World News: February 2021

Sunday, February 28

This Dec. 2, 2020, photo provided by Johnson & Johnson shows vials of the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine in the United States.

Here's the biggest news you missed this weekend

A third COVID-19 vaccine is on its way. And the pandemic-delayed 78th annual Golden Globes will be anything but normal. Here's the weekend's biggest news.

Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine gets CDC thumbs-up, shipping starts

Johnson & Johnson began distributing its vaccine Sunday, adding a third weapon to the country's COVID-19 arsenal . An advisory committee to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention voted unanimously to recommend the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine on Sunday. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky signed off on the recommendation soon afterward. The Johnson & Johnson shot was authorized Friday by the Food and Drug Administration for people 18 and older. It requires only one dose and does not have to be frozen. Johnson & Johnson said it began shipping its COVID-19 vaccine Sunday and expects to deliver enough single-shot vaccines by the end of March to enable the full vaccination of more than 20 million people in the U.S.

•	Dr. Anthony Fauci thinks easing COVID-19 restrictions could be premature: "It is really risky to say, 'It's over. We're on our way out. Let's pull back.'"

Donald Trump at CPAC: Ex-president tears into Biden

Donald Trump reentered political life Sunday by attacking President Joe Biden and condemning his Republican opponents . While ⁠Trump did not declare a 2024 presidential candidacy in his address to the Conservative Political Action Conference, he hinted at possibly running again while alluding to his false claims of Democratic vote fixing in 2020.⁠ "Who knows? I may even decide to beat them for a third time," Trump said to cheers from the CPAC crowd.⁠ ⁠Trump also mentioned plans to inject himself into the 2022 congressional elections, backing Republicans who subscribe to his "Make America Great Again" agenda.⁠ ⁠This will be done as a Republican, Trump added, denying reports that he is thinking about starting a new political party. He told fellow Republicans that he will "continue to fight right by your side."⁠

Former President Donald Trump addresses the Conservative Political Action Conference held in the Hyatt Regency on Feb. 28, 2021 in Orlando, Florida.

Joe Raedle, Getty Images

Real quick

•	Hate crimes against Asian Americans are on the rise. Here's what activists, lawmakers and police are doing to stop the violence.
•	Virginia is the first Southern state to vote to legalize recreational marijuana use in nod to racial justice. Critics say the bill falls short.
•	Former Notre Dame and NFL player Louis Nix III was found dead Saturday night. His family had reported him missing three days earlier.
•	House passes Joe Biden's COVID-19 relief bill with $1,400 personal checks, legislation heads to Senate.
•	Golfers pay tribute to Tiger Woods, show support by wearing his Sunday colors.

Gov. Cuomo criticized for handling of sexual harassment probe

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is facing criticism from lawmakers for failing to cede control of an investigation into sexual harassment allegations from two of his former aides . On Saturday, Cuomo broke with recent precedent by declining to refer the matter directly to state Attorney General Letitia James. He instead directed the probe to former U.S. District Judge Barbara Jones, a former partner at a law firm that included one of the governor's closest advisers. By Sunday, however, Cuomo ditched his plan for Jones to investigate and laid out a plan for James and Chief Judge Janet DiFiore to jointly select a private attorney with no political affiliation. Within minutes, James issued a statement calling on the governor to refer the matter directly to her office: "There must be a truly independent investigation to thoroughly review these troubling allegations against the governor."

•	Second former aide accuses New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo of sexual harassment.

At least 18 dead as Myanmar police ramp up use of force, per UN agency

Security forces in Myanmar opened fire and made mass arrests Sunday as they sought to break up protests against the military's seizure of power . A U.N. human rights official said it had "credible information" that 18 people were killed and 30 were wounded. The Democratic Voice of Burma reported that as of 5 p.m. in Myanmar, there had been 19 confirmed deaths in nine cities, with another 10 deaths unconfirmed. The mark of 18 deaths would be the highest single-day death toll among protesters who are demanding that the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi be restored to power after being ousted by a Feb. 1 coup. Confirming the deaths of protesters has been difficult amid the chaos and general lack of news from official sources. But in many cases, photos and video circulated showed circumstances of the killings and gruesome photos of bodies.

Riot police arrest protesters Feb 27 in Yangon, Myanmar. The military government has intensified a crackdown on demonstrations.

Hkun Lat, Getty Images

Golden Globes 2021: How to watch, everything you need to know

The pandemic-delayed 78th annual Golden Globes will be anything but normal. The three-hour event will be bicoastal – hosted with Tina Fey live from the Rainbow Room in New York City and Amy Poehler from the usual awards home, Los Angeles' Beverly Hilton. Presenters will introduce awards in person at both locations, but the winners will appear virtually. The audience will consist a limited number of frontline and essential workers, including Feeding America foodbank workers. So, what movies and shows are even nominated? It's been a difficult year for theatrical releases with many theaters closed across the country for 11 months. This explains how streaming service Netflix took a whopping 42 nominations. Tune in live on NBC at 8 EST/5 PST.