18, 2022 – In an appearance on CBS’ “60 Minutes,” Biden says he believes the Covid-19 pandemic is “over,” but acknowledges the US still has a “problem” with the virus that has killed more than 1 million Americans. The US government still designates Covid-19 a Public Health Emergency and the World Health Organization says it remains a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

October 6, 2022 – Biden pardons all prior federal offenses of simple marijuana possession, a move that senior administration officials said would affect thousands of Americans charged with that crime.

December 13, 2022 – Biden signs into law the Respect for Marriage Act, a bill that mandates federal recognition for same-sex and interracial marriages.

January 8, 2023 – Biden visits the US-Mexico border for the first time as president.

January 12, 2023 – Attorney General Merrick Garland appoints Robert Hur to take over the investigation into the Obama-era classified documents found at Biden’s home and former private office. Classified records are supposed to be stored in secure locations.

February 20, 2023 – Biden visits Kyiv for the first time since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine almost a year ago.

CNN
 — 

Here’s a look at the 1965 Selma to Montgomery march in Alabama.

Throughout March of 1965, a group of demonstrators faced violence as they attempted to march from Selma, Alabama, to Montgomery, Alabama, to demand the right to vote for black people.

One of the pivotal days was March 7, when 17 people were hospitalized and dozens more injured by police, including future Congressman John Lewis who suffered a fractured skull. Since that time, March 7 has been known as “Bloody Sunday.”

The march has been reenacted many times on its anniversary. In 2015, President Barack Obama marked the 50th anniversary of the march by delivering a speech at the foot of the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma.

It is about 50 miles (80 kilometers) from Selma to Montgomery.

February 1965 – Marches and demonstrations over voter registration prompt Alabama Governor George C. Wallace to ban nighttime demonstrations in Selma and Marion, Alabama.

February 18, 1965 – During a march in Marion, state troopers attack the demonstrators. State trooper James Bonard Fowler shoots and kills Jimmie Lee Jackson. Fowler was charged with murder in 2007 and pleaded guilty to manslaughter in 2010.

March 7, 1965 – About 600 people begin a march from Selma, Alabama, to Montgomery, Alabama, led by Lewis and Hosea Williams. Marchers demand an end to discrimination in voter registration. At the Edmund Pettus Bridge, state and local lawmen attack the marchers with billy clubs and tear gas, driving them back to Selma.

Read More: Selma priest remembers Bloody Sunday.

March 9, 1965 – Martin Luther King Jr. leads another march to the Edmund Pettus Bridge. The march is largely symbolic; as arranged previously, the crowd turns back at a barricade of state troopers. Demonstrations are held in cities across the United States to show solidarity with the Selma marchers.

March 9, 1965 – President Lyndon Johnson speaks out against the violence in Selma and urges both sides to respect the law.

March 9, 1965 – Unitarian Universalist minister James Reeb, in Selma to join marchers, is attacked by a group of white men and beaten. He dies of his injuries two days later.

March 10, 1965 – The US Justice Department files suit in Montgomery, Alabama, asking for an order to prevent the state from punishing any person involved in a demonstration for civil rights.

March 17, 1965 – Federal District Court Judge Frank M. Johnson Jr. rules in favor of the marchers. “The law is clear that the right to petition one’s government for the redress of grievances may be exercised in large groups.”

March 18, 1965 – Governor Wallace goes before the state legislature to condemn Johnson’s ruling. He states that Alabama cannot provide the security measures needed, blames the federal government, and says he will call on the federal government for help.

March 19, 1965 – Wallace sends a telegram to President Johnson asking for help, saying that the state does not have enough troops and cannot bear the financial burden of calling up the Alabama National Guard.

March 20, 1965 – President Johnson issues an executive order federalizing the Alabama National Guard and authorizes whatever federal forces the Defense Secretary deems necessary.

March 21, 1965 – About 3,200 people march out of Selma for Montgomery under the protection of federal troops. They walk about 12 miles a day and sleep in fields at night.

March 25, 1965 – The marchers reach the state capitol in Montgomery. The number of marchers grows to about 25,000.

August 6, 1965 – President Johnson signs the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

June 4, 2015 – After a state resolution to rename the Edmund Pettus Bridge is not acted upon, Lewis and Rep. Terri Sewell (D-Alabama), publish an article in the Selma Times-Journal in favor of keeping the name. “Keeping the name of the bridge is not an endorsement of the man who bares its name but rather an acknowledgment that the name of the bridge today is synonymous with the Voting Rights Movement which changed the face of this nation and the world.”

