Monday, March 8 top stories

It is Monday, March 8. Here are today’s top stories.

The trial for the death of George Floyd, who died after he was kneeled in the neck by a Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin, for almost 9 minutes on May 25, began today with the jury selection process that is expected to last weeks.

Chauvin faces second-degree murder for using an "unauthorized restraint technique." There may be a third-degree murder charge added, and it was an issue that came up today in the courtroom that forced a delay in the jury selection process.

AP News said the opening statements are expected to begin March 29, three weeks from now. The trial will be broadcast live.

There are three other police officers who were involved in the death of Floyd will have separate trials with lesser charges.

If Chauvin is convicted of second degree murder, he faces up to 40 years in prison. There were hundreds of demonstrators outside of the courthouse who called for Chauvin to be convicted. The courthouse was surrounded with double concrete barriers, barb wire, and chain-link fencing.

The Senate passed 50-49 President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion coronavirus stimulus package on Saturday, but it did not include a proposal to increase the federal minimum wage. There was a delay in the voting process over the weekend because Sen. Joe Manchin (WV) did not agree with a provision on jobless benefits. It forced Democratic leaders to meet with him for several hours to come to a compromise. Manchin agreed to allow the first $10,200 of jobless benefits to be nontaxable for incomes up to $150,000.

House Speaker Pelosi (D) predicted a successful vote on Tuesday and a quick send-off for the president's signature. It includes $1,400 stimulus checks for those earning up to $80,000, $300 a week unemployment benefits through September 6, and more things. Look at this screenshot from Bloomberg.

1.4 [FULL SCREEN] Text reads: $510M for disaster assistance, $8.5B for rural hospitals, $200M increase for Amtrak, $750M help to tourism; State, local fund allocation. Above text says “Leaders eye March 14 deadline.”

[Sponsored Video from Sorenson]

Last night the interview by Oprah Winfrey with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry was released on CBS. Markle said she thought of commiting suicide after she married into the British royal family. She said that some people in Buckingham Palace openly discussed what the skin color of their baby would be when she was pregnant, but not in a positive way. Harry said they were constantly criticized by the British media but did not have support from the Palace, so they left the family. The couple shared happy news that they are expecting a baby girl this summer.

Two more women have come forward to accuse New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) of sexual harassment. One said Cuomo hugged her too long and tight in a hotel room in 2000. The second said he touched her lower back and asked her if she had a boyfriend at an event several years ago. The state's A.G. Letitia James may appoint a special counsel in an investigation.

The CDC issued a new guidance for fully vaccinated Americans — meaning those who received two doses for either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or a single Johnson & Johnson vaccine and have waited for two weeks — can gather with other vaccinated people indoors without wearing a mask or social distancing. The CDC also said vaccinated people can gather with those who are low-risk for severe disease from Covid-19, which means fully vaccinated grandparents can visit healthy adult children and grandchildren. The CDC guidance comes at a time that people are being vaccinated at about 2 million doses a day, with vaccination sites and available doses continuing to expand.

That’s all the top stories for today. Check out our other videos. See you tomorrow and stay with the light.

https://www.sbs.com.au/news/black-lives-matter-activists-return-to-the-streets-as-george-floyd-murder-trial-begins?cid=newsapp:socialshare:copylink

https://www.npr.org/2021/03/05/974214789/derek-chauvin-charged-with-george-floyds-death-may-face-additional-murder-charge

https://apnews.com/article/us-news-health-trials-coronavirus-pandemic-minneapolis-075d9b5f4a2a1f80d26cb33b77ca59b5

https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2021/03/07/meghan-and-harry-interview-oprahs-biggest-bombshells/4578064001/

https://nypost.com/2021/03/06/two-more-women-accuse-gov-andrew-cuomo-of-inappropriate-behavior/

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-08/biden-s-giant-stimulus-to-easily-pass-house-democrats-say

https://apnews.com/article/cdc-fully-vaccinated-can-gather-without-masks-b9775dcde0254037e012ea9447e49917

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated.html