WASHINGTON — President Biden will seek new taxes on the rich, including a near doubling of the capital gains tax for people earning more than $1 million a year, to pay for the next phase in his $4 trillion plan to reshape the American economy. Mr. Biden will also propose raising the top marginal income tax rate to 39.6 percent from 37 percent, the level it was cut to by President Donald J. Trump’s tax overhaul in 2017. The proposals are in line with Mr. Biden’s campaign promises to raise taxes on the wealthy but not on households earning less than $400,000. The president will lay out the full proposal, which he calls the American Family Plan, next week. The plan will not include an up to $700 billion effort to expand health coverage or reduce government prescription drug spending.

MINNEAPOLIS — Two days after the streets of Minneapolis were filled with people celebrating the conviction of a police officer for the murder of George Floyd, the city returned to a period of mourning on Thursday for another Black man killed by a police officer. Packed into a church for the funeral of Daunte Wright were politicians, faith leaders and relatives of other people killed by the police, including the boyfriend of Breonna Taylor and the families of Philando Castile and Oscar Grant. Many had come from across the country to pay respects to Mr. Wright, the 20-year-old man who was fatally shot by an officer in the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Center last week during a traffic stop. Also in attendance were relatives of Emmett Till, the 14-year-old Black boy who was lynched in Mississippi in 1955 and whose cousin recently met with Philonise Floyd, one of Mr. Floyd’s brothers. After Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer who knelt on Mr. Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes, was found guilty of murder on Tuesday, Philonise Floyd said he had thought of both Mr. Wright and Emmett Till, whom he called “the first George Floyd.”

The group managed to activate Autopilot without a driver on a closed track and travel at speeds up to 30 mph, it said. Consumer Reports urged people not to repeat the experiment for themselves, citing the extreme danger of doing so on a public road. “It was a bit frightening when we realized how easy it was to defeat the safeguards, which we proved were clearly insufficient.”AdvertisementStory continues below advertisementTesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Consumer Reports’ findings. Harris County Precinct 4 Constable Mark Herman told news outlets that police were certain that no one was in the driver’s seat at the time of the crash. But Tesla CEO Elon Musk said in a tweet Monday that “so far” data showed Autopilot was not enabled at the time of the crash.

AdvertisementChildren’s National doctors told D.C. Council members last month at an education hearing that its emergency rooms are experiencing an uptick of children with self-harm-related injuries. They are seeing children experiencing panic attacks and admitting more patients with eating disorders, the doctors said. (Currently in the District, less than a quarter of public school students are regularly attending school in person.) It has not been easy to deliver mental health services virtually, according to Marisa Parrella, director of the school-based mental health program at Mary’s Center, a community health provider in 26 of D.C.’s traditional public and charter schools. Her daughter’s mental health has improved this academic year, and she is laughing and smiling around their home more.

He also said that “taken together,” the “bottom-line promotion statistics” for Black and Hispanic officers seeking the rank of sergeant and lieutenant also had lower rates of promotion. Story continues below advertisementWhite officers also are overrepresented demographically in the mid-level leadership ranks of the department, the lawsuit asserts. Fifty-one percent of sergeants, 61 percent of lieutenants and 81 percent of captains are White, according to data from the plaintiffs. AdvertisementIn a motion to the court, the plaintiffs blame the department’s promotion exam system for the disparities. The department, Chuang wrote, has taken no “meaningful steps” to address the disparities in the promotion system despite having knowledge of the data about disparities and has shown “deliberate indifference” to the inequities.

But I’m naive enough, I guess.”McGinnis said the Rodeo Club’s adviser called her Wednesday afternoon to cancel the event. McGinnis said she feels bad for the high school students because this is the main fundraiser for their club, which operates independently from the high school and provides scholarships and money for events. “We are better than this.”School district officials reached this week said the fundraiser was not an official school event and then hung up the phone. In 2018, a “slave auction” was held as a fundraiser for the Pierre/Fort Pierre High School Rodeo Club, about 125 miles southeast of Faith. If someone calls this cancel culture — why wouldn’t we want to cancel racism and teach the next generation not to hate?” Beaudion said.

“Inside the Democratic strategy to expand voting rights state by state,” by Liz CramptonAutomatic registration, felon re-enfranchisement and other blue-state trends. It was phrased like this: Donald Trump has said the 2020 election was rigged. All of the candidates emphasized the feelings of Trump voters; none offered proof of fraud. There's nothing to keep it whole and keep it secure, and the law doesn't allow it.”Jake Ellzey: “The 2020 election is over. Greg Gianforte, though same-day registration has not been linked to any illegal voting in the 2020 election.

Spinrad, a professor of oceanography at Oregon State University, served as chief scientist at NOAA under President Obama and before that led the agency’s research arm and ocean service. Spinrad continues the long-standing tradition of scientists selected to run the agency, which has responsibilities stretching from the seafloor to low Earth Orbit. Every past NOAA administrator but one, attorney Richard Frank who served from 1977-1981, have held science degrees. It oversees the National Weather Service, conducts and funds weather and climate research, and operates a constellation of weather satellites as well as a climate data center. AdvertisementStory continues below advertisement“I cannot think of a better choice for NOAA Administrator than Dr. Rick Spinrad," wrote Ret.

AdvertisementStory continues below advertisementThe agencies’ decision came after similar rare reports of blood clotting led European nations to temporarily suspend the AstraZeneca vaccine in March. That vaccine uses technology similar to Johnson & Johnson’s, and again its benefits far outweigh the potential dangers. Many developing nations are counting on these two vaccines because they are cheaper than mRNA vaccines and easier to store. Would we agree to make the speed limit 25 miles per hour if it would save half of those deaths? Even now, hundreds of Americans are dying of covid every day, compared to the nine people who got blood clots.

Trump had called climate change a hoax and dismayed allies by withdrawing the United States from its previous pledges to work with its partners, chiefly the Paris Climate accord. “The United States isn’t waiting.”Biden committed the United States to cutting its greenhouse gas emissions as much as 52 percent by the end of this decade. Story continues below advertisementThe event is a milestone for Biden as he makes climate change one of his main international priorities. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson got tangled up as he made the point that combating climate change can offer economic opportunities. “It is so good to have the U.S. back on our side in the fight against climate change,” she said.

On Saturday, the annual day of remembrance for the 1.5 million victims of the genocide, Gregorian would probably have asked the same question that he posed in the March 2018 interview: “What is our duty as Armenians . They will celebrate the affirmation of justice and truth after so many decades of Turkish denial of the horrific events of 1915. Denial of the genocide has wounded Armenians, but it has also damaged Turkey. It takes its name from Aurora Mardiganian, an orphan of the genocide who became a symbol of suffering and survival. AdvertisementStory continues below advertisementJustice is often denied and suppressed, as we know from the United States’ centuries-long struggle against racism.

The trigger for all those comparisons between Biden and previous “paradigm”-shifting Democratic presidents was the $1.9 trillion fiscal relief bill signed last month. With one prominent exception: its revamping of the child tax credit. Previously, ultra-poor families had been excluded from eligibility for the child tax credit, even though they arguably had the greatest need for financial help. AdvertisementStory continues below advertisementFortunately, tons of Democrats (and at least one prominent Republican) have expressed support for making a monthly child allowance permanent. My own reporting suggests Biden settled on a four-year extension of the child allowance for fiscal reasons.

New Zealand, which was one of the first countries to be able to lift intensive coronavirus-related restrictions, may offer an illustrative example. AdvertisementThe number of victims reporting crime to the police decreased from 28,342 in January 2020 to 12,323 in April 2020, when shutdown restrictions were in place. Story continues below advertisementIn the United States, gun violence never actually went away. “Gun violence has been higher than ever,” Champe Barton, a reporter tracking gun violence at the Trace, recently told PBS News Hour. AdvertisementIn fact, many experts suggest reduced access to mental health services — and possible interventions — during the pandemic may have made matters even worse.

Boycotts of products produced by military companies have been widely observed; even sales of its locally produced beer have cratered. Its leaders see their tactics as the only way to force the military to restore the democratically elected civilian government. officials nevertheless have hesitated to move against the military’s biggest cash stream, which comes from the export of natural gas. The companies have offered an array of excuses, including claims that if they cease production, Myanmar’s cities would lose power, and the military would retaliate against workers. These could be tailored to allow Total and Chevron to continue gas production — provided they do not transfer profits.

The vaccines are known to cause side effects — fever, chills, tiredness and headache — especially on the second dose. Looked at more closely, this yearning for vaccine side effects seems like a manifestation of a much larger malaise. The United States has never had a great understanding of leisure, let alone actual rest. We are all tired, but for many, rest is even further out of reach. Still, this is one place where a change in sentiment at the top might yield benefits all the way down.

Like most conservatives, I’ve scoffed at the idea of reparations or a formal apology for slavery. I did not own slaves, so why would I support my government using my tax dollars for reparations or issuing an apology? AdvertisementStory continues below advertisementI remain unconvinced that an apology would have much real value, but the more substantive notion of reparations is worth discussing. As Mullen and Darity write, “white parents, on average, can provide their children with wealth-related intergenerational advantages to a far greater degree than black parents. Supporting reparations simply requires a universal agreement to work toward, as Jayapal said, “righting that wrong.”AdvertisementStory continues below advertisement

AdvertisementStory continues below advertisement“How did officer Potter see Daunte Wright?” Crump said, referring to Kim Potter, the 48-year-old former Brooklyn Center, Minn., officer who shot Wright. I submit to you America, so do we, when we see our children.”The galvanizing speeches were at times overshadowed by the grief in the voices of the Wright family. She said her son’s smile was worth a million dollars and lamented that Wright’s son, 2-year-old Daunte Wright Jr., would grow up without his father. Advocates for Wright’s family have cautioned that while they may be buoyed by the Chauvin verdict, little has changed with policing around Minneapolis since Floyd’s death and that there is a long fight ahead. The family has said they reject the police narrative that Potter shot Wright by mistake and meant to grab her Taser.

A New York woman, who was attacked in her driveway, is hoping for answers, as police are searching for the man who threw a cup of acid in her face.

A measure that would restore the voting rights of people on parole was delivered Thursday to the desk of New York Gov. The bill, passed earlier this year by the state Senate, was approved by the state Assembly on Wednesday. In most states, felons lose their voting rights during their incarceration and for some time afterward. Last year, Californians voted to restore voting rights to more than 50,000 people on parole with the passage of Proposition 17. Jay Inslee, a Democrat, signed a bill that automatically restores voting rights to people who have been released from prison after committing felonies, even if they are still on parole.

Reverend Al Sharpton joins The ReidOut to talk about the police killing of Daunte Wright. He says the families of victims are saying, “We need the federal government to step in … We need a police act at the federal level.”

Republicans are continuing to spread the myth that there was widespread voter fraud. Joy says, “That was on full display during Tuesday’s Senate hearing on voting rights … But the absolute worst of them was Senator John Kennedy, who thought he could get the best of Stacey Abrams.”

The ruling angered many conservatives by frustrating Trump’s immigration policies and decreasing pressure on Congress to negotiate with the administration, but conservative legal activists are now trying to leverage the legal precedent to challenge Biden’s efforts to reverse various Trump-era policies. A Justice Department spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the suit. Court records show that it was indeed assigned to one of those jurists, Trump appointee Mark Pittman. America First’s attorney on the case, Gene Hamilton, served as a top Trump administration adviser on immigration policy at the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice. Biden has appointed top regulatory lawyers, such as former Obama administration regulatory chief Cass Sunstein, as part of a bid to ward off legal challenges like the one filed Thursday.

And it's partly because clean electricity will magnify the climate benefits of electrifying sectors like transportation in the future. “The power sector still has the lowest-hanging fruit,” said Ed Crooks, vice chair for the Americas at the energy consultancy Wood Mackenzie. The U.S. has had remarkable success with the first part, eliminating more than a third of its electricity emissions since 2005 by retiring more than half its coal plants. Transportation emissions decreased just 5 percent before the pandemic, industry emissions barely budged, and emissions from buildings and farms slightly increased. “It’s like steering an ocean liner,” said climate scientist Zeke Hausfather, director of climate and energy at the Breakthrough Institute.

Environmental advocates, like the left-leaning Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, say the White House needs to address both sides of that equation to make a dent in global warming. “It’s difficult to make concrete pledges in terms of using ag as a carbon sink,” said Ben Lilliston, the institute’s director of rural strategies and climate change. The White House blueprint specifically calls for “incentives” to reduce methane and nitrous oxide emissions through new farm practices and technologies. While farmers and ranchers make up a small fraction of the population, agriculture remains central to the rural economy and politics. “They’re definitely taking a non-confrontational, non-regulatory approach.”Morning Agriculture A daily briefing on agriculture and food policy — in your inbox.

Ellison, a prominent ally of Bernie Sanders during both of the Vermont senator’s presidential bids, has received accolades from both flanks of the Democratic Party for his role in Chauvin’s trial. Jesse Jackson, the civil rights leader, also singled out Ellison for his role. Despite Ellison’s 2018 victory and current momentum, his future political options are somewhat limited. And given the hits the governor has taken from progressives over his handling of criminal justice, Ellison actually did Walz a favor by securing the conviction of Chauvin. On Tuesday, Ellison said he would not call the verdict in Chauvin’s case “justice.”“Because justice implies true restoration,” he said.

A low flying Russian military aircraft is seen repeatedly harassing U.S. fishing boats in the Bering Sea in a video obtained by NBC News. Coast Guard Rear Admiral Matt Bell stresses the need for vigilance.

With the country now well on its way towards vaccinating adults, experts say vaccinating children is critical to building herd immunity.

Staff writer for The New Yorker Jelani Cobb describes the complicated emotions he experienced as a Black man while in Minnesota this week, after hearing the conviction of Derek Chauvin on Tuesday and today attending Daunte Wright’s funeral

Country music legend Brad Paisley shares the struggles of musicians and performers during the pandemic and urges all Americans to trust the science and get vaccinated

The new guilty verdict for the murder of George Floyd is renewing calls to pass a criminal justice reform bill named after him. MSNBC's Chief Legal Correspondent Ari Melber traces the origins of America's justice system by explaining everything from the racist Jim Crow framework to the bipartisan 1994 crime bill. Melber warns of the importance of remembering recent history and paying attention to the facts.

Last year, more than 1,400 people in the area were temporarily housed, according to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority. His ruling came on the heels of an announcement earlier this week by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti promising to pour $1 billion towards solving the crisis, which has plagued California and especially Los Angeles for generations. Of those, more than 66,000 people live in Los Angeles County, according to local officials. That started to change in the following years as more people descended onto skid row looking for cheap rent and train access. Today, Black people account for roughly 8 percent of Los Angeles County’s total population but 34 percent of its unhoused, according to the 2020 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count.

In 2021, lawmakers in 34 states have introduced more than 80 anti-protest bills, the vast majority of them drafted by Republicans. And so far, four Republican governors have signed the measures into law, including in the state of Florida.

The United States pledged to cut emissions in half from 2005 levels by the end of the decade, a plan that would lead to big changes. At an Earth Day summit, President Biden declared America “has resolved to take action” on climate change. Here’s how the U.S. plan stacks up globally. Canada and Japan also made new commitments to cut emissions. China — currently the world’s biggest greenhouse gas polluter — promised to strictly limit coal consumption and renewed its pledge to cut carbon emissions to net zero by 2060.

Black holes, after all, are nothing but hungry. But what do you call a collection of black holes? The question has taken on an urgency among astronomers inspired by the recent news of dozens of black holes buzzing around the center of a nearby cluster of stars. In the last few years, instruments like the LIGO and Virgo gravitational-wave detectors have recorded space-time vibrations from the collisions of black holes, making it clear beyond doubt that these monstrous concentrations of nothingness not only exist but are ubiquitous. What term would do justice to the special nature of black holes?

Have I done all the things I have to do to make me safe?” Dr. Perl said. Then think about the tough things you’ve done before and how you pushed through them. Train your nervous system to recognize that you are not in danger by doing the very activities that might make you a little anxious. It’s not only reasonable but prudent if you take public transportation regularly or live in a place with high population density. Don’t compare yourself to what other people are doing or look to others for the right answer.

On occasion, foreign and American film styles clashed with amusing results. “I’m talking cinema and you’re talking meteorology,” he lectured the two Americans before bidding them adieu. The option was picked up by Warren Beatty, whose career, post-“Splendor in the Grass,” had hit the skids. Menand takes a more sympathetic view, seeing the shift as a welcome, if belated, response to an unfolding disaster. American culture was confident and diverse, while the government’s reputation was in tatters.

A moment of peril, but also a moment of extraordinary possibilities,” President Biden said at the start. AdvertisementStory continues below advertisementThroughout the morning, other world leaders announced their own new promises. Like Biden and other leaders, he spoke of tackling climate change not just as an environmental necessity but as an unprecedented economic opportunity. This week, though, part of the answer seemed to rely on big corporations, which world political leaders tried to rally to the climate cause. “President Biden is unilaterally committing America to a drastic and damaging emissions pledge,” Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.

Among white evangelical Protestants who are vaccine hesitant, nearly half (47%) who regularly attend services say faith-based approaches would make them more likely to get vaccinated. Approximately one-third of Black Protestants (36%) and Hispanic Americans (33%) who are vaccine hesitant say one or more faith-based approaches would make them more likely to get vaccinated. 26% of Republicans and 24% of rural Americans who are vaccine hesitant say faith-based approaches would improve their likelihood of getting vaccinated.

An archaeological bonanzaWorkers lift a team member out of a Saqqara shaft using a pulley and basket. (Sima Diab for The Washington Post)Ancient history is being revealed in many parts of Egypt these days. A king becomes a godAfter I emerged from the burial shaft, Hawass explained how the discoveries were reshaping the understanding of Pharaonic times. (Sima Diab for The Washington Post)TOP: Sarcophagi of ancient Egyptians found by Hawass's team at Saqqara. Many of his followers wanted to be buried around his pyramid, often visiting coffin and mummification workshops in Saqqara, Hawass said.

“There are going to be people who, for a while, feel uncomfortable being outside without a mask,” Sax says. “If it’s okay do it indoors, then it’s certainly okay to do it outdoors,” Marr says. While brief unmasked interactions with servers are likely low risk, experts say you should still put your mask on when they approach your table to be considerate. “I think that it’s something that we should just do to respect them.”Do I have to wear my mask while walking or running? The decision to wear a mask while playing sports outside will depend on the amount of contact you’ll have with other players.

Tradepoint Atlantic is donating the land at 1900 Wharf Road for Sparrows Point Park to the county. Story continues below advertisement“The county supported us through redevelopment,” said Aaron Tomarchio, senior vice president of corporate affairs at Tradepoint Atlantic. Outside, Sparrows Point Park would have a full-size LED-lit synthetic turf athletic field, a 10,000-square-foot playground and a fishing pier and kayak launch on Jones Creek. Olszewski’s administration revised an infrastructure agreement between the county and Tradepoint Atlantic to include the donation of land for public recreational use. Peter Haid, environmental director at Tradepoint Atlantic, said he’s heard from yacht club members who say “the clarity in Jones Creek has changed remarkably now.”

(CNN) Welcome to the Oscars edition of Pop Life Chronicles. Women in directing: There have been many a year when not a single woman has been nominated for best director. Steven Yeun, a South Korean-born American actor, is the first man of Asian descent to secure a best actor nom for his work in " Minari " -- which, in a welcome trend, is also up for best picture. Yeun's costar Yuh-jung Youn is the first Korean woman nominated for best supporting actress. For your weekendThree things to watch:In the lead-up to Sunday's Oscars ceremony, why limit yourself?

(CNN) The mRNA Covid-19 vaccines made by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna do not appear to pose any serious risk during pregnancy, according to new data published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine. The study, along with existing research showing mRNA vaccines are effective in pregnant and lactating women, suggests that the benefits of the vaccines outweigh the risks. The researchers followed a group within the V-safe system to gather more data on pregnancy outcomes and complications. This registry included 3,958 pregnant participants (out of the 35,691) who had received an mRNA vaccine. They found 827 completed pregnancies, and 115 (13.9%) experienced a pregnancy loss, while 712 (86.1%) resulted in a live birth.

In a new interview with Katherine Schwarzenegger, TODAY's Dylan Dreyer opened up about infertility, miscarriage and her journey to motherhood. Dylan Dreyer opened up about her road to motherhood on Katherine Schwarzenegger's Instagram series. "As my doctor told me, a miscarriage is not your body doing something wrong — it's actually your body doing something right," Dylan said. While dealing with a pregnancy loss and secondary infertility struggles, Dylan said her friends didn't know how to act around her. "So many women are going through their own fertility issues," Dylan wrote in a 2019 essay for TODAY Parents.

(CNN) "I'm vaccinated and I'm outside. Do I really still need to wear a mask?" Do I need a mask?" As the warmer weather months arrive and the percentage of vaccinated Americans gradually ticks upwards, these are some of the questions a growing number of Americans are asking. If you're vaccinated, "I'd say for the most part, you don't need to wear a mask outdoors," Dr. Sanjay Gupta said Thursday on CNN's New Day.

But there is hope that the old white way of non-Natives telling our tales is coming to an end. Native talent is no longer being relegated to the supporting cast or some background characters. Native talent is no longer being relegated to the supporting cast or some background characters. We are on the precipice of a new age of real Natives telling our stories that will resonate with viewers — whether they’re Native or not. We are on the precipice of a new age of real Natives telling our stories that will resonate with viewers — whether they’re Native or not.

| Jae C. Hong/AP Photo California public universities plan to require Covid-19 vaccinesSACRAMENTO — California's two public university systems announced Thursday they will require nearly 800,000 students to receive the Covid-19 vaccine as soon as this fall in the nation's most sweeping higher education testing requirement. California State University and University of California proposed the requirement for students, faculty and staff for the fall 2021 semester — contingent on full FDA approval. Students and staff would be able to seek a medical or religious exemption under the new policy, CSU officials said Thursday. "The state of California has been a leader in the administration of Covid-19 vaccines, and Californians receiving a vaccine has led to significantly reducing the transmission of Covid-19 in our state," CSU Chancellor Joseph Castro said in a statement. A growing number of private universities have begun announcing fall vaccine requirements for students without the FDA contingency.

I had to do a Skype call & I turned off my front facing camera when I saw how hot they all were (very) and they were like “come on, put your pretty face on the screen” and I did and saw side by side how much hotter they were than I (very)I should be entitled to a cash settlement

At least one key Republican senator, Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, has expressed openness to working with Biden on a gun bill. While gun control is now unlikely to lose existing supporters, it is also unlikely to win many new ones. Law enforcement at the federal, state, and local levels need to prepare better than they have in the past for non-violent enforcement. But the increased magnitude of those very risks are exactly why we need to recast gun control as a national security challenge. If the president wants to follow through on his desire to rebuild American democracy, a push to curb gun violence offers an invaluable opportunity and a potentially persuasive argument.

Asylum-seekers turned away at the United States’ southern border over the last four months have reported nearly 500 cases of attacks or kidnappings in Mexico, according to a new joint report from three human rights and immigration organizations. Human Rights First, Al Otro Lado and Haitian Bridge Alliance documented 492 reports of violent attacks since Biden took office, including rape, kidnapping and assault. The Biden administration has been criticized for continuing the use of Title 42. Since March 2020, U.S. Customs and Border Protection has expelled more than 642,700 people under the order, including over 100,000 people in March 2021 alone. Earlier this month, a 10-year-old Nicaraguan boy and his mother were kidnapped just hours after they were refused entry and sent to Mexico under Title 42.

The Walt Disney Company on Thursday marked Earth Day by unveiling a revamped list of renewable energy efforts aimed at reducing the carbon footprint of its theme parks and resorts around the world. Collectively, the facilities will reportedly produce renewable energy equivalent to about 40% of the total power consumption across its four theme parks, resort hotels and water parks. Disney A massive solar array in the shape of Mickey Mouse is one of four facilities that will provide renewable energy to the Walt Disney World resort in Florida. Catch a short video about Disney’s renewable energy plans below. The plans follow a challenging time for Disney’s theme parks, which are on a slow rebound after being devastated by the COVID-19 crisis.

The House of Representatives on Thursday approved legislation that would turn Washington, D.C., into a state , but some people are protesting the move with potentially dubious claims. Case in point: Ohio state Rep. Mike Loychik (R) took to Twitter on Thursday to assert that the founding fathers never wanted D.C. to be a state. It’s true that Washington was made into a separate district rather than a state, but many Twitter users weren’t impressed with Loychik’s argument. They pointed out a whole bunch of things that are an accepted part of American culture that the founders also never intended (and vice versa). Take a look:

10'000 Hours via Getty Images Phone screen interviews aren't when job offers are made, but they do weed out candidates, so you want to get them right. Screener interviews can be scheduled, or they can happen randomly after a recruiter finds a job seeker’s contact information. “I’ve had a phone interview with someone who was in the bathtub, I heard water splashing, the soap dropped,” Watkins said. Recruiters will typically ask job seekers, “What are your salary expectations?” during this initial phone screener interview. In a phone interview, hiring managers and recruiters can only evaluate a voice, so remember to express enthusiasm while you are talking.

As one of country music’s only Black female stars, Mickey Guyton is determined to sing out against racial and gender inequality. “I had been trying to pursue a country career for like eight years, and constantly we were told — not only as a Black woman but as a woman — why we would fail in this industry,” Guyton said. And then I wrote ‘Black Like Me.’”Released in June 2020, “Black Like Me” is a reflection on the racism and biases Guyton had experienced throughout her life. “If you think we live in the land of the free, you should try to be Black like me.”Kevin Winter via Getty Images Mickey Guyton performs at the 2021 Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. Last November, the song nabbed a Grammy nomination for Best Country Solo Performance, making Guyton the first Black woman to be nominated in that category.

Congressman Ted Lieu (D-CA) reacts to the Senate passing the anti-Asian hate crimes bill and discusses why he has hope for more progress under the Biden administration

Lisa Christensen had no say in the final outcome of the trial for former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin that ended Tuesday with his conviction on all three counts. On Thursday, Christensen spoke to reporters about her view from the bench, saying that she was happy with how the trial turned out. “I felt he was guilty,” she told “CBS This Morning.”She said it felt as if Chauvin “wasn’t taking the warnings” that Floyd’s life was at risk seriously. She told KARE 11 that her “heart broke a little bit” when Judge Peter Cahill told her she was actually an alternate juror. In her view the jurors took their responsibilities seriously and did not socialize much with one another between proceedings in the trial.

Following the funeral of Daunte Wright, president of the National Action Network Revered Al Sharpton discusses how Daunte Wright’s family and the families of many other African Americans killed by police want to turn their pain into real change

In one “crucial first step” for life on Mars, NASA says an experimental device on its Perseverance rover has made oxygen by using the red planet’s carbon dioxide-rich atmosphere. “Liquid oxygen propellant is something we could make there and not have to bring with us. NASA/JPL-Caltech Technicians at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in La Cañada Flintridge, California, lower the Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment (MOXIE) instrument into the belly of the Perseverance rover. NASA via Getty Images A concept illustration provided by NASA shows the Perseverance rover using its drill to core a rock sample from Mars. MOXIE’s monumental feat comes a little more than three months after the car-sized rover Perseverance, which is touted as NASA’s most advanced rover yet, landed on Mars.

But the alleged incident was never prosecuted. The woman said she blacked out at a bar in Redondo Beach and later woke up naked and disoriented in a stranger’s bed. The 2007 Redondo Beach incident was never prosecuted. The district attorney’s office declined to comment beyond what’s written in the report. A spokesman for the Redondo Beach Police Department said he was unable to comment on the investigation.

An alternate juror in the Derek Chauvin trial, Lisa Christensen, told NBC News’ Gabe Gutierrez she thought the former Minneapolis police officer would have incriminated himself if he testified. Christensen spoke about her disappointment being dismissed from the jury and how she would have voted.

A measure that would restore the voting rights of people on parole was delivered Thursday to the desk of New York Gov. The legislation essentially codifies an executive order signed by Cuomo in 2018 that grants conditional pardons to every parolee in the state — an estimated 35,000 — and restores their voting rights. In most states, felons lose their voting rights during their incarceration and for some time afterward. Last year, Californians voted to restore voting rights to more than 50,000 people on parole with the passage of Proposition 17. Jay Inslee, a Democrat, signed a bill that automatically restores voting rights to people who have been released from prison after committing felonies.

The family of Ma'Khia Bryant, who was fatally shot by police responding to a 911 call, remembered the teen as a "beautiful" and "sweet" girl, and questioned why a Columbus officer shot her. He immediately called the teen's mother, Paula Bryant. "Ma'Khia was a sweet little girl," Paula Bryant added. Ma'Khia Bryant. Hazel Bryant reacts after her niece, 15-year-old Ma'Khia Bryant, was fatally shot by a police officer in Columbus, Ohio, on April 20, 2021.

Hannah Daspit is the surviving spouse of Dylan Daspit, who is presumed dead after the commercial lift vessel the Seacor Power capsized on April 13 as it traveled through stormy seas from Port Fourchon, Louisiana to an offshore oil platform. Of the 19 original crew members, six were rescued alive and 13 were initially unaccounted for. Dylan Daspit. The lawsuit, which seeks damages "in excess of" $25 million, alleges violations of the Federal Jones Act, which governs maritime law; and negligence, gross negligence and unseaworthiness. "The Cajun Navy continues to look for these guys," Spagnoletti told NBC News, describing a good Samaritan effort that continues to scour the area.

In the past five years, DFC and its predecessor, Overseas Private Investment Corporation, approved almost $4 billion for overseas fossil fuel projects. In addition, EXIM has approved over $5 billion for fossil fuel projects abroad in just the last two years. Conspicuously missing is any commitment to curb fossil fuel financing by the U.S. Export-Import Bank (EXIM), which is the U.S. export credit agency and the largest source of U.S. Government financing for fossil fuel projects abroad. This failure stands in stark contrast to the United Kingdom’s ending of its support for overseas fossil fuel projects as of March 31, 2021. These institutions finance billions in fossil fuel projects a year, and importantly, also influence policy changes in client countries that enable fossil fuel expansion and dependency.

WASHINGTON - Today, many in the US will shift their focus to climate change and the myriad ways people can work to stop it. Frontline communities will continue organizing trans-locally to fight the bad and build the new in their own neighborhoods, cities and states. One key objective of this summit and COP26 for the Biden Administration is “to catalyze efforts that keep that 1.5-degree goal within reach. Climate Justice Alliance (CJA) welcomes US commitments to pay their fair share and invest in a Green Climate Fund. However, the focus on promoting market-based approaches and unproven techno-fixes will only further harm Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) communities here and in the Global South.

WASHINGTON - Today, the House of Representatives voted to pass H.R. 51, a bill to formally establish the State of Washington, Douglass Commonwealth as the 51st state in our union. H.R.51, which the House passed today, would finally end this inexcusable hypocrisy that has left more than half a million U.S citizens without an equal say in our government. Today's vote by the House of Representatives and the White House’s statement of support underscore just how vital D.C. statehood is to ensuring that our democracy is fair and representative of everyone who calls this country home. I hope the United States Senate will follow the leadership of the People's House and establish Washington D.C as our 51st state."

Commitments from the Biden administration, including reports of a 50% reduction of emissions at 2005 levels by 2030, fall short of the United States’s fair share of global climate action. There can be no meaningful climate action if we don’t keep all fossil fuels in the ground. The climate clock, which has been on display in New York, Union Square is a reminder of the urgent need to take immediate climate action at scale. “There can be no meaningful climate action if world leaders don’t make a decisive move to keep all fossil fuels in the ground. The Biden Summit is a critical meeting of world leaders ahead of COP26 this November.

WASHINGTON - A comprehensive report released today by the national advocacy organization Food & Water Watch outlines the crisis state of the country’s food system, including detailed analysis on the severe damage levied on society by unchecked corporate monopolies dominating the system. The report, “Well-Fed: A Roadmap to a Sustainable Food System that Works For All,” offers a corrective policy blueprint that includes sweeping federal legislation and an overhaul of the country’s farm safety net. The report outlines the alarming degree of corporate consolidation in the food industry and its impact on consumers and small farms. These and other conditions have had a devastating effect on consumer choice and costs, and small farm income and stability. “The COVID pandemic laid bare many of the systemic crises in our food system today, all of which are exacerbated by unchecked corporate consolidation,” said Food & Water Watch Executive Director Wenonah Hauter.

There is no reason that money earned through wealth and investments should be taxed at a lower rate than the money that people earn from work. Biden has the right idea—our tax code should value work over wealth. Millionaires like me who sit around and live off of our investments should not pay a lower tax rate than Americans who work for a living. Take it from a millionaire investor—investors don’t need any extra incentive to invest. What else are we going to do with our money, put it in a mattress?