February 24, 2016 – The marchers receive a Congressional Gold Medal, Congress’ highest civilian honor.

June 3, 2021 – The National Trust for Historic Preservation includes the campsites used by the marchers in its annual list of the most endangered historic places in the United States.

Beaten, bloodied and murdered – Selma 50 years later

Supreme Court justices appeared broadly concerned Tuesday about the potential unintended consequences of allowing websites to be sued for their automatic recommendations of user content, highlighting the challenges facing attorneys that want to hold Google accountable for suggesting YouTube videos created by terrorist groups. 

For nearly three hours, the nine justices peppered attorneys representing Google, the US government and the family of Nohemi Gonzalez, an American student killed in a 2015 ISIS attack in Paris, with questions about how the court could design a ruling that exposes harmful content recommendations to liability while still protecting innocuous ones.

How – or if – the court draws that line could have significant implications for the way websites choose to rank, display and promote content to their users as they seek to avoid a litigation minefield. 

The attorney for the Gonzalez family argued that narrowing Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act — the federal law protecting websites’ right to moderate their platforms as they see fit — would not lead to sweeping consequences for the internet. But both the court’s liberals and conservatives worried about the impact of such a decision on everything from “pilaf [recipes] from Uzbekistan” to individual users of YouTube, Twitter and other social media platforms. 

Justices are worried about a wave of lawsuits and disruption to the internet: A big concern of the justices seems to be the waves of lawsuits that could happen if the court rules against Google. 

But Eric Schnapper, representing the plaintiffs, argued a ruling for Gonzalez would not have far-reaching effects because even if websites could face new liability as a result of the ruling, most suits would likely be thrown out anyway. 

“The implications are limited,” Schnapper said, “because the kinds of circumstance in which a recommendation would be actionable are limited.” 

Later, Justice Elena Kagan warned that narrowing Section 230 could lead to a wave of lawsuits, even if many of them would eventually be thrown out, in a line of questioning with US Deputy Solicitor General Malcolm Stewart. 

“You are creating a world of lawsuits,” Kagan said. “Really, anytime you have content, you also have these presentational and prioritization choices that can be subject to suit.”  

Chief Justice John Roberts mused that under a narrowed version of Section 230, terrorism-related cases might only be a small share of a much wider range of future lawsuits against websites alleging antitrust violations, discrimination, defamation and infliction of emotional distress, just to name a few.  

Read more takeaways here and watch CNN’s Jessica Schneider break down the case:

CNN
 — 

Here is some background information about the Academy Awards, also known as the “Oscars.”

March 12, 2023 – The 95th Annual Academy Awards are scheduled to take place, with Jimmy Kimmel hosting for the third time.

March 27, 2022 – The 94th Annual Academy Awards ceremony takes place, with Amy Schumer, Wanda Sykes and Regina Hall as hosts. The previous three ceremonies did not have hosts.

Best Picture

“All Quiet on the Western Front”

“Avatar: The Way of Water”

“The Banshees of Inisherin”

“Elvis”

“Everything Everywhere All at Once”

“The Fabelmans”

“Tár”

“Top Gun: Maverick”

“Triangle of Sadness”

“Women Talking”

Actor in a Leading Role

Austin Butler, “Elvis”

Colin Farrell, “The Banshees of Inisherin”

Brendan Fraser, “The Whale”

Paul Mescal, “Aftersun”

Bill Nighy, “Living”

Actress in a Leading Role

Cate Blanchett, “Tár”

Ana de Armas, “Blonde”

Andrea Riseborough, “To Leslie”

Michelle Williams, “The Fabelmans”

Michelle Yeoh, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”

Actor in a Supporting Role

Brendan Gleeson, “The Banshees of Inisherin”

Brian Tyree Henry, “Causeway”

Judd Hirsch, “The Fabelmans”

Barry Keoghan, “The Banshees of Inisherin”

Ke Huy Quan, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”

Actress in a Supporting Role

Angela Bassett, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”

Hong Chau, “The Whale”

Kerry Condon, “The Banshees of Inisherin”

Jamie Lee Curtis, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”

Stephanie Hsu, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”

Director

Martin McDonagh, “The Banshees of Inisherin”

Daniel Scheinert and Daniel Kwan, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”

Steven Spielberg, “The Fabelmans”

Todd Field, “Tár”

Ruben Ostlund, “Triangle of Sadness”

The full list of nominees

Best Picture
“CODA”

Actor in a Leading Role
Will Smith, “King Richard”

Actress in a Leading Role
Jessica Chastain, “The Eyes of Tammy Faye”

Actress in a Supporting Role
Ariana DeBose, “West Side Story”

Actor in a Supporting Role
Troy Kotsur, “CODA”

Director
Jane Campion, “The Power of the Dog”

The full list of winners

PricewaterhouseCoopers accounting firm has tallied the ballots since 1934. Newspaper headlines announced the winners before the ceremony until 1941, when the sealed envelope system was put in place. Prior to a PwC envelope mix-up in 2017, when an error was made during the award announcement for Best Picture, only two partners from the firm knew the results until the envelopes were opened. After 2017, new procedures were adopted, which include adding a third balloting partner to also memorize the list of winners. The third partner sits with Oscar producers in the control room while the other two balloting partners are posted on opposite sides of the stage. Additionally, the PwC partners are prohibited from using cellphones and social media backstage during the show.

Walt Disney is the most honored person in Oscar history. He received 59 nominations and 26 competitive awards throughout his career.

Composer John Williams is the most nominated living person – 52 nominations (including five wins).

Meryl Streep is the most nominated performer in Academy history with 21 nominations.

Jack Nicholson is the most nominated male performer in Academy history with 12 nominations.

Katharine Hepburn had the most Oscar wins for a performer, with four.

Daniel Day-Lewis is the only person to have three Best Actor Oscars.

Tatum O’Neal is the youngest person to ever win a competitive Oscar at 10 years, 148 days old.

Only three films have won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Writing: in 1934, “It Happened One Night”; in 1975, “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”; and in 1991, “The Silence of the Lambs.”

No one film has ever taken home all six top prizes, Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress.

Scientific and Technical Awards are given out in a separate ceremony for methods, discoveries or inventions that contribute to the arts and sciences of motion pictures.

May 16, 1929 – The first Academy Awards are held in the Blossom Room at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. Tickets cost $5.

1929 – The first Best Picture award goes to “Wings.”

1929 – The first statuette ever presented is to Emil Jannings, for his Best Actor performance in “The Last Command.”

1937 – The first presentation of the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award is given to Darryl F. Zanuck.

1938 – Due to extensive flooding in Los Angeles, the ceremony is delayed for one week.

March 19, 1953 – First televised ceremony is from the Pantages Theater in Hollywood.

1966 – The awards are first broadcast in color.

1968 – Due to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., the ceremony is moved forward two days as the original date is the day of King’s funeral.

1976-present – ABC broadcasts the Oscars.

1981 – Due to the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan, the ceremony is postponed 24 hours.

2001 – The Best Animated Feature Film category is added.

June 23, 2009 – The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announces that beginning in 2010, 10 films will receive nominations in the Best Picture category, instead of five.

June 26, 2009 – The Academy announces that beginning in 2010, new rules governing the Best Song category may eliminate that category in any given year. Also, the Irving G. Thalberg and Jean Hersholt honorary awards will be given at a separate ceremony in November.

June 14, 2011 – The Academy announces new rules governing the Best Picture category, the number of movies nominated may vary from 5 – 10 in any given year and will not be known until the nominees are announced. The new rule goes into effect in 2012.

November 9, 2011 – Eddie Murphy drops out as host of the Oscars in February 2012, one day after producer Brett Ratner quits the show, because of a remark he made that was considered homophobic.

January 18, 2016 – Following criticism two years in a row about the lack of diversity with Oscar nominees, Cheryl Boone Isaacs, the president of the Academy, issues a statement saying that “in the coming days and weeks we will conduct a review of our membership recruitment in order to bring about much-needed diversity in our 2016 class and beyond.”

January 24, 2017 – The romantic musical, “La La Land,” picks up 14 Oscar nominations, tying the record held by “All About Eve” and “Titanic.” After complaints in 2016 about a lack of diversity, six Black actors receive nominations for their performances, a record.

February 26, 2017 – Following the moment “La La Land” is mistakenly announced as best picture, “Moonlight” becomes the first film with an all-Black cast to win the Academy Award for best picture. Additionally, Mahershala Ali is the first Muslim actor to win best supporting actor.

August 8, 2018 – In a letter to members, the Academy announces that it is adding a new category in 2019 for outstanding achievement in popular film. The letter doesn’t specify the criteria for a “popular” film.

September 6, 2018 – The Academy announces that it is rethinking the decision to add a popular film category. Academy CEO Dawn Hudson says in a statement, “There has been a wide range of reactions to the introduction of a new award, and we recognize the need for further discussion with our members.”

December 6, 2018 – Kevin Hart steps down from hosting the Oscars after past homophobic tweets surface.

February 5, 2019 – ABC confirms that the Academy Awards will be hostless. This will be the first time in 30 years that the ceremony will be without a host.

February 9, 2020 – “Parasite” becomes the first non-English film to win an Oscar for Best Picture. It is also the first film to win both Best International Feature and Best Picture.

February 9, 2020 – The 92nd Academy Awards draws an average of 23.6 million views, the lowest ratings in the show’s history.

June 15, 2020 – For the first time in 40 years, the Academy postpones the 93rd Oscars. The last time the Oscars were postponed was in 1981, when the ceremony was delayed 24 hours because of an assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan. In addition to the delay, the Academy agrees to extend the eligibility window for films, which usually corresponds to the calendar year. For the 2021 Oscars, the new window will be extended until February 28, 2021.

September 8, 2020 – The Academy announces that movies must meet certain criteria in terms of representation in order to be eligible for the Academy Award for best picture beginning in 2024. Introduced under an initiative called Aperture 2025, the organization says the goal is to “encourage equitable representation on and off screen in order to better reflect the diversity of the movie-going audience.”

April 25, 2021 – Yuh-jung Youn is named best supporting actress for her role in “Minari” and becomes the first Korean actress to win an Oscar. Chloe Zhao is named best director for “Nomadland” and becomes the first woman of color and the first woman of Asian descent to earn the award. She is also only the second woman to win.

May 27, 2021 – The Academy announces that the 2022 Academy Awards ceremony will be held in March 2022, a month later than originally scheduled.

March 27, 2022 – Will Smith slaps Chris Rock on the face after Rock makes a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head while presenting the award for best documentary. Smith then says “Keep my wife’s name out of your f***ing mouth!” twice. Censors muted the verbal part of the exchange for viewers at home in the United States.

CNN
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Actor and model Suki Waterhouse is still surprised by her relationship with “Twilight” star Robert Pattinson.

“I’m shocked that I’m so happy with someone for nearly five years,” Waterhouse said in an interview with The Times that was published on Sunday.

Waterhouse and Pattinson were first spotted together in London in 2018 and now live together in London, according to The Times.

“I’m always incredibly excited when I see his name pop up (on my phone) or even a text, and I think he feels the same about me,” she said, adding, “We’ve always got so much to say, and I find him hilarious.”

Waterhouse, who is playing Karen Sirko on the new Amazon Prime series “Daisy Jones & The Six,” also admitted that she taps the “Batman” star for acting advice.

“I’ll try and get him to help me with an audition before he falls asleep on the sofa,” she said.

The notoriously private pair only recently made their red carpet debut as a couple in December at the Dior fashion show in Egypt, nearly five years after their relationship began.

Waterhouse was previously in a relationship with actor Bradley Cooper and Pattinson spent years in a relationship with his “Twilight” co-star Kristen Stewart. With both of those relationships covered heavily in the media, it’s not surprising that Pattinson and Waterhouse have taken a much more private approach.

There are, however, still some surprises left for the two Brits. Waterhouse told the Times that she “never, ever would have thought I’d go out with a boy from Barnes.”

“And he didn’t think he’d go out with a girl from Chiswick,” she quipped.

CNN
 — 

English Premier League club Liverpool FC is not for sale, owner John Henry told the Boston Sports Journal in an interview published on Sunday.

Henry’s Fenway Sports Group (FSG) owns US baseball team the Boston Red Sox as well as Liverpool FC, the top-flight soccer club that they bought in 2010.

“I know there has been a lot of conversation and quotes about LFC (Liverpool Football Club), but I keep to the facts: we merely formalized an ongoing process,” Henry told Boston Sports Journal in a question-and-answer session conducted via email.

“Will we be in England forever? No. Are we selling LFC? No. Are (we) talking with investors about LFC? Yes. Will something happen there? I believe so, but it won’t be a sale. Have we sold anything in the past 20+ years?” Henry added to the Boston Sports Journal.

In November 2022, FSG released a statement which said “we would consider new shareholders if it was in the best interests of Liverpool as a club” but did not directly answer if the club was for sale.

Liverpool will host Real Madrid in the first leg of the Champions League last-16 match at Anfield Stadium on Tuesday.

CNN
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The United States and more than 30 other “like-minded” countries are backing a proposed ban of Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing in international sports, according to a joint statement published on a UK government website on Monday.

The countries – including the UK, Canada and most of Europe – asked the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to reconsider its decision last month to create a pathway for Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in next year’s Paris Olympics as “neutral athletes.”

But the statement on the UK government website says there is “no practical reason to move away from the exclusion regime for Russian and Belarusian athletes.”

On previous recommendation from the IOC, Russian and Belarusian athletes are currently banned from competition by many sporting federations following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Belarus’ assistance in the attack.

“In Russia and Belarus sport and politics are closely intertwined,” the joint statement said.

“We have strong concerns on how feasible it is for Russian and Belarusian Olympic athletes to compete as ‘neutrals’ – under the IOC’s conditions of no identification with their country – when they are directly funded and supported by their states (unlike, for example, professional tennis players).

“The strong links and affiliations between Russian athletes and the Russian military are also of clear concern. Our collective approach throughout has therefore never been one of discrimination simply on the basis of nationality, but these strong concerns need to be dealt with by the IOC.”

The statement is signed by sport and culture ministers from the US, Canada, UK, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.

In a statement sent to CNN on Tuesday, the IOC said it “appreciates the constructive questions with regard to the definition of the neutrality of athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport, while noting that the explicit human rights concerns expressed by two special rapporteurs of the United Nations Human Rights Council have not been addressed in the statement.”

The office of the high commission of Human Rights commended the IOC’s move to allow Russian and Belarus athletes to compete as neutrals, urging the governing body to ensure “the non-discrimination of any athlete on the basis of their nationality.”

In a recent questions and answers statement published to its website, the IOC said it “cannot speculate” about whether Russian and Belarusian athletes would compete at the Paris Olympics.

The IOC’s intention to create a pathway for Russian and Belarusian athletes to return to competition has been met with criticism, including from Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina and former boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko.

Ukrainian presidential aide Mykhaylo Podolyak, meanwhile, called the IOC a “promoter of war, murder and destruction” in light of the announcement last month – remarks the IOC rejected as “defamatory statements.”

Hong Kong
CNN
 — 

As US President Joe Biden touched down in Ukraine to meet with his counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday, China’s top diplomat was traveling in the opposite direction, on his way to Russia.

Wang Yi – who was promoted as Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s top foreign policy adviser last month – is due to arrive in Moscow this week for the final stop of his eight-day Europe tour, a trip that brings into focus China’s attempted diplomatic balancing act since Russia tanks rolled into Ukraine a year ago.

The Kremlin has said it does not “rule out” a meeting between Wang and Russian leader Vladimir Putin. If they do meet, the images of Wang and Putin shaking hands inside the fortified Kremlin will be a stark juxtaposition to Biden’s open-air stroll with Zelensky through Kyiv amid air raid sirens.

The optics of the two trips – taking place just days before the one-year anniversary of the brutal war on Friday – underscores the sharpening of geopolitical fault lines between the world’s two superpowers.

Expert has theory on why Russia may be involved with unidentified objects

While relations between the US and China continue to plummet – most recently due to the fallout from a suspected Chinese spy balloon that entered US airspace, China and Russia are as close as ever since their leaders declared a “no-limits” friendship a year ago – partly driven by their shared animosity toward the United States.

And as the US and its allies reaffirm their support for Ukraine and step up military aid, Beijing’s deepening partnership with Moscow has raised alarms in Western capitals – despite China’s public charm offensive in Europe to present itself as a negotiator of peace.

At the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, Wang addressed a room of European officials as “dear friends” and touted China’s commitment to peace, while apparently attempting to drive a wedge between Europe and the US.

“We do not add fuel to the fire, and we’re against reaping benefits from this crisis,” Wang said in a thinly veiled dig at the US, echoing the propaganda messaging that regularly made China’s nightly prime-time news program – that the US is intentionally prolonging the war to advance its own geopolitical interests and increase the profits of its arms manufacturers.

“Some forces might not want to see peace talks to materialize. They don’t care about the life and death of Ukrainians, nor the harm on Europe. They might have strategic goals larger than Ukraine itself. This warfare must not continue,” Wang said.

He urged European officials to think about “what framework should there be to bring lasting peace to Europe, what role should Europe play to manifest its strategic autonomy.”

Wang also announced Beijing’s plan to release its proposition on a “political settlement of the Ukraine crisis” around the first anniversary.

Retired general: A weak Russia would be satisfying for Xi

But the vague mention of the proposal was met with suspicion from some Western leaders who are closely watching for any support China lends to its northern neighbor – especially assistance that could help Russia on the battlefield.

“We need more proof that China isn’t working with Russia, and we aren’t seeing that now,” European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen told CNN Saturday.

Such suspicions are compounded by claims by US officials that Beijing is considering stepping up its partnership with Moscow by supplying Russia’s military with “lethal support.”

“We’ve been watching this very closely,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told “Face the Nation” on CBS in Munich on Sunday.

“The concern that we have now is based on information we have that they’re considering providing lethal support, and we’ve made very clear to them that that would cause a serious problem for us and in our relationship,” Blinken said.

Responding to the accusations Monday, China’s Foreign Ministry blasted the US for “shoving responsibility, shifting blame and spreading false information.”

“It is the US side, not the Chinese side, that supplies a steady stream of weapons to the battlefield. The US side is not qualified to lecture China, and we would never accept the US dictating or even coercing pressure on Sino-Russian relations,” a ministry spokesperson said at a regular news conference.

“Who is calling for dialogue and peace? And who is handing out knives and encouraging confrontation? The international community can see clearly,” the spokesperson said.

US officials have been concerned enough with the intelligence that they shared it with allies and partners in Munich, according to CNN reporting. In a meeting with Wang on the sidelines of the conference Saturday, Blinken also raised the issue and warned Wang about its “implications and consequences,” according to a US readout.

Reporter shares what Blinken and Chinese foreign minister discussed

The US accusations, if true, would mark a major escalation in China’s support for Russia – and usher in a dangerous and unpredictable new phase in the war itself.

Previously, Beijing had carefully avoided actions that could trigger secondary sanctions, which would deal a devastating blow to an economy hampered by three years of costly zero-Covid policy.

Though China claimed impartiality in the conflict and no advance knowledge of Russia’s intent, it has refused to condemn Moscow and parroted Kremlin lines blaming NATO for provoking the conflict.

And while Beijing’s pro-Russian rhetoric appears to have softened in recent months, its support for Moscow – when measured by its annual trade, diplomatic engagements and schedule of joint military exercises – has bolstered over the past year.

Chinese officials have often calibrated their narrative to different audiences. Wang may have made many appealing pledges during his Europe tour, but whether they will be translated into a consistent message to be delivered to Putin when the two meet is another question.

CNN
 — 

The traditional Christian feast day before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday is celebrated as a chance to eat well before the 40 days of sacrifices in the lead-up to Easter.

Shrove Tuesday, which falls on February 26 this year, is also a great excuse – as if one were needed – to eat pancakes, as they usually combine butter and eggs, rich foods that were historically given up for the season of reflection.

That also explains why, in the United States, Shrove Tuesday is better known as Mardi Gras – or “Fat Tuesday.”

The Shrove Tuesday tradition of eating pancakes, celebrated by Christians of all denominations, dates back to Anglo-Saxon times.

That’s when a “pancake bell” – yes, really – would be rung to call Christians to confession, where they’d be absolved from their sins, or “shriven,” as they used to say.

But pancakes – in all sorts of forms, made from all sorts of ingredients – have graced tables around the world for millennia, across every culture and creed.

Although finding a definitive pancake definition is difficult, and doubtless contentious, here are some of the very best pancakes around the world.

Hailing from the regions of Provence in France and Liguria in Italy, where they are known as farinata, these pancakes are simply crafted from chickpea flour, water, olive oil and seasoning.

Traditionally cooked in large copper pans of oil placed in wood-fired ovens, these irresistible treats are a great gluten-free alternative to pizza. Socca is also a street food favorite in cities like Nice, where its served in paper cones and dusted with black pepper.

In Russia and other Slavic countries, these thin, round pancakes made with buckwheat flour and yeast usually come in bigger versions than those seen in many fine dining restaurants, where they’re often topped with caviar or smoked salmon.

A staple of Russian cuisine, Blinis tend to come to the fore around Shrove Tuesday in a week of celebrations called Maslenitsa, or ‘“Pancake Week”. Pancakes every day for a week? We love the sound of it.

Dietary restrictions and preferences have seen countless takes on pancakes, but few can rival the delicious creativity of hemp protein pancakes from Michelin-starred chef Sven Wassmer at Verve by Sven at Switzerland’s Grand Resort Bad Ragaz.

Switzerland is known for its healthy breakfasts, and Wassmer’s gluten-free pancakes featuring hemp protein instead of flour, with toppings including bananas, almonds, maple syrup – and maybe just a touch of whipped cream – certainly fit the bill.

The Japanese name for this popular treat gives them away. “Hottokeki” – yes, hotcakes. These super fluffy, extra-tall beauties have taken Instagram by storm thanks to their souffle-like structure and texture, created by using egg whites in a meringue that’s added to the batter.

Top them with anything from berries to fresh cream, maple syrup to bacon. Just don’t forget to post a picture before you tuck in.

Unlike most pancakes, these fragrant, crispy triangles are actually made from dough, rather than batter, bringing about a crispy, flaky and chewy texture.

Easy enough to make at home, some people like to dip them in sauces with soy or chili. But they’re great just as they are – hot from the pan or wok, flaky with the subtle kick of scallions. Regional variations include those from Shanghai which feature pork fat for extra decadence.

French crepes would take some beating in the Pancake Hall of Fame – if there’s not one, there should be. These ultra-thin pancakes originated in Brittany in northwest France, way back in the 13th century, but have since become beloved the world over.

They can be either sweet with fillings like fruit preserves, syrups or chocolate, or savory, famously with ham and cheese, melted to perfection.

Watching them being prepared is true culinary theater, as the batter is slowly coaxed to perfect consistency before being expertly folded over.

Thick and fluffy, drenched in maple syrup and often served with the contrast of salty, crispy bacon, few pancakes rival the decadence of a classic stack of American pancakes.

American recipes for pancakes date back to 1796 and “American Cookery’” by Amelia Simmons, even if her suggestion of “Indian Slapjacks,” made from cornmeal, have largely been forgotten.

Today, the use of buttermilk in these classics leads to a finer crumb, extra fluffiness and a subtle tang. Wherever they’re served, just make sure to pile them high.

A celebrated dish from Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine, Latkes contain another uncommon ingredient in the form of potato. But it wasn’t always so, as until the popularity of spuds grew in Eastern Europe in the 19th century, the recipe was all about cheese.

Today grated potato, onions and eggs combine to make gloriously crispy fritters that are topped with sour cream, apple sauce, lox and more.

Potato also features in this terrific Indian take on a pancake that can reach an extraordinary size. A popular breakfast treat in south India, but eaten throughout the day elsewhere, the batter is made from fermented rice and lentils, while the fragrant filling features potatoes with mustard seeds, coconut, turmeric and coriander.

They’re served with chutneys, which vary throughout the country, such as coconut, tomato, coriander or peanut, making for brilliant communal eating.

Traditional pancakes in England would quite possibly make an American wince. Small and thin, they’re a million miles from the maple syrup-covered stacks so beloved in the US.

But there’s no doubting their own simple, elegant charms – assuming that you’ve managed to keep them in the pan, after tossing them in the air.

There’s really only one way to have them on Pancake Tuesday, as Brits call it: with a squeeze of lemon juice and sprinkling of granulated sugar.

China’s second entry comes in the form of the classic gossamer-thin translucent flour pancakes used to wrap slow-cooked Peking duck.

Plain flour, water and salt are the humble ingredients used to make the dough, before the pancakes are gently cooked in a steamer basket.

Then layer in your duck, add scallions and either hoisin or sweet bean sauce. At Woo Cheong Tea House in Hong Kong, Okinawa brown sugar is added to the duck sauce, making them even more irresistible.

OK, it’s technically more of an unleavened flatbread, but beloved Ethiopian staple injera, a spongy and slightly sour creation made from teff flour, also ticks our pancake boxes. Here flour is mixed with water and ersho, similar to a sourdough starter, triggering fermentation.

This mixture is then poured in a pan or onto a traditional circular griddle called a mitad, ensuring a smooth underside and porous top perfect for scooping and soaking up sauces and other flavors.

From the wild and beautiful Brittany region of northwest France, Breton galettes are a take on pancakes that make locals exceedingly proud.

These delicacies are made with healthy buckwheat flour folded over into squares to envelop not-so-healthy savory fillings such as ham, eggs, bacon, or cheese.

Galettes are great when paired with a glass of apple cider – but don’t forget that in France, it contains alcohol.

Particularly popular in the Washington state, these unusually named pancakes are also known as a Bismarck or a popover – while Brits would be forgiven for calling them Yorkshire puddings.

But there’s no confusion over the cooking method – they’re baked in metal pans in the oven. In the US, the puffy pancakes are often topped with butter, sugar and a squeeze of lemon or syrup.

The Canton of Obwalden sits right in the heart of Switzerland and is home to these unusual pancakes which are shredded before being served, usually at dinner.

Cholermus is cooked in butter and when they’re nearly done, the treats are cut up and fried until a perfect golden brown. Serve with sugar, a dusting of cinnamon and apple sauce. And probably repeat.

These small and fluffy pancakes are as proudly Australian as Vegemite. However, they’re not to be confused with a British dish of the same name.

Down under, baking powder is added to the batter to make them rise. Once golden, they’re stacked and traditionally topped with cream, sugar and fresh strawberries – or strawberry jelly.

One of the world’s most delicious savory pancakes comes from Korea, and its hot, spicy and crispy combination of ingredients will have you coming back for more.

Kimchi is the beloved traditional Korean side dish of fermented vegetables, added to flour, eggs and more to make a batter. Once pan-fried, unique flavors combine into a sizzling, crunchy pancake, perfect for dipping – or eating just as it comes.

Finally, to Venezuela and their fabulous thin, cheesy corn pancakes known as cachapas. The use of fresh or frozen corn provides the batter with a defined sweetness, while fresh cheese and butter make for irresistible fillings.

The key, as with almost our global selection of pancakes, is in the way they’re cooked. Fry them until they’re golden and crispy before letting the queso de mano cheese melt in the middle.

New York
CNN
 — 

When filling out your federal income tax return, there is no requirement to identify your race. Moreover, the US tax code does not contain specific racial group provisions. Yet just because the tax code is considered race blind does not mean it’s race neutral.

A recent study by the Tax Policy Center, for example, found that Black couples on average face higher tax costs associated with marriage than White couples. It is part of a growing body of research that shows the tax code can create or reinforce economic disparities between Black households and White households.

The research is providing empirical evidence for the seminal work done by legal scholars Dorothy Brown, Beverly Moran and William Whitford, which raised the likelihood of racial inequities in the tax code.

Generally speaking, when US tax filers of any race get married, they can get hit with either a “marriage penalty” or a “marriage bonus,” meaning they pay more or less in taxes as a married couple than they would as two singles.

Penalties are more likely when both spouses in a couple work than among one-earner couples. And they are higher when two spouses each make about the same amount of money. Penalties are also more likely when a couple has children.

If the financial facts of a Black married couple were identical to those of a White married couple, there would be no difference in their tax burdens, said William Gale, co-director of the Tax Policy Center and a coauthor of its marriage study.

But the economic facts of Blacks and Whites on average are different.

For example, Black married couples are more likely to live in a two-earner household; each spouse is more likely to earn about the same amount as the other; and they are more likely to have dependents.

“We find that Black couples are more likely than White couples to experience an income tax penalty from marriage and to face higher penalties. We show that these patterns arise because, controlling for income, Black spouses have more equal earnings than white spouses … and because Black couples are more likely to have dependents,” the authors of the report write.

Researchers found that among couples hit with a marriage penalty, Black couples paid less in dollars ($1,804 versus $2,091) but more as a share of their income than White couples (1.8% versus 1.4%).

When researchers specifically focused on households with adjusted gross income between $50,000 and $100,000 under the tax law in effect for 2018, they found 59% of Black couples faced a marriage penalty versus 51% of White couples. Black couples paid about $150 more on average.

Only 33% of Black couples got a marriage bonus compared to 44% of Whites, and those bonuses were roughly $170 smaller on average.

“Taken together, Black couples in this income group paid, on average, a net penalty of $358. White couples in this income group received, on average, a net bonus of $61,” the report noted.

The researchers found a similar pattern among most other income groups.

The TPC study comes after the US Treasury released details on how to impute race and ethnicity on to tax data — an effort made in response to an executive order from President Joe Biden directing government agencies to better measure and advance racial equity.

However, there is “no easy solution to the racial disparities in the tax treatment of marriage in a tax code that doesn’t explicitly refer to race,” the TPC authors noted in a blog post.

One option might be to let married couples file as unmarried individuals, they said — although that would “make the tax code less progressive and open new opportunities for tax avoidance.”

It’s still early days when it comes to detailing how tax and other federal policies affect racial equity and how differences can be cured, said Gale. “We’re maybe in the second inning. There is so much work to be done.”