NASA's Perseverance rover sent the first audio and 2/23/2021, Delhi Avalanches.com

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NASA's Perseverance rover sent the first audio and video footage from Mars to Earth

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The blizzard hit much of the United States and caused outrage, which turned off millions of lights in Texas

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In the US, houses are crushed by heavy snow.

The houses suffered broken pipes and were flooded due to severe cold weather.

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Nearly 4,500 sea turtles stunned by the record-breaking cold in Texas, the US were rescued from the freezing coast to a local convention center

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Dream work!

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Trump and QAnon fan Marjorie Taylor Green stripped of committee post

Marjorie Taylor Green promoted baseless QAnon conspiracy theories and supported violence against Democrats.

Before the vote, she said that she regretted her views, including the brutal shootings in schools.

Eleven Republicans also voted to exclude Green.

According to the vote, the congresswoman, who represents the district in southern Georgia, will not be able to take her place on the education and budget committees.

This limited her ability to shape policy, as most legislation goes through a committee before reaching the House. The positions of the committees can determine the influence of individual legislators on their party.

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Founded by Elon Musk, the American company SpaceX has successfully launched a new batch of 60 satellites into Earth's orbit, designed to create the global Internet network Starlink.

The launch of the 18th batch of satellites into space took place on Thursday, February 4.

The launch of the Falcon 9 launch vehicle took place from the SLC-40 site at Cape Canaveral (Florida, USA).

The first stage of this launch vehicle has already been used four times in the past: in two Starlink missions, in satellite launch missions for the US armed forces and in orbiting the Turkish satellite Turksat-5A.

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In the United States, pilots successfully landed a plane with a partially destroyed engine.

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In the United States, the wreckage of the Boeing 777 fell on residential buildings

https://us.avalanches.com/new_york_city_in_the_united_states_the_wreckage_of_the_boeing_777_fell_on_residenti1355301_22_02_2021

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A historic Victorian house, known as 807 Franklin Street, was moved to a new location in San Francisco

Crowds cheered on as they watched the feat.

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Biden steps up for storm-shattered Texas, the Trumps step out with ‘Cancun Cruz’ - Daily Maverick

While President Joe Biden deepens federal aid for Texans, the Trump political roadshow shows signs of gearing up again. The American Conservative Union has invited the former president to speak at its annual Conservative Political Action Conference.

Senator Ted Cruz and his family were seen boarding a flight to sunny Cancun as a severe winter storm lashed Texas. The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) happens this weekend and Trump is expected to speak on the future of the Republican Party. At the conference in 2020, Trump told the audience they were exposing the corruption of the Washington Democrats and were draining the Washington swamp… I never knew the swamp was so bad The 2021 CPAC starts on 25 February. The agenda says it will kick off with a Jewish Prayer Service, followed by an invitation-only International Reception. Friday is a full day starting at 8.30am, covering topics such as: Why the Left Hates the Bill of Rights… and We Love It. Texan Senator Ted Cruz is also on the Friday speakers bill. His topic: Bill of Rights, Liberty, and Cancel Culture. The Texan is currently best known as Cancun Cruz, after he left his constituents to deal with extreme weather and infrastructure failures in Texas. Battered in all media right and left Cruz tried to explain his actions: This has been a hell of a week for Texas… You can work remotely, that was my intention, but it was a mistake. The senator and his family were seen at the airport in Houston and boarding a flight to sunny Cancun on Wednesday as a severe winter storm lashed Texas, causing power outages, impassable roads, burst pipes and even deaths. Power outages saw people use their cars for warmth and to charge devices. Supermarkets ran out of food and drinking water and could not replenish shelves as unplowed roads were not passable. Pictures were soon circulating on social media and then mainstream media and Cruz was lashed by his constituency as well as politicians blue and red. Returning to Texas a day later, Cruz said he had made a mistake and realised he needed to be in Texas. He is also known to be contemplating the 2024 presidential race. Cruz is not the only big MAGA figure at CPAC on Friday. While he is on in the morning, political activist Trump Jnr is up later that afternoon. His topic is: Reigniting the Spirit of the American Dream. Trump Jnr took to Twitter on Friday to defend Cruzs hardly-thought-out idea to fly to a warm city while his constituents froze. He then tried to blame Texas Democrat governor, seeming to forget that Texas is run by Republican Greg Abbott. The hypocrisy of those trying to cancel Ted Cruz who have been totally silent on their Democrat Governors incompetence is telling. My thoughts on the Cancún Cruz fauxoutrage! #Cruz#CancunGate is fake. https://t.co/WnYe1onpIK Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) February 18, 2021 He then reacted to widespread criticism of his not knowing that Texas has a Republican governor by tweeting on Saturday: FACT CHECK: Did Donald Trump Jr Say Texas Has A Democratic Governor? | Check Your Fact. Trump Jnrs dad is on the agenda to close the conference on Sunday, 28 February: 3:40 PM President Donald J. Trump, 45th President of the United States. Former vice-president Mike Pence is reported to also have been invited but has declined. The two conflicting responses could also illustrate how deeply the split inside the Republican party runs with regards to support for Donald Trump and the way forward. In an interview at the weekend Pences chief of staff said they accept Joe Biden is the duly elected president of the United States. More Republicans are speaking out against another Trump presidency, with Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson saying: I would not support him for president in 2024. Theres many voices in the party and he should not define our future, we should define ourselves. Trumps daughter-in-law and former senior campaign adviser, Lara Trump, told CNN: He has indicated that he probably would be interested in running again in 2024; look, he is the head of the Republican Party. He is really the one that everyone will continue to turn to in order to help them get across the line… this man has changed politics. Biden is planning to visit Texas, which is still coming to grips with the aftermath of the extreme weather. Millions lost power and had no heat or water while temperatures plummeted below zero, reaching -15 degrees Celsius in some places. Many people are dealing with water damage due to burst pipes and high power bills are being looked into as power prices suddenly spiked during the storm. Biden approved a major disaster declaration for Texas on the morning of Saturday, 20 February. This is above the disaster declaration the previous weekend and allows for more help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. DM

https://avalanches.com/world_news/za/daily_maverick/dail_bide1358811_23_02_2021

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Mboweni's tightrope walk: Reviving the economy while trimming the budget - News24

Most economists surveyed by Bloomberg expect tax hikes.

The economy saw a record contraction last year.
Mboweni will present the budget on 24 February, after the Covid-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on SA's already stretched public finances.
Most economists surveyed by Bloomberg expect tax hikes.

Finance Minister Tito Mboweni will have to show commitment to curb spending and rein in debt in this week’s budget, while finding ways to revive an economy that probably contracted the most in nine decades last year. Mboweni will present the government’s spending framework for the next three years on Wednesday, after the coronavirus pandemic ravaged the economy, increasing the strain on already stretched public finances and even forcing the ruling African National Congress to end its long-held resistance to borrowing from the International Monetary Fund. While revenue collection for this fiscal year may overshoot the Treasury’s October estimate, the pandemic has raised pressure on state coffers. The government won’t reach its goal of achieving a primary budget surplus by 2025-26, according to sixty-five percent of economists surveyed by Bloomberg. The targeted positive balance is part of the active scenario of managing public finances, which include debt that’s projected to peak at 95.3% of gross domestic product in the 2026 fiscal year. “In the absence of meaningful economic growth, South Africa’s fiscal strain will remain a reality for years to come,” said Elize Kruger, an independent economist.The consolidated budget deficit is forecast reach 13.9% of GDP this fiscal year, according to the median estimate of 22 economists in a Bloomberg survey. That’s less than the Treasury’s October estimate, mainly due to better-than-expected tax collections rather than an improvement in the economic outlook. For 2021-22 the shortfall is now seen at 9.7% of GDP. What Bloomberg Economics says “The biggest risk will remain the Treasury’s ability to implement the proposed wage savings of over 300 billion rand. The labor court vindicated the decision to freeze public-sector salaries last year. However, the decision has yet to be affirmed by the country’s highest court. - Boingotlo Gasealahwe, Africa economist While revenue is still expected to fall short of the 2020 budget forecasts, Mboweni no longer faces as much pressure to raise taxes in an economy the IMF sees expanding only 2.8% this year and 1.4% in 2022. The Treasury said last year that it plans to raise an additional 40 billion rand in revenue in the medium term, comprising 5 billion rand in 2021-22, 10 billion rand in 2022-23 and in 2023-24 and 15 billion rand in 2024-25. Tax hikes Of the economists surveyed, 70% expect Mboweni to announce tax increases. Those will probably come from excise duties on alcohol and tobacco products, fuel levies and by not adjusting tax brackets for inflation, rather than new measures such as a wealth or solidarity tax because that could further throttle the economy. The “dire outlook necessitates a carefully calculated approach to governmental revenue generation,” Charles de Wet, a tax executive ENSAfrica, said in a note. “The minister is expected to prioritize economic growth and commercial stimulation during his budget speech by exercising restraint regarding taxation increases.” The Treasury could reduce its weekly bond issuance by around 2 billion rand to show that it is serious about reducing the deficit and slowing debt accumulation, Nazmeera Moola and Adam Furlan of asset manager Ninety One said in a note. “Given the current large government cash balances, a continuation of the high levels of issuance would raise serious doubts about government’s commitment to further consolidation,” they said. Officials including Mboweni have repeatedly warned that the country faces a sovereign debt crisis unless is takes urgent action. However, plans to reduce expenditure by about 300 billion rand over the next three fiscal years, mainly by paring a salary bill that’s surged by 51% since 2008, have drawn criticism from politically influential labor groups, civil society organizations and some opposition lawmakers. Of 21 economists in a Bloomberg survey, 16 said the projected spending cuts will have to be revised down. Still, the Treasury may not change its spending outlook yet because there is no resolution on the wage-bill issue, said Peter Attard Montalto, head of capital markets research at Intellidex.

https://avalanches.com/world_news/za/news24/news_mbow1358810_23_02_2021

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International travel from England still banned as Boris Johnson announces easing of lockdown - News24

UK Primer Minister Boris Johnson has announced a phased plan for easing England's lockdown.
International travel is still, however, barred.
England has, meanwhile, began vaccinations.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson set out a phased plan on Monday to end England's Covid-19 lockdown, offering a "cautious" approach to try to prevent a return to wholesale restrictions that have hobbled the economy. International travel from England will be banned until 17 May at the earliest, Johnson said. In its roadmap for easing restrictions, the government announced a review of travel which will report on April 12 with recommendations about how international travel should resume, while managing the risks of new variants of coronavirus. Britain is looking at a system of allowing vaccinated individuals to travel more freely internationally, it added. Johnson, under pressure to allow more freedoms to millions of people stuck at home and offer hope to shuttered businesses, said the first stage would prioritise schools returning on 8 March when only minimal socialising outdoors would be allowed. The so-called roadmap would then pass through four stages, with five weeks in-between, and the final step, when most restrictions would be lifted, not starting until 21 June at the earliest. "The threat remains substantial", Johnson told parliament, saying it was crucial the roadmap was cautious but irreversible. "We're able to take these steps because of the resolve of the British public and the extraordinary success of our NHS (National Health Service) in vaccinating more than 17.5 million people across the UK." With almost 130,000 fatalities, Britain has suffered the world's fifth-highest official death toll from the pandemic and its $3 trillion economy has seen its biggest crash in over 300 years. But Johnson said the fast start to the vaccine roll-out plus a sharp fall in infections can now set out a cautious easing of England's tough national lockdown, which started on 5 January. As the plan unfolds, lawmakers will have a chance to vote on specific steps. Authorities in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, which are responsible for their own public health, will also ease restrictions over the coming months. Vaccinations A total of 17.7 million people have received their first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, official data released on Monday showed. Britain also reported a further 10 641 cases and 178 deaths within 28 days of a positive test. That compares with 9 834 and 215 respectively on Sunday. - Additional reporting by AFP

https://avalanches.com/world_news/za/news24/news_inte1358809_23_02_2021

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NASA's Perseverance rover sent the first Delhi