WASHINGTON - The following is a statement from Alex Lawson, Executive Director of Social Security Works, on the reintroduction of H.R. 3, the Lower Drug Costs Now Act:“The Lower Drug Costs Now Act is an important first step towards taking on Big Pharma’s greed and lowering drug prices for everyone in America. Furthermore, he should reinvest the savings into Medicare by lowering the eligibility age and adding vision, hearing, and dental benefits. Not only is lowering drug prices a moral necessity, it’s also a political no-brainer. Democratic, Republican, and independent voters all overwhelmingly support bold action to lower drug prices.

WASHINGTON - As part of its International Climate Finance Plan announced during today’s Leaders Summit on Climate, the Biden Administration committed to "end international investments in and support for carbon-intensive fossil fuel-based energy projects" at multilateral and bilateral finance agencies such as the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation and U.S. Export-Import Bank. While welcome, the announcement fell short of other recent commitments by other institutions and countries. In response to the announcement, Collin Rees, Senior Campaigner at Oil Change International made the following statement:SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT Nonprofit. "Today’s announcement by President Biden on international finance for fossil fuels is a welcome step, but the lack of firm commitments falls short of what’s needed. "We urge the Biden administration to add a clear commitment to an immediate phase-out, with no loopholes for gas or any other continued fossil support."

WASHINGTON - Today, world leaders have gathered virtually at a so-called “Leaders Summit on Climate” hosted by the Biden administration. In response, Oil Change International experts provided the following statements:David Turnbull, Strategic Communications Director:“True climate leadership requires a full reckoning with the realities of what’s driving our climate crisis: fossil fuels. “Continued fossil fuel production impacts those on the frontlines of extraction and related infrastructure every day, adding to the historic injustices our extractive economy has perpetuated. Korea announced an end to coal financing, and, though woefully incomplete, the US reiterated it is taking steps towards ending overseas finance for fossil fuels. Distant carbon neutrality pledges and revised NDCs will continue to ring hollow as long as countries fail to address the root of the climate crisis: our continued reliance on fossil fuels.”###

WASHINGTON - In response to the House of Representatives vote to grant D.C. statehood, Ellen Sciales, Press Secretary of Sunrise Movement, released the following statement:“Every good bill that passes in the House and dies in the Senate is a reminder that our democracy is broken. Today, Sunrise celebrates the hard work activists took to ensure the passage of D.C. statehood in the House. But the truth is, we cannot come close to fixing our democracy and granting D.C. residents the representation they deserve until Democrats get serious about abolishing the filibuster. “Today we remember that the filibuster, a significant obstacle to D.C. statehood, was popularized by white supremacists to prevent the passing of civil rights legislation. “Democrats have a majority in the House, Senate, and a President who claims he is ready to take action.

To clear my thoughts, to forget, I opened my window, let in the winter air, and breathed deep. The pandemic had by then killed more Americans than had died in World War I, World War II, and the Vietnam War combined—and it wasn't done with us yet. Every November 11th, on Veterans Day, our world still remembers and celebrates the moment World War I officially ended. "Collectively, we obviously wrongly shared a feeling that Americans would be fine," Lincoln said of the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic. My inner misanthrope says no, but certainly the odds improve if we don't delete this pandemic from history like the last one.

WASHINGTON - Today, President Biden has world governmental leaders attending his virtual Leaders Summit on Climate Change. The world governments invited include 17 countries responsible for about 80% of all global emissions. “Net-zero” emissions sounds like it cuts emissions to zero but it does not. “Net-zero” emissions pretend to “remove” pollution with false solutions to climate change to justify polluting more. However, these techno-fixes are expensive, unproven, unjust and do not address the root causes of climate change nor support environmental justice.

Hamilton describes his concern for human rights as being global, and has expressed concern about human rights violations taking place in countries that Formula 1 travels to. His willingness to speak out comes at an opportune time, as 2021 is the first year that Formula 1 will go to Saudi Arabia. By blockading Yemen's main port of Hodeidah, Saudi Arabia is intentionally starving an entire population. Shortly after Saudi Arabia allowed women to drive, they rounded up the very women who had campaigned for the change. Human rights advocates and F1 fans are glad Lewis Hamilton is part of the Black Lives Matter Movement.

WASHINGTON - Wade Henderson, interim president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, released the following statement after the Senate passed the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act:“There has been a devastating spike in hate incidents and violence targeting the Asian American community, as well as other people of color, religious minorities, immigrants, people with disabilities, and the LGBTQ community. By passing the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, with the Khalid Jabara and Heather Heyer National Opposition to Hate, Assault, and Threats to Equality Act (Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act) as an amendment, the Senate is recognizing the urgency of this moment and the need to improve hate crimes reporting and invest in communities targeted for hate. More accurate reporting and data would help to create community-centered solutions to prevent and report hate crimes and help law enforcement carry out its duty to protect and serve communities targeted for hate. We applaud the Senate for this vote, and call on the House of Representatives to pass this important legislation so the president can sign it into law.”The Leadership Conference urged Congress to pass the Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act earlier this month. The letter is available here.

That's right, the world's biggest banks are responsible for fueling the climate crisis. According to a report from the Rainforest Action Network, the world's 60 biggest banks have financed $3.8 trillion worth of fossil fuel companies, just since the passage of the Paris Climate Agreement. America's largest banks—JP Morgan Chase, Wells Fargo, and CitiGroup—have each put more than $200 billion of fossil fuel interests in the past five years. Of course, the banks don't want you to know that. Unlike the big banks, these options don't use deposits to fund oil pipelines, fossil fuel companies, or other investments that contribute to climate destruction.

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington on Thursday reiterated its call for the ouster of Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, the Republican megadonor accused of attempting to sabotage the U.S. Today, Biden’s nominees to the USPS Board of Governors will testify before a Senate committee. "If you want to save the USPS," it added, "you have to fire Louis DeJoy." Under "Delivering for America"—denounced by Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) as a "pathetic 10-year plan to weaken USPS," DeJoy would raise prices, cut administrative costs, and slow down deliveries. "To that end, an additional question we'd appreciate you clearing up for us tomorrow: will you move to fire Postmaster General DeJoy for his arson, and if not, why not?"

Such thoughts passed through my mind on the publication of former Speaker of the House John Boehner’s memoir, On the House. After Boehner made a speech denouncing congressional earmarks in 2011, Young (a master practitioner of pork barrel politics) confronted the speaker just off the House floor and, according to Boehner, held a 10-inch knife to his throat. Where Boehner withholds the truth concerns his own motivation, and the media have not done a good job smoking this out. Boehner was a mere windsock, a ventriloquist’s dummy for the Republican Freedom Caucus and its menagerie of loonies. John Boehner was pretty much always in favor of Trump; his objections were just a stylistic thing.

Over time, the United States has emitted more CO2 than any other country—since 1751, adding roughly a quarter of total historical emissions. Today, China and the United States emit almost half of the world's carbon dioxide: In 2020, China released almost 30 percent and the United States 15 percent. As of late 2020, more than 1 in 4 Americans—over 100 million of us—lived in places committed to using 100 percent clean electricity. I grew up in Texas, where oil is king, and my home state's leadership on clean energy is an energizing surprise. Another state probably not linked with green energy innovation in the minds of many is Georgia.

Just ahead of the gathering, President Joe Biden announced new U.S. commitments to meeting the goals set forth in the 2015 Paris climate agreement and said that the nation will now aim to reduce annual carbon output by 52% compared to 2005 levels. "Our clean energy plan will create millions of good-paying union jobs, ensure our economic competitiveness, and improve the health and security of communities across America," Biden said in a declaration released ahead of the summit. "By making those investments and putting millions of Americans to work, the United States will be able to cut our greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030." But, without support from our readers, we simply don't exist. Watch the summit live:

That same day, India reported 1,341 coronavirus deaths. On Wednesday, the country reported a record-shattering 2,104 deaths from Covid-19 as experts fear a more contagious "double mutant" strain of the virus is driving the surge. "Patents should be disregarded and technology transferred as needed to maximize global vaccine production everywhere." According to the latest figures from Our World in Data, India has fully vaccinated just 1.3% of its population. "Patents should be disregarded and technology transferred as needed to maximize global vaccine production everywhere," Gaffney added.

Here, Thunberg explains why she wants our leaders to move beyond "big words and little action" when it comes to tackling the climate crisis. On Earth Day 2021, April 22nd, at the Leaders' Climate Summit led by United States president Joe Biden, countries will present their new climate commitments, including net-zero by 2050. However, when you compare the overall current best-available science to these insufficient, so-called "climate targets," you can clearly see that there's a gap—there are decades missing where drastic action must be taken. But we must not forget that while we can fool others and even ourselves, we cannot fool nature and physics. If you call these pledges and commitments "bold" or "ambitious," then you clearly haven't fully understood the emergency we are in.

President Biden took office promising a new era of American international leadership and diplomacy. Biden's procrastination has only strengthened the influence of the hawkish Washington foreign policy "blob," Republicans and Democratic hawks in Congress and foreign allies like Netanyahu in Israel. Unlike Trump, Biden has been at the heart of American politics and foreign policy since the 1970s. The dangerous disconnect at the heart of Biden's foreign policy is the result of this dichotomy between the neocons' conquest of Washington and their abject failure to conquer the rest of the world. For a president who promised a new era of American diplomacy, this has been a dreadful start.

Bowman's response will be aimed at praising Biden for strides he's made in representing progressives' policy priorities, while also pushing him to go further. "He laid out this agenda to be big and bold, and we're saying, 'Game on.'" @JamaalBowmanNY will offer a bold, progressive vision for how we will deliver jobs and care to the American people and make sure everyone who calls this country home can thrive. It's important for us as progressives to continue to push and continue to organize." Honored to deliver the response to President Biden's address next week with @WorkingFamilies.

"This historic, bipartisan vote... is a powerful message of solidarity to our AAPI community," Hirono said following the measure's passage. This historic, bipartisan vote on the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act is a powerful message of solidarity to our AAPI community. Hawley is lone senator to vote against anti-Asian hate crime bill https://t.co/P4t81PcUt3 pic.twitter.com/naDL1Dz7aM — The Hill (@thehill) April 22, 2021AAPI advocates, however, welcomed the bill's passage. Advancing Justice-AAJC told Politico the bill would "provide much-needed support for individuals and communities impacted by hate and discrimination." The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights issued a statement applauding the Senate for "recognizing the urgency of this moment and the need to improve hate crimes reporting and invest in communities targeted for hate."

Voting rights advocates urged the U.S. Senate on Thursday to pass legislation establishing statehood for Washington, D.C., after the House's historic vote in favor of the move. The House voted for the second time in history to grant full representation to Washington's 700,000 full-time residents, passing the Washington, D.C. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), who has represented D.C. in the House since 1991 but whose position doesn't allow her to vote on final legislation. Republicans forced him to withdraw his words, but the truth remains: Race is a critical factor in the long-term denial of rights for DC residents. #DCfor51” — Jane Seymour Fonda (@Janefonda) April 14, 2021"It's now up to the Senate to do what's right and finally give [D.C. residents] the justice they deserve!"

—Heidi Chow, Global Justice Now"COVAX was never intended to go far enough or fast enough to end the pandemic. "Rich countries need to support an intellectual property waiver for Covid-19 vaccines and force big pharma to share their vaccine blueprints with the world." "Getting the world vaccinated is not about some feel-good gestures, like a few billion dollars for COVAX... "The U.S. government and partners can retrofit facilities to produce eight billion mRNA vaccine doses, enough for half the world's population," said Maybarduk. "It means pulling out all the stops to produce and distribute billions of vaccines as quickly as possible," Baker added.

—Greta ThunbergPosted online by NowThis News, the video featuring Thunberg comes as a warning from the well-known global climate campaigner that the people of the world should not be fooled by the lofty rhetoric they will hear at the summit. "At the Leaders' Climate Summit, countries will present their new climate commitments, like net-zero emissions by 2050," Thunberg says in the video. But when you compare our insufficient targets with the overall current best available science, you clearly see that there's a gap. And the gap between our so-called climate targets and the overall, current best-available science should no longer be possible to ignore." Along with other witnesses, Thunberg is testifying before congressional lawmakers on Thursday during a hearing convened by the House Subcommittee on the Environment.

Kavanaugh wrote the SCOTUS opinion holding that juveniles can be sentenced to life without parole. Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote what Mark Joseph Stern, Slate's staff writer covering courts, called the "dishonest and barbaric" majority opinion (pdf). Today's decision is pretty much the worst case scenario for opponents of juvenile life without parole (myself included). "Children are constitutionally different from adults for purposes of sentencing," Sotomayor wrote, referencing studies that have confirmed "juveniles are less mature and responsible than adults." — Elie Mystal (@ElieNYC) April 22, 2021"Jones should know that, despite the court's decision today, what he does in life matters," wrote Sotomayor.

At 4:00 pm ET, a similar event took place not far away in New Brunswick, New Jersey, where Johnson & Johnson is based. Big pharma monopolies = countries waiting until 2023 for widespread vaccination @Pfizer @Moderna_tx @BioNTech_Group @AstraZeneca @Novavax @JNJNews must #JoinCTAP + share vaccines with the world. With momentum for a patent waiver building, the coalition behind the current week of action hopes to shed light on Big Pharma's profiteering and persuade Biden to help end vaccine apartheid. A banner calling for a people's vaccine will be dropped at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, located in Seattle, on Sunday. In the absence of a patent waiver, "millions of people in the Global South will not get access to the vaccine until 2024," tweeted People's Action.

"It's D.C. statehood, voting rights, LGBTQ+ rights, criminal legal and immigration reform, gun violence prevention, workers' rights—or it's the filibuster." "We urge Senate Democrats to do what it takes to pass an agenda that meets the needs of everyday people, including eliminating the filibuster," the letter continues. "It's D.C. statehood, voting rights, LGBTQ+ rights, criminal legal and immigration reform, gun violence prevention, workers' rights—or it's the filibuster," Bush wrote. It's DC statehood, voting rights, LGBTQ+ rights, criminal legal & immigration reform, gun violence prevention, workers rights—or it's the filibuster. "Filibuster reform is critical for advancing racial justice," Roberts added.

As the world marks Earth Day and U.S. President Joe Biden hosts global leaders at his virtual climate summit, a leading advocacy group on Thursday urged his administration to eschew "market-based approaches and techno-fixes" and instead pursue "real solutions" to the planetary emergency. —Climate Justice AllianceClimate Justice Alliance (CJA), a collective of over 70 community-based climate justice groups, commended Biden for reengaging with the international effort to combat the climate crisis following four years of denial and inaction by the Trump administration. Other climate campaigners also used Earth Day to admonish world leaders they say are failing to do what's necessary to confront the climate emergency. "But most importantly, all of these solutions must be emitted with the voices of Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities as leaders and decision-makers." Originally scheduled for later in the day: 19-year old Mexican-born climate activist Xiye Bastida appeared earlier in today's #ClimateSummit.

On the heels of the police killing of Daunte Wright during a traffic stop, Samantha Schuyler reports on an ACLU study showing law enforcers’ incentives to punish as many people as possible. Read more ?

Berenson’s primary evidence that masks don’t work is a randomized controlled trial conducted in Denmark last year that aimed to find out if surgical masks offer protection to the general public. Elsewhere in Unreported Truths, Berenson acknowledges that surgical masks provide some protection:The scientists found the surgical masks barely worked. As long as they’re made right (more on that in a second), washable cotton masks are a more accessible and sustainable option. N95 masks are designed with this effect in mind: they’re made with extremely fine fibers of polypropylene plastic that readily holds a charge. Outward mask efficiency could range from practically zero to over 80 percent for homemade masks, with 50 percent perhaps typical, while surgical masks and N95 masks are likely 50–90 percent and 70–100 percent outwardly protective, respectively.

And thanks to Darnella Frazier, we know the truth. Biden can set himself apart from his recent predecessors by supporting the work of whistleblowers, especially national security whistleblowers. The Trump administration went after Hale hard, and many of us thought that the Biden Justice Department would back off his prosecution. Darin Jones & FBI ContractsFBI whistleblower and former supervisory contract specialist Darin Jones is yet another example. Just don’t hold your breath that he will, nice comments to the Floyd family and about Darnella Frazier notwithstanding.

The Florida Clerk of Courts Operations Corporations estimated that at least $20.8 million of its revenue came from the payment of license suspension debt. “The creation of all these offenses … create these regulations that have to be enforced; they make it so everyone is constantly breaking the law or out of regulation. They generate revenue by over-policing,” Dindial said. For instance, the authors of the report found that each year, over 100,000 Coloradans lose their licenses because of unpaid traffic debt or failure to appear in court. In 2019, Florida issued 1.2 million license suspension notices, 70 percent of which stemmed from the failure to pay fines and fees.

We saw this bait and switch tactic before in President Joe Biden’s earlier announcement about ending U.S support for the long, miserable war in Yemen. These other “offensive operations” by the U.S. that will continue unabated in Yemen include drone strikes, cruise missile attacks and special forces raids. Whatever his intentions, Biden’s calls for peace, in Afghanistan as in Yemen, while pursuing war by drone, ring hollow. Talk of peace in Afghanistan, Yemen, the streets of the U.S., is not coherent while waging wars with drones. Brian Terrell is an Iowa based peace activist who has spent more than six months in prison for protesting targeted assassinations at U.S. military drone bases.

Pretrial recommends HWOB. Pretrial recommends HWOB. An ASA from another jurisdiction (it is not clear why he is arguing this motion) recites cops' tales as facts. State is seeking HWOB. Pretrial recommends HWOB.

MEMBERSHIPS are now open for Tom the Dancing Bug's INNER HIVE. JOIN THE INNER HIVE TODAY. YOU can also sign up for the new free Tom the Dancing Bug Newsletter. AND YOU can buy the two new Tom the Dancing Bug books, Tom the Dancing Bug: Into the Trumpverse, and The Super-Fun-Pak Comix Reader! -Seth MeyersPLUS YOU can follow @RubenBolling on the Twitters and a Face Book perhaps some Insta-grams, and even my/our MeWe.

In advance of the state-wide Day of Action on April 29 (to promote transparency, public participation and fairness in PA redistricting) FDPA Allegheny County is launching a social media blitz starring YOU! Then take these steps: Post it to your social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) Print out the poster below, or get creative and make one of your own – just be sure to note support for LACRA. get creative and make one of your own – just be sure to note support for LACRA. --The FDPA Allegheny County Volunteer Team More information about LACRA is here: https://www.fairdistrictspa.com/solutionHere’s some more information:

He was born and brought up in Boston; I was raised in South Florida, and moved to Boston for college. But in his first few months of driving in Chicago, he discovered this was not necessarily so. (This astonished my husband, who, from prior experience in Boston, expected a pair of officers to keep each other honest—not in Chicago, apparently.) Once, I was driving home (on the South Side) with our foster daughter and got pulled over (defective brake lights? Rodney King’s case, remember, got into court only because some local guy wanted to try out his new video camera.

But we only have a small window to accomplish, what is needed for President Biden's agenda and hopefully his second term. When I think about what our government sometimes looks like ... "dysfunctional" was the word that came to mind. But "The Crown" still made me think what a waste of tax money and resources. President Biden had to look for someone else, as if he didn't have the party majority. Heaven forbid, Trump gets back in office, then there might be more similarities to "The Crown" that I don't want to think about.

Biden organizes forty leaders to meet over zoom for WH Climate Summit for Earth Day. LA using wastewater for drinking water due to water shortage from climate change. Vanita Gupta newly appointed first woman of color to be appointed associate attorney general. House voting on DC statehood then on to Senate which could be a problem due to fillibuster. Yeah for Biden

Received this e-mail today from Governor Jared Polis’ (D. CO) re-election campaign:Almost 70% of Colorado’s most vulnerable population, those aged 60 and older, are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The COVID-19 vaccine is available to all Coloradans ages 16 and up. In Colorado we’re seeing a 93-95% reduction in reported positive cases of COVID-19 among vaccinated people compared to non-vaccinated. 4) We are seeing concerning COVID-19 case trends in parts of our state where fewer folks are taking advantage of the vaccine. If you live in Southern Colorado and have not yet received your vaccine, there are many appointments available.

Egged on by firebrand and reverse racist Maxine Waters, with an assist from the doddering but inflammatory President Joe Biden. Kayleigh McEnany, professional liar and bottle-blond, added jaw-dropping hypocrisy to the Fox mix. McEnany is blaming Biden for inflaming people who are inflamed every day by the cable channel she works for. Talking about Fox inflaming its audience, here’s the top of the Fox News website today. And if it is, is it so big it merits 6 out of the 7 lead stories Fox dedicates to it?

When the Democrats swept the Lincoln city elections in 2019, the local economy was booming and there appeared to be blue skies ahead. Fortunately for the people of Lincoln, Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird and the five Democrats on the City Council rose to the occasion. All of this was done over the bitter opposition of right wing city council member Roy Christensen, Pete Ricketts and the Nebraska Republican Party. Those decisions turned out to be correct ones and Lincoln has made tremendous headway in mitigating the pandemic. The GOP incumbent city council member has a budget that proposes lower taxes and more services at the same time.

While the Hopi and the Navajo have very different cultures and economies, they share a belief that the people came from the Earth, are a part of the Earth, and will return to the Earth. Sedan Crater at the Nevada Test SiteThe Central Arizona ProjectThe last and biggest large-scale project of the Bureau of Reclamation was the Central Arizona Project. The Central Arizona Project intake station for Colorado River water at Lake Havasu. The Central Arizona Project canal tunnels through a mountain near Tonopa ArizonaPheonix. They will be living with the environmental and economic legacy of the Central Arizona Project for many years to come.

As a Black woman and a US Navy veteran who served during Desert Shield, it's even traumatizing to watch what happened to Lieutenant Caron Nazario in Windsor, Virginia. People are asking for accountability from the law enforcement officers. We are asking for accountability when a law enforcement officer does the unthinkable. We also need legislation for no knock warrants, no chokeholds, no traffic stops that lead into these deadly encounters with law enforcement officers. We need legislation that addresses mental health issues and wellness checks.

I refute Rep. Kevin Brady's defense of GOP's objections to taxing corporations with a myriad of lies and misinformation in his Stephanie Ruhle interview. Stephanie Ruhle grills Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX)See full episodes here. Republican Texas Congressman Kevin Brady appeared with Stephanie Ruhle. He expressed Republican objection to any increase in the corporate tax rate. To be clear, the proposal still keeps corporate taxes lower than they were before Trump’s tax cut scam.

I wrote a diary earlier this month detailing the fact that Iowa last year had substantially increased it’s wind power generation capacity and had nearly achieved 60% of the energy generated in the state being generated by wind power. I also talked a bit about solar energy development in the state and that our solar power generation is projected to increase as new projects come online. The Des Moines Register today has more details on these solar projects, which will result in a 9-fold increase in the state’s solar capacity. In all, the projects represent a combined 1,739 megawatts of solar power generation, some of which is already online. One of the 100 megawatt solar projects under development in the state is a MidAmerican project.

You should be too,” Chase told a crowd in King William County, which is east of Richmond. Her comments about the Chauvin verdict drew censure from Democrats and progressives. The statement is consistent with what the organization said soon after the video of Floyd's killing went viral last May. A Trump loyalist, Jordan would not say explicitly whether he agreed with the verdict but told CNN: “The justice system works. Handcuffed and face down on the pavement, Floyd died when Chauvin knelt on his neck for more than nine minutes.

Hope Springs from Field PAC has been organizing GOTV canvasses paired with the Issues Canvass concept to mobilize voters who have previously voted in Democratic primaries in the TX-06 special election for Congress. As a candidate for this seat in 2018, this is hardly a surprise, as it does appear that she has the highest name recognition among the Democrats running. Hope Springs from Field PAC is knocking on doors in the TX-06 special election. Almost all the local media has been directed at these elections, which is why name recognition is so vital in this special election. If you would like to support our efforts to increase Democratic turnout in the May 1st special election and force a runoff, please do:https://secure.actblue.com/donate/tx-06field

The reputation for rampant racism at Fox News has been well established over many years. On Thursday morning Fox News provided additional evidence of their embrace of overt bigotry. Next to James, Fox News placed Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters, a favorite target of Fox. Neither James nor Waters ever incited violence (unlike Donald Trump and his Fox News shills). Fox News ran numerous segments on these subjects that they repeatedly - and falsely - described as "putting a target" on the backs of police.

The Falcon and The Winter Soldier: Can America accept a black man as a symbol for good? Captain America, along with his vibranium shield, symbolized America for decades. ***The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is a fictional story about superheroes that is rooted in our reality, with issues of race, mental health, and politics interwoven. I’ve been watching reviews of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier on YouTube, and I am heartened by the conversations being generated on race and equity. The reception of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier by the masses makes me hopeful for a better America in the future.

Bop bop bop bop bop bop bop bop, this is Earth Day! Meanwhile, Eco-rebels misutilize poo outside the White House, perhaps in an effort to get their hands on pink wheelbarrows. Donald Trump was a villain, but his polls were steady, Joe’s polls might be the same. The Gop doesn’t want to hear that the 2017 shooting of congressional baseball players might not be terrorism, they need that for “whatabouts”. Nancy Pelosi keeps handing concessions to Republicans to get them for a January 6 commission.

Add chicken and let marinate for at least ½ hour. Bake the chicken for 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Chicken Breasts DianeServing Size: 4Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method-------- ------------ --------------------------------2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breasts1 medium shallot -- minced fine½ teaspoon salt¼ teaspoon ground black pepper4 tablespoons unsalted butter1 tablespoon Dijon mustard1 tablespoon parsley -- minced2 tablespoons white wine1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice¼ cup low sodium chicken brothPound chicken to ¼ inch thickness. Place chicken in prepared pan and bake 30 minutes uncovered until chicken is cooked through. Place chicken on rack in roasting pan and cook 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

So I went on and I shared some of my trauma, in this case the multiple sexual assaults I have survived. Then the server owner came on and said “OH But you’re a transwoman with an intersexed condition, you can’t be raped.”I got pissed, as did several other members of the server, but Cael wanted to continue the cheering people up rather than letting the server owner bring everyone down. About twenty minutes later my friend Cael contacted me and told me that everyone in the server had left after the server owner said one thing after I left. “Good now the freak is gone.” That line pissed off my friend Cael who is an enby and their wife is trans as well. Cael was the last one to leave the server owner alone in there simply because they were ripping the owner of the server a new one.

I actually think Brett Farve is correct about Chauvin not meaning to kill George Floyd. Guilty of being reckless with a black person's life because he couldn't have cared less about Floyd's humanity one way or another? Like a lot of white people who, though not guilty of first degree racism, are absolutely, positively guilty of second degree racism -- guilty of discounting black people's opinions regarding how we are faring in society, where sometimes it really is hard to breath with all that's pressing down on us. And they are beginning to get a little peeved that people are trying to put it on their radar. Though they will deny it, many modern conservatives are the perfect embodiment of second degree racism and the harm to life that results because, like Chauvin to the camera and crowd, they do not care to listen.

Another of Pinellas County FL’s very nice parks, this one is located in Largo, a suburb of St Pete. It has hiking trails, a nature center, and some rehabbed raptors. Some photos from a visit. For those who don't know, I lived in a converted campervan and traveled around the country, posting photo diaries of places that I visited. But the pandemic has clipped my wings, and I am now holed up in Florida until I can begin traveling again.

thehill.com/…Are we trying this dance again The Republicans do not bargain in good faith They will put a bill that accomplishes nothing; vote against it and them run against it in the midterms How many times do have to burn our hands on a hot stove before we realize “we get burnedFROM THE ARTICLE:Republicans have largely balked at Biden's American Jobs Plan proposal, which outlines $2.3 trillion worth of spending to invest in roads, bridges, railways, electric vehicles, broadband, long-term care workers, weatherizing buildings and climate friendly industries. Biden proposed paying for the plan through an increase in the corporate tax rate, though he has said he'd be willing to discuss ways to fund the proposal. The proposal unveiled Thursday by a group of Senate Republicans led by Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) narrowed down the definition of infrastructure and focused on funding for roads and bridges, public transit systems, rail, wastewater infrastructure, airports and broadband infrastructure. Senate Republicans are proposing user fees for electric vehicles and repurposing unused federal spending allocated by the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Congress passed in March to cover the cost of the plan. This alone is unaccountable We need a bold bill that accomplishes something that will improve the lives of most Americans and Yes: give the voters to vote for something in 2021 I hope Biden does not fall for this

Over a painting of George Floyd, the words "N***** Lives Don't Matter" appear. (Photo courtesy of Twitter @ChauncyOnTV)A prominent mural in George Floyd’s hometown, Houston, was vandalized. The mural has stood since late May of last year, when George Floyd was murdered by police. x LOOK AT THIS: Someone defaced the #georgefloyd mural on Chartres and Bell writing, “N-word lives don’t matter. pic.twitter.com/vGYkDE9O7U — Chauncy Glover (@ChauncyOnTV) April 22, 2021The mural has since been repainted in order for the racial slur to be removed.

Lies about BLM are refuted. Whistleblower Bruce Boise blew the opioid whistle on Big Pharma. This Republican congressman wants continued corporate welfare. Bruce Boise, Big Pharma whistleblowerPolitics Done Right Live weekdays @ 3:00 PM CentralVideo Zoom: LINK — Live Calls: (346)248-7799 ID:254 0 9091Podcasts: Stitcher | iTunes | Google Podcasts | Player.fm | Spotify | Tune-In | iHeartRadioLive Video: Facebook Live | Youtube Live | Periscope | TwitchMy books, "It's Worth It: How to Talk To Your Right-Wing Relatives, Friends, and Neighbors" & “As I See It: Class Warfare: The Only Resort To Right Wing Doom” support (1) communication techniques & (2) Progressive message delivery. Please join our YouTube channel to get the numbers up to open up some more features and reach more folks.

“There is something about the way Facebook organizes groups that leads to massive public events. Indeed, that was largely the thrust of the Avaaz report on Facebook’s culpability in the insurrection published March 18, six days before Zuckerberg testified. “This doesn’t even include Facebook Groups, so the number is likely much bigger. The internal Facebook report largely acknowledges this, explaining that the social media giant was outmaneuvered by coordinated accounts that formed a powerful network of groups promoting hate, inciting violence, and spreading lies about the election. However, given Facebook’s refusal to accept culpability in the insurrection, it also makes sense for lawmakers to take steps.

For young children, this transition is purely social—using a different name and pronouns, and dressing in a gender-affirming way. Almost as soon as Arkansas’ bill banning transition care for minors passed, state Republicans introduced new legislation to deny trans people of all ages access to public restrooms. First they say trans children should wait until 18, then 21, and then even adults in their 30s are deemed incompetent to direct their own care. Using misinformation to poison the well of public opinion is a mainstay of both the anti-trans and anti-choices movements. Both the “partial birth” abortion bans and bills to deny transition care effectively leave the courts to determine which procedures are legal, based on confusing and inaccurate descriptions crafted by legislators, not doctors.

Thanks to that 8-point margin, Biden won districts representing 232 seats in the House, while Donald Trump carried just 168. En route to that victory, Sununu won an extraordinary 366 seats in the House to just 34 for his opponent. As a consequence, fully 153 Democrats sit in seats Sununu carried, more than 80% of the caucus; unsurprisingly, no Republicans occupy any Feltes turf. There, Republicans reversed the 14-10 majority Democrats won in 2018 and took a 14-10 majority of their own. Larry Hogan, fellow Old Line State Democrats have known about his interest for some time.

The youtube algorithm served this up to me. If only Sheriff Andy was around to talk sense into the anti vaccine crowd. x YouTube Video

The legitimacy and efficacy of the U.S. Senate could be dramatically increased by a simple internal Senate rule change: go to population weighted voting. But, via this new internal rule, each Senator’s votes would be weighted by the number of people they represent. This power is why the Senate has been able to create its anti-majoritarian filibuster rule. It’s now time to use this rule making power to functionally overcome the greatest blight on our democracy, the malapportionment of the Senate. If support for Senate Rule #45 becomes a broadly understood litmus test for candidates from both parties, people power may just prevail.

Analysis | A key question moving forward: Is Trump’s grip on the GOP stronger than his base’s? https://t.co/yQ7htQJtx5The argument made by a super PAC associated with former national security adviser John Bolton centered on the extent to which Republican voters were still likely to follow Trump’s political lead. The yardstick against which Republican officials are often measured isn’t “Does Trump approve?” but “Does Trump’s base approve?” — a different and trickier calculus. #conspiracytheories #IntoTheStorm https://t.co/r8muhMZqrr — Paste Magazine (@PasteMagazine) April 22, 2021x Trumpism is the GOP. https://t.co/TZZfIT20Ou — The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) April 22, 2021x The Founders never intended for women to vote but here we are.

“All lives f----ing matter. Black lives don't f----ing matter.” He urged the person recording to make sure she got it, then continued with his rant. “Black lives matter is the most racist f---ing thing we’ve ever f---ing seen. What about white lives matter?” Miles said. I got a god--n Black kid in god--n Georgia.

Arizona’s Democratic secretary of state, Katie Hobbs, expressed her disgust at the attempt by her Republican colleagues to manufacture doubts about the state’s election results for political benefit. “They’re trying to find something that we know doesn’t exist,” said Arizona secretary of state Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, who serves as the state’s top election official. Wood himself claims to have donated $50,000 to the audit effort through his group, Fight Back. The GOP-led state senate has allotted $150,000 in Arizona taxpayer funds to the effort, but that will not cover the entire cost. The spokesman for the audit is a former Republican secretary of state named Ken Bennett.

I heard on the radio that many colleges are not mandating that their students get vaccinated. Which is crazy! How can institutions of higher learning not believe in this basic science? College students are the best spreaders of COVID. Colleges usually mandate that incoming students have MMR and Tetanus vaccines why not require this too?!?

I don’t think they’re going to let go of COVID anytime soon. And to the point where you better impose it, you’re going to shame people, you’re going to force them to carry a card to prove that they’ve been vaccinated so that they can participate in society. Okay, as for not being a “fully approved vaccine,” Johnson appears to be acknowledging that the COVID-19 vaccines are currently being offered through an FDA emergency use authorization. Not sure if you can reasonably say that that means they’re not “fully approved,” but either way, it certainly doesn’t mean they’re not safe. After all, had it been up to Donald Trump, we probably would have had “fully approved” vaccines last April made of fairy dust, cat piss, and nougat.

Before getting to some of the punditry on the Derek Chauvin trial, we have to look at the frightening explosion of COVID-19 cases in India. Astha Saxena reports for Indian Express that Delhi is running out of oxygen supplies. Top private hospitals in Delhi like Max, Fortis, Apollo, and Sir Ganga Ram reached out to the Delhi government regarding depleting oxygen supplies. Marianne Lavelle of Inside Climate News reports on the high stakes of the virtual international climate summit being led by President Biden that begins today. It is chiefly through the work of historians that we remember our presidents—their strengths and successes, their flaws and failures.

This is a four horse trailer with a living area, you can see in this other footage that protestors are throwing things at the trailer, bouncing things, (exploding water bottles? All that noise and crap is scaring the hell out of the horses inside. But the big thing- that you only see as it goes past- is that someone has unlatched the loading ramp on the trailer and was trying to access the horses! He pulls over and stops in front of the cops, and when the camera swings back you can see one of the cops is re-latching the ramp. I can tell you, if it’d been me, you’re goddamned right I would have done the exact same thing to protect those horses!

President Biden challenged Republicans to come up with a counter proposal to his infrastructure plan, and they have not disappointed those of us on the left who believe the GOP will not negotiate in good faith. It’s not detailed, but the plan outlines spending only $568 billion on infrastructure. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) described the plan, based on a document circulated by GOP senators, as “a beginning document” during a press conference. Instead of the Green New Deal that Democrats have talked about, we can call this Republican offer on infrastructure the “Ebenezer Scrooge” Deal. But this infrastructure plan has to be paid for.

Governor Gavin Newsom’s drought emergency proclamation directs state agencies to take “immediate action” to bolster drought resilience and prepare for impacts on communities, businesses and ecosystems if dry conditions extend to a third year. The regional state of emergency also enables flexibilities in regulatory requirements and procurement processes to mitigate drought impacts. Gavin Newsom, we need California water justice and climate change action, not more reservoirs. “Newsom also called for Sites Reservoir and the Voluntary Agreements as drought solutions at this press conference yesterday. “Taken as five-year averages (1967-1971 vs. 2016-2020), the declines for striped bass, Delta smelt, longfin smelt, American shad, splittail and threadfin shad are 98.1, 99.8, 99.8, 26.2, 99.3 and 94.3 percent, respectively,” said Jennings.

A cell in the Administrative Control Unit at MCF-Oak Park Heights, operated at the highest level of security where Derek Chauvin is being held. (MN.gov)Derek Chauvin is being held at the Minnesota Correctional Facility-Oak Park Heights to await sentencing. The correctional facility is in Stillwater, about 25 miles east of downtown Minneapolis. Oak Park Heights operates at the highest custody level of any facility in the Minnesota DOC system. I’ve helped arrest drunk drivers and taken them to be processed at the county jail.

They are trying to start a war inside the GOP and split the party. With the moron traitor it may well work. To stick a wedge in their with McConnell and get the traitor to blow his top. The are running it on FOX in the Mar a Lago TV market. Just a note about that — there is some pretty rough language in that ad that may get bleeped out.

I knew Oklahoma was a very racist state, but this new law is just a malicious invitation to vehicular mayhem against protesters and specifically People of Color. "We are sending a message today in Oklahoma that rioters who threaten law abiding citizens' safety will not be tolerated. I remain unequivocally committed to protecting every Oklahoman's First Amendment right to peacefully protest as well as their right to feel safe in their community," Stitt said, according to local ABC News station KAKE. House Bill 1674 makes obstructing a public road during a protest a misdemeanor punishable with up to a year in prison and a $5,000 fine. The Oklahoma state Senate passed the bill last week in a 38-10 vote.

He taught me to box, so one day he saw me in action and I thought he would be proud. You see some time ago my Mother had to work on Christmas Eve at a convenience store. For those of you who don’t know, Christmas Eve is a strange night to work convenience stores. In the coming days I intend to release a series of diaries about the deficit in assisting those physically challenged. If you can find it in your heart to help, his story and how to help can be found here:gofundme.com/...?

The world digs a staggering 3 billion cubic meters of clay soil every year, another huge eco-mess, but one that can be ameliorated with a little ingenuity. Because brick composition is quite flexible, bricks are capable of incorporating a high percentage of waste. And he’s found that by substituting 10-25% of the clay soil in bricks with non-shinola, the result is a better brick all around. The researchers found biosolids-enhanced bricks passed compressive strength tests and largely trapped heavy metals within the brick after firing. al., published in Buildings “A proposal for recycling the world’s unused stockpiles of treated wastewater sludge (biosolids) in fired-clay bricks” (DOI: 10.3390/buildings9010014).

Ohhh, da master gardener enjoying a drink at the sekrit fountain. Today we celebrate da Sekrit GardenThe sun rises on a part of the vast garden — Earth Day 2021Today we are all peeking into da Sekrit Garden. And what do we see but one of the master gardeners, busy at work, running about laying down a wild garden. The architect of the wild garden has been consulted. Da sekrit garden is going to be da tops dis year!

A skilled nursing facility in Kentucky offered 3 vaccination clinics for staff and residents in January and February 2021. They succeeded in vaccinating 90.4% of residents and 52.6% of staff; however, many staff members and a few of the residents refused the vaccine after being offered multiple opportunities. On March 1, an unvaccinated, COVID-infected, symptomatic staff member came to work, and an outbreak was soon in progress. The facility started testing everyone with rapid antigen tests as soon as they figured out an outbreak was underway. The virus turned out to be a particularly nasty variant, but even so the vaccine (Pfizer in this case) gave pretty impressive protection.

It eliminates ..." Apparently seeing that she wasn’t the stumbling, ill-equipt naysayer he might’ve assumed she was, Kennedy cut Abrams off to ask her other questions. x Republican Senator John Kennedy asks @StaceyAbrams to give him a list of provisions in Georgia’s new voter suppression law that she objects to. No, sir,” Abrams responded with a chuckle. It limits the voting hours ...”Kennedy interrupted yet again. x ‘You believe that the Georgia legislature made deliberate attempts to suppress the minority vote?’ asked Republican Senator John Cornyn.

They’re the people who cheered when an incoherent mob led by white supremacists sacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Excuses for refusing the vaccine are ubiquitous on the internet and social media. Republican pollster Frank Luntz conducted a focus group of Trump-voting vaccine “skeptics” to try to fathom what was driving their obstinacy. I mean, we’re just going to be shot up and shot up and shot up,” said a man identified as Erzen from New York. This is not sustainable.”Presumably this person has never received a flu shot, which people get every year.

Live coverage of the North Carolina General AssemblyWe got a telling glimpse into how business is done by the Republican majority in North Carolina’s state legislature this week. Guess Who Got PPP Loans in North Carolina? One analysis showed that 50% of PPP loan money in North Carolina went to just 4% of businesses. This means that all of these lawmakers would personally profit from changing the tax treatment of PPP loans. Read more: “Cockroach Theory and Political Corruption in the North Carolina GOP”Carolina Forward is a progressive policy organization dedicated to building a more just, democratic and prosperous North Carolina.

CIVIL CASESE. Jean Carroll Defamation SuitCarroll v. Trump, No.20-cd-07311, 2020WL 6277814 (S.D.N.Y. Nov. 25, 2020)Plaintiff: E. Jean Carroll, Journalist and Advice ColumnistSDNY Proceedings: Opposing memoranda on Trump’s motion to stay filed in December, 2020. Mary Trump Fraud LitigationTrump v. Trump, No. Doe v. The Trump Corporation Class ActionDoe v. Trump Corp., No. filed Mar 30, 2021)Plaintiff: James Blassingame and Sidney Hemby, two Capitol police officersOfficers filed suit in DC federal court Mar.

Ted Cruz has been accused of a lot of things: being the Zodiac Killer; being from Canada; being a churlish Sea Monkey that grew out of control in a secret Area 51 lab before escaping into the forest with a family-size bag of Bugles and a sixer of Zima; being the son of a key JFK assassination conspiracist; spending the past four years hiding in Donald Trump’s Underoos like a colicky baby wallaby; having the personality of a clammy loaf of reduced-salt Wonder Bread; running away to Cancun when his home state was in crisis; having a black, bloodless knot of a heart the size of a runty chickpea. The list goes on. But one thing few people have ever accused Cruz of is forthrightness. Case in point: Republicans, once again, are trying to pretend the stuff you saw them do just a few short years ago—stuff like run up the deficit and block Barack Obama’s federal and Supreme Court nominations—never really happened.

On the other hand, Bolsonaro is right about one thing: Brazil’s historic contribution to the greenhouse gases now driving climate change has been relatively low. He’s offering to slightly apply the brakes on destruction that has vastly accelerated on his watch. He’s not offering to replant a single tree, or even to halt illegal extraction, burning, and expansion into the area. Bolsonaro ran on a platform that expressly called for not halting the destruction of Amazon forests. But there is absolutely no reason to trust Jair Bolsonaro now, or ever.

The bulletin is marked as "law enforcement sensitive" and was distributed through the Department of Homeland Security's fusion centers. It "includes screenshots of posts about the protests from Facebook, Parler, Telegram and other social media sites. Postal Inspection Service has federal law enforcement officers, Postal Inspectors, who enforce approximately 200 federal laws to achieve the agency's mission: protect the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which assesses threats to Postal Service employees and its infrastructure by monitoring publicly available open source information," the statement read. The "FBI declined to comment for this article and postal inspection service wouldn't tell me when they started their covert program that monitors social media," Winter said.

The Department of State has issued new guidelines for U.S. government interaction with Taiwan counterparts to encourage U.S. government engagement with Taiwan that reflects our deepening unofficial relationship. The guidance underscores Taiwan is a vibrant democracy and an important security and economic partner that is also a force for good in the international community. These new guidelines liberalize guidance on contacts with Taiwan, consistent with our unofficial relations, and provide clarity throughout the Executive Branch on effective implementation of our “one China” policy, which is guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the three Joint Communiques, and the Six Assurances. The new guidelines have been issued following a review as set forth in the Taiwan Assurance Act.

Brett Jones, the man seeking to be released from a sentence of life without parole, was a victim of abuse by multiple people in his life, including the grandfather he stabbed to death—then tried to save with CPR. To Sotomayor, “the court is fooling no one” in the pretense that this was not a major rollback of earlier decisions—the kind of rollback that should require an admission that a precedent is being overturned. ”The Court simply rewrites Miller and Montgomery to say what the Court now wishes they had said, and then denies that it has done any such thing,” Sotomayor wrote. “The Court knows what it is doing.”Of course it does. It’s chapter infinity in “Republicans lie,” but it’s especially relevant as Kavanaugh lies in his official Supreme Court opinions, while writing for the Trump majority.

"I certainly think our focus ought to be on [the Lewis bill] and voting rights," said Rep. Anthony Brown of Maryland, a member of the CBC. It could be gone very easily in January 2023 if states have free rein on keeping Democratic voters out of voting booths. x In states across the country lawmakers are working to chip away at the voting rights of Americans. It’s critical that we pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act to safeguard the franchise of millions of voters. And it’s what the late Representative John Lewis—for whom the new Voting Rights Act is named—described in his final letter as 'the most powerful nonviolent change agent you have in a democratic society.'"

At that point, Fox viewership appeared to splinter, with some loyal Fox viewers making the switch to even fringier conservative competitors Newsmax and One America News Network (OANN). Civiqs, on the other hand, is a measure of self-reporting—how frequently respondents say they are watching Fox News. In 2019, for instance, anywhere from roughly one-fifth to one-quarter of Civiqs respondents said they "frequently" watched Fox News. DO YOU WATCH FOX NEWS? In October 2020, prior to the election, 15% of respondents still said they watched Fox frequently, 31% said occasionally, and 54% said never.

The United States notes with concern the pattern of ongoing PRC attempts to intimidate its neighbors, including Taiwan. We urge Beijing to cease its military, diplomatic, and economic pressure against Taiwan and instead engage in meaningful dialogue with Taiwan’s democratically elected representatives. The United States will continue to support a peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues, consistent with the wishes and best interests of the people on Taiwan. The United States maintains its longstanding commitments as outlined in the Three Communiqués, the Taiwan Relations Act, and the Six Assurances. Our commitment to Taiwan is rock-solid and contributes to the maintenance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and within the region.

House Democrats also passed a second major piece of legislation stemming from the previous president’s discriminatory bans, approving Washington Rep. Pramila Jayapal’s Access to Counsel Act by a 217-207 vote, with no Republicans joining. That bill ensures that citizens, legal residents, and travelers with legal status can speak to an attorney if they’re detained by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials. “In many cases, these individuals had no opportunity to see an attorney or even call anyone for legal guidance. “The Muslim Ban was always wrong, needless, and cruel and failed to live up to the requirements laid out by the Supreme Court,” Chu tweeted. “Religious bans have no place in our country or our laws and today, we are voting to make sure this never happens again.”

When it comes to getting funds to Puerto Rico, the inspector general’s report identifies a series of key changes that got in the way of taking effective action. Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in September 2017. HUD and OMB were still unable to even get much of the relief funding posted by a self-imposed deadline of May 2019. As the Post pointed out, OMB had never previously required any agency grants to go through a review process like the one targeted at funds for Puerto Rico. In the EPA inspector general’s report, the problem isn’t decisions that were made too slowly or given too much review.

According to the Associated Press, during Vivona’s arrest, he told police he had a “hate” or “fixation” about Asians. “I want everybody to know, especially in the AAPI community, that you’re not alone,” Kokumai told NBC News. Similar to Vivona, the man expressed bias against and xenophobia towards Asian Americans. According to data released by Stop AAPI Hate, almost 3,800 incidents of anti-Asian hate were reported over the past year during the pandemic. To learn more and to report crimes, go to: Asian Americans Advancing Justice, Stop the AAPI Hate, National Council of Asian Pacific Americans, Asian Americans Advancing Justice-LA, and Asian Pacific Policy & Planning Council.

Biden's proposal includes $115 billion to modernize the bridges, highways, and roads of the fossil fuel age. His proposal includes another $85 billion for public transit, $80 billion for Amtrak, and $174 billion to build 500,000 electric vehicle charging stations, electrify 20% of school buses, and electrify the federal fleet. He'd spend $100 billion on broadband, $25 billion for airports, and $111 billion for water projects. This idea from Republicans is still basically just a sketch, but its lead author, West Virginia Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, touts it as "the largest infrastructure investment Republicans have come forward with." But what they were talking about was an $800 billion offer from Republicans, one that showed they were serious.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying speaks at a daily breifing. File photo: VCGThe Chinese Foreign Ministry slammed an Australian institute for spearheading anti-China forces and fabricating various anti-China issues, after it released a paper claiming that China is strengthening influence over the international community.The Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) accused China of influencing foreign politicians, universities, multinational companies and overseas Chinese communities to advance China's interests through collecting intelligence information via different organizations.Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said that she did not know the basis of the paper, but she knew that some people from Australia have written articles, revealing that the institute has long received financial support from the US government and arms dealers, and is keen to fabricate and hype up various anti-China issues.US-based news outlet, the Grayzone, revealed that ASPI is a "right-wing, militaristic" think tank funded by US and Western governments, mega-corporations and an eye-popping array of weapons manufacturers, including Raytheon Australia, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, MBDA Missile Systems, Saab AB and Thales.Ironically, Australia's Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme - enacted by the center-right Liberal Party to monitor the alleged threat of "Chinese political interference" in the country - has revealed ASPI's extensive sources of foreign funding, including the US State Department, UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the government of Japan and NATO, according to The Grayzone.Hua said that with such strong ideological bias, the institute was actually spearheading the anti-China forces and its academic credibility has been seriously questioned.The institute has fabricated reports on policies in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and its so-called report which was ridiculous and turned black into white, has become the laughin

President Joe Biden on Friday sought to present a united front with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga to counter an increasingly assertive China as the U.S. leader held his first face-to-face White House summit since taking office. Suga said he and Biden agreed on the necessity of frank discussions with China in the context of Beijing's activities in the Indo-Pacific region. In a strongly worded statement on Saturday, China's embassy in Washington said Beijing was "resolutely opposed" to the joint statement, and that Taiwan, Hong Kong and Xinjiang were China's internal affairs. US President Joe Biden and Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga take part in a joint press conference in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, DC on April 16, 2021. In another swipe at China, Biden told the news conference the United States and Japan will invest together in areas such as 5G, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, genomics and semiconductor supply chains.

I have spent two years making a documentary film, The Coming War on China, in which the evidence and witnesses warn that nuclear war is no longer a shadow, but a contingency. Kahn’s book, On Thermonuclear War, elaborated a plan for a ‘winnable’ nuclear war against the Soviet Union. Charles Gatward: The Coming War on China, Darmouth Films Advert'Punish' ChinaIn Washington, I met Amitai Etzioni, distinguished professor of international affairs at George Washington University. He wants to ‘punish’ China for extending its defences to the South China Sea. In Sydney, Australia, Harris called on China to ‘tear down its Great Wall in the South China Sea’.

Still, even as people are skeptical about closer political relations, half would embrace closer economic ties with mainland China. Younger people are particularly likely to support closer relations with the U.S., and they are less likely to embrace closer relations with China. Supporters of the Kuomintang (KMT), the opposition party that ruled Taiwan for decades prior to 2000 and favors closer relations with the mainland, favor mainland China. Favorable views of the U.S. among this group are three times higher than toward mainland China (75% vs. 23%). While many in Taiwan welcome greater economic relations with Beijing, few support closer political ties with mainland ChinaIn Taiwan, people tend to have negative views when it comes to mainland China.

Concern is mounting throughout the region, and Taiwan accuses China of sending 25 military aircraft into its air defence identification zone this week – a record incursion. The chief of Australia’s Defence Force, Angus Campbell, cautioned that conflict in the Taiwan Strait would be “disastrous” and urged Beijing to resolve its differences with Taiwan’s leaders through dialogue. Royal Australian Air Force F/A-18F Super Hornets could be dragged into a conflict over Taiwan. Sources and academics said that while a military conflict remained unlikely, Australia wanted to send Beijing a signal that further incursions by Mr Xi’s forces into Taiwan’s territory would not be tolerated. “There has been a lot of thinking done on this and other contingencies – but nothing that you wouldn’t expect the department would be doing as part of prudent military planning,” the source said.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, on Wednesday (March 4) issued both a tweet and formal statement in support of Taiwan after the House unanimously passed the Taiwan Allies International Protection and Enhancement Initiative Act (TAIPEI Act). The lightly revised TAIPEI Act was passed with a unanimous vote of 415 to zero, reported CNA. She added that through the act, the U.S. Congress is sending a message to the world that "America stands with Taiwan." The TAIPEI Act celebrates and supports Taiwan’s commitment to democracy, by preserving and promoting its position on the international stage. Today, by passing the TAIPEI Act, Congress once again reaffirms our strong support for a free, open and democratic Taiwan.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Over half of Taiwanese support formal independence for their country, according to a survey released by the Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation (TPOF) on Monday (June 22). Around 54 percent of respondents support official independence for Taiwan. Meanwhile, 23.4 percent prefer maintaining the status quo, 12.5 percent favor unification with China, and 10 percent do not hold any particular view on the matter, the survey found. The number of Taiwanese in favor of the status quo dropped by 3.4 percent, and those backing unification edged up a slight 0.8 points, reported Newtalk. Separately, around 66 percent of Taiwanese back the government’s stimulus voucher scheme set to kick off in July, according to the poll.

The Trump and Biden administrations have relied on the work of a right-wing religious extremist, Adrian Zenz, for their “genocide” accusation against China. Both President Joe Biden and his Secretary of State Anthony Blinken have endorsed former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s last-minute accusation of “genocide” against the Muslim Uyghur population in China’s Xinjiang province. Otherwise, any birth control program provided to an ethnic group would be prima facie evidence of a policy of genocide against the group. Both official Chinese figures and Zenz agree that the Uyghur population in Xinjiang increased significantly between 2010 and 2018. That means the Uyghur population in Xinjiang grew by a staggering 25.04 percent.

US media hailed a Newlines Institute report accusing China of Uyghur genocide as a “landmark” independent analysis. A majority of the report’s “expert” signatories are members of the Newlines Institute and the Wallenberg Centre. “New” report regurgitates old, discredited “evidence”The Newlines report presents no new material on the condition of Uyghur Muslims in China. A majority of the signatories are members of the two think tanks behind the report, the Newlines Institute and the Wallenberg Centre. Newlines Institute recently took steps to counter rumors of IIIT’s connections to the Muslim Brotherhood.

Online Event: China's Power: Up for Debate 2020 - Debate 4Proposition: Within the next five years, China will use significant military force against a country on its periphery. The China Power Project will host its fifth annual conference as a series of five live online debates. Under President Xi Jinping, China’s military capabilities have continued to grow. China has stepped up military pressure on Taiwan and conducted frequent large-scale military exercises in the South China Sea. China’s last significant uses of force were in the 1980s along the land border with Vietnam, and in the 1988 clash over Johnson South in the South China Sea.

Taiwan’s Potential to Strengthen Creative Economy Sectors in the AmericasJanuary 4, 2021The creative economy spans various sectors, including audiovisual and performing arts, publishing, design, video games, fashion, architecture, advertising, software, and television and radio, among others, and is comprised of both formal and informal workers. By April 2020, the Colombian creative economy had shrunk by 34.7 percent and by November it had lost 61,000 jobs. Recognizing the vitality of the cultural and creative economy, Colombia has implemented measures to support its industries and their employees. Looking AheadCovid-19 without a doubt has been both the great disruptor and accelerator of the creative economy in the Americas. The cultural and creative economy is not only a vital part of the global economy but enriches and gives meaning to our lives.

Elections are free, fair, and competitive; civil and political rights are protected; and on some issues, such as responding to COVID-19, the Taiwan government’s performance has been excellent. While these are not easy problems to solve, Taiwan’s political system has, at times, made implementing solutions more difficult. In his new book — “Difficult Choices: Taiwan’s Quest for Security and the Good Life” — Nonresident Senior Fellow Richard Bush weaves together a detailed and nuanced analysis of the difficult policy choices that Taiwan faces, both internally and externally. He also explores how its democratic political system might improve its performance for the public that it serves. On April 14, the Center for East Asia Policy Studies at the Brookings Institution hosted Bush for a discussion of his new book, moderated by Senior Fellow Ryan Hass.

Because of this, Taiwan has developed expertise in how to counter China — expertise that could be of use to the United States and the European Union. In a world where authoritarian, state capitalist ideologies are flourishing, Taiwan is a showcase for the benefits of liberal democracy. In short, Western countries have good reasons to seek ties with and to support Taiwan. The United States, for example, has institutionalized a dense network of unofficial but substantivedialogues with Taiwan about a range of issues, including security and defense. This series will consider this and many other ways that non-state actors can contribute to strengthening ties with Taiwan.

Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Russell (DDG 59) transits the Taiwan Strait. Sean Lynch via ReutersThe risk of conflict between China and the United States in the Taiwan Strait is rising. The consequences for Europe of a conflict in the Taiwan Strait would extend well beyond the economic realm. Of course, in the event of a conflict in the Taiwan Strait, the United States could also choose not to defend Taiwan against China, averting a conflict between great powers. And yet despite all these incentives, Brussels isn’t doing much at the moment to preserve the status quo in the Taiwan Strait.

Now Is the Right Time for a Trade Agreement with TaiwanMay 27, 2020This piece is part of the Strategic Trade series supported by the Atlas Network. A bilateral trade agreement will help secure vital supply chains and draw Taiwan’s crucial technology capacities closer to the United States. For example, a U.S.-Taiwan agreement could enshrine important principles on data privacy and cross-border data flows, right on China’s frontier. For similar commercial reasons, other nations have preceded the United States in going forward with bilateral trade agreements with Taiwan. Taiwan now has eight bilateral trade agreement partners, including fellow Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation’s (APEC) economies Singapore and New Zealand.

Protecting Democracy in an Age of Disinformation: Lessons from TaiwanJanuary 27, 2021Taiwan has long defended itself from political meddling, including disinformation, by the People’s Republic of China (PRC). While CCP disinformation campaigns pose a clearly identifiable threat to the United States and Taiwan, they are only one part of a larger disinformation problem facing democracies in this era of instant and omnipresent communication technologies. Indeed, the experience of both Taiwan and the United States suggest that rival political parties are incentivized to exaggerate and weaponize charges of “foreign interference” against each other—charges which often are more damaging to underlying trust levels in a democracy than the original foreign disinformation attacks themselves. This report was made possible by the generous support of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States (TECRO). All opinions expressed herein should be understood to be solely those of the authors and are not influenced in any way by any donation.

So, the stakes for Taiwan’s democracy are high. 68% thought that Taiwan was a democracy, though some thought it had “minor problems.”63% were satisfied with the way democracy worked in Taiwan. PerformanceThat two out of three respondents were generally satisfied with their political system is not a bad approval rate. Yet meeting the China challenge is made all the more difficult because decisions must be processed through Taiwan’s democratic system. ConclusionAs noted, intra- and inter-party splits, protests, referendums, and populism reflect dissatisfaction with the performance of Taiwan’s system of representative democracy.

Executive summaryBeijing’s goal concerning Taiwan is decidedly revisionist. That formula was unacceptable to Taiwan’s authoritarian leaders when it was first developed in the late 1980s. Once Taiwan made the transition to democracy in the early 1990s, the public rejected it as well. Democracy also opened the door to the minority on Taiwan who wanted de jure independence and total separation from China, a source of great concern in Beijing. Worse yet for China, Ma was succeeded in 2016 by Tsai Ing-wen, the leader of the Democratic Progressive Party, which Beijing associates with the goal of independence.

By the 1990s it had become an international celebration, and on Earth Day 2020, over 100 million people around the world observed the 50th anniversary in what is referred to as the "largest online mass mobilization in history." The holiday was originally suggested by peace activist John McConnell who proposed using the spring equinox as a day to honor the Earth and the concept of peace. Denis and his staff quickly developed the event beyond the original idea for a teach-in, and the first Earth Day was born. My high school art teacher heard about it and encouraged students to make artwork to celebrate the occasion. On the same day in April 1970, iconic striptease artist, Gypsy Rose Lee, died in Los Angeles and Melania Knavs (later, Trump) was born in Yugoslavia.

(Image by Mr. Fish/Scheer Post) Details DMCAAmerica's defeat in Afghanistan is one in a string of catastrophic military blunders that herald the death of the American empire. These liberal interventionists, the useful idiots of imperialism, attempt to civilize a process that was created and designed to repress, intimidate, plunder and dominate. The liberal interventionists are also the tip of the spear in the campaign to rachet up tensions with China and Russia. It is the fatal disease of empire, captured in Graham Greene's novel "The Quiet American" and Michael Ondaatje's "The English Patient." For example, the United States routinely kidnapped Islamic jihadists fighting in the Balkans between 1995 and 1998.

The hardest thing for me, as a very smart person, with a smart mouth, and a smart aleck attitude, to learn and fully internalize has been this:Don't judge. Is this politician focused on getting my vote telling the truth or blowing smoke? Don't make final declarations which cut you off from any further understanding or appreciation, whether it's about a person or a circumstance. And the undeniable truth is, sometimes it feels great being part of some "community" of people doing the same thing. Make no mistake about it: USEFUL IDIOTS ARE STILL USEFUL!

The SALT cap, implemented when Donald Trump was president and the GOP still held congressional majorities, is a "man bites dog" issue that places Democrats and Republicans opposite their usual supposed sides. The SALT cap limits those deductions to $10,000 per year. Because an unlimited SALT deduction means that state governments get a sort of free ride on their own tax rates. The SALT cap encourages people and their wealth to move from "blue" states to "red" states. But if we're going to have them, federal tax policy shouldn't be manipulated to artificially benefit tax-happy state governments.

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From Hartmann Report(Image by Unsplash Photos) Details DMCARepublican greed is why Americans can't have nice things. Republicans don't hate Social Security and Medicare, for example, because they're afraid that those programs are going to somehow turn America into a communist country. Trump used the Defense Production Act to force mostly Brown and Black meatpackers back to work, not to keep Americans safe. As long as their investments in weapons manufacturers are profitable and the problem of gun violence is limited to poor- and working-class Americans, Republicans don't give a rat's ass about "gun safety." Donald Trump's rewrite of NAFTA even gives American companies a huge new tax break if they move factories from America to Mexico.

The Philippine Navy is exploring ways to collaborate with the Turkish government in current efforts to modernize its Navy. The Turkish navy has so far received four Ada-class corvettes as part of the project and the TCG Istanbul, the first frigate and largest warship domestically designed and manufactured by Turkey, which was recently launched. Four ships are being manufactured for the Pakistani navy with the project including production at Pakistani ports and technology transfers. Along with the launch of the Istanbul frigate, the ceremony also marked the groundbreaking of the third ship to be constructed for the Pakistani navy under the MILGEM project. Erdo?an said the number of projects in the Turkish defense industry has taken a significant leap from 2002, increasing from 62 to almost 700.

Sonnet: Frisson My Ass OffThe race is on to control men's* minds and souls --our bodies we can do without at first --it's the thing-in-itself that drives our thirst,the hope diamond squeezed out of quantum coals,being and nothingness, alive and not --a viral version of forbidden fruit,a magical stem cell we find at the rootof all possible past and future thought. The body can be anything we want. Let's go with photosynthetic exos,fun, sun-loving people green as geckoeswith ichorous veins. Between one and zero is both -- you'll see:The future is simultaneity. * humans (I needed the syllable, sorry if I offended)

The shadow is highly personal but also collective, and some of it is karmic (it came with us.) My WW3 shadow was much more manageable than my poor father's WW3 shadow, which stalked him in the form of feeling helpless to be that strong capable protector for his own family. What's similar between living with the climate-change shadow and the WW3 shadow, (as collective shadows) is, they can't be avoided, we can't make them go away by ignoring them. (Covid represents another collective shadow, as does the specter of the surveillance state or the "dark state", which is both real, in a limited sense, and psychically real in a much more sinister way.) But regardless of how we experience our collective shadow, we are all also dealing with a personal shadow, which is uniquely our own to relate to, and it can be negative or positive.

youtube.com/watch?v=Fc4BkuKyjkoBo Lozoff -- Life is Deep (prison talk) Renowned teacher/activist Bo Lozoff describes the common threads of all religions and the simple principles they share. "Independence" - in the context of a work environment - usually means a focus on "looking out for number one," and not allowing oneself to be vulnerable, open, undefended. One can wonder about the degree to which many of our organizations (and schools) have come to resemble prisons. In this light, let us consider two currently functioning alternatives to the present prison system. Both, as we will see, demonstrate a shift in focus to increased openness and interdependence on multiple levels.

World War I was, however faintly, still part of my life when I grew up in the Cold War years. But there was one thing they had lived through as children that they never mentioned, not once: the devastating great influenza pandemic of 1918-1920 that killed so many more Americans than died in both world wars. I had no idea it had even happened, though it was far more devastating than the present pandemic globally (horrific as Covid-19 is). The pandemic had by then killed more Americans than had died in World War I, World War II, and the Vietnam War combined and it wasn't done with us yet. Every November 11th, on Veterans Day, our world still remembers and celebrates the moment World War I officially ended.

The system that Powell advocated has today become a corrupt political and corporate oligarchy. Today, 76 percent of the US public supports higher taxes on the wealthy, 80 percent of the US public supports Medicare for All, 76 percent of the US public supports a $15 minimum wage, 60 percent of the US public support tuition-free college, 73 percent of the US public support abortion rights, 96 percent of the US population supports an equal rights amendment, and 63 percent of the US public supports greater environmental regulation. Yet, five unelected lifetime members of the Supreme Court and the bribed members of Congress by the unelected dictatorship of corporate and billionaire campaign contributions deny "we the people," of what we want, and murder our citizens like George Floyd with impunity. The values that sustain our open society have been crushed by the virus of greed. Only then, will the life taken from George Floyd, Daunte Wright, and all the other innocent martyrs, victims of centuries old white racism, arrogance and hubris, ignorance and hate, not be in vain.

Many proclaimed this moment as a pivotal time in our nation when true change will come. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Voting Rights Act of 1964. When the March on Selma resulted in the passage of the Voting Rights Act, that too was a time of euphoria. And in the last few months, because of the 2020 election results, 43 states are considering legislation to limit voting rights. Brotherhood: The true cause of the George Floyd verdictJustice was achieved in the prosecution of Derek Chauvin because the prosecutors and the jurors, were people who could perceive true justice.

I'm talking about the general trend towards fascistic nationalism and war buildup throughout the capitalist world, which the developments in Ukraine provide a prelude to. "There are neo-Nazi pogroms against the Roma, rampant attacks on feminists and LGBT groups, book bans, and state-sponsored glorification of Nazi collaborators," The Nation's Lev Golinkin wrote in 2019. The fascists, with help from their NATO puppeteers, have plunged Ukraine into terror, poverty, and war by gutting and replacing Ukrainian society's foundations. In order to create an anti-Russian Ukraine, the only real period of history they have to fall back on to create this is these World War II-era Nazi collaborators. And the logical conclusion of this is a repeat of the horrors of World War II, where the fascist and imperialist powers slaughtered tens of millions for conquest and capitalist fortification.

It may not be reproduced in any form without permission or license from the source. From AntiwarRussian President Vladimir Putin's stern warning earlier today not to cross what he called Russia's "red line" needs to be taken seriously. Putin prefaced his his unusually pointed remarks by saying Russia wants "good relations " including, by the way, those with whom we have not been getting along lately, to put it mildly. Russian officials have long believed that the United States is conducting its own 'influence campaigns' to undermine Russia, weaken President Vladimir Putin, and install Western-friendly regimes in the states of the former Soviet Union and elsewhere. It would be interesting to read the Russian counterpart assessment of the threats they face.

The Graveyard of EmpiresBefore going further, we do have to visit the old saying about Afghanistan: "It is the graveyard of Empires." (At the beginning of the Taliban military expansion in the early 2000s Iran provided aid to U.S. forces, on its porous Eastern border with Afghanistan. This came to an end when the Bush Administration went full-bore against Iran with the "Axis of Evil" speech.) As it happens, one of the reasons that it is the Graveyard of Empires is that Afghanistan is a very complex country and always has been. (Afghanistan borders on several of the Central Asian nations --- e.g., Turkmenistan, Tajikstan, that had been part of the Russian Empire and under the Soviet Union were "Constituent Republics.")

We need to fund infrastructure projects and build affordable housing while transitioning our energy system away from fossil fuels toward energy efficiency and renewable energy. Finally, if we are going to be able to compete in a global economy, we need to have the best educated workforce in the world. That means we must make public colleges and universities tuition free and debt free for working families. But paying to fix these problems should not fall on the shoulders of working Americans who already pay the bulk of this nation's taxes. The good news is that we are living in the wealthiest country in the history of the world.

Even though the temperature had risen less than one degree Celsius, we were already seeing extensive Arctic ice melt, for instance. This is affecting the very stability of global climate regulators. Under international law, the central Arctic Ocean is part of the "high seas," because it lies outside the jurisdiction of any nation. The Russians' submission is the most ambitious and contentious, extending all the way to the North Pole and across the central Arctic Ocean. We must pause the mad rush to exploit a very fragile and essential global climate regulator, in order for science to catch up and emission cuts to kick in.

“It is an apocalyptic situation in India right now,” says journalist Rana Ayyub. AMY GOODMAN: India is in a state of crisis as COVID cases surge and hospitals run out of oxygen. Despite this, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has continued to hold large campaign rallies. There’s not a single critical report on the Kumbh Mela, which was sanctioned by the prime minister. The prime minister has still to hold a single press conference to take a single question from the Indian media.

Part of the Series Covering Climate NowThis story is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. President Joe Biden on Thursday has pledged to cut carbon emissions from the U.S. to half of what they were in 2005 by the end of this decade. His announcement came on the first day of a virtual climate summit hosted by Biden. Climate Action Network, calls on Biden to cut domestic emissions by 70 percent of what they were in 2005. Meanwhile, before the pandemic hit, oil and gas production was soaring, which Biden has done little to address, climate advocates say.

That’s according to an analysis released Thursday morning by the People’s Vaccine Alliance, a coalition of advocacy organizations campaigning to end massive inequities in the distribution of life-saving coronavirus vaccines. Johnson & Johnson, which received $1.5 billion in public money, paid out $10.5 billion in dividends. “This is clearer now more than ever.”These vaccines were funded by public money and are desperately needed worldwide if we are to end this pandemic. “This is a public health emergency, not a private profit opportunity,” Marriott said. We need a people’s vaccine, not a profit vaccine.”“Instead of creating new vaccine billionaires,” Marriott added, “we need to be vaccinating billions in developing countries.”This piece was reprinted by Truthout with permission or license.

The pandemic had by then killed more Americans than had died in World War I, World War II, and the Vietnam War combined — and it wasn’t done with us yet. Every November 11th, on Veterans Day, our world still remembers and celebrates the moment World War I officially ended. “Collectively, we obviously wrongly shared a feeling that Americans would be fine,” Lincoln said of the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic. Under the circumstances, it’s important that we not drop this pandemic from memory as we did the 1918 one. My inner misanthrope says no, but certainly the odds improve if we don’t delete this pandemic from history like the last one.

Johnson & Johnson, which received $1.5 billion in public money, paid out $10.5 billion in dividends. We need a people's vaccine, not a profit vaccine." "It is appalling that Big Pharma is making huge payouts to wealthy shareholders in the face of this global health emergency." "This is a public health emergency, not a private profit opportunity," Marriott said. We need a people's vaccine, not a profit vaccine."

(CSIRO / Wikimedia Commons)Natural gas will have to be phased out along with coal if the world is to be kept safe from dangerous climate change. CAT’s members are Climate Analytics, Ecofys and NewClimate Institute, with the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research as a collaborator. For example, utilisation rates of US natural gas infrastructure are at 54%, and are even lower in Europe, at 25%. The report sees a dwindling role for natural gas towards the middle of the century because of increasing competition from renewables that continue to get cheaper. “Natural gas is often perceived as a ‘clean’ source of energy that complements variable renewable technologies.

In Part 2 of their conversation, @HakiMadhubuti and the professors continue their conversation answering the question: “How can we best pass on the legacy of institution building?” Tune in for Professor Madhubuti’s answer, as well as his reading of his poem “Liberation Narratives.”A leading poet and one of the architects of the Black Arts Movement, Haki R. Madhubuti (pronounced Mad-hu-boo-tee)—publisher, editor, and educator—has been a pivotal figure in the development of a strong Black literary tradition. He has published more than 31 books (some under his former name, Don L. Lee) and is one of the world’s best-selling authors of poetry and non-fiction. His book “Black Men: Obsolete, Single, Dangerous? The AfricanAmerican Family in Transition” has sold more than one million copies. Links:Third World Press Twitter: https://twitter.com/thirdworldpress?s=20Twitter: https://twitter.com/HakiMadhubuti?s=20Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HakiMadhubuti/Website: https://thirdworldpressfoundation.org/

It’s a bleak sort of Earth Day today. There has never been an Earth Day like this. How, then, do we look on Earth Day in this grim context? Please take this Earth Day and do likewise. Knowing this, it’s time to reject greenwashing and false promises from the powerful when they are proffered.

“It’s got nothing to do with the well-being of this country; it’s sending crude fossil fuel over to other countries.”“It’s got nothing to do with the well-being of this country; it’s sending crude fossil fuel over to other countries,” Wilson tells Truthout. It really is a mess, and they’re trying to expedite it.”Congress’s reversal of the 40-year-old crude oil export ban in 2015 has enabled a massive fracking boom in Texas’s methane-blasting Permian Basin oil fields and elsewhere, driving an expansion of oil export infrastructure projects. Since the ban was lifted in 2015, fossil fuel exports have skyrocketed, increasing 750 percent, according to an analysis by Greenpeace USA and Oil Change International. Banning U.S. public financing for overseas fossil fuel projects and exports of U.S. crude oil overseas, they say, is low-hanging fruit. Everything is incremental.”The president could ban fossil fuel exports immediately by declaring a national climate emergency.

As many were celebrating the Minneapolis jury’s decision to convict Derek Chauvin for his murder of George Floyd while others insisted that a conviction would not build a more just world, Ma’Khia died in a local hospital. Two weeks before Hill’s killing, Columbus police killed 23-year-old Casey Goodson, Jr. as he returned home from running family errands. But that’s not what policing offers Black girls like Ma’Khia. We are fighting to build a world where Ma’Khia’s needs, and the needs of the girls around her, are met. We are fighting for a world in which Ma’Khia could still be making TikTok videos and showing off her hair-styling techniques.

She wonders if her embrace of regenerative farming — a set of practices that restore soil health by mimicking natural processes — may have helped. Before doing so, she had concentrated her efforts on taking care of the animals, trees and plants on her farm. Markegard says the benefits of the approach are visible, even to the untrained eye, during wildfire season. But only so much is in the realm of control of a single farm or land trust, since lightning could strike anywhere. We know that animal impact can make a huge difference in clearing out old debris and oxidized material,” Koefoed said.

Representatives Cori Bush (D-Missouri) and Pramila Jayapal (D-Washington) are leading an effort with nearly 100 of their fellow House members to end the Senate filibuster. The lawmakers join many progressive and Democratic advocates in saying that the filibuster is a roadblock to progress. In fact, lawmakers got rid of the House’s filibuster 130 years ago because it was preventing progress. The Senate filibuster, as the lawmakers point out, is a relic of the Jim Crow era and has a history of being used to block civil rights. It’s voting rights or the filibuster.

On Thursday, the House of Representatives passed a bill that would make Washington, D.C., the 51st state. Republicans are staunchly opposed to granting D.C. statehood, fearing that the Democratic-leaning area would give Democrats more votes in Congress. If the filibuster is abolished, as progressive activists, Senate Democrats and House Democrats are pushing for, statehood for D.C. could very well become a reality. “Today, every member of the House of Representatives who voted in favor of DC statehood made the decision to believe in a stronger, more inclusive Democracy.”The last time the House passed a bill granting D.C. statehood was in 2020 when it also passed along party-line votes with no Republicans in favor. “The House just passed D.C. statehood.

It’s true that, according to the IEA’s model, emissions level will not increase any further from now until 2040. This needs to be recognized as a minimal ethical requirement, since high-income countries are almost entirely responsible for having created the climate crisis in the first place. Bob, certain studies seem to indicate that the climate crisis won’t be stopped even if we reduced greenhouse gas emissions to zero. I am compelled therefore to ask you this: Is the climate crisis a race we can actually win? All of these impacts will also help break the grip that neoliberalism has maintained over the global economy over the past 40 years.

Dr. Woodcock on Thursday acknowledged differences of opinion within the F.D.A. about the benefits of a temporary halt versus the risks of additional coronavirus infections if the vaccine were temporarily shelved. officials grappled with reports of the rare clotting cases in the weeks before the pause, regulators saw an unmistakable similarity in the cases in the United States. All had occurred within one to three weeks of vaccination and they were clustered in women under the age of 50. Dr. Woodcock said that a warning would have been insufficient if there was in fact a high rate of cases, like one in every 25,000 or 50,000 young women.

The stakes are enormous, for Mr. Biden and for the planet. The latest pledge puts the United States almost on par with Europe, but still behind Britain. On climate finance, the Biden administration promised to double its contribution to help developing countries address climate change, to an estimated $5.7 billion by 2024. That underscores a central fact: Mr. Biden’s promise is little more than that — a promise. But those rules alone are unlikely to add up to the steep emissions reductions necessary to meet Mr. Biden’s ambitious new target.

Baseball is the game where, every day, you take responsibility for everything that has befallen others yet is not your fault. But because the Nats got clobbered from Day 1, they bring into focus a kinship between them and us. AdvertisementStory continues below advertisementHow can you play your hardest, win on a come-from-behind walk-off hit on Opening Day but still start 1-5? AdvertisementStory continues below advertisementNo one in their right mind wants to build character through pain. That’s who we are.”To the Nats, for the past decade, that has always been the focus: Concentrate on playing the game right, every game, every pitch, and never complain.

From the Sun to distant planets to galaxy clusters and more. Images from our solar system and beyond.

AdvertisementStory continues below advertisementPresident Donald Trump would later highlight the episode in arguing for stricter immigration policies. Ullah was in the United States on a visa for relatives of people already living legally in the country. The explosion, at 7:20 a.m., caused smoke to fill the subway tunnel and sent terrified commuters fleeing. The Islamic State supporter was found guilty at trial in 2018 of providing material support to a terrorist organization, using a weapon of mass destruction, bombing a public place and related counts. Circuit Judge Richard Sullivan granted federal prosecutors’ request that Ullah spend the rest of his life in prison.

It looks to be the final storm system for Southern California before the dry season sets in and precipitation chances flatline. Usually we have some green.”Across the West, precipitation has been tough to come by over the past year. Advertisement“This storm coming in this weekend is the only storm coming into California all month,” Durfee said. The jet is set to become more active, bringing multiple rounds of wet weather to British Columbia, Washington and Oregon. The jet stream’s northward shift, however, means California will miss out on any additional rainfall into the start of May.

“Now our job is to get everyone else, so we can achieve 60 and 70 percent of D.C. residents vaccinated. Public health officials will continue to prioritize people in Phase 1 who are not yet registered but wish to be vaccinated, officials said. More than 180,000 D.C. residents have signed up for a vaccine through the city portal. Residents of sicker states spent more time at work, in retail stores, and at the grocery story. This winter, when the average American was spending about 30 percent less time at the office than before the pandemic, D.C. residents were spending about 50 percent less time at work, the report said.

Start your day with this morning briefing of the news you need to know and insights you can’t get anywhere else.

Republicans seem not to care about the violent consequences of spreading lies about election fraud or torching faith in democratic institutions. Next year, Republicans may learn the hard way that embracing Trump’s baseless election conspiracy theories could have catastrophic consequences for their party’s electoral prospects. AdvertisementStory continues below advertisementIn Georgia’s 2021 special election, a preview of this phenomenon already played out after Trump spread lies about his election defeat. So, even if a small percentage of Republicans stayed home because of fake claims of election manipulation, it could prove decisive. We need to stop Republican lies about America’s elections.

Overall, the world lost more than 4.4 million hectares of primary tropical forest cover last year, an area larger than Switzerland. AdvertisementUnder the agreements, the corporations would pay an amount equal to $10 a ton for avoided carbon dioxide emissions. The countries or large states with the forests would be paid only after showing a five-year record of success compared with historical five-year benchmarks. To participate in the program, they must have already pledged to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 or sooner. But surveillance of tropical forests has grown easier with advances in monitoring devices such as satellite technology.

They have to kill the debt ceiling entirely. The debt ceiling is a bizarre quirk of the U.S. budgeting process that exists in almost no other country in the world. AdvertisementStory continues below advertisementThe debt ceiling is an extra vote Congress has to take. After that, they have to pass another bill raising the debt ceiling to cover the difference. The first is simply to write the debt ceiling out of U.S. law.

A recent report titled “The Community Responder Model: How Cities Can Send the Right Responder to Every 911 Call,” co-authored by the Law Enforcement Action Partnership and the Center for American Progress, makes the case for this new approach. The CR model would be perfect in my home city of Baltimore. If Baltimore had a CR program, the young people served by Unified Efforts could go to school for social work, train as community responders and get meaningful employment. But I am confident in the community responder model because the evidence shows that the appropriate responders for low-level crimes and noncriminal problems are not, in fact, police. The CR model creates a comprehensive health and safety service network that police, public health experts and community members can all get behind.

However, many details have to be finalized before any legal action can proceed, such as whether the suit would be filed by the European Commission and whether E.U. nations can join in on the legal action. Reuters also reported the commission was drawing up plans to sue the company, quoting an E.U. The dispute between the two sides started in January when AstraZeneca informed the European Union that it would deliver less than half of the 100 million doses it pledged to provide in the first quarter, out of a total of 300 million doses for the year. Since then, the company has said it will only deliver 70 million doses of the 180 million required in the second quarter.

“That’s good police work, baby,” he said, according to body-cam footage. AdvertisementStory continues below advertisementNeither the Salisbury Police Department nor the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office immediately responded to requests for comment Thursday. The lawsuit alleges the officers were not disciplined for their actions. The Black Army officer accused police officers in Windsor, Va., of holding him at gunpoint and pepper-spraying and assaulting him during a traffic stop in December. Nearly two years since the traffic stop, Bottom said she still can only partially lift her left arm.

New York (CNN) The City of New York has filed a lawsuit in state court against Exxon Mobil (XOM), Shell, BP (BP), and the American Petroleum Institute for allegedly misleading New York consumers about the role their products play in climate change and for allegedly "greenwashing" their practices to make them seem more eco-friendly than they are. "Three of the largest oil and gas companies and their top industry trade association—have systematically and intentionally misled consumers in New York City...about the central role their products play in causing the climate crisis," the lawsuit states. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the lawsuit during a press conference on Thursday, claiming that the companies and the API violated NYC's consumer protection law. "The petroleum industry created a multi-pronged, consistent greenwashing campaign in New York City to convince us of something that wasn't true and was dangerous," de Blasio said. A spokesperson for ExxonMobil pointed out that New York City recently had another climate lawsuit dismissed and that such actions "have no merit and do nothing to advance meaningful efforts that address climate change.

The dish is made of microwave-safe frosted glass that is versatile enough to use as a bowl for prep, a microwave cooking vessel, an elegant serving dish and a storage container for the fridge or freezer. Another microwave misconception is that the devices were designed using harmful radiation that emit from the machine and into the world, your body, etc. Being a resource, not just a dishAside from providing customers with a tool to improve their microwave cooking, Chen wants to empower home cooks to create not just easy but exceptional dishes using the appliance. "We don’t want people to sacrifice cooking just to skip steps, but to make better food in shorter times." Try some of our favorite microwave recipes:

Ask The Doc: Dr. John Torres answers viewers’ weekly questions. Lift off: NASA launches tiny Mars chopper 'Ingenuity' on a historic flight. We introduce you to Blizzard the polar bear and share fun facts about the fuzzy guy! Inspiring Kids series continues: We give you an update on twins Max and Miles who are planting seeds of kindness this spring.

Covid-19 kept the Jerstad family apart for more than a year. Now that they are fully vaccinated, they are cherishing their in-person time together.

The weather is warming up and more people are getting vaccinated each day, which means that people have been returning to restaurants in a big way. But one problem that the industry faces is a serious labor shortage to meet the demands of their eager customers. From fast food to fine dining, the service industry is in serious need of staff members. Many workers are still out of work due to COVID-19 fears or because they're waiting to get vaccinated. Others have moved due to the pandemic, or been scooped up by companies like Amazon that have been hiring workers in droves.

Messonnier remains the top respiratory disease official at the CDC and is still employed by the agency, the spokesperson said. A prominent respiratory disease scientist who has been at CDC for more than two decades, Messonnier led the CDC’s early planning for the nationwide distribution of coronavirus vaccines. The agency more recently has played a prominent role in the administration’s handling of safety concerns surrounding Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine. But Messonnier first rose to prominence during the Trump administration, where she angered top White House officials early in the pandemic by warning that its impacts could be “severe." Messonnier clashed with the Trump administration over those comments, leading the administration to halt her regular press briefings and her appearances with the White House’s coronavirus task force.

Some leaders made promises, some just made speeches during the first day of Biden's virtual global leaders' summit, with those vows falling short of what's needed to bring global warming under control. "Today’s summit shows the tide is turning for climate action, but there is still a long way to go. His climate envoy John Kerry said Tuesday that the administration plans to go well beyond an initial $1.2 billion commitment to a Global Climate Fund, to which the U.S. is $2 billion in arrears. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi instead warned that fighting climate change was also a question of lifestyle. The Chinese government — which last week agreed to work with Biden to get climate change under control — has been particularly scathing.

“We had one take to do it,” Noth said. “There were so many great moments in the series of comedy. It was just a blast to do it.”It remains unclear if Noth is participating in the upcoming reboot of the series, but we’ll just have to hope we have not seen the last of Mr. Big.

Although Our Revolution voluntarily discloses large donors, Brown, who also chairs the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party, argues that it is a “dark money” group. Getty Images/Facebook Nina Turner, a former Ohio state senator, left, leads Shontel Brown, a Cuyahoga County councilwoman, in direct fundraising. “Our campaign issued this pledge because Nina Turner is committed to a new type of politics where the people ? not corporate Big Money interests ? determine the outcome of elections,” Turrentine said. Since progressive groups refuse to unilaterally disarm, and big-dollar left-wing donors sometimes demand anonymity, progressive candidates associated with these groups and donors are sometimes vulnerable to charges of hypocrisy or inconsistency. She has committed to running a campaign without the support of corporate Big Money interests and she stands by that position.

Thursday's announcement marked the latest move by HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge to undo policies implemented under her predecessor Ben Carson. Last week, HUD began to reinstate two Obama-era fair housing rules weakened by the Trump administration. According to HUD, transgender women report being excluded from women’s shelters at high rates. Transgender youth represent 1.8 percent of the youth population, but up to 6.8 percent of unsheltered homeless youth identify as transgender or gender nonconforming, the agency said. The agency is sending guidance and implementation materials to shelter providers, the HUD official said.

The ruling is a victory for prosecutors as they continue to build the conspiracy case against the Proud Boys, a violent right-wing nationalist group that has supported Trump. Prosecutors charged Nordean, Biggs, Donohoe and a fourth Proud Boys leader, Zach Rehl of Philadelphia, with the conspiracy, and numerous other members of the group have been charged in separate indictments. Donohoe also excitedly informed members of the group during the Capitol breach that he and another Proud Boys member, Dominic Pezzola, had obtained a police riot shield. Although he doesn’t consider Donohoe to be a top leader of the Proud Boys, he compared Donohoe to a “trusted senior lieutenant” whom leaders relied upon to deliver messages to rank-and-file members. “Is there something else that we should be concerned about with respect to the Proud Boys, this group?”Josh Gerstein contributed to this report.

New York Mayoral Candidate Andrew Yang's remarks were seen by some as out of place for a longtime city resident | Spencer Platt/Getty Images Yang accused of being 'out of touch' over LGBTQ commentsNEW YORK — Andrew Yang is facing blowback after comments made during an LGBTQ+ mayoral forum that some are criticizing as out of touch and insensitive. “I genuinely do love you and your community," Yang told the club Wednesday night. You make New York City special. “As if there weren't enough reasons to fear a Yang mayoralty,” said Melissa Mark-Viverito, the former Council speaker and a frequent critic of Yang. “He keeps showing us, through his actions, why his candidacy for mayor is all types of wrong for our city.”Yang’s campaign managers defended his comments.

However, investigators were able to interview 20 current and former HUD officials and two Puerto Rico housing officials. Ricardo Rossello, left, and his wife, Beatriz Areizeaga, in areas damaged by Hurricane Maria in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, on Oct. 3, 2017. Some HUD officials worried such requirements were potentially beyond HUD’s authority to impose on grantees. Throughout his term, Trump repeatedly opposed disaster funding for Puerto Rico while disputing and failing to acknowledge Maria's death toll. Under Trump, Congress had approved a total of $20 billion in HUD funds for Puerto Rico's post-hurricane reconstruction, a historic amount.

The growing power struggle could have repercussions in the 2022 elections, when the party hopes to seize control of Democrats’ narrow majorities in the House and the Senate. Party officials recognize that Trump retains loyalty among the Republican base and that his endorsements carry weight. Speaking to a room full of Republican donors recently, Trump attacked McConnell for not objecting to the Electoral College count on Jan. 6. Senate Republican campaign officials say Greitens could have a difficult time winning a general election in a state that should easily be won by a Republican. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., who is also in charge of the Senate Republican campaign arm and has 2024 presidential ambitions himself, is trying to keep Trump in the fold.

Leaded aviation fuel, or avgas, now makes up “the largest remaining aggregate source of lead emissions to air in the U.S.,” according to the Environmental Protection Agency. “There is no option and [lead fuel] is all you can use,” Jeffrey said. But the Trump administration slowed down research into leaded fuel, said Desrosier, of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association. While the private sector has made some efforts to introduce newer unleaded fuels for piston-engine planes, lead avgas remains the dominant fuel. “It’s such a small market for aviation fuel that it has to be something that the fuel company won’t lose money on,” Knapinski said.

There are plenty of AC configurations out there, including window air conditioning units, air coolers and portable units. SKIP AHEAD How to shop for a portable AC unitHow portable air conditioners workPortable air conditioners typically cool the entire room by taking in warm room air, cooling it and circulating it throughout. Best portable air conditioning unitsHere are our top picks for portable air conditioner units, which can be easily moved throughout your home and are designed for easy installation and portability. Best portable air conditioner overall: FrigidaireThis highly-rated model comes with a remote and programmable timer, as well as dehumidifying and air filtration features. Best portable air conditioner for large rooms: WhynterThis portable air conditioner has air filter and dehumidifying features, and has the cooling power to cool rooms up to 500 square feet.

Sen. John Kennedy, a Republican from Louisiana, went viral on Wednesday for embarrassing himself during a Tuesday hearing with Stacey Abrams about Georgia’s new voter suppression law. What the senator had hoped would be a triumphant “gotcha” grilling backfired in large part because she had come prepared — and he clearly had not. In a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on voting rights, Kennedy attempted to stump Abrams by asking her to list the specific provisions of the bill she finds racist and objectionable. As Abrams dropped an impressive amount of knowledge, Kennedy appeared to be slowly realizing his mistake. So, yes, it was very satisfying to watch Kennedy underestimate Abrams and then see her intellectually stomp him in front of his colleagues and the world.

A publisher has paused its support for a new book about novelist Philip Roth after its author, Blake Bailey, was accused of rape and sexual misconduct by multiple women. In light of them, we have decided to pause the shipping and promotion of ‘Philip Roth: The Biography’ pending any further information that may emerge,” W.W. Norton & Company said in a statement to NBC News on Thursday. Backlash was swift, as the writer was dropped from his literary agency, the Story Factory, and lost the support of his publisher, The Los Angeles Times reported. The literary biographer received a Guggenheim Fellowship to work on his biography of Cheever, which later won the National Book Critics Circle Award in Biography in 2009. Bailey, who spent extensive amounts of time with Roth, began working on his biography in 2012, according to The Associated Press.

Second, vaccine diplomacy has undermined Covax as countries with vaccines make bilateral donations for reasons that have more to do with geopolitical goals than public health. This inevitably leaves countries with the least political clout as wallflowers at the vaccine ball. Reports of very rare side effects linked to some vaccines have spurred countries with other options to cast some aside. The longer this coronavirus circulates anywhere, the longer global trade and travel will be disrupted, and the higher the chances that a variant could emerge that renders vaccines less effective. But even if we had all the funds we need, money doesn’t help if there are no vaccines to buy.

Americans over 70 got the first sets of doses, and women make up a larger proportion of that age group. In many states, health care workers and schoolteachers were also given vaccine priority: Women account for three-quarters of full-time health care workers and over 75 percent of public schoolteachers in the United States are female. The disparities show both where women do the paid and unpaid labor of life. For instance, women lost the majority of the earliest jobs in food services, retail businesses, health care and government jobs. Women are on average more likely to get annual physicals than men, even when adjusted for pre-existing health conditions and other factors, and are more likely than men to get preventive care.

This was not supposed to be the year Red Sox fans fell in love again. The Red Sox are not the only team exceeding expectations with a strong start. AdvertisementStory continues below advertisementBut the Red Sox, not exactly used to sneaking up on people, are sneaking up on almost everyone. He and 26-year-old slugger Franchy Cordero, both acquired in deals for former Red Sox outfielders, could be important parts of that Boston lineup for a long time. Bobby Dalbec may join them; the Red Sox hope the 25-year-old first baseman can emerge as a reliable offensive producer for years to come.

Biden’s promise to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent from 2005 levels by 2030 is going to mean life changes for everyone. To see why, look at the Environmental Protection Agency’s summary of greenhouse gas emissions by sector. These are only a few of the massive challenges the United States will face if it is serious about dramatically reducing greenhouse emissions. Meeting Biden’s goals will ultimately require Americans to endure wartime-level economic planning and intervention for years — perhaps decades. AdvertisementStory continues below advertisementPoliticians today will emit a lot of hot air about addressing climate change.

If a molecule of carbon dioxide is released in Paris, it contributes to that total as surely as one released in Pittsburgh. Now, those percentages have flipped: Transportation is responsible for 35 percent of carbon dioxide emissions and electricity generation only 31 percent. Consider that shift in carbon dioxide emissions between electricity production and transportation. There are a lot of jokes about how cows contribute to climate change but — cows contribute to climate change! If they drive cars that emit less carbon dioxide?

Imani told me that Caston “killed her heart a little bit” when he revealed that he’s allergic to just about everything, including dogs. Imani jokingly referred to the B School as the School of Cult. “It’s not a cult!” Caston immediately shot back. AdvertisementStory continues below advertisementImani is not a “here’s-my-number kind of girl,” so she waited to see how Caston would end the date. If they cross paths, she said, “We’ll share a shot and say ‘hey.’ ”Rate the dateImani: 3.9 [out of 5].

More than 70 percent of Democratic voters expressed no opinion about the other three candidates. However, 34 percent of Democratic voters were undecided, and Jones’s support had grown significantly since coming in at 3 percent in a February CNU poll, while Herring’s support stayed the same. AdvertisementStory continues below advertisementThe crowded race for the lieutenant governor nomination finds 64 percent of Democratic voters undecided. None of the other five candidates — Del. Hala S. Ayala (Prince William); Del.

Authorities say he confessed to stabbing Akbar after crashing his car into hers and kidnapped her and her two children. Local media reported that Akbar and her family had refused the man’s marriage proposal. On social media, users shared outrage at the gruesomeness of Akbar’s death and accused Kuwait’s deeply patriarchal society of ignoring women when they speak up. Many women in Kuwait do not feel comfortable reporting cases of harassment to police. Among those publicizing Akbar’s killing has been Kuwaiti-American fashion blogger Ascia al-Faraj, who has used her large social media following to highlight the harassment women in Kuwait face.

The second wave of covid-19 is sweeping through India with the ferocity of an inferno; misplaced triumphalism, complacency and willful incompetence have brought us to our knees. The official numbers for the entire state in the same week placed the fatalities at 78. I counted 20 bodies in a single hour, on a day when the official data placed the casualties at eight. It had no contingency in place for the pandemic’s second wave. As a doctor told me: “when someone dies because you could not provide him oxygen, that is not a natural death; this is murder.”

That could change Saturday, when President Biden is expected to recognize it as a “genocide” in an annual Remembrance Day declaration. Why does Turkey oppose the term ‘genocide’? Story continues below advertisementBut for Turkey, the term genocide threatens the story it tells about the founding of its modern nation state. Story continues below advertisementTurkey frequently complains when other countries use the term genocide. Obama, in contrast, had pledged to formally recognize the Armenian genocide when he first ran in 2008.

Kathy Willens/Associated PressNew York Yankees great Yogi Berra famously liked to say, "It's getting late early out there." It feels like it's getting late early for the Yankees right now, who are off to their worst start in 30 years. Maybe the upstate New York native is conditioned for pitching in the cold, or maybe the Yankees fell flat. And then you're a little late. That kind of juggling is needed to keep it from getting too late too early in the Bronx.

CNN Opinion asked 26 commentators to consider the question: What does the outcome of this election say about America in 2020? Enter Joe Biden, who even his biggest critics admit is wholesome and good at his very core. Decency was on the ballot in the form of Joe Biden, and through his election, we have regained our deepest sense of it. My soul has been clenched and now, with the election of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, my heart is lifted, and I can exhale. This article has been updated from an earlier version to give the number of votes drawn by Joe Biden.

(CNN) Vacant office space in New York City is the highest in nearly three decades and will likely hit "unprecedented levels" in the coming months. The report -- assessing office space in Manhattan -- noted that office space leased since last year has also declined. Cushman & Wakefield expects vacancies to continue to increase to "unprecedented levels in the coming months." In fact, Manhattan's overall asking price for rents has declined for the past two consecutive quarters, falling to the lowest price per square foot in three years. But some analysts think that lower rents are not just due to demand, and that costs depend on the situation.

The Dallas Cowboys legend carded an eagle with this chip shot on his first hole at the Veritex Bank Championship on Thursday:Romo received a sponsor's exemption to play in this weekend's event on the Korn Ferry Tour. This marks his first appearance in a professional tournament since the Price Cutter Charity Championship in July. "It's been three or four years now for me going out and attacking each day," Romo told reporters leading up to the Veritex Bank Championship. "I'm starting to see all the hard work starting to pay off." While he still had 17 holes to play, his great start is an indication that the hard work he put in could make him a quality player in professional events.

New York (CNN Business) US stocks are tumbling Thursday over investors' worries about higher taxes. It's not surprising that Wall Street doesn't like higher taxes , particularly when it comes to capital gains -- the levy investors pay on realized profits after selling a stock, for example. It has proposed to hike capital gains taxes for those earning more than $1 million annually to 39.6%. Coupled with additional levy on high income earnings to fund the Affordable Care Act, the top rate would be even higher. But some Thursday reports, including from Bloomberg, where many traders get their news, put the capital gains worries front and center for investors again.

Perhaps there’s a way to get the best of both worlds in the form of coffee naps. Can coffee naps actually energize you? “Coffee naps may be beneficial for the right person,” said Kirkpatrick. “Listen to your body before making that decision.”New York City-based stand-up comedian Jake Timothy explained that coffee naps keep him going during those late-night sets. “The idea of having coffee (and) then taking a quick nap may hold weight, but you are also racing against the clock,” said Glassman.

What is the planetary health diet? The planetary diet is a flexible, plant-based diet developed by scientists who examined the best possible way of shifting eating habits to better individual human wellness and environmental health. What are the basics to know when following the planetary health diet? A photograph of a day's worth of food to nourish and fuel the average person living on the Planetary Diet. Sonja Vermeulen"Like a vegetarian or vegan diet, the planetary health diet is largely based on eating plant foods, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains and plant proteins.

“If you saw me now—maybe you would have a good laugh,” Alexei Navalny wrote on Facebook April 20. Navalny risks kidney failure and cardiac arrest owing to abnormally high levels of potassium and creatinine in his blood (“After Novichok,” Navalny wrote, “potassium is not a biggie”). National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told CNN there would be “consequences” if Russia eliminated Navalny in prison. What about sanctioning those hemisphere-hopping Russian oligarchs Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation named when he was first arrested upon his arrival back in Moscow from Berlin in January? “[T]here is no better weapon against injustice and lawlessness,” Navalny wrote.

Senate Democrats led by Banking Committee Chair Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland have been trying to rally support for a vote on legislation that would nullify the rule. "It’s outrageous for the current Acting Comptroller to advocate on behalf of this harmful rule," Brown spokesperson Alysa James said. The rule addresses a situation in which a third-party company facilitates the issuance of a loan in partnership with a bank. It has been unclear whether Democrats have the votes to undo the rule. "This rule guts the states’ ability to hold these unscrupulous lenders accountable," Van Hollen spokesperson Francesca Amodeo said.

Ahead of an EU leaders’ summit in Porto focused on social issues, 11 member countries issued a joint statement warning Lisbon — and Brussels — to respect national authority over policymaking in areas such as labor and employment, pensions, education and childcare. But the broad array of other countries involved shows that the resistance to giving the EU more power on social policy is not just about money. Leaders on the European Council adopted a European Pillar of Social rights at a similar summit in Gothenburg, Sweden in November 2017. In their non-paper, the 11 countries were careful to voice praise for the Porto summit itself, and for an “action plan” prepared by the Commission. “Given the COVID-19 pandemic with large socioeconomic consequences for all Member States and the upcoming twin digital and green transitions, the Social Summit comes at a timely moment,” they wrote.

A bill that would stop some voters from getting a ballot automatically mailed to them each election failed in Arizona’s state Senate Thursday after a single Republican joined Democrats in voting against the legislation. "I am for this bill, but I am not voting for it until after the audit," the Republican state senator said, referring to the results of an audit orchestrated by Senate Republicans of the 2020 election results. The bill's sponsor, Republican state Sen. Michelle Ugenti-Rita, said on the floor it was "disappointing to be on the receiving end of someone’s temper tantrum." It needed approval from the state Senate to head to GOP Gov. Senate Bill 1485 would remove infrequent voters from the state’s Permanent Early Voting List (PEVL), turning it into an “active” early voting list.

But it is alleged that Savatore Scumace did not do a day’s work for more than 15 years. Authorities in Italy have placed six employees at the Pugliese Ciaccio hospital under investigation for abuse of office, after they allegedly allowed Scumace, 67, to get away with his scheme for well over a decade. In total, the statement said he never went to work for 15 years while getting more than 538,000 euros or roughly $645,000. However, six other hospital workers and administrators have also been accused of abusing their positions at the hospital. The Pugliese Ciaccio hospital did not immediately respond to NBC News’s request for comment.

In Michigan, rates of child infections are now higher than they’ve been at any point in the pandemic. Still, most children hospitalized for Covid-19 have a high likelihood of surviving, said Dr. Bishara Freij, the chief of pediatric infectious disease at Michigan’s Beaumont Hospital. The project has logged only 10 deaths of children or teens from Covid-19 in Michigan since the pandemic began. Michigan hospitals say they’re not seeing high numbers of children with multisystem inflammatory syndrome, a rare but dangerous Covid-19 complication that affects otherwise healthy children. Mott Children's Hospital.

Les McKeown, who became a teen idol in the mid-to-late 1970s as the lead singer for the Bay City Rollers, has died at the age of 65. McKeown joined the Bay City Rollers in 1973 after the band had started making appearances on the British pop charts, and quickly became popular with the group’s fans. The band name reportedly came after the group threw a dart on a map of the U.S. and it landed on Bay City, Michigan, according to the BBC. The Rollers really hit it big in 1975 when their song “Saturday Night” hit No. McKeown told reporters, “You think we’re doing it for money but we’re doing it for the glory of Scotland and the glory of the tartan.

In a 6-3 vote, the conservatives on the Supreme Court gutted protections against sentencing kids to die in prison. In Montgomery v. Louisiana in 2016, the court made the ban on mandatory life without parole sentences retroactive. “Today, the Court distorts Miller and Montgomery beyond recognition,” Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote, joined by Justices Stephen Breyer and Elena Kagan. The extreme punishment of youth is a problem that disproportionately impacts Black and brown kids, Sotomayor wrote in her dissent, noting that 70% of all juvenile life without parole sentences are to people of color. Even as the number of juveniles sentenced to life without parole has decreased, the racial disparity has increased, Sotomayor noted.

The Senate passed legislation targeting anti-Asian hate crimes after an uptick of incidents during the Covid-19 pandemic. Lawmakers approved the measure in a 94-1 vote. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., was the only member to oppose the bill.

Al Sharpton eulogized 20-year-old Daunte Wright killed by police at a traffic stop. Sharpton said "We must speak up when there is an injustice," and called Wright the "prince" of Brooklyn Center, Minn.

On Thursday, lawmakers pointed to the deadly Capitol riot on Jan. 6, in which Washington’s Metropolitan Police Department helped respond to the chaos, as further evidence of the need for statehood. “Statehood for the District of Columbia is about showing respect for our democracy, for the American people and for our Constitution,” Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California said on the House floor on Thursday. During an hour of debate, several Republican lawmakers criticized the bill as an unconstitutional affront to what the country’s founders intended when they established the nation’s capital. He said he would be open to giving Ms. Norton, or her successor, full voting rights on the House floor. “Let’s respect the institutions of our democracy and have real conversations about fair congressional representation for the District of Columbia,” he said.

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that judges need not determine that juvenile offenders are beyond hope of rehabilitation before sentencing them to die in prison. The decision, concerning a teenager who killed his grandfather, appeared to signal the end of a trend that had limited the availability of severe punishments for youths who commit crimes before they turn 18. Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh, writing for the majority in the 6-to-3 ruling, said it was enough that the sentencing judge exercised discretion rather than automatically imposing a sentence of life without parole. “In a case involving an individual who was under 18 when he or she committed a homicide,” he wrote, “a state’s discretionary sentencing system is both constitutionally necessary and constitutionally sufficient.”No specific finding concerning the defendant’s maturity or capacity for change was required, he wrote.

It’s still an open question whether the Biden administration can adopt new policies that will actually achieve all of those goals. The White House has yet to lay out the precise steps it will take to ensure the United States reaches its new climate target, although it has offered some signals. Mr. Biden has also shied away from ideas like a carbon price, which would require polluters to pay for their emissions of carbon dioxide, giving them an incentive to clean up their act. But some analysts say carbon pricing would be a tough sell for many lawmakers. “I do see that point, and I understand it, but that point is running at least right now into a wall of U.S. politics that are not supportive of carbon pricing.”

“Passengers of the flight will be able not only to see Kyiv and Chernobyl from the most unusual angles and the minimum allowable height — 900 meters, but also to deepen their knowledge about the causes and consequences of the Chernobyl accident,” the airline says on its website. Story continues below advertisementThe April 25 flight, the day before the anniversary, will include a professional guide from the Chernobyl Tour company. Before the pandemic, tourism to the abandoned nuclear power plant and neighboring ghost town of Pripyat had seen a sharp increase following an HBO miniseries. Chernobyl Tour offers its own air tour of the site by small plane or helicopter. Story continues below advertisementThe earlier flights also sold out, airline spokeswoman Anastasiia Chaplyhina said in an email, adding that interest remains high.

So the Nationals sent Harris to a doctor in West Palm Beach, Fla., who diagnosed him with a blood clot in his right arm. He began the season on the injured list with right hand inflammation. It’s just the hand stuff is very strange,” Harris said in a phone interview Wednesday. But otherwise, I’m pitching and I’m preparing myself to come back, with or without a puffy hand. That’s why I came here,” said Harris, again stressing that he’ll push through the swelling if it comes to that.

AdvertisementPhone cracking technologies like Cellebrite have grown in popularity as tech companies and law enforcement continue to spar over encryption. Law enforcement officials argue they should have special access into the technology to read the messages of suspected criminals. A report from nonprofit Upturn found more than 2,000 law enforcement agencies across all 50 states have purchased tools including Cellebrite to extract data from phones. Experts say the vulnerabilities point to very real concerns over the security of technology that law enforcement is increasingly relying on to prosecute criminals. The legislation would ban U.S. law enforcement agencies and the government from buying personal data without a warrant, Drew Harwell reports.

The commission said Congress will need to step in because of the decision. “The Supreme Court ruled in favor of scam artists and dishonest corporations, leaving average Americans to pay for illegal behavior,” acting FTC chairwoman Rebecca Kelly Slaughter said in a statement. The section of the law at issue was amended in 1973 to allow the FTC to seek a court-ordered “permanent injunction” against unscrupulous practices. Story continues below advertisement“Protecting consumers and compensating them for harm is a paramount duty of the FTC,” she said in a statement. The ruling was a victory for business groups that said that the FTC had turned a limited grant of authority into a weapon that extracted billions of dollars.

Gas prices in Minnesota rose to 70 times their normal level, as deliveries to the state’s main trading hub dropped by 39 percent. “I don’t think we even yet truly understand what happened,” said state Sen. David Senjem (R-Rochester), a former Minnesota legislature majority leader. Story continues below advertisementIn Minnesota, as in states across the country, utilities’ legitimate expenses are passed on to customers. The smallest commercial utility, Greater Minnesota Gas, said it had enough of a supply in storage in February and was able to avoid the spot market. “The company has already had to pay most of the natural gas costs from February, but these costs will only be recovered over an extended period of time,” Corson wrote.

Helfer believes that the church has targeted the mental health profession, while the LDS Church maintains that she was expelled because of her public opposition to the church. An LDS Church spokesman said that membership councils are private matters and declined to answer specific questions about the case. Hundreds of Mormon mental health professionals signed a letter of support last week. AdvertisementStory continues below advertisementMarty Erickson, president of the Mormon Mental Health Association, which was founded by Helfer, said he is a Mormon in good standing with the church but that mental health professionals are worried about whether the church could similarly impact their membership. “I see the results of having things said over the pulpit that do not match mental health best care standards that cause clients harm,” she said.

Temperatures in D.C. are likely to drop into the mid- or upper 30s downtown, with lower 30s west. Story continues below advertisementWhat sets nights like tonight apart is that, since it’s mid-April and we’ve gone several weeks without a freeze, the growing season has already started. What the start of growing season meansNights this chilly are usually only observed once or twice each April. AdvertisementHis office uses the average date of an area’s last spring freeze as a proxy for when the growing season starts. How temperatures above freezing can still be problematicFreeze warnings are usually issued when a hard freeze is expected — with temperatures of 32 or below.

The “argument that the sentencer must make a finding of permanent incorrigibility is inconsistent with the Court’s precedents,” Kavanaugh wrote. Advertisement“Such an abrupt break from precedent demands ‘special justification,’ ” Sotomayor wrote, quoting a Kavanaugh opinion from last term. And four years later, in Montgomery v. Louisiana, the court said those sentenced under the old rules could challenge their permanent imprisonment. AdvertisementIn Miller, Kavanaugh wrote, "the Court mandated 'only that a sentencer follow a certain process — considering an offender's youth and attendant characteristics — before imposing' a life-without-parole sentence." "The dissent thinks that we are unduly narrowing Miller and Montgomery," Kavanaugh wrote.

AdvertisementStory continues below advertisementHistorians estimate that 1.5 million Armenians were killed in the brutal campaign and commonly classify the killings as a genocide. Biden’s acknowledgment would represent a major victory for the Armenian American diaspora community, which has lobbied for recognition for years. “I am proud the U.S. government is poised to finally be able to say it without any euphemism: genocide is genocide. AdvertisementIn anticipation of the decision, Armenian American groups have begun hailing the move as a milestone in defending human rights. Story continues below advertisement“Affirmation of the Armenian Genocide enhances America’s credibility and recommits the United States to the worldwide cause of genocide prevention,” Bryan Ardouny, executive director of the Armenian Assembly of America, said in a statement.

AdvertisementStory continues below advertisementWe discovered a four-bedroom, three-bath house that we dubbed Ocean Adventure in honor of our long-deferred vacation. Managed by a top-performing host cited for cleanliness, the property rated 4.9 out of 5 stars. We, too, requested that the host wash the blankets before our arrival. Remember, we booked a property rated 4.9 out of 5 stars from a top-performing host cited for cleanliness. Since all the condos, villas, houses, cabins and even glamping tents we’ve rented came with those, we assumed that our top-performing host supplied them as well.

After 2014, the safest year in the modern history of the United States, gun violence rose gradually but steadily. After a sharp rise of gun violence in 2020, the calls to turn back to the police have already begun. As long as cities have a gun problem, the problem of abusive and violent policing will be much harder to solve. And solving the gun problem itself is exceedingly difficult, with only imperfect and politically challenging approaches available. Those of us calling for a reimagination of public safety must acknowledge that America’s overflowing supply of guns means that an armed response is sometimes required.

Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) insists there is progress in talks with Democrats on a police reform bill. If not, will Manchin and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) really be the ones to sink the George Floyd bill by refusing to modify the filibuster? AdvertisementStory continues below advertisementDemocrats also have panoply of voting rights measures, including H.R. 1 (e.g., guaranteeing early voting, no-excuse absentee voting, automatic registration) and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which would reinstate the preclearance provisions of the Voting Rights Act, allowing the Justice Department to head off discriminatory measures before they jeopardize voters. I suppose Democratic defenders of the filibuster might do just that, but it might just be that Democrats eventually call their bluff on morally essential and politically popular items.

On Thursday, the House of Representatives passed a bill granting statehood to D.C. Of all those present, every Democrat voted in favor it, and every Republican voted against it. In 1993, the House voted on statehood, and 105 Democrats joined with all the Republicans (except one) to vote it down. Support for D.C. statehood has become nearly universal within the Democratic Party, something every Democrat is expected to agree with. As that debate begins, Republicans are showing how absurdly weak their case against statehood is. As Cotton said, “Wyoming is a well-rounded working-class state” that has mining and logging jobs, and since D.C. doesn’t, it doesn’t deserve to be a state.

While Biden administration officials did not specify what sort of emissions cuts would be needed to achieve the U.S. pledge, several analyses suggest that it would trigger a nearly wholesale transformation of American society. At that point, the researchers projected, renewable power would account for roughly half of the nation’s electricity — quadruple current levels. All new buildings would be fully electric, they wrote, and almost all new appliances would run on electricity rather than natural gas. “For this U.S. economy, this is a fundamental and thorough transformation,” University of Maryland Professor Nathan Hultman, who directs the center and was the report’s lead author, said in a phone interview. It will yield significant public health benefits, he added.

LIVE PoliticsJohn Kerry speaks at White House news briefingSpecial Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry will join White House press secretary Jen Psaki and National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy at a news briefing.

When he passed it back, Katie Wright recalled how her son became father to a boy born prematurely, describing his happiness and pride. Speaking at Wright’s funeral, attorney Ben Crump said Potter should not have pulled any weapon. Al Sharpton and the family of Daunte Wright have arrived at Shiloh Temple International Ministries in Minneapolis for Wright’s funeral. The young man Black man was killed last week by a police officer during a traffic stop in the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Center. Former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin was convicted two days ago of murder and manslaughter in Floyd’s death.

New York (CNN Business) Net zero pledges have become all the rage in Corporate America. Big banks , steel companies and even ( mostly European ) oil companies are pledging to wipe out their carbon emissions over time. Savita Subramanian, Bank of America's head of US equity strategy and head of global ESG researchIf you don't provide transparency, investors will assume the worst and ding you for it." Neithernor, the largest US oil companies, have announced net zero goals. Green companies now trade at a nearly 30% premium to brown ones, Subramanian said, adding that these are "quite extreme levels."

Home prices are setting new records as buyers scramble for an accepted offer amid a continuing inventory crunch. The median sale price was a record high $329,100 in March, according a report from the National Association of Realtors. It was the highest median price since NAR began tracking in 1999. The median price, which includes existing single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, was up a record 17.2% from a year ago. While the inventory of homes for sale in March inched higher since February, it was still down 28.2% from one year ago.

During a Senate Judiciary hearing about voting rights, Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) pressed Stacey Abrams on Georgia's new and controversial elections law that was passed after then-President Donald Trump called into question the credibility of the state's 2020 election results. There was no evidence of widespread voter fraud found in Georgia.

(CNN) Actor Hugh Jackman is speaking up in the wake of verbal and physical abuse allegations against prolific Broadway and Hollywood producer, Scott Rudin. ?"I want to say how much I respect and applaud the people that have spoken up about their experience working with Scott Rudin. The most important voice we needed to hear from was Scott Rudin. He has now spoken up and stepped away from The Music Man. We are currently rebuilding The Music Man team and are aspiring to be an environment that is not only safe, but ensures everyone is seen, heard and valued.

Masks protect against coronavirus infection, but with more than 84 million adults in the United States fully vaccinated against COVID-19, there are growing questions about whether wearing masks outdoors is still needed. Already in states where mask orders are still in effect, there are moves to loosen restrictions for outdoors. Roy Cooper hopes to lift restrictions, including an outdoor mask mandate, by June 1. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is considering a change to outdoor mask guidance by June. “If you're vaccinated and if there's low rates of community transmission, it's definitely reasonable to not worry about wearing masks (outdoors),” she said.

Walking is the superfood of fitness and it’s extra special if your spouse comes along, but walking together for exercise may “unintentionally reduce health benefits” for the couple, researchers at Purdue University have found. The partners, who ranged in age from 25 to 79 years old, first walked alone so researchers could measure their typical solo walking speed. A previous study found men — who usually walk faster than women — slow their walking pace for a romantic partner, but not a female friend. Some researchers believe gait speed should be considered a vital sign like pulse because it reflects overall health, Rietdyk said. It may be helpful to use a fitness tracker to measure your typical walking speed and prod your spouse to walk a bit faster.

Dr. Rajani Katta, a dermatologist and clinical assistant professor at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, said that chlorophyll water is "just water that's had a supplement" added in. Chlorophyll water doesn't include actual chlorophyll, which is a plant pigment, but instead uses a chemical derivative called chlorophyllin. Proponents of the products say that chlorophyll water can help with things like acne or aging, but dermatologists noted that research into the use of chlorophyll water for skin care is limited. Does chlorophyll water help skin? Like the dermatologists interviewed for this piece, Turoff said that she found the evidence for chlorophyll water "very weak."

NBC News is tracking travel restrictions in countries around the world. Here is what travelers need to know, as of Monday, March 29:More than 70 countries, including Brazil, Haiti, Ireland and Egypt, are fully open to U.S. travelers and tourists. Sixteen countries are completely closed to Americans, including France, Belgium, Iraq, Libya and New Zealand. The remaining countries fall somewhere in between, with some offering exceptions for dual-citizens, residents or those with qualifying travel reasons. More than 150 countries require a negative Covid-19 test from travelers.

And on another occasion, Johnson urged MPs to rally around Priti Patel, his home secretary, after she was accused of bullying. The then-prime minister would answer (rather than initiate) texts, a former aide said, but did not favor WhatsApp and relied on calls being placed through the No. One Whitehall official complained: “Often ministers just text each other rather than going through private offices for the paper trail. 10 is going, ‘sorry, who said that?’”“It has very much been a government run via WhatsApp for the past two years,” they added. “Texts are no different from an unsolicited mail — if you don’t want it, just bin it,” he told POLITICO.

“The radio call has been misquoted and is lacking full and necessary context,” the department said in an unsigned statement. What we’re looking for is any anti-Trump counter protestors." “The radio call does not mean USCP was only looking out for anti-Trump counter protestors,” the department statement said. Lofgren, the chairwoman of the House Administration Committee, plays a key role overseeing the Capitol Police. The transmission itself, according to the Capitol Police, is not the subject of any investigation.

Diversity and representation are both a moral imperative and, according to a new study, an economic necessity for Hollywood. Viewers are demanding that the pop culture they consume better reflects America’s diversity, meaning that when Hollywood doesn’t prioritize accurate representation, it’s leaving money on the table and hurting its bottom line. The Hollywood Diversity Report was released Thursday, the latest edition of an annual study of the relationship between Hollywood’s bottom line and diversity in front of and behind the camera, from UCLA professors Darnell Hunt and Ana-Christina Ramón. Their newest report examined global box office revenue and viewership numbers of the top 185 films released in theaters and on major streaming platforms in 2020. Perhaps more crucially — since the pandemic closed most movie theaters around the world in 2020 — the same pattern held when examining the top movies released on streaming platforms.

FBI affidavit A federal judge struggled with the release of Joshua Black, who stormed the floor of the U.S. Senate in January. A federal judge overseeing several cases of defendants charged in connection with the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol ordered a defendant who thought he was on a mission from God released from jail on Thursday. Jackson said she struggled with whether to keep Black detained, and said it was a very close call. “How you understand the Lord’s will and how God might judge you in the hereafter is not my department. Your relationship with God is between you and your pastor and God,” Jackson said.

Senate Republicans had originally expressed concerns about the need for the legislation, but both sides negotiated amendments to the final bill to address Republicans' hesitation. Collins and other Republicans had raised concerns that the original text too narrowly defined the types of hate crimes addressed. “Without data, it's difficult to investigate and prosecute (hate crimes),” Collins said. The hate crimes bill, a relatively modest piece of legislation, would be Congress’ first substantive piece of legislation addressing a rise in bias crime against Asian Americans if it is signed into law. According to a recent survey from the Pew Research Center, about a third of Asian American adults fear attacks on them, a higher proportion than other ethnic groups, and 81 percent of Asian American adults said violence against them was increasing, compared to a little over half of all American adults.

Ten years later, republican prisoners went on hunger strike with a series of five demands. Once more the attention of the world was drawn to Ireland by a hunger strike. Once more the hunger strike, its consequent deaths and London’s intransigence acted as a recruiting sergeant for the IRA. The IRA and its supporters had learned their lessons from MacSwiney’s hunger strike 60 years earlier and applied them with apparent success, but can the same lessons can be learned in Russia from Navalny’s hunger strike? We don’t care.”The truth is that Navalny’s death could severely damage opposition movements in Russia.

Climate activists gathered near the White House on Earth Day and dumped pig manure on the street. The group believes Biden's climate change policies don't do enough for the environment.

Ed Helms got some unusual advice from Stephen Colbert when the two worked on “The Daily Show” back in the aughts. On “The Late Show” Wednesday, the two funnymen reminisced about when Helms was a rookie correspondent going out on his first field assignment. He asked Colbert if he had any tips and recalled: “You were very kind and you said, ‘Yes, hang your soul up in the closet. You put your soul back on for editing the story, Colbert added. Colbert got his own Comedy Central show and then replaced David Letterman as host of “The Late Show.”Fast-forward to the 5-minute mark to watch the two reminisce about “The Daily Show.”

Nafiah Ikram spent 15 days in the hospital after the March 17 attack, according to a statement from the New York Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY). "Ikram immediately felt severe burning pain on her face, neck, and hands and began to scream for help," according to CAIR-NY. The screaming caused the acid to go into Ikram's mouth, preventing her from breathing, according to a GoFundMe set up for the student. Amidst the rising hate crimes engulfing the state, it is important that this acid attack by an unknown individual be investigated as a possible hate crime." I don’t even know where you can get acid," Lakshmi said.

WASHINGTON — The Senate passed legislation Thursday targeting anti-Asian hate crimes after an uptick of incidents during the Covid-19 pandemic. “By passing this bill, the senate makes it very clear that hate and discrimination against any group has no place in America. Bigotry against one is bigotry against all.”The vote comes after Schumer urged Republicans not to block debate on the overall legislation. The House Judiciary Committee, meanwhile, marked up a similar version of the bill introduced by Rep. Grace Meng, D-N.Y., on Wednesday. The House and Senate will ultimately have to reconcile both bills so that they pass the same version that can then be signed by President Joe Biden.

Antonio Brown and a former trainer who accused him of sexually assaulting her have settled a legal dispute, according to a joint statement from the woman's attorney and a representative for the free agent receiver. Gymnast Britney Taylor sued Brown in 2019, alleging he sexually assaulted her three times while she worked as his personal trainer. Recently, they were involved in aggressive litigation," he said in a joint statement with a representative for Brown, Alana Burstyn. Taylor's suit alleged that after Brown sexually assaulted Taylor twice in 2017, she stopped working for him until he contacted her in 2018 to apologize. Brown caught a touchdown in the Bucs’ 31-9 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in this year's Super Bowl.

Companies eager to open their doors to capitalize on vaccinated and eager customers are having trouble finding workers — which means consumers should expect longer wait times, delays in service, and higher prices overall, labor economists warn. Job seekers say the wages being offered by employers in the post-lockdown job market are simply too low. “Given the tightness of the labor market, wages are going to have to go higher,” said Chad Moutray, chief economist for NAM. Manufacturers expect prices will rise slightly faster, hitting 3.9 percent in the next 12 months reflecting higher overheads and increased costs for supplies. Ultimately, once the labor market strengthens and companies meet worker demand for higher wages, that will in turn lead to “more purchasing power for workers,” Wolfers said.

Like immigration and racial equality, Democrats can speak to trans issues in a way that expresses their vision for an inclusive and prosperous nation — for everyone.

Despite their failure to name specific instances of problems with trans girls playing girls sports, Republicans insist their rash of bills are meant to ensure “fairness.”Generally, the assumption is true, at least at the highest levels of sports. The Olympic rules were modified again in 2016, allowing trans women who hadn’t had surgery to compete as women as long as their testosterone levels were low enough. Similarly, Florida Republicans couldn’t name any existing trans athletes, despite the Florida state high school athletics association allowing their participation in their transitioned genders since 2013. A similar ban on trans girls in girls sports was passed last year by the Idaho Legislature. It was later temporarily blocked by a federal court for being discriminatory against both trans girls and cisgender girls.

An older couple we met lost their first house in the Northridge earthquake, and their second in the Santa Rosa wildfire. They wander from state to state in their truck and trailer with no plans to settle down permanently. It seems like individuals don’t really know what they can do to stop the progression of climate change. Our small town now has a rush hour. The lowland tree cover is being mowed down at a dizzying pace and vast, ticky-tacky housing developments are springing up everywhere.

Live Live Updates: Biden, Kicking Off Summit, Says U.S. ‘Has Resolved to Take Action’ on Climate Change President Biden committed the United States to cutting emissions by half by the end of the decade at a virtual Earth Day summit. Rest of the World China +80 gigawatts of coal power China continues to build more new coal power plants than it retires. Retirements –20 2000 2010 2020 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2005 2015 China +80 gigawatts of coal power China continues to build more new coal power plants than it retires. –20 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 China China continues to build more new coal power plants than it retires. +80 gigawatts of coal power Outside of China, countries adding the most new coal power capacity include India, Japan, Indonesia and Vietnam.

Men account for about 56 percent of faculty at College Park, according to fall 2020 data from the university. Students and advocates have called on the school to ramp up recruitment efforts and enroll more Black students. confers more degrees to Black students than any flagship in the country and has closed gaps in retention between Black students and their White peers, university data show. We will continue to increase our access journey from two-year institutions to College Park going forward,” Pines said. Story continues below advertisement“That work came out of our laboratories here at the University of Maryland College Park,” Pines said about IonQ.

“You guys are part of history,” Johnson told longtime sports television executive Joe Yasharoff’s TV production class, via Zoom and live on air, at halftime of the Wizards’ 118-114 win. “ … Everyone else listening tonight gets a half-credit in Joe’s class.”Johnson, a D.C. broadcasting legend in his 24th season calling Wizards games, has spoken to Yasharoff’s students before. AdvertisementStory continues below advertisement“Why not?” Johnson said after the Wizards won their sixth straight game. Charles Nyonga, one of Yasharoff’s students, asked Johnson a question on air about fans finally being allowed back in the arena. Before interacting with Johnson, Yasharoff’s class heard from WJLA’s Scott Abraham and WDVM’s Alex Flum, a former Maryland student, who were both at Capital One Arena.

AdvertisementStory continues below advertisementThe 2024 polling still shows Trump at 50 percent among Republican voters, 39 points above the second-place contender. Trump being Trump, though, his team went to the mattresses. Jason Miller, his top aide, tweeted or retweeted 12 rebuttals to the Bolton poll, disparaging Bolton and taking issue with the poll numbers. He cited data from Trump’s longtime pollster John McLaughlin that showed that 83 percent of Republicans would support Trump in a 2024 primary bid. What shifted under Trump was partly about Trump and partly about cementing that fringe-and-right-wing-media-led approach to politics at the center of Republican politics.

Climate & EnvironmentOvercoming climate anxiety could be the secret to real changePsychological research shows that climate change can alter an individual's mental health both directly and indirectly, impacting how we respond to this crisis.

Despite the intense political focus on young transgender children, only 10 percent of the children arriving at her clinic are pre-pubertal. Transgender people have existed throughout history, including transgender children. Once a transgender teenager reaches later years in adolescence, some may request sex hormone treatment — estrogen for transgender girls and testosterone for transgender boys. In recent debates over transgender medical care, politicians have made claims that transgender children are undergoing genital surgeries at young ages. Skeptics will often cite statistics from studies suggesting that a majority of young transgender children will eventually grow out of their transgender identity later in life.

Russia’s treatment of Navalny has drawn international condemnation, including from the United States, which promised “consequences” for the Kremlin if Navalny were to die in prison. “Our main task is to preserve our patient's life and health,” the letter from the five doctors said. “Thus, we, as attending physicians, appeal to Alexei Navalny and ask him to immediately stop the hunger strike in order to preserve his life and health. Navalny’s doctors said that his consultations at a hospital in Russia’s Vladimir region on Tuesday involved a neurosurgeon, neurologist and nephrologist. His lawyers and relatives handed over the test results to his personal doctors on Thursday, asking for their opinion.

Two other two individuals — royal family member Sharif Hassan bin Zaid and former finance minister Bassem Awadallah — were described as having “different roles” in the alleged plot and would remain imprisoned, the statement said. Story continues below advertisementThe king’s half brother, Prince Hamzah bin Hussein, who was also implicated by authorities in the alleged plot and confined to his palace in Amman, was not mentioned in the statement. In response, Abdullah advised officials to look favorably on those deemed to have been misled into participating in the alleged plot, the statement said. Hamzah had been crown prince for four years before the title was transferred to Abdullah’s eldest son, Hussein, in 2004. Speculation about possible regional involvement intensified soon after the arrests when an unscheduled high-ranking delegation from Saudi Arabia arrived in Amman.

(Manchester United also had signed on to the Super League, leaving his answer below a bit open to interpretation.) “We are all still together, thinking of ways of making this happen.”According to the Real Madrid president, the 12 Super League teams signed “a binding agreement” to start the Super League and that “you cannot get out of the contract like this.” But when asked what the penalties would be for leaving the Super League, the BBC said Pérez had no answer. The Super League idea was met with strenuous opposition from fans and threats of legal action from UEFA, European soccer’s governing body, which said any teams and players that took part in the Super League would be banned from all other competitions. UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin also called the Super League teams “snakes.” None of that sat well with Pérez, who said he was “sad and disappointed” at the backlash. But we were trying to work out how to save football.”Earlier this week, before the Super League’s collapse, Pérez defended the idea and took shots at the UEFA Champions League, which the Super League would have superseded.

Advertisement“We feel like we’ve pressed fast-forward on awareness and consideration of our category [of RV travel] by about five years,” Gray said about the effect of the pandemic on the industry. ?RV Life (Free for iOS and Android; in-app purchases)One of the main perks of the RV Life app is the RV Safe GPS. After a seven-day free trial, this feature, along with a cloud-based RV maintenance log and trip planning wizard, are available for a monthly ($19.99) or annual ($49.99) subscription. (Free for iOS and Android; in-app purchases)Since campground Wi-Fi isn’t always reliable, the Coverage? Detailed points of interest and hiking trails set this free app apart from competitors.

In doing so, the GOP plan takes a more narrow view of infrastructure reform than Biden, who has sought to proffer major investments in other areas of the economy, including schools and elder care, in his package. AdvertisementStory continues below advertisement“This is the largest infrastructure investment Republicans have come forward with,” Capito said at a press conference unveiling their early plan. Republicans recommend recovering the costs of their spending through fees imposed on those who use the infrastructure. Capito said the GOP came to its figures largely through augmenting sums that might normally be set aside for federal transportation and infrastructure spending. AdvertisementStory continues below advertisementBut the Republican counter-offer still sets the parameters for further negotiations between the parties.

Before the Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965, national quotas governed which immigrants to the United States were allowed in. Moreover, the 1924 quotas tilted the immigration playing field sharply in favor of immigrants from Northern European countries such as Germany, Ireland and Britain. Mass immigration from Italy and Eastern Europe did not start in earnest until after 1890. The 1924 quotas and similar quotas passed in 1917 and 1920 are the only examples of legally enforced immigration “pauses” in U.S. history. America’s first wave of mass immigration in the 1840s and 1850s gave rise to the nativist, anti-immigrant Know-Nothing party.

Five days after he was first taken, Hannah turned 19. She spent her birthday crying and afraid, unsure of when she would see our dad again. The worst part is that we haven’t hugged our dad in over three years, and that we don’t know when we will again. AdvertisementStory continues below advertisementThe only thing we want, and all we pray for, is for our dad to come home safely and soon. Finally, we are pleading with the Iranian government to return our father safely to us.

Al Sharpton, who will deliver the eulogy at Wright’s funeral, stood nearby, speaking to family. But those attending Wright’s wake said the Chauvin verdict was only a reminder of the injustice done to him. Story continues below advertisement“Minnesota doesn’t have the right to talk about what they got right until they get this right,” Sharpton told mourners. “Daunte didn’t hurt nobody.”AdvertisementHe added that Wright’s grandmother told him that the visitation had fallen on the wedding anniversary of Wright’s parents. At the visitation, civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing the family, pledged that Wright’s burial would not be the last time the community would come together for them.

Eugene Hoshiko/Associated PressThe delayed exhibition bout between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Logan Paul could reportedly take place as soon as June in Miami. The Athletic's Mike Coppinger reported the fight is "tentatively planned" for June 5. Per TMZ Sports, Mayweather is "zeroing in" on June 6 for his return to the boxing ring against Paul. Mayweather originally announced in December that he agreed to an exhibition with Paul. TMZ reported that Mayweather's camp is "really pushing" for Sunday, June 6, since that date "works better" to accommodate a large crowd at the venues under consideration.

But if you're concerned about running out of money in retirement, you're not alone. Here are six steps you can take to avoid running out of money in retirement. Don't withdraw too much or too earlyWithdrawing too early from your retirement savings can have damaging consequences. Remember, the money in your retirement account is for your retirement. A general rule of thumb is to follow the 4% rule, which means that you withdraw 4% of your retirement savings each year (adjusted for inflation).

New York (CNN Business) Dessert-loving New Yorkers know all about Levain, a bakery famous for its large, decadent cookies with gooey centers. Before the pandemic, passers-by could often see a line snaking out of the bakery's tiny Upper West Side flagship store. Last week, Whole Foods stores across the country started carrying frozen versions of Levain cookies. The frozen cookies are available in three varieties: Chocolate chip walnut, two chip chocolate chip and dark chocolate chocolate chip. For frozen items, that means making sure that products remain frozen along the supply chain.

But if Trump gets his way, that may change — he's reportedly planning to launch a brand-new social media platform that presumably won't restrict his content. If I wanted to hire somebody, I could have a reasonably feature-rich social network up and running in two days." Anyone who's used a social media app in the past five years knows what features to expect from a service. Supposing that a new social media platform can get off the ground, it then confronts a host of linked problems. Should he launch his own social network, Trump may discover much the same thing, even with his fervent base.

New York (CNN Business) Food waste is a major contributor to the climate crisis. That's why one company, Too Good To Go, is hoping its mystery food bags can be part of the solution. Uneaten food usually ends up in landfills and produces methane, a powerful greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. The company says it has more than 36 million global users and nearly 87,000 restaurant partners worldwide. Customers can place an order at a restaurant on the app — usually between $4 and $6 — and pick up a mystery bag of food at the location.

In trying times like these, chaplains, who provide spiritual care and support to patients, families, doctors and nurses, have bravely and tirelessly stepped up. Chaplains still sit with innumerable dying patients to aid them and be there for families in decisive and painful moments. These spiritual care providers help patients and families alike to find meaning, purpose and hope when confronting death, and frequently mediate conflicts between patients and the medical staff. Many doctors also remain wary of addressing spiritual, religious and existential issues in medical care. Hopefully, none of us will ever forget the pandemic's lessons regarding the importance of chaplains and of patients' and families broader spiritual, religious and existential needs beyond the biomedical alone.

"That's been a game changer for me," said Griest Schwartzman, 23, who uses they/them pronouns. However, now that the world is looking towards "the new normal"' Griest Schwartzman and other people with disabilities are worried that accommodations that became standard in 2020 will not be available. Eiryn Griest Schwartzman"There is a big push to be completely in-person, and I know it's happening at a lot of schools," said Griest Schwartzman, who has several chronic physical disabilities and psychological conditions. "It's something I wish I had when I was younger that would have made me feel more included and like I could have a more 'normal' life," Griest Schwartzman said. "This exact situation of losing accommodations is all too familiar for me, and kind of traumatic," Griest Schwartzman said.

(CNN) Cher and a four-year elephant rescue mission she led is the focus of a new documentary, "Cher & the Loneliest Elephant." Now streaming on Paramount+ in honor of Earth Day, the film takes audiences through the singer's journey to save and protect a 36-year-old elephant named Kaavan, from captivity in Pakistan last November. Kaavan was gifted by the Sri Lankan government to Pakistan shortly after his birth in 1985 and was placed in a Zoo. Samar Khan, a veterinarian from the US started a Change.org petition to free Kaavan. Cher was alerted to it as it amassed nearly 500,000 signatures and knew she had to do something.

London (CNN) Scottish singer Les McKeown, who achieved global superstardom in the 1970s as the lead vocalist of tartan-garbed pop titans the Bay City Rollers, has died, his family confirmed Thursday. McKeown fronted the Bay City Rollers during their dizzying heyday in the mid-1970s, when their hits "Shang-A-Lang," "Bye, Bye, Baby," and "Give a Little Love" catapulted them to acclaim and earned them scores of young fans in Britain, the United States and beyond. But "Rollermania," as it was dubbed by music critics, lasted only a few years, and McKeown left the group in 1978. "It is with profound sadness that we announce the death of our beloved husband and father Leslie Richard McKeown," his family wrote on the singer's Twitter account. "Leslie died suddenly at home on Tuesday."

Her grandfather, George Romney, served as Michigan governor for three terms, and her grandmother, Lenore, waged an unsuccessful 1970 Senate bid. Her mother, Ronna, waged unsuccessful 1994 and 1996 Senate campaigns and also served on the RNC. McDaniel is also the niece of Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, the GOP's 2012 nominee and a former governor of Massachusetts. Should she step down to run for governor, RNC co-chairman Tommy Hicks would become temporary chair. After Trump lost reelection, he endorsed McDaniel to serve a third term, and the RNC chose her without opposition.

The House of Commons passed a nonbinding, all-party motion stating that Uyghurs and other ethnic and religious minorities in China’s Xinjiang region are suffering “crimes against humanity and genocide.” | U.K. Parliament Handout/EPA | UK Parliament Handout/EPALONDON — The British parliament has declared China’s crackdown on Uyghur Muslims a “genocide,” in a move expected to damage the two countries’ relationship. Although the U.K. government is under no obligation to respond to the motion, its backing shows the strength of feeling in the U.K. parliament on the issue. China has repeatedly rejected reports of human rights violations in Xinjiang. Hours ahead of the debate, Beijing sought to seize the initiative against Britain by accusing it of widespread human rights violations and double standards on racism. The U.K. government argues it is for the international courts alone to declare a genocide.

The Bank of England confirmed it was approached by David Cameron, who lobbied on behalf of Greensill Capital | Neil Hall/EPA-EFELONDON — Former British Prime Minister David Cameron approached the Bank of England directly on several occasions to try to influence its policy on coronavirus-related loans, the monetary institution said Thursday. For example, Cameron insisted to both the Treasury and the Bank that Greensill Capital should be exempt from the requirement that beneficiaries of the scheme be non-financial companies. Greensill Capital was a financial firm that lent money to companies seeking to pay their contractors more quickly. Cameron’s lobbying came in addition to approaches by Greensill himself, the Bank said. Greensill Capital declared insolvency in March 2021.

An identical statehood bill passed the House in 2020, but it quickly died in the then-Republican-controlled Senate. Now, with the 2020 elections leaving Democrats in control of both chambers and the White House, Republican senators may resort to a filibuster to stymie the statehood bill. For lifelong statehood proponents like Eleanor Holmes Norton, Washington’s long-serving and nonvoting delegate in the House, Thursday’s vote was a culmination of a life’s work. Opponents proposed a variety of alternatives, from absolving Washingtonians of federal taxes to “retroceding” most of D.C. back into Maryland. “People have started to see D.C. statehood as the racial justice issue that it is,” said Perry, who is also on the board of the pro-statehood group D.C. Vote.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A Des Moines woman has pleaded guilty to federal hate crimes for intentionally driving her SUV into two children in 2019 because she said she thought one was Mexican and the other was a member of the Islamic State group. Nicole Poole Franklin, 43, entered the pleas Wednesday in a Des Moines federal court to two counts of violating the U.S. Minutes later, Franklin ran down a 14-year-old Latina girl on a sidewalk, leaving her with injuries for which she was hospitalized for two days. On the state counts, Franklin faces up to 25 years on each attempted murder count. It wasn’t clear if other state counts, including hate crimes, would be dropped as part as her guilty plea in state court, the Register reported.

Alexis Ohanian wants the public to know that he (unsurprisingly) feels nothing but pride when it comes to being married to his legendary, history-making, tennis superstar, fashion designer and soon-to-be TV executive producer wife, Serena Williams. Ohanian took that comment a step further to point out that despite his accomplishments or future achievements — like one day becoming a self-made billionaire — he will still mostly be known as Williams’ husband, which is fine by him. The tech entrepreneur and investor did note one exception: He could also likely be known as the dad to his and Williams’ 3-year-old daughter, Alexis Olympia. “I’ll be a self-made billionaire one day and most people will still know me as Serena’s husband (Or Olympia’s dad) and that’s fine by me,” he tweeted. Williams praised his decision at the time, tweeting that she was “so proud.”“I know Olympia will be too,” she added.

POLITICO Playbook PM: McDaniel for governor? Presented byRNC Chair Ronna McDaniel is reportedly giving thought to a run against Michigan Gov. … McDaniel also told the roughly 140 members in attendance that she’d given thought in recent months to running against [Gov. “How serious McDaniel is about running for governor is unclear. ‘Kevin McCarthy isn’t in control of the conference,’ a Republican lawmaker told The Daily Beast.

The details: The Republican plan is heavy on highway funding, allocating $299 billion for roads and bridges, or more than half of the overall figure. On the transportation side, it also includes $61 billion for transit, $20 billion for rail, $44 billion for airports, $7 billion for water ports and $13 billion for safety agencies including NHTSA, FMCSA and PHMSA. Non-transportation line items include $65 billion for broadband, $35 billion for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure and $14 billion for water storage. The plan also calls for repurposing unused federal funding, which Senate Republicans have said exists because of a surplus of federal money from previous Covid relief bills. It de-emphasizes funding for highways, instead redirecting federal dollars to a massive electric vehicle infrastructure effort, and includes funding for a broad range of items like health care which Republicans have argued fall outside the bounds of traditional infrastructure.

Republicans on Thursday unveiled a $568 billion counter proposal to President Joe Biden's sprawling $2.25 trillion infrastructure package. In total, the package calls for $299 billion for roads and bridges, $65 billion for broadband infrastructure, $61 billion for public transit systems, $35 billion for drinking water and wastewater, $44 billion for airports, $20 billion for rail systems, $17 billion for ports and inland waterways, $14 billion for water storage and $13 billion for safety purposes. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., called the plan the most robust infrastructure proposal put forth by Republicans. Additionally, it contains $42 billion for ports and airports, $100 billion to improve public school buildings and $180 billion to be invested in research and development. Earlier this month, an NPR/PBS/Marist poll found that 56 percent of U.S. adults support Biden's infrastructure plan while just 34 percent said they oppose it.

Already in states where mask orders are still in effect, there are moves to loosen restrictions for outdoors. Roy Cooper hopes to lift restrictions, including an outdoor mask mandate, by June 1. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is considering a change to outdoor mask guidance by June. Full coverage of the coronavirus outbreakSome health experts are increasingly calling for mask restrictions to be eased for outdoor activities. “If you're vaccinated and if there's low rates of community transmission, it's definitely reasonable to not worry about wearing masks [outdoors]” she said.

Russia has ordered its troops to withdraw from the border with Ukraine after a massive military buildup that raised alarm from Western Europe to Washington. Russia does keep a permanent contingent of forces along its 1,200-mile-long land border with Ukraine, but in recent weeks had massed tens of thousands of troops, convoys of tanks, artillery and other units. At the Pentagon, officials said Thursday there was no sign yet of a withdrawal or change in how Russian forces were deployed near Ukraine’s borders or in occupied Crimea. The Kremlin says it has moved its troops within its own territory how it sees fit, while maintaining its military movements near the border with Ukraine pose no threat. Kuleba said it was urgent that his country receive further military assistance from the U.S. before it was too late.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA’s little Mars helicopter aced its second test flight Thursday, soaring even higher and longer than before. The 4-pound chopper, named Ingenuity, hovered longer and also flew side to side this time, according to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California. NASA plans up to three more test flights in the next 1 1/2 weeks, venturing higher each time with more complicated acrobatics. Perseverance and Ingenuity arrived at Mars in mid-February, landing in an ancient river delta following a 6 1/2-month flight. In another first, an experiment on the rover successfully converted Mars’ carbon-dioxide-rich atmosphere into pure oxygen this week.

A multi-country study suggests pregnant women who get COVID-19 have higher risks for death, intensive-care stays, preterm birth and other complications. Pregnant women can gain some protection by getting vaccinated; recent evidence suggests the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines are safe to use in pregnancy. The results were published on Thursday in the Journal of the American Medical Association Pediatrics, which echo smaller studies. The research involved women in 18 countries, including the United States, Central and South America, Europe, Asia and Africa. The study involved about 700 pregnant women with COVID-19 and 1,400 without it.

After more than a decade of telling other people’s stories, Josh Breckenridge has found a perfect vehicle for his own bicoastal narrative. Though the song is rooted in his own experiences, he hopes his “tale of torn hearts and minds” will resonate with anyone who leaves their hometown to pursue a personal or professional dream. “I think the best kind of song is one that hits home with the listener, no pun intended,” Breckenridge told HuffPost. He also plans to take the stage in “Come from Away” again on Broadway once it’s safe to do so. “Each song is a scar, an individual piece to the puzzle of me ? the bold, the buoyant, the weak and the strong.”

A three-run home run hit by the Phillies’ Mickey Moniak became a potential snack for a baby on Wednesday in Philadelphia. The tot didn’t know it was Moniak’s first big-league home run and wouldn’t care anyway. “How cute was that kid who got Moniak’s HR ball on a scale of 5 billion to eleventy billion?” one fan asked on Twitter. “Confirmed: Moniak home run baby is an absolute cutie,” the fan wrote. I could watch that baby try to eat Mickey moniak’s home run ball all day — Aljawnon Moncrief (@Kevin_Seamus) April 21, 2021A baby is chewing on the first home run ball hit by McKenzie Matthew Moniak .... where’s the event staff?

Wright’s casket arrived Thursday afternoon at the Shiloh Temple International Ministries In Minneapolis, Minnesota, where civil rights leader Rev. Floyd’s family is expected to be in attendance for Wright’s funeral, along with their attorney Ben Crump, who is also representing Wright’s family. Brooklyn Center police Officer Kim Potter and the department’s police chief resigned in the wake of Wright’s death. "You know the weight of your gun, and you know the weight of the Taser." Tim Walz asked residents to join him in a two-minute moment of silence to honor Wright at 12 p.m. CST, the same time Wright’s funeral is expected to begin.

White House officially endorses D.C. statehood --> pic.twitter.com/n3joF2sPoK — Kevin Robillard (@Robillard) April 20, 2021Not surprisingly, given the potential for two new Senate seats at play, feelings about D.C. statehood have divided neatly along partisan lines. Feelings about D.C. statehood have divided neatly along partisan lines. In 1846, at least in part to protect slaveowners from the impending abolition of slavery in D.C., Congress agreed by statute to retrocede to Virginia its part of the District of Columbia. And to smooth out any practical (but not constitutional) concerns, the leading proposal for D.C. statehood would have Congress subsequently take up a proposal to repeal that amendment once it no longer serves a purpose. D.C. statehood may be politically divisive.

Marsha Blackburn (Tenn.), Ted Cruz (Texas), and Lindsey Graham (S.C.) to hold a press conference in front of the Supreme Court this morning. First, when there was a GOP majority in the Senate, Republicans didn't have much of a need to "rig the game," because the Supreme Court was already conservative. Second, and more importantly, if Cruz wants to reflect on Republicans' reluctance to "rig the game" at the Supreme Court in the recent past, that's a conversation I'm eager to have. In fact, Cruz endorsed an unprecedented partisan blockade, insisting that the high court have eight members for 11 months. "There is certainly long historical precedent for a Supreme Court with fewer justices," Cruz said at the time.

WASHINGTON — U.S. commanders have asked for the deployment of an aircraft carrier to help protect U.S.-led troops as they withdraw from Afghanistan, two senior Defense officials told NBC News. The request underscores concerns at the Pentagon that the Taliban may choose to launch attacks on NATO troops as they pull out. No final decision has been taken on the request from Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, head of U.S. Central Command, the officials said. At a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Thursday, Gen. McKenzie said more troops and resources would be deployed to safeguard the forces leaving Afghanistan. At House hearing on Tuesday, Gen. McKenzie said U.S. troops were ready if the Taliban chose to target NATO forces as they withdraw.

The Supreme Court has ruling that juvenile offenders can be sentenced to life without parole. NBC's Pete Williams reports on the decision ass the defendant, who was charged with the killing of his grandfather when he was 15, challenged that the judge could not prove he was "permanently incorrigible."

Among those are some actually eco-friendly options from popular brands like Bio Bidet and AeroGarden, and multiple deals on everything from teeth whitening kits and resistance bands to luggage and the popular Always Pan. These highly rated and easy to use teeth whitening trays are currently at the lowest price they’ve been since November 2020, according to CamelCamelCamel. The GLO Teeth Whitening Kit has a 4.2-star average rating from more than 1,000 reviews on Amazon. The Bio Bidet has a 4.4-star average rating from more than 170 Home Depot reviewers. The AeroGarden Harvest Elite has a 4.6-star average rating from more than 2,300 reviewers on Amazon.

So you’re vaccinated and eager to — finally — plan a real summer vacation after a rough year, but you don’t want to add to the problems you might have read about: overcrowding, climate change, unfair working conditions in the tourism industry. For those who want to travel responsibly, it comes down to this: You, the traveler, have to do your homework. Looking for a hotel or tour operator that has earned a sustainability label might seem like a good place to start, but the reality isn’t so simple. There are around 180 certification labels floating around in the tourism industry, each purporting to certify the green credentials of a hotel, restaurant, tour operator or even a destination. “The range is enormous — from rigorous, impartial and excellent to, frankly, poor,” said Randy Durband, the chief executive of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, a nonprofit organization that establishes and manages global standards for sustainable travel.

But the Veterans Health System patients in the study may not be representative in other ways, including that 88 percent of them were male and their median age was 61. Dr. Jacobs said her clinic was seeing the wide range of symptoms in the study. But she said the risk of death among the study’s patients was considerably higher than she would have expected. Between one and six months after experiencing a relatively mild or moderate infection, 1,672 of the 73,345 patients — about 2.3 percent — died, the study reported. That helps explain why the study found that the Covid survivors had about one-and-a-half times more outpatient visits a month than patients in the general V.A.

“At first I was like there’s no parents here and we get to be free and do what we want,” Mr. Mitchell said. But having Jake be the adult was weird because we all listened to Jake. Mr. Mitchell said he once drank so much that he blacked out. Mr. Mitchell said he began a sexual relationship with a woman nearly a decade older than him whom he had met at an influencer party. “I feel like that’s just weird now.”Behind the ScenesBy late 2016, Mr. Mitchell had left the Team 10 house, though he remained part of the group for several months after.

That ethos would inspire a generation of environmentalists to see the fates of this planet’s inhabitants as intertwined. This week, the White House is welcoming world leaders to a virtual summit on curbing climate destruction. President Biden has pledged to cut emissions at least in half from 2005 levels by 2030, aiming for “net zero” emissions by 2050. Following the Trump presidency and decades of U.S. officials’ helping sabotage climate ambition, America suffers from a sizable trust deficit with the rest of the world. Rebuilding trust and reckoning with the climate crisis demands a sea change in U.S. foreign policy — tweaks around the edges will not do.

Despite all this, I’m facing pervasive burnout and desperately need a break from work. However, I am trying to save my leave for an eventual trip to India, and I don’t want to upset my manager by taking too many breaks. First, accept the unfortunate reality that you cannot expect more support from your boss, and set aside further mention of nonwork matters. Outside of work, here are some tips I have heard and used to stave off despair:AdvertisementStory continues below advertisement- Use some of the leave you’re saving. International travel — particularly to India, which is undergoing another devastating wave of coronavirus infections — is not going to be possible for some time.

It is typically served on bread with olive oil, but it’s heavenly sprinkled on just about anything from popcorn to eggs to grilled vegetables. For these pizzas, the chickpea mash gets piled onto whole-grain pita, then sprinkled with tangy feta cheese, chopped fresh tomatoes and shredded mozzarella. Taste and season with salt, if desired (depending on the salt content of the za’atar you are using). Step 2Place the pita onto a large, rimmed baking sheet and brush the top side of each with the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil. Step 3Mound about a quarter of the chickpea mixture onto each pita, then sprinkle each with the feta, then the tomatoes and then the mozzarella cheese.

While this kind of flexibility would be overwhelmingly popular, especially with parents, experts warn it could do even more harm to working women, millions of whom have left the workforce during the pandemic. More men than women worked from home before the pandemic, with 36 percent of men conducting most of their work remotely, compared to 23 percent of women, according to a 2014 survey from the remote work consulting firm Flex+Strategy Group. This is likely because more men are offered flexibility, said Jennifer Glass, a professor of sociology who specializes in work and families at the University of Texas at Austin. When men and women are offered flexibility in equal measure, Glass said, mothers are more likely to choose to work from home than fathers or employees without children.

On Wednesday, Outside magazine first reported that a climber at Everest base camp had been evacuated by helicopter for what was believed to be high-altitude pulmonary edema and tested positive for the coronavirus upon arriving at a hospital in Kathmandu last week. The New York Times subsequently revealed that in fact there had been multiple climbers who tested positive after being flown out of base camp. “All is good here,” said Chhang Dawa Sherpa, the founder of Apex Nepal Treks & Tours, adding that there had been no coronavirus cases detected among his clients. Story continues below advertisementFurtenbach Expeditions, a California-based outfitter that has one team at base camp and another on the way, also has no intention of turning back. Meanwhile, masks and social distancing are not in wide use in the Everest area In Nepal’s Khumbu Valley, which trekkers hike through on the way to base camp.

In the past, perfume makers have had to contend with variable harvests and shortages caused by droughts and other acts of nature. The institute didn’t have any of the verboten variety of oakmoss, but L.A. perfume maker Manuel Cross did. He met me a few weeks later with a curated treasure box of vintage perfumes and aromachemicals to share. A bottle of Mitsouko perfume from 1946 at the Musée Baccarat in Paris. On one decanter’s website, the vintage Mitsouko parfum I sniffed at Mahboubian’s goes for $62.63 for 2 milliliters.

It is almost as if we cannot make sense of the present White House incumbent without identifying a phantom soul mate from the past. Arguably, Biden has become the first Democratic president in 40 years to mount a major counteroffensive against the legacy of the country’s 40th leader. Only in this case, it’s not flattery, but grand larceny.”More surprising was how enthusiastically Obama saluted Reagan. At one of his own White House seminars for historians, Obama was eager to glean from them what lessons he could about The Gipper. Biden is trying to engineer not only a revival of government, but also a reconsideration of its essential role.

Taken all together, this bundle of falsehoods and pathologies is now getting so absurd and unsustainable that more Republicans are running away from it. In some states, while some things are getting nixed, many voter suppression provisions directly targeting non-White voters remain. Meanwhile, in many states, voter suppression efforts continue. Some Republicans privately admit their argument for some of these bills is problematic:They acknowledge, however, that their timing is bad. So if more are now edging away from the Big Lie in various forms, that should probably be encouraged.

Despite the ongoing political divide between their nations, China’s Xi Jinping was the first national leader to speak at Biden’s climate summit on Thursday. Xi, speaking Thursday, emphasized that China’s dramatic development means achieving carbon neutrality in such a short time frame is still difficult. “China has committed to move from carbon peak to carbon neutrality in a much shorter time span than what might take many developed countries, and that requires extraordinarily hard efforts from China,” Xi said. The Chinese leader also said that his government would strictly control coal power projects, one of the greatest sources of carbon dioxide in China. China was the top emitter of carbon dioxide in the world in 2018, according to the Global Carbon Project, putting almost twice as much of the gas into the atmosphere as the United States and three times as much as the European Union.

“The first thing I’m going to say is, ‘Ladies and gentlemen, we believe the Chauvin trial was fair and just. When use-of-force cases move into courtrooms, they said, jurors could be more skeptical of police accounts than in the past. And Chauvin’s a murderer now.”AdvertisementStory continues below advertisementExperts cautioned against drawing too sweeping a conclusion from the Chauvin case, warning that individual trials are limited in scope. Chauvin’s case was also unlike many others, observers noted, given that it was unusually well-documented, widely seen and universally condemned. “When I saw him being taken away in handcuffs, that’s when I knew the world had changed,” Sweet said of Chauvin.

Coronavirus in the DMV: What you need to readVaccine: Ask The Post | What to know about the rollout | FAQ | Tracker | Ask us your questionsMapping the spread: Known deaths and cases in the region • U.S. mapRestrictions and FAQ: D.C. | Virginia | MarylandThe latest• Who gets vaccines in D.C.? 1,700 lawyers, 1,400 journalists and 218 ride-hailing drivers have gotten shots so far. • To broaden vaccine access, Maryland turns to doctors’ offices• Evictions continue in Virginia despite CDC order extensionThose we have lost: Victims of covid-19 in D.C., Maryland and VirginiaGet the latest local news: Morning (8 a.m.) • Afternoon (4 p.m.)Show More

But at the same time, Biden’s team prioritized vaccinations and worked quickly with Congress to enact a $1.9 trillion stimulus package to provide ample support to the economy. Story continues below advertisementMcClure, who doesn’t like to get political, described the economic shift like this: “There is more optimism now. I’ll put it that way.”AdvertisementThe White House is quick to emphasize the recovery is still a work in progress and has been deeply unequal. Advertisement“It’s really the stimulus that’s made the difference in the economic recovery,” said Nela Richardson, chief economist at payroll processor ADP. Economists anticipate more months of strong job growth to come as businesses see more customers returning.

President Biden is hosting a two-day virtual summit of world leaders to address the global climate crisis. He committed the United States to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 50%-52% below its 2005 emissions levels by 2030.

CNN's John Avlon looks into how China and Russia used the QAnon conspiracy theory against the American people, according to a recent report.

The US Justice Department announced it was launching a federal civil investigation into the Minneapolis Police Department, following the murder convictions of former officer Derek Chauvin. CNN's Sara Sidner has the latest.

New York (CNN Business) It took a while for Chipotle to roll out its quesadilla. But the cheesy item hit menus last month, and customers are into it. Chipotle tested out quesadillas back in 2018 . Customers have been clamoring for quesadillas for some time, according to the company. And quesadillas are bringing in new customers as well, Niccol said on Wednesday's call.

In the early 1900s, the Brooklyn community was a thriving center of activity for Black residents . Black communities in particular, being denied access to the ballot, had no way to vote out officials who oversaw the weaponizing of transportation. And the provisions in the American Jobs Plan would go a long way towards mending the damage. Join us on Twitter and FacebookCan we avoid the mistakes of the past while dramatically increasing infrastructure investment? At long last, we have a chance to make a generational investment in our nation's infrastructure the right way.

Armando Franca/Associated PressKiersten Hening, a former Virginia Tech soccer player, filed a lawsuit against Hokies head coach Charles Adair last month. Per court documents obtained by TMZ Sports, Hening claims in the lawsuit that she was punished for refusing to kneel with the rest of the Virginia Tech women's soccer team prior to a game on Sept. 12, 2020. After playing all 90 minutes against Virginia, Hening played a total of 34 minutes in the next two games combined. Davis noted that Hening's lawsuit seeks to have Adair undergo first amendment training and have her reinstated on the Hokies soccer team. Hening started 37 of 41 games for the Hokies in 2018 and 2019 combined.

John Locher/Associated PressNew York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu confirmed a story about her dad hyping her as basketball's next big thing before her standout college career at the University of Oregon. Ionescu was a slam-dunk choice for the Liberty with last year's No. 1 pick, but she only made three appearances during her rookie campaign before suffering a season-ending ankle injury. Expectations for the Liberty are rising rapidly with the return of their star point guard, combined with the additions of Natasha Howard, Sami Whitcomb and Betnijah Laney. Ionescu told Pelton she's excited for what the team can achieve in her first full season:"I don't think there's really a ceiling for what we can accomplish.

0 of 9Rusty Costanza/Associated PressThe NFL draft is exactly one week away, and teams' preparation for the crucial event is nearing completion. The first round, which is set for Thursday, is going to see most of the familiar names come off the board. In a year when some prospects didn't get to play at all, there's a good possibility that some quality NFL players are slipping through the cracks. Every year, there are players who get picked late on Day 2 or Day 3 and go on to make a bigger-than-expected impact. Here's a look at the best-kept secrets of the 2021 NFL draft.

And when it comes to ways in which Americans typically build wealth, the US federal income tax code may be helping to increase those disparities. The code has been designed with the intention of being broadly progressive -- meaning the less you make, the less you are taxed. But it is White Americans who disproportionately benefit from the tax breaks for those things, Emory University tax law professor Dorothy Brown told lawmakers on the Senate Finance Committee this week. And even when Black Americans engage in those same activities, they often don't benefit from the tax advantages, said Brown, who is also the author of The Whiteness of Wealth: How the Tax System Impoverishes Black Americans -- and How We Can Fix It. That's why she believes the US tax code helps to perpetuate the racial wealth gap, in which the typical White family has eight times the wealth of the typical Black family, according to a 2019 Federal Reserve analysis

Austin, Texas (CNN Business) Four astronauts from three countries are preparing to leave Earth this week aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, marking the third-ever crewed flight for Elon Musk's company, and the first from SpaceX to make use of a previously flown rocket booster and spacecraft. Friday's SpaceX launch will make use of the same rocket booster that powered the 2020 Demo-2 mission, as well as the same spacecraft, dubbed " Endeavour ." SpaceX has long made reusability a cornerstone of its business plan, hoping that recovering and refurbishing hardware will drive down the cost of spaceflight. From left are mission specialist Thomas Pesquet of the European Space Agency, pilot Megan McArthur and commander Shane Kimbrough of NASA, and mission specialist Akihiko Hoshide of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. The journey is slated to begin at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Friday, when they'll board the capsule atop one of SpaceX's 200-foot-tall Falcon 9 rockets.

New York (CNN Business) Disney and Sony Pictures Entertainment agreed to a multi-year licensing deal Tuesday that will bring your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man to Disney's platforms, including Disney+. But there is a catch: The agreement comes just weeks after Sony and Netflix signed a similar deal and Disney channels and platforms, including Disney+, Hulu and ABC, will have access to Sony's newest content only after it runs on Netflix. Disney's DIS So, for example, Sony's latest Spidey flick, "Spider-Man: No Way Home," is set to open in theaters in December. Disney hasn't announced which content will go where, but it's safe to assume that the Spider-Man films will likely wind up on Disney+ since that's where the rest of its Marvel Studios films reside. Disney also noted that a significant amount of Sony's library will be available on Hulu starting in June.

New York (CNN Business) Rupert Murdoch's New York Post tabloid newspaper makes a very clear statement on Thursday: "GET VAXXED!" It is a laudable message — or at least it would be if the Post hadn't been spending so much energy recently fear-mongering on the Covid-19 vaccines. The front page features those words next to a newly-vaccinated resident's arm and a call to other arms. "With only half of NYers jabbed," the paper says, "we need you to help get us back to normal." "The irony is that the NYPost has been tweeting out anti-vaxx nonsense," writer and liberal commentator Molly Jong-Fast tweeted Thursday morning.

New York (CNN Business) Taco Bell is testing a new meat alternative taco ahead of an expected launch of new offerings featuring Beyond Meat. However, it's only being sold at one Taco Bell location, in Orange County, California, until April 29 for $2.19. The Taco Bell is serving a "Cravetarian Taco" at one location. Beyond Meat BYND The "proprietary protein," as it was described in a statement, was created in-house at the Taco Bell Test Kitchen . Taco Bell said that its meat alternative is vegan and the term "Cravetarian" emphasizes that "no one should have to sacrifice bold flavors for their lifestyle."

(CNN) James Cameron appeared on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" Wednesday, sitting in front of an editing suite in which there was a new "Avatar" on the screens. Cameron was in production in Wellington, New Zealand and said the next "Avatar" film will feature a lot more water. "A lot of our scenes are in the ocean, so I'm combining things that I love," he told Fallon. "Making 'Avatar' and going into the ocean, I love all that stuff." Cameron also talked about the actual moviegoing experience.

Ricardo Pimentel bought croquettes at a state-owned establishment in Cuba at the beginning of March to make for his 12-year-old daughter. Dozens of Cubans have been complaining about exploding croquettes on social media for months, posting photos of people with burns on their faces, eyes and torsos. Specifically, Cubans pointed on social media to Prodal, a state company based in Havana. "To my surprise, these croquettes started exploding in my face, causing burns all over my body and disfiguring my face," he said on Facebook. Anselmo Lopez Galves shared on social media the burns he suffered after frying croquettes from Prodal.

How long will we be wearing masks indoors? However, to stop wearing masks in crowded indoor settings, like a supermarket, office building or school, experts said they would want to see a major reduction in cases and transmission. "I would say that until the vaccine is widely available and case counts drop as you would expect with high vaccination coverage, we'll be wearing masks." Vermund agreed, saying that the pandemic may have made it "more socially acceptable" for people to wear masks, which can protect against things like influenza viruses, rhinoviruses and more. ... People wear masks to protect themselves, to avoid getting sick, so I'm hoping that our attitude towards mask-wearers is extremely tolerant, going forward."

America abandoned its position of leadership on climate change under Donald Trump, and it cost us. And there is no better time than Earth Day and no better opportunity than President Biden's Leaders Summit on Climate, which begins Thursday. After four years of Donald Trump's preposterous climate change denialism and his administration's handouts to fossil fuel polluters, we must prove we as a country are truly serious about climate action. And we must pass it before the U.N. convenes its next Climate Change Conference of the Parties in Glasgow, Scotland, this November. President Biden and the Democrats in Congress already delivered big, bold legislation to address the pandemic and its economic fallout.

A new survey released by the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) and the Interfaith Youth Core found that COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy remains prevalent in some American communities—but a faith-based approach could prove crucial in the fight to combat it. The survey sampled over 5,600 adults across the U.S. between March 8 and 30. The approaches that the surveyed people were asked to consider included a respondent’s religious leader or fellow religious community member receiving the vaccine, a religious leader encouraging the community to get vaccinated, a religious community holding an informational forum on the vaccine, a nearby congregation serving as vaccination site or their religious community providing help to arrange vaccine appointments. As of Monday, all adults in America are eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine. But the survey also found that a pro-vaccination campaign could have a huge impact in the community.

The Czechs made the decision after Russia rebuffed a request to readmit 20 Czech embassy staffers it had expelled, leading Prague to argue it couldn’t run its embassy in Moscow. As a result, the Czechs expelled 18 Russian diplomats, saying they had been identified as spies. Moscow retaliated by throwing the 20 Czech diplomats and embassy staff out of the country, leaving the Czech embassy in Moscow paralyzed. The number of Russians set for expulsion will reduce Russia’s Prague embassy staff to the size of the Czech embassy staff in Moscow, which now consists of five diplomats and 19 administrative and technical workers. The Russian embassy in Prague currently houses 27 diplomats and 67 administrative and technical staff.

The candidates vying to be Germany’s next chancellor, Europe’s Super League football flop and battles over people’s personal data all feature in this week’s episode. A resurgent Green party in Germany chose Annalena Baerbock as their candidate to succeed Angela Merkel as chancellor. On the not-so-Super League, POLITICO’s Andrew Gray, Rym Momtaz, Ali Walker and Simon Van Dorpe discuss the fierce popular and political backlash against the project, which soon fell apart. And finally, recent data leaks from social media platforms Facebook, LinkedIn and Clubhouse collectively revealed the information of around a billion users. What does the controversy say about Europe’s efforts to protect its citizens’ personal information and the EU’s flagship General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)?

Congressional response: FTC leaders had already warned that consumers would be the ones to suffer if the Supreme Court rolled back the agency’s ability to seek monetary penalties. Congress is already considering legislation to remedy the Supreme Court decision. The Supreme Court case was also a key topic at an FTC oversight hearing in the Senate this week. A trial court ordered AMG and Tucker to pay back $1.3 billion in restitution to consumers, an order upheld on appeal. AMG then asked the Supreme Court justices to weigh in on the FTC’s authority.

NEW YORK (AP) — A judge sentenced a Bangladeshi immigrant whose pipe bomb mostly misfired in a busy New York City subway station in 2017 to life in prison on Thursday, calling the crime “barbaric and heinous.”Akayed Ullah, 31, was sentenced in Manhattan federal court by Judge Richard J. Sullivan. I do not support harming innocent people.”Prosecutors had sought the life term for Ullah, saying the “premeditated and vicious” attack was committed on behalf of the Islamic State group. But defense lawyer Amy Gallicchio said Ullah deserved no more than the mandatory 35 years in prison. At trial, prosecutors showed jurors Ullah’s post-arrest statements and social media comments, including when he taunted then-President Donald Trump on Facebook before the attack. Trump said allowing foreigners to follow relatives to the U.S. was “incompatible with national security.”

Swedish climate advocate Greta Thunberg urged a House subcommittee on Thursday to end tax breaks for fossil fuel producers, saying their existence was a "disgrace," and she accused lawmakers who have failed to remove them as "proof that we have not understood the climate emergency." "How long do you honestly believe that people in power like you will get away with it? How long do you think you can continue to ignore the climate crisis, the global aspect of equity and historic emissions without being held accountable?” she testified virtually to the House Oversight Environment Subcommittee hearing. “You get away with it now, but sooner or later people are going to realize what you have been doing this time. You still have time to do the right thing and to save your legacies, but that window of time is not going to last for long,” she said.

Forbes' Randall Lane and Morning Joe's Daniela Pierre-Bravo discusses Sylvia Earle, Lisa Jackson and more women over 50 making a difference in the cause for a sustainable environment.

Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., discusses the House's planned vote on a a bill that would make Washington, D.C., the nation’s 51st state. The bill is backed by President Biden and top Democrats but faces long odds in the Senate.

The Morning Joe panel discusses a new column on the verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial by the brother of the late George Floyd, Philonise Floyd.

Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., discusses the bipartisan effort to boost science and tech innovation in the U.S., a way forward on infrastructure and police reform.

Starting in 1973, the Environmental Protection Agency issued chemical giants permits to discard thousands of drums of industrial chemical waste at the offshore site. MAP: HUFFPOST This map shows the offshore leasing blocks where dumped waste barrels have been detected along the seafloor during hazard surveys. In a May 2016 letter to then-EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy, McCreery requested Superfund status for the Mississippi Canyon site, among other measures. Close EncountersIt was Shell’s avoidance policy included in the drilling plan that first tipped McCreery off to the Mississippi Canyon site. Capping the Gulf dumping grounds would likely prove far more challenging and costly, given their depth and distance from land.

MOSCOW (AP) — Police arrested nearly 1,500 people Wednesday during a day of demonstrations throughout Russia calling for freedom for imprisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny, whose health reportedly is in severe decline after three weeks of hunger striking, according to a group that monitors political detentions. Some of the people arrested were seized before the protests even began, including to top Navalny associates in Moscow. during the opposition rally in support of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, April 21, 2021. In Moscow, Navalny spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh and Lyubov Sobol, one of his most prominent associates, were detained by police in the morning. Denis Kaminev via AP People light their cell phones during a protest in support of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, April 21, 2021.

Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., will introduce new legislation Thursday to end partnerships between Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and local authorities to enforce federal immigration laws. The PROTECT Immigration Act seeks to repeal the controversial 287(g) program, which allows state and local law enforcement departments to enter into an agreement with ICE to help with immigration law enforcement functions. At least 32 law enforcement agencies in 16 states are currently engaged in these agreements, according to Booker's office. "This would represent a critical step in disentangling federal immigration enforcement from state and local law enforcement, and improve the enforcement of our nation’s federal immigration laws," he told Mayorkas. This is particularly evident in jurisdictions where 287(g) agreements exist, according to the Center For Migration Studies, a nonpartisan think tank.

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court declined Thursday to impose new restrictions on sentencing juvenile offenders to life in prison without the possibility of parole. By a 6-3 vote, the court upheld a life sentence for a Mississippi man, Brett Jones, who was 15 when he used a knife to kill his grandfather during an argument. Nine years ago, the Supreme Court said mandatory life sentences for juveniles convicted of homicide violated the Constitution's ban on cruel and unusual punishment because such punishments failed to take into account a youthful offender's immaturity. But the ruling allowed life sentences if the judge or jury had discretion to impose a lesser punishment. Jones argued that the earlier rulings required the sentencer to determine whether a juvenile offender was "permanently incorrigible," but Thursday's decision said no such finding is necessary.

A Michigan father has moved his 7-year-old biracial daughter from one school to another after the child’s hair was cut on separate occasions by a classmate and a teacher. She said a classmate used scissors to cut her hair on the school bus, Hoffmeyer told The Associated Press. Later, the school’s principal told him the most that could happen to the library teacher was a note in her work file, Hoffmeyer said. “I’ve pretty much grown up with only white people, myself.”The girl who cut Jurnee’s hair is white. The teacher who cut it also is white, said Hoffmeyer who has two other daughters, ages 8 and 4.

MEXICO CITY — Mexican authorities said Wednesday that fake coronavirus vaccines represent “a risk to health,” after falsified doses were found in Mexico and Poland. Mexico’s medicines regulation agency said the false doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine were found in February and had apparently been sold and administered. Pfizer said in a statement it had detected counterfeit vaccines both in Mexico and Poland. Authorities in the northern border state of Nuevo Leon said they found three empty vials of fake Pfizer doses in February, suggesting that 15 to 18 people had gotten shots. However, there haven’t been enough doses to go around, prompting some Mexicans to fall prey to fake vaccines, or travel to the United States to get vaccinated.

Well, don't worry: the 93rd annual Academy Awards are still going to happen, but it's going to look and feel quite different from in years past. Here's a quick primer on everything we know that you need to know about the biggest night in the movies ... just writ a bit smaller:When are the Oscars happening? In addition, the eligibility period was expanded to cover films released as late as the end of February. This is a shortlist of the films most likely to grab the big awards like best picture, best director, best actor and best actress. Ahmed is also the first person of Pakistani descent and the first Muslim to be nominated for best actor.

* A group of seven House Republicans, led by Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.), announced yesterday that they would no longer accept campaign contributions from major tech companies or their top executives. * In a nearly unanimous vote yesterday, Missouri's Republican-led state House voted to expel state Rep. Rick Roeber (R), over child-abuse allegations. This is unrelated to the criminal charges filed against a different Republican state representative in Missouri, Tricia Derges, who's been accused of, among other things, fraud. Newhouse was one of the 10 GOP House members who voted to impeach Donald Trump after the Jan. 6 attack. One of the notable exceptions was Rep. Ro Khanna, who's rumored to be eyeing the 2022 race himself.

The Democratic-led Senate Judiciary Committee held an important hearing this week: "Jim Crow 2021: The Latest Assault on the Right to Vote." But it was former state Sen. Stacey Abrams (D-Ga.) whom Republicans seemed especially eager to tangle with. ), for example, apparently thought he could trip up Abrams with a question about her own state's new voter-suppression law. At which point, Abrams returned to her indictment of the Georgia law:"It eliminates over 300 hours of drop box availability. I suppose the senator assumed that Abrams was all show, indifferent to substantive details, and when pressed for specific information, she'd crumble into a post-policy mess.

Daily covid-19 vaccinations have dropped by 11 percent in the last few days for the first time since February. Former CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden tells Stephanie Ruhle the country's challenge is to "reach the unreached" and shares findings from a focus group of vaccine hesitant Trump supporters.

A judge sentenced a Bangladeshi immigrant whose pipe bomb mostly misfired in a busy New York City subway station in 2017 to life in prison on Thursday, calling the crime “barbaric and heinous.”Akayed Ullah, 31, was sentenced in Manhattan federal court by Judge Richard J. Sullivan. I do not support harming innocent people.”Prosecutors had sought the life term for Ullah, saying the “premeditated and vicious” attack was committed on behalf of the Islamic State group. But defense lawyer Amy Gallicchio said Ullah deserved no more than the mandatory 35 years in prison. At trial, prosecutors showed jurors Ullah’s post-arrest statements and social media comments, including when he taunted then-President Donald Trump on Facebook before the attack. Trump said allowing foreigners to follow relatives to the U.S. was “incompatible with national security.”

— Arkansas lawmakers on Wednesday voted to expand the state’s new ban on transgender girls and women competing on school sports teams consistent with their gender identity. The House voted 74-17 to authorize the attorney general to sue schools that violate the ban. Hutchinson last month signed the transgender athletes’ ban that allows schools or students that suffer “direct or indirect harm” to sue a school for violating the ban. The proposal is among several restrictions on transgender people’s rights that have advanced in the Legislature this year. They include a measure banning gender-confirming surgery for transgender youth.

Craig Melvin is joined by Jane Timms and Leigh Ann Caldwell to discuss Thursday's contentious Senate Judiciary Hearing on Voting Rights, and voting rights bills currently being legislated in states around the country.

Add the spinach and salt, and cook until the spinach wilts, releases its liquid and dries out, about 5 minutes. Brush a 9-inch pie plate with olive oil. Continue oiling and fitting the oiled phyllo into the pie plate, rotating the pan so that the bottom is covered and a roughly even amount of phyllo is hanging over the circumference of the pie plate. Once the pie plate is lined, lightly oil its surface and then set aside. Pour the filling into the phyllo-lined pie plate and, using your fingers, crinkle the phyllo overhang partially over the top of the pie, leaving a 5- to 6-inch diameter in the center exposed.

The average National League pitcher, meanwhile, batted .131 with a .329 OPS in 2019. Madison Bumgarner, considered a pitcher who rakes, has a .177 career batting average. Stephen Strasburg is one of seven active pitchers with at least 10 doubles yet his career batting average is .154 with a .204 slugging rate. NL pitchers, as a whole, are batting .134 since 2006, the first year MLB instituted its leaguewide drug testing policy, with a high of .146 in 2007. This year, their .111 combined average is 129 points lower than the league average.

But keeping to the original deadline also ensured that Trump would still be in office to receive the apportionment data. “But they won’t say it if they don’t believe it.”The news has not been all bad for the 2020 count. Bill O’Hare, president of O’Hare Data and Demographic Services, said he is more optimistic than some about the 2020 count. He co-wrote an analysis this month showing that the self-response rate, a good indicator of census quality, was almost the same this time as in 2010. “I think these are factors that will affect the quality,” O’Hare said, adding that it might mean the 2020 count doesn’t measure up to the 2010 count.

The Washington region’s sculpture gardens are vastly different, even though some artists — Henry Moore, Alexander Calder, Mark di Suvero, Barbara Hepworth — are represented in multiple collections. With longer and warmer days, we set out to revisit six sculpture gardens, all within an hour or so of Washington. Annmarie Sculpture GardenAdvertisementStory continues below advertisementThe Annmarie Sculpture Garden in Calvert County is a magical place to encounter art. Closest to the BMA’s entrance is the Alan and Janet Wurtzburger Sculpture Garden, which opened in 1980. Hirshhorn Sculpture GardenStory continues below advertisementThe entrance to the Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden is on the National Mall, but the sculpture garden has never felt of the National Mall.

AdvertisementStory continues below advertisement“I was drawn to this house because of the location inside the Beltway and walkability,” Martha says. “I went into this project thinking that it didn’t need extensive renovation,” Martha says. “All I knew is that I wanted a ‘cozy cottage’ feel to it.”The Humlers’ Potomac house had about 10,000 square feet. AdvertisementStory continues below advertisementThe redesign of the house started with Martha’s idea for moving the kitchen from the front of the house to the back. “The original primary suite had a skinny hallway with some narrow closets and was at the front of the house,” Gorodetzky says.

Freddie Mac, the federally chartered mortgage investor, aggregates rates from around 80 lenders across the country to come up with weekly national averages. “After a sustained sell-off in 2021’s first quarter, demand for Treasurys has increased recently, keeping downward pressure on yields and thus mortgage rates,” said Matthew Speakman, a Zillow economist. “Despite another weekly downtick, the longer-term trend for mortgage rates remains to the upside and barring a significant economic or pandemic-related setback, it’s unlikely that this downward movement in rates will continue for an extended period,” he said. “Seeing no imminent threat to the financial markets, 30-year mortgage rates should move slightly down as well. Such big drops often happen in March because borrowers use their tax refunds on missed mortgage payments.

Large online book retailers are essentially search engines. AdvertisementBut the convenience of having more than 10 million titles at our fingertips fundamentally changes retailers’ function in ways people don’t often acknowledge or readily understand. Unlike the cozy bookstore in your town, online booksellers don’t choose each book they’re offering. I don’t want to read anti-Semitic, racist or transphobic books, but I also don’t want the marketplace of available titles to be shaped by my own or other customers’ objections. But when a particular book attracts negative attention and offends public sensitivities, these same booksellers act as private businesses and remove that title.

The PCL’s deal with Next Level does not pay the league any rights fees; the network and the league will split ad and subscription revenues. It has the rights to Russian league hockey and European basketball and has carriage deals with cable operators like Verizon Fios and some streaming services. To pay those players a minimum of $50,000 plus $50,000 for a year’s tuition, the league would need to raise nearly $10 million. The potential threat from the PCL and other competitors could put more pressure on the NCAA to evolve. But Volante said no matter what the NCAA allows, the PCL will be far more permissive, from endorsement deals to NFTs to group licensing.

LIVE NationalSenate panel holds confirmation hearing for Biden’s USPS nomineesPresident Biden’s three nominees to the U.S. Postal Service governing board testify in front of Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

Hiring has rebounded quickly for Americans with college degrees. Nearly 4 million adult workers without college degrees have not found work again after losing their jobs in the pandemic. AdvertisementHorrigan’s research has shown that both minority females without college degrees and white males without college degrees are having the hardest time finding work again. For decades, men without college degrees have struggled as blue-collar jobs went away, leaving fewer opportunities for low-skilled men to make it in the modern economy. As low-skilled service sector jobs evaporated in restaurants, malls, hair salons, spas, and home health care, women without college degrees are struggling to figure out their next steps.

AdvertisementStory continues below advertisementThe fate of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is scheduled to be discussed publicly in a pivotal meeting Friday of an influential advisory group to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock said Thursday she didn’t want to “preshadow” the deliberations of the CDC advisory committee. The CDC advisory panel weighs who should get a vaccine, a recommendation that must be approved by Walensky. AdvertisementSupplies of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine will be limited for the foreseeable future. An estimated 9.2 million doses of the vaccine are available at administration sites, CDC officials said last week.

Biden plans to formalize the new goal in a submission to the United Nations, the White House said.”Story continues below advertisement“Every country has to come to the table. … The stakes could not be higher,” former secretary of state John F. Kerry, Biden’s special envoy for climate, told Brady in an interview on Wednesday. Gina McCarthy, will “lead negotiations with Congress for permanent new climate change laws that could withstand the next change of administration,” the Biden's senior climate change adviser in the White House,will “lead negotiations with Congress for permanent new climate change laws that could withstand the next change of administration,” the New York Times's Coral Davenport reports. Many of the ambitious climate plans Biden proposed in his infrastructure plan, which aim to redirect the nation's energy trajectory from fossil fuels, are a tough sell in a divided Congress. Postal Service may soon get a makeover, as Biden’s three nominees to the governing board get a Senate confirmation hearing.

The filmmaker’s equally gripping, yet less spartan, sophomore effort “Stowaway” has similar ambitions. Set on a space ship at the start of a two-year mission to Mars, the film stars Toni Collette as the no-nonsense commander, with Anna Kendrick and Daniel Dae Kim as her capable crew. It’s a tiny bit like Hitchcock’s “Lifeboat” but set in the submarine-like confines of a space ship, and with the threat of solar storms, not sharks. (The potential solutions to the crew’s problem are creative, at one point involving the cultivation of algae. But deep down, “Stowaway” is a human drama, not one about technology and gadgets.

Gathering all the facts and educating does though!” James, an Akron, Ohio, native, wrote in two tweets. I took the tweet down because its being used to create more hate. Is the NBA okay with this? I think it was a grossly irresponsible message for LeBron James to send out.”Cruz added: “By any measure, it was a volatile situation. Anytime there is a shooting that takes someone’s life, the facts should be determined, but the left doesn’t care about the facts.

As an Indian American actress, for me the shadow of Apu loomed larger in my life than I realized. In the early 2000s and prior, Indian Americans were seldom seen on television or in films. At the time, Apu was the most well-known, if not the only, “Indian” character in the American collective consciousness. To work, I — an actual Indian American — was imitating a White man, who was imitating another White man, who lampooned my race in brownface. He recognized how his work had hurt Indian Americans and wanted to start making amends.

The move comes as Biden convenes 40 world leaders for an Earth Day summit aimed at fueling similar ambition around the globe. The European Union, meanwhile, has put forward a pledge to cut 55 percent of its emissions by 2030. Rather, the White House plans to detail the various sectors where it believes significant emissions cuts can happen in the years ahead. At the same time, the Biden administration has faced enormous pressure from environmental activists, Democratic lawmakers, foreign leaders and hundreds of private companies to make the boldest climate pledge possible. Most allies have praised the president for striving to cut at least half of the nation’s emissions by 2030, saying that science demands no less.

It also establishes the way this inequality was embedded in our society and created a racial hierarchy that remains in America today. And while the report laid out specific actions to start addressing our nation's institutionalized racism, it was ultimately shelved and ignored. Live broadcasts and interactive online exhibits that complement a truth and reconciliation commission can also help the public better understand and digest its findings. The United States is in desperate need of a Truth and Racial Healing Commission. Confronting the United States' history of racial injustice and systemic racism is the only way we will get to heal.

(CNN) As a brand extension, the recently announced launch of the America First Policy Institute couldn't be better. A handful of Trump loyalists still draw federal salaries because the government provides small staffs for former presidents. It's worth noting that Team Trump promised the same thing during his administration, but didn't get very far. Perhaps as they set to work, the institute's chairs and directors could come up with the health care plan promised by Trump and never delivered. Then there are all those jobs Trump promised to create in manufacturing plants and coal mines.

New York (CNN Business) Claims for unemployment benefits went down more than expected last week. Another 547,000 American workers filed jobless claims last week, adjusted for seasonal swings, the Labor Department said Thursday. It was a new low for claims since the pandemic started. Analysts surveyed by Refinitiv had predicted the number of claims to increase from the previous week. That said, claims are still far higher than in pre-pandemic times, when they hovered in the low 200,000.

(CNN) While the drug dealers on the street enticing kids to take a hit haven't disappeared, my teenage clients tell me that social media is increasingly an almost invisible way that dealers are reaching young people. Understanding the nature of the dealI have spoken to two dozen teenagers, including three self-described dealers, about drug dealing via social media. How to talk with your kidsIt's easy to start with what parents should not do: Don't focus on social media drug dealers as predators. First, parents need to create a culture at home that allows space for drug use to be addressed with their kids anytime. Ask them to show you how their social media accounts work.

But this is the world of Zigazoo , a social media app for kids ages three to 12. The short-form video platform launched last summer with a mission to develop healthy social media and streaming habits at an early age. "It's really impossible to stress how favorable and critical this approach is," said Christine Elgersma, senior editor of social media and learning apps at Common Sense. "If all social media had been designed with the notion that kids might use it, we'd be in a very different place today. Elergsma believes existing social media platforms and other apps for kids can look to Zigazoo as an example of how to offer a social yet safe place for children to be online.

That is, the rhetoric employed by our public officials and community leaders can have real-life consequences. Police and public safety officials need a clear, consistent set of guidelines and code of conduct to prohibit any support for or affiliation with extremist groups. That lack of accountability sends a message again to extremists -- however accurate it may be -- that law enforcement continues to be friendly to their cause. But in the end, our public officials have to bear some responsibility for their rhetoric and choose their words carefully. Leaders must stand together, put partisanship aside, and do all they can to bridge divides, not make them wider.

Julianna Margulies recently shared that she and "ER" costar George Clooney had a bit of a crush on each other back in the day -- and that's what fed their on-screen chemistry. "I was just a guest star. I was just supposed to be a guest star, number 39 on the call sheet. Margulies and Clooney will join their other former castmates on Thursday for a live "ER" cast virtual reunion for "Stars in the House." "I think I'm just as excited as the fans are to see them all," Margulies said of the reunion.

London (CNN) The UK's flagship music awards ceremony, the Brits, will go ahead with a 4,000-strong crowd, no social distancing and no masks next month, as part of a government trial that offers a peek at how large events can operate in a post-pandemic world. The ceremony at London's O2 Arena will take place on May 11, with an audience made up of 2,500 frontline workers and another 1,500 corporate invitees. Attendees will not have to distance from each other, but will be required to present a negative Covid-19 test taken before the event. They are also being asked to take tests after the show, to track any potential transmission between audience members. The ceremony is one of several live test events being overseen by the British government, as it attempts to stick to Prime Minister Boris Johnson's promise of a virtual return to pre-Covid rules on or after June 21.

(CNN) Patton Oswalt wrote a sweet tribute to his late wife Michelle McNamara, who died unexpectedly in her sleep at age 46 in 2016. Oswalt posted a picture of McNamara on Instagram, writing: "Of course I thought of her today. And I also thought of Alice, and how the loss shaped her and continues to shape her. I'm there to catch the shadows that at try to creep in at the edges, or from behind. (Michelle McNamara, April 14th 1970 - April 21st 2016)"Oswalt's second wife, actress Meredith Salenger, commented on the post with a heart emoji.

That’s because many of today’s cleaning products contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which, when inhaled or touched, can harm you and your family. So you want to buy more sustainable cleaning products. That's why we asked green cleaning coach Leslie Reichert, a longtime advocate for environmentally safe cleaning, to help us choose some great eco-friendly products. “I’ve tried these — great product!” Reichert said. Meyer's products are a great first step in trying to remove toxins from cleaning products.

Taco Bell has begun testing its own meat alternative, giving its vegetarian customers yet another reason to come back to its restaurants. In January, it changed course, announcing that it would test a Beyond Meat alternative this year. Its Cravetarian Taco, a vegetarian version of the Crunchy Taco Supreme, features a meat substitute made from a blend of peas and chickpeas. For now, the Cravetarian Taco is available only at one Taco Bell location — in Tustin, California. Customers can also swap the meat alternative into other menu items, like burritos or chalupas, for no extra cost.

(CNN) "Stowaway" wasn't shot during the Covid pandemic, but with a cast of four in a confined, near-claustrophobic setting, this character study easily could have been. More an examination of human nature than a thriller, the space-faring movie deals with weighty issues but doesn't possess much pizzazz or gravity, making Netflix the logical home for its launch. Thanks to NASA's latest triumph there's additional excitement surrounding the romance of space travel in general and Mars in particular, but with its languid pacing, "Stowaway" doesn't rise to the occasion. The plot itself is as simple as the age-old question of people on a boat or deserted island, without enough resources to sustain them all. That forces the mission commander (Collette) to have a serious talk with her two companions, saying she needs them to be "mentally prepared for what's gonna happen."

Has eating a healthy breakfast taken a backseat during the pandemic? Here are some great healthy breakfast options:1. Egg-vegetable scramble1 whole egg and 3 egg whites scrambled with any veggie combination (chopped tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, spinach, peppers, green beans, etc.) Whip up this delicious, protein-packed breakfast smoothie for your kids or yourself. Lean egg whites, Canadian bacon, reduced-fat cheese and a whole-grain English muffin are the secret ingredients in this slimming breakfast sandwich.

Two years after Greta Thunberg entered the spotlight in the fight against climate change, she is set to testify on Capitol Hill during a House Environmental Subcommittee hearing. NBC News’ Kelly Cobiella spoke to young activists who are inspired by Thunberg and are working towards a common goal of meaningful action against climate change.

Ruben Flores, 80, has pleaded not guilty to a charge of accessory after the murder for hiding Smart's body after his son allegedly killed her. The court document was filed before bail arguments Monday in San Luis Obispo Superior Court when the father and son were arraigned. Peuvrelle, who said Ruben Flores has helped cover up the crime for nearly a quarter-century, would continue to do so if freed. “Due to the evidence gleaned from the excavation, it is reasonable to believe Ruben Flores currently knows the location of Kristin Smart’s remains," Peuvrelle said. San Luis Obispo Sheriff's Office personnel dig in an area in the backyard of the home of Ruben Flores, in Arroyo Grande, Calif., March 16, 2021.

Less than a year since his wife, actor Kelly Preston, died from breast cancer, John Travolta opened up about his grieving process to Esquire Spain. Travolta, 67, explained that he had struggled to cope with other people's grief after losing his wife. Preston died in July at the age of 57 after a two-year battle with breast cancer. Preston and Travolta met shooting the 1989 comedy "The Experts" and married in 1991. In a message on Instagram at the time of her mother's death, Ella Travolta remembered Preston as possessing "a light that never ceases to shine."

A seven-piece knife setEach knife is made with matrix powder steel and a fused design, meaning the handle and blade are one solid piece. The first time you cook with these, you're going to know splurge-worthy knives are truly a cut above the rest. I own two Hast knives and I've gotta say, they've turned me into a true knife snob. Now that I have lightweight, sharp knives, I can really feel the difference. My wrist doesn't get tired and prep work is done much faster.

A Ukrainian serviceman stands at his position on the frontline with Russian-backed seperatists near on April 20 | Aleksey Filippova/AFP via Getty ImagesRussian Defense Minister Sergei Shoygu said Thursday that his country will begin pulling troops back from its border with Ukraine, Bloomberg reported. The withdrawal is set to begin on Friday and will be completed by May 1. The military buildup along Russia’s western edge, which had been expected to reach 120,000 troops, has led to mounting concern in both Ukraine and the West. In a public address on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy invited his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin for talks to resolve the situation. During his announcement of the troop withdrawal, the Russian defense minister said that the goals of the military operation had been fulfilled.

A soft silicone brushGive your face a deep clean with this silicone brush that removes makeup and excess sebum without irritating skin. "I was looking for a soft scrubbie for my face and when I saw this cute little guy, I knew it'd be perfect — and it is!There is a sponge inside that fills up with whatever soap I'm using so I don't have to worry about running dry.The inside sponge is removable so if you don't like it for some reason, you can just take it out. I bought this thing months ago and it is still in perfect condition with daily use and its adorable little face is still intact. I mean, just look at it. How could anyone not want it in their life immediately?"

Floyd, of course, did not willingly sacrifice his life: Chauvin used his knee to pin down Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes on the pavement of a south Minneapolis intersection, even after Floyd lost consciousness. Two autopsies, one conducted by the county medical examiner and the other by independent pathologists hired by Floyd’s family, both concluded the death was a homicide. Maybe against his will, but he did.”“I was standing next to her when she said it, and I realized what she meant,” Clyburn said. “Maxine has read all of that, and she’s internalized some of that, and that’s what she was saying. And people ran with the word rather than the meaning behind what she was saying,” Clyburn said.

There are also several photographs of the meeting showing Epstein with scientists, including two of Epstein and Lander. “I’ve had no relationship with Epstein.”The White House on Wednesday acknowledged that Lander had met Epstein twice. The White House did not respond to follow-up questions about the second meeting. A spokesperson for Lander told The New York Times in 2019 that the boast wasn’t true. (Two other scientists whom Epstein claimed to have sponsored also said Epstein had never supported their work.)

The Senate voted Wednesday to confirm the nomination of Vanita Gupta for associate attorney general despite nearly unified opposition from Republicans.

As regular readers know, progress on weekly unemployment claims has been hit or miss in recent months, but the new report from the Labor Department represents great news. First-time claims for unemployment insurance totaled 547,000, well below the Dow Jones estimate for 603,000 and a new low for the Covid-19 pandemic era. That weekly total soon after reached nearly 7 million as the economy cratered. To be sure, it'd be a mistake to see 547,000 jobless claims as good news on its own. In the early months of 2020, for example, the U.S. average on unemployment claims was roughly 211,000 -- well under half of the total from today's report.

Sruti Suryanarayanan, a research and communications associate at the nonprofit South Asian Americans Leading Together, said the heart of solidarity lies in "contextualizing the history." "At the same time, they've also been within the South Asian community, really, beacons of resilience. Singh said solidarity can also be as simple as using more inclusive language when speaking about violence against Asian Americans. Even though South Asian Americans are one of the fastest-growing segments of Asian America, the 2016 National Asian American Survey found that about 15 percent of Asian Americans said Indians are "not likely" to be Asian American. It's also South Asian Americans, who themselves marginalize Sikhs at times.

Lisa Christensen was an alternate juror in Derek Chauvin's trial but said she agrees that the former Minneapolis police officer is guilty of murder in George Floyd's death. "I didn't know if he was going to be guilty on all counts but I would have said guilty," Christensen added. Lisa Christensen did not have a role in the verdict, but she sat through every minute of the trial. Prior to the trial, Christensen said she had never watched the entire video of Floyd's arrest. She also commented on how she made eye contact with Chauvin several times during the trial, saying it made her "pretty uncomfortable."

SYDNEY — For residents of Byron Bay, living in paradise can be both a blessing and a curse. 'Living their best lives'Earlier this month, the U.S.-based streaming giant announced it was making a reality series in the town called "Byron Baes." "This is our love letter to Byron Bay. Byron Bay has been a magnet for the rich and the famous since the 1980s. Businesses say noMore than many other Australian beachside towns, Byron Bay has a slew of trendy fashion stores, bars and cafes, often with lines winding down the main streets.

WASHINGTON — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has offered concessions to try to reach agreement with Republicans to create a commission to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. The original proposal for the commission would have given Democrats seven appointments while Republicans would have had four. The final outstanding issue is the scope of the commission, the source said. The people who attacked the Capitol were supporters of then-President Donald Trump and members of far-right groups and militias. Pelosi said that the information collected during those hearings will serve as a key resource for the commission.

And considering that the last time was so long ago, a lot of young farmers had no idea what to expect." As erratic climate changes have become more the norm than the exception, young farmers across the country are feeling their effects and trying to adapt, but some say they fear the future could bring more difficulties. While the effects are far-reaching, farmers feel them firsthand, because agriculture and climate change are so intricately intertwined. "Farming is already pretty economically tenuous, and it becomes even more so with the volatility in frost dates and crop loss," said Zeiger, a member of the National Young Farmers Coalition. She said there also needs to be an emphasis on lifting up the next generation of young farmers and more diverse farmers so they can start their operations in a sustainable way.

This was precisely what some of those involved with the project had feared. “This is not the time to do it,” an executive involved in the project warned. Manchester City’s owner, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan, a member of the royal family of Abu Dhabi, doesn’t speak to reporters at all. He had protected the rebels’ secret for weeks, shading the truth — or worse — in talks with friends and allies. On Monday morning, though, he would have to sit on the dais with the rest of the UEFA board as it voted to approve changes to a Champions League that would be under mortal threat from the Super League.

Here’s everything you ever wanted to know about composting but were afraid to ask:AdvertisementStory continues below advertisementQ: Ummm … What is the point of composting? Food waste accounts for the largest single source of waste in landfills, clocking in around 22 percent, according to the EPA. Composting keeps food waste out of landfills and puts it to good use growing new food. Known as “vermicomposting,” worms can eat a significant amount of food scraps each day, and then their castings (read: poop) become an excellent plant fertilizer. Bins can be made or purchased at a low cost and, if maintained properly, generate plenty of good compost for home use without much effort.

For Dianis, Chauvin’s conviction is still a “very narrow view of accountability”: one officer being held responsible for his actions. But he is part of a larger system and culture, which includes the police who stood by and watched him murder Floyd, as well as the legal protections — like qualified immunity and use of force of standards — that prevent many officers from being charged with on-duty killings.

I trusted in him.”Hyppolite signed with the Terps as one of the best players in the 2020 class. He believed in the program as Locksley navigated his first year in charge and only picked up one conference win through the 2019 season. Now they’re back for another season, and Saturday’s spring game will serve as a modest indicator of their growth. Of the 38 offensive and defensive players who started a game last season, 30 are still part of the team in 2021. But he suffered a knee injury during the spring FCS season, and it’s unclear whether he can recover in time for the fall.

The situation prompted Church Brothers to invest in several autonomous robots and drones in recent years. Autonomous machines can roam around and get rid of weeds without a human operator. The farm also deploys weed-killing robots from FarmWise and Naio Technologies that use computer vision to find and weed crops. “The machines don’t know that it’s Friday at five o’clock. Robots tend to have dexterity problems, which can cause them to hold objects like fruit and vegetables too aggressively.

“The events of a century ago were wrong then, and they are wrong now,” said Claire Horton, director general of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC). British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace expressed “deep regret” to Parliament on Thursday for the failures described in the investigation. AdvertisementStory continues below advertisementThe inquiry was prompted by “Unremembered: Britain’s Forgotten War Heroes,” a 2019 television documentary. The Commonwealth cemetery in Egypt’s El Alamein for the dead of the World War II North African campaign carries the names of soldiers from dozens of Britain’s overseas possessions. Story continues below advertisementIn World War I alone, British colonies contributed 2.5 million men, mostly from India, which then included both Pakistan and Bangladesh.

The aural accompaniment to a Wolf Trap stroll is one of several versions of Reid’s real-life soundtrack, whose other editions can be heard in New York’s Central Park, Los Angeles’s Griffith Park and additional sylvan locations. Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts, the New York Philharmonic and several other groups co-commissioned the work. To judge mostly from written descriptions, the Wolf Trap version may also be less assertive than the ones in New York and Los Angeles. “The landscape of Wolf Trap called for a soundscape all its own,” Reid notes. Ellen Reid: SoundwalkWolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, 1551 Trap Rd., Vienna.

And it coincided with the pause last week of the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which is under review by a panel of experts following a handful of cases of severe blood clotting,” Dan Keating, Fenit Nirappil and Isaac Stanley-Becker report. Eric Topol, director and founder of the Scripps Research Translational Institute:The White House is projecting confidence that the effort is still going strong. The announcement seemed to hint that the White House is more concerned about the decline in vaccinations than it’s letting on. The report cites unsanitary work conditions and other failures at Emergent BioSolutions that ruined 15 million doses’ worth of raw Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine. “Through a review of security camera footage, the FDA documented workers repeatedly failing to follow procedures to prevent cross-contamination of various vaccines being manufactured there.”The batches of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine were ruined in March by cross-contamination that involved ingredients from AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine.

The issue of where to relieve oneself in a world where so many facilities have been shut down in recent months has long been a concern in Britain. Many public bathrooms, in particular, were closed during the various lockdowns. AdvertisementStory continues below advertisementOf those that are open, some are poorly maintained or overburdened with snaking lines of people queuing up to use them. In London’s Soho, the heart of the city, portable toilets have been installed to help deal with the issue. Creators of the site estimate that as of last month, more than 10 million people had used the service to locate a toilet.

Meanwhile, 50 House Democrats have called on Biden to fire the entire board and start over with nine new governors. Ron Stroman, a Democrat, is the recently retired deputy postmaster general and led the Biden transition’s Postal Service review team. Upon them rests the hopes of the White House, congressional Democrats and mailing industry executives up in arms about DeJoy’s cost-cutting agenda, which advanced with board support. Many lawmakers, aides say, are dubious of working with DeJoy to reimagine the Postal Service and are just as skeptical about the board. “I was the first to call for the postal board to go because rebuilding USPS starts with removing and replacing the failed leadership at the top,” Pascrell said.

But Mike Loewengart, managing director of investment strategy at eTrade, said the back-to-back reports of unexpectedly lower claims signal “significant momentum” in the labor market. Last week, 133,319 Americans filed claims for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, for gig and self-employed workers. New York, Florida, Alabama, Washington and Georgia saw the biggest increases in first-time unemployment claims for the week ended April 10. Poverty rose to 11.7 percent in March, the highest level of the pandemic, according to research from the University of Chicago and University of Notre Dame, as Americans awaited the next round of stimulus relief. AdvertisementStory continues below advertisementMany economists describe the recovery as “K-shaped” because of its diverging prospects for the rich and poor.

Now, with overwhelming backing from House Democrats and full-throated presidential approval, Democrats expect to pass Norton’s Washington, D.C. “We have a moment before us that has never existed for the statehood movement,” said Burch, co-founder of Neighbors United for DC Statehood. released a memo calling D.C. statehood unconstitutional, questioning the city’s financial health and seizing on crime statistics and scandals involving former city officials to argue the District does not deserve statehood. AdvertisementRepublican senators from less populous states have worried statehood for D.C. would “dilute” their state’s power, as Sen. Steve Daines (Mont.) Story continues below advertisement“When he left the Senate, one of the things we talked about was the D.C. statehood legislation.

“Some companies have come out in support of voting rights and others have gotten more skittish,” said Sarah Labowitz, policy director at the ACLU of Texas. AdvertisementThe Washington Post reached out to a dozen companies or business associations that are headquartered in Texas or have a significant presence there. “You know the only form of voter suppression is when an illegitimate voter, an ineligible voter, casts a ballot,” he said. Democratic lawmakers and voting-rights advocates are hoping Texas-based corporations will use their muscle to help prevent restrictive measures from passing. The document, titled “Texas Voter Suppression Analysis,” describes the bill as being “at the forefront of the effort to suppress voting rights in Texas,” according to a copy obtained by The Post.

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced Thursday that his country is setting a target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, with a benchmark reduction of 46 percent by 2030 compared with 2013 levels. “Japan is ready to demonstrate its leadership for worldwide decarbonization,” Suga said at a virtual climate summit convened by the Biden administration shortly after he announced the new targets. It is a challenge that requires a whole international community to be united,” Suga added. Shortly after entering office late last year, Suga announced plans for carbon neutrality by 2050, a target similar to those set by other major industrialized countries. Climate groups had a muted reaction to the 46 percent target on Thursday.

Peloton said in a statement last weekend that it had “fully cooperated” with federal regulators and “at no time was Peloton trying to impede” their investigation. The practical effect was stymieing safety regulators and delaying a thorough investigation. But the Peloton model’s design, which differs from most other walking and running machines, appears to be especially hazardous to children. Peloton has practice in projecting the image of a corporate citizen concerned with broader social issues. Here’s a suggestion: Peloton should also consider it a human rights issue when its products accidentally injure or kill customers’ children.

China has administered about 200 million coronavirus vaccine doses as part of an effort to inoculate 40 percent of its population by mid-June, senior officials said this week. The nation’s top health authority, the National Health Commission, made the announcement at a news conference Wednesday, the same day President Biden also said that 200 million vaccine doses have been administered in the United States. China has approved multiple coronavirus vaccines for domestic use, most of which require two doses to reach acceptable levels of immune protection. A health commission spokesman did not reveal how many people in China were fully vaccinated with their required doses. Some residents there say they received a first shot but have faced difficulty booking appointments for a second dose.

And the shift — inherently filled with great challenges — was also incredibly sweet, say their parents. AdvertisementStory continues below advertisement“I feel guilty when I say what a gift it’s been for me,” says Jennifer Ropes, 50, a teacher. “Teens are biologically driven to seek independence.”But some parents say a meaningful upside to the lockdowns has been increased closeness with their tweens and teens, both physically and emotionally. And in a way, she says, the whole pandemic has been a shared experience, one that they’ve survived together. “Just simple things like that.”To Medina, in New Jersey, the increased closeness with her son is the pandemic’s biggest gift.

One lesson of Chauvin’s trial is the powerful impact of law enforcement officials policing their own. The unequivocal testimony by so many law enforcement officials — within and outside of the Minneapolis Police Department — that Chauvin’s use of force was unlawful and unnecessary, was likely significant to the jury reaching a guilty verdict on all three counts. New Jersey’s attorney general is ensuring that every officer in the state is taught how to effectively intervene. Like so many other law enforcement agencies, the Minneapolis Police Department had ample opportunity to correct known problems in the agency long before an officer committed a high-profile killing. We must face the hard truth that Chauvin is more of a symptom than a cause of policing’s problem.

Gene Seymour is a critic who has written about music, movies and culture for The New York Times, Newsday, Entertainment Weekly and The Washington Post. Follow him on Twitter @GeneSeymour. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author. View more opinion at CNN. In short, it wasn't a "presidential" address to the nation so much as it was a "Joe" talk to the folks.

We exhaled when, instead of a White cop, Chris's Black friend Rod Williams (played by comedian Lil Rel Howery) emerged from the cruiser to provide rescue. Amazon's horror series, "Them," in particular, has been denounced for trafficking in Black pain and trauma, as has Netflix's Oscar-nominated short "Two Distant Strangers." We do need more stories of Black joy and thriving, but we ignore stories of Black pain at our peril. Interestingly, the main response from many Black audiences to these dramas has been one of appreciation for empathizing with traumatic Black experience from the past. Some of our Black storytellers are finally airing the wounds.

Greg Bardsley is the author of the novels "Cash Out" (2012) and "The Bob Watson" (2016) from HarperCollins Publishers. (CNN) Getting my Covid-19 vaccine has left me thinking about the different ways people respond to crises. During that same time, a group of quiet, focused and determined people went to work. While our last president was denying the severity of the crisis, these people began tapping into data about previous corona viruses. While I was seriously considering accepting front door deliveries with tongs and snorkeling gear , they mobilized to share their data with one another.

Christiana Figueres is the former executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (2010-2016). She is now a founding partner at Global Optimism, co-author of The Future We Choose and co-presents the climate podcast, Outrage + Optimism. Climate impacts are already reaching worst-case scenario levels based on scientific predictions from just a few years back. Despite this stark reality, too many of us see leaders apparently stuck in the splits when it comes to climate change. When I took the job to lead the global climate negotiations ahead of what was to become the Paris Agreement, few people were hopeful that we could secure a global deal on climate.

This often means wearing loose jeans, neat and presentable -- and far more comfortable, casual and forgiving than skinny jeans. While this pandemic-era change in expectations is true for people of all genders (men's baggy jeans are also selling well) it is especially liberating for women, for two reasons. Second, skinny jeans conform to and reveal the shape of a woman's body, and thus make it easier to, well, assess it. Join us on Twitter and FacebookBut for this homebound trend to really take hold more broadly, it has to extend beyond jeans and back into the office. What about flowing skirts instead of the pencil kind, baggy tailored pants and sometimes even mom jeans?

In an exclusive interview, Venus Williams discusses how it's possible for major tournaments like the Olympics to proceed this summer with CNN's Richard Quest.

You can sign up right hereLondon (CNN Business) Bolstered by strong data, investors are expressing plenty of faith in the power of the global economic recovery . What's happening:analysts predict that US economic growth will slow after the April-to-June period this year. The team then expects economic growth to "slow modestly" between July and September and "decline sequentially during the next several quarters." Meanwhile, the full economic recovery could be delayed in important engines of growth like India, which is currently in the throes of a devastating second coronavirus wave . Other members of the executive board will not receive bonuses for 2020, and board chairman Urs Rohner will give up 1.5 million Swiss francs ($1.6 million) in compensation.

BitcoinBitcoin is the biggest and most recognized fish in the crypto sea, with a market cap of more than $1 trillion. Binance CoinThe third-largest crypto with a market cap of nearly $90 billion, Binance Coin is a bit of a different beast. The neat thing about Ripple is that any currency — digital or otherwise — can be exchanged for another. Its market cap briefly grew to more than $40 billion and it's competing with Tether for spot number five on the list of biggest cryptos. It even briefly overtook XRP as the fourth-largest cryptocurrency by market cap in April.

This Earth Day, President Biden will bring together government leaders from around the world for a climate summit aimed at accelerating efforts to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. But President Biden and other country leaders are not alone in tackling the climate crisis. companies, including major names from the technology, food and hospitality sectors, collectively lowered their emissions by 25% between 2015 and 2019. The private sector, in particular, has been instrumental in driving US action on climate change. We urge business leaders to raise their climate ambitions and commit to more aggressive action.

New York (CNN Business) Turntide Technologies is on a mission to save the planet , one motor at a time. Turntide says companies like Amazon and Five Guys that retrofitted their old motors with its smart motor have reduced their heating and cooling motor energy consumption by an average of 64%. Turntide says companies that retrofitted their old motors with its smart motor have reduced their heating and cooling motor energy consumption by an average of 64%. Beyond deploying Turntide's smart motor system in its own facilities, it also invested in the startup through the Amazon Climate Pledge Fund. The early focus is on upgrading the HVAC motors used to power commercial buildings and to retrofit the systems used to keep cows cool on dairy farms.

The question remains — do you need a powder, or can you get all the protein you need from your diet? Pick your proteinJust 10 years ago, the protein powder options consumers had was pretty basic—you could either go with whey protein or soy protein. Whey protein is a by-product of the cheese-making process and provides amino acids, the building blocks of protein. Chocho: If you haven’t heard of chocho, don’t worry — it’s one of the newest entrants in the protein powder game. How to use protein powderThe simplest way to use most types of protein powder is to just stir the powder into a glass of water, milk, plant milk or juice.

LONDON — The U.K. government has launched an inquiry into how texts between Boris Johnson and billionaire inventor James Dyson leaked to the media. The BBC revealed on Wednesday that the businessman had texted the U.K. prime minister last March to seek assurances his staff would not face a change in tax status if they came to Britain to help make ventilators in response to the COVID pandemic. Johnson responded: “I will fix it.”The messages have plunged the government into a fresh lobbying row, and come amid the Greensill scandal which saw former Prime Minister David Cameron lobby ministers on behalf of a now-defunct finance firm. The inquiry will be restricted to finding the source of leaks of private communications between Johnson and Dyson. Downing Street will also, the spokesman said, “shortly” publish correspondence between the two men after Johnson told MPs he would be happy to share details.

D.C. statehood hits a snag in the Senate Presented byWIth Burgess Everett, Andrew Desiderio, Nicholas Wu and Sarah Ferris. STATE OF DC STATEHOOD -- TROUBLED: The House is voting today on a bill that would grant D.C. statehood -- legislation that Republicans oppose and that Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) Here is a snapshot of four Senate Dems who aren’t yet on board:1-Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), who co-sponsored D.C. statehood legislation the last go around: "I supported D.C. statehood so I haven't really studied this bill enough to know whether I'm going to sponsor it or not." DEFEAT: Marianne and I had a bet on whether Senate Republicans greenlight earmarks or not. She previously served as senior policy advisor and legislative counsel to Rep. Bill Foster (D-Ill.).

LeBron James explained his decision late Wednesday to delete a tweet about the fatal police shooting of 16-year-old Ma'Khia Bryant in Columbus, Ohio. Lebron James is inciting violence against an Ohio police officer. I took the tweet down because its being used to create more hate -This isn’t about one officer. I am so desperate for more ACCOUNTABILITY — LeBron James (@KingJames) April 21, 2021"This isn’t about one officer," James said in a follow-up tweet. ?????? — LeBron James (@KingJames) April 21, 2021“ANGER does (not do) any of us any good and that includes myself!

Ricardo Pimentel bought croquettes at a state-owned establishment in Cuba at the beginning of March to make for his 12-year-old daughter. Dozens of Cubans have been complaining about exploding croquettes on social media for months, posting photos of people with burns on their faces, eyes and torsos. Specifically, Cubans pointed on social media to Prodal, a state company based in Havana. "To my surprise, these croquettes started exploding in my face, causing burns all over my body and disfiguring my face," he said on Facebook. Anselmo Lopez Galves shared on social media the burns he suffered after frying croquettes from Prodal.

A Massachusetts police department has apologized for sharing an offensive Facebook post about George Floyd, saying it was posted accidentally by an officer who intended it for his personal account. The screenshot of a tweet shared on the Fall River Police Department’s Facebook page referenced former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin’s reaction to being convicted of murdering George Floyd in May 2020. It read: “Chauvin immediately stood and calmly placed his hands behind his back. Imagine where we’d be had George done the same.”The post sparked widespread anger and was quickly deleted. The police department explained that its Facebook page had been “accessed by personnel who inadvertently re-posted an opinion that was meant for their own personal account.”“The posting in no way represents the opinion” of the police chief or the department, the statement continued.

It stood to reason that some on the right would be critical of Derek Chauvin's conviction in Minnesota this week, but I didn't fully expect so many conservatives to slam the members of the jury in his case. Ron DeSantis implied that the guilty verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial could have happened because "the jury is scared of what a mob may do." The Florida Republican appeared on Fox News the night of the verdict and heard Laura Ingraham raise the prospect of jurors voting guilty because of fear of possible violence. Trump campaign lawyer Jenna Ellis argued, for example, that jurors must've been "influenced" by leftist "social-justice warriors." But for the American mainstream, it seems far more reasonable to express gratitude to the jurors for their willingness to do their duty under difficult circumstances.

It was an ugly applause line that his base eagerly embraced, which turned into a campaign promise the Republican was eager to keep. On only his seventh day in the White House -- late on a Friday afternoon -- Trump signed his original Muslim ban, sparking international outrage, bureaucratic chaos, family hardships, and a series of messy legal fights. The Republican is obviously no longer in office, but the stain from his Muslim ban lingers. A grand total of one House Republican voted for the legislation -- Pennsylvania's Brian Fitzpatrick -- joining literally every member of the House Democratic conference. After all, at its core, the National Origin-Based Antidiscrimination for Nonimmigrants (NO BAN) Act was about strengthening Congress' role, restricting the White House from having unilateral authority to arbitrarily ban citizens of other countries based on presidential whims.

Then Biden set a revised goal of 200 million doses administered in those first 100 days. And we hope to be able to be of some help and value to countries around the world,” Biden said yesterday. And a more vaccinated world leads to a stronger global economy and improved ties with other countries. It showsMcAuliffe 47%, Justin Fairfax 8%, Jennifer McClellan 6%, Jennifer Carroll Foy 5%, Lee Carter 1%, with 27% undecided. Biden is preparing to declare that atrocities against Armenia in the World War I era were, in fact, genocide.

AdvertisementStory continues below advertisementAnd then there’s left tackle. “ … We know he has the ability to play left side, right side, guard or tackle. In three seasons, he started 35 games at left tackle in the Hokies’ zone scheme. “I think he’s got the size, I think he can play left tackle if that’s what they’re looking for. “You have nothing to compare their growth to.”That projection could be even more difficult along the offensive line.

On Wednesday, the department apologized for the message, claiming that an officer had intended to post it on his personal account. “It is with regret that the Fall River Police Department’s Facebook page was accessed by personnel who inadvertently re-posted an opinion that was meant for their own personal account,” the department wrote on Facebook. “I understand why people are upset,” Cardoza said in an interview with the Fall River Reporter. In March, a Michigan officer who posted a racist meme of Floyd on Facebook resigned. That’s when the officer got his personal and professional Facebook accounts mixed up, the chief said.

NationalFalling behind | Virtual learning through a pandemicLike students all across the country, Ana Reyes was sent home to take her high school classes online because of the pandemic. But as an immigrant who speaks English as a second language, she faced unique challenges with remote learning. The Washington Post spent six months documenting Reyes and a teacher from T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Va., as they experienced virtual schooling and an eventual return to the classroom.

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced Thursday that his country is setting a target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, with a benchmark reduction of 46 percent by 2030 compared with 2013 levels. “Japan is now taking a giant step forward toward solving global challenges,” Suga said as he announced the move, which came hours before the start of a virtual climate summit convened by the Biden administration. Japan had previously been aiming for a 26 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, a target that was criticized as far too modest for the world’s third-biggest economy and fifth-largest emitter of carbon dioxide. Shortly after entering office late last year, Suga announced plans for carbon neutrality by 2050, a target similar to those set by other major industrialized countries. Climate groups had a muted reaction to the 46 percent target on Thursday.

If people keep polluting at the current rate, scientists say, climate change will cause prolonged droughts, devastating storms, collapsing ecosystems and vanishing species. The Earth itself is our greatest ally in this effort. If we hope to solve climate change, humanity must also address this biodiversity crisis — restoring ecosystems and the creatures that inhabit them. During the summer, when the sun shines 24 hours a day, Arctic sea ice reflects about two-thirds of the light that hits it back into space. “It’s like the air conditioning unit of our planet,” said Melinda Webster, a sea ice specialist at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

According to a Washington Post-Kaiser Family Foundation poll, roughly 3 in 10 health-care workers have weighed leaving their profession. The Post-KFF poll found a majority of health-care workers say they feel respected by the general public and patients they interact with. For the pandemic’s health-care workers, however, that infrastructure of support doesn’t yet exist. In the months since, her sister and brother-in-law, Jennifer and Corey Feist, have worked furiously to prevent further deaths by creating mental health resources for health workers. Research has shown health-care workers are especially prone to burnout because of the workload, pressure and chaos that they deal with.

He was having a panic attack. But once you can recognize a panic attack, you can manage the symptoms, De Faria and other experts say. “It might have started as a panic attack, but you don’t know.”A visit to a doctor can be reassuring. Coping with an attackDuring a panic attack, experts recommend reminding yourself that you aren’t in any danger. “We really need to rewire the brain to know this is a panic attack,” Gallagher explained.

But after a year of massive losses, airlines are showing signs that better times lie ahead. The story and the outlook was much the same at, which reported a loss of $2.7 billion in the first quarter, excluding special items. "We've gotten through the worst of this for certain," said CEO Doug Parker in an interview on CNBC. It also reported a slightly smaller than loss excluding items. American reported a net loss even with the federal help.

New York (CNN Business) When first announced in 2017, Foxconn's plan to build a massive electronics factory in Wisconsin was hailed by then-President Donald Trump as a sign of the rebirth of American manufacturing. And this week it became official: The pledged investment of up to $10 billion to create as many as 13,000 jobs is not coming. The Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. and the Taiwanese electronics maker signed a revised incentive deal outlining a $672 million investment from Foxconn that will create fewer than 1,500 jobs. "When I ran to be governor, I made a promise to work with Foxconn to cut a better deal for our state," Gov. "The last deal didn't work for Wisconsin, and that doesn't work for me."

A grey whale approached a boat in the bay of Naples off the Italian coast and swan alongside. The last time a grey whale was spotted in the Mediterranean was in 2010.

A dashcam video captured the moment trucks collided in snowy weather in Wisconsin. Police said around 80 vehicles were involved in a number of crashes and at least one person was killed.

A decade of war in Syria has left oil facilities in ruins and created an environmental catastrophe. Syrians are devastated by the health consequences of pollution with no cleanup efforts currently underway.

The move from NATO’s political decision-making body came days after Prague expelled 18 Russian diplomats, claiming it had “clear evidence” Moscow’s intelligence agents had been behind a deadly 2014 blast in the country. In addition to the 18 expulsions, the Czechs are now “considering further substantial measures,” the Council said. Russia expelled 20 Czech diplomats earlier this week in response to Prague’s allegations. “Allies express deep concern over the destabilising actions Russia continues to carry out across the Euro-Atlantic area, including on Alliance territory, and stand in full solidarity with the Czech Republic,” the Council said. “Russia must desist from activities that threaten security and stability in Europe and run counter to Russia’s international obligations.”

LONDON — Britain’s Prince William is urging the world to unite to tackle the climate crisis and channel the same “spirit of invention” that has helped in the fight against Covid-19. The letter, from William's Earthshot Prize climate initiative, says global efforts to fight Covid-19 are evidence of what is possible when the world pulls together in the face of a common threat. The summit coincides with Earth Day and the five-year anniversary of the signing of the Paris climate accord, a landmark international agreement on reducing climate-harming emissions. But experts hope Biden's summit will advance global climate progress, which has slowed down considerably after former President Donald Trump withdrew from the Paris agreement in 2017. Europe has also made new pledges ahead of this week's climate summit.

President Biden announced on Wednesday that the U.S. has reached the goal of 200 million vaccinations in 100 days. The Morning Joe panel discusses the effort to get the country to that number.

The publisher of a new, bestselling biography about Philip Roth has temporarily halted the book’s shipping and promotion as its author, Blake Bailey, faces multiple allegations of sexual harassment and abuse. Allen J. Schaben via Getty Images American writer and biographer Blake Bailey, pictured in 2013, has been accused by multiple people of sexual misconduct. Some former students, including Sarah Stickney Murphy, disputed that. Bailey, 57, is the author of acclaimed biographies of the authors John Cheever and Richard Yates, and he had been working on the Roth book since 2012. “In Bailey, Roth found a biographer who is exceptionally attuned to his grievances and rarely challenges his moral accounting.

More than 216 million doses of COVID-19 vaccinations have been administered, and more than 134 million Americans ? 51.5% of adults ? have now had their shots, far outstripping Biden’s initial goal of administering 100 million vaccine doses in his first 100 days in office. On some days in recent weeks, 4 million Americans got jabbed in a single 24-hour period. Alex Wong via Getty Images President Joe Biden said this week the U.S. had distributed 200 million shots of the COVID-19 vaccines. “I’m calling on every employer large and small in every state to give employees the time off they need, with pay, to get vaccinated,” Biden said. The CDC notes that about 62 million vaccine doses have been delivered to states, but not used yet.

YouTube star Jake Paul couldn’t take the verbal beating he got from comedian Pete Davidson in the broadcast of his boxing match against Ben Askren. Paul, who won the bout with a technical knockout in the first round, fought back at Davidson on the “Impaulsive” podcast this week. CALL OUT: Pete Davidson called out by Jake Paul and his family. Jake says it was his idea to have Pete host the event. Here are some of Davidson’s greatest hits of the night:Pete Davidson reporting from the Jake Paul vs Ben Askren stream has me WEAK ?? pic.twitter.com/fXtxw1zO19 — KlaytnPX (@KingKlaytn) April 18, 2021Pete Davidson & Ben Askren Bonding Over How Much Jake Paul’s A Terrible Person!

The debt limit is back (kind of) Presented by Sallie Mae®Editor’s Note: Morning Money is a free version of POLITICO Pro Financial Services' morning newsletter, which is delivered to our subscribers each morning at 6 a.m. Quick FixThe debt limit is back (sort of) — Remember the debt limit? MM spent much of the Obama administration covering debt limit battles. A message from Sallie Mae®: You shouldn’t need a college degree to figure out how to pay for college. This responsible approach is working: 97% of Sallie Mae loans in repayment are being repaid on time and less than 2% default annually.

As we've discussed, Joe Biden entered the presidency realizing that under-promising and over-delivering was a far smarter approach. To that end, the Democrat began his term vowing to administer 100 million COVID vaccination shots in his first 100 days in office. Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) told Fox News in January, "If the Biden administration wants to impress us ... double the goal. Today, we hit 200 million shots on the 92nd day in office. Two hundred million shots in 100 days -- in under 100 days, actually.

Ruben Flores, 80, has pleaded not guilty to a charge of accessory after the murder for hiding Smart's body after his son allegedly killed her. Paul Flores, a fellow freshman at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, was the last person seen with Smart on May 25, 1996. The court document was filed before bail arguments Monday in San Luis Obispo Superior Court when the father and son were arraigned. Peuvrelle, who said Ruben Flores has helped cover up the crime for nearly a quarter-century, would continue to do so if freed. “Due to the evidence gleaned from the excavation, it is reasonable to believe Ruben Flores currently knows the location of Kristin Smart’s remains," Peuvrelle said.

JAKARTA, Indonesia — Indonesia’s navy ships on Thursday were intensely searching for a submarine that likely fell too deep to retrieve, making survival chances for the 53 people on board slim. Frank Owen, secretary of the Submarine Institute of Australia, also said the submarine could be at too great a depth for a rescue team to operate. “Most rescue systems are really only rated to about 600 meters (1,969 feet),” he said. He said a rescue submarine would make a waterproof connection to a disabled submarine with a so-called skirt fitted over the recue seat so that the hatch can be opened without the disabled submarine filling with water. Singapore Navy's MV Swift Rescue departs to aid the rescue effort for Indonesia's missing submarine KRI Nanggala-402 on Wednesday.

Cheney later praised Trump for having issued a pardon to her father’s former chief of staff, Scooter Libby. Cheney criticized Trump’s policies publicly on occasion but with discretion, and Trump rarely fired back. All that changed when Cheney stood alone among House Republican leaders in refusing to humor Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 election. That kind of stuff.”Correnti drafted a resolution of censure — one of several against pro-impeachment lawmakers by Republican state committees in various states — that would soon be adopted by the entire state party. Cheney declined to speak to me on the record for this article, as did many other congressional Republicans.

Big technology companies are still misdiagnosing why they have so many enemies. Jeff Bezos last week countered critics of Amazon by doing back-of-the-envelope math to calculate his company’s value to shoppers, employees and businesses. The sentiment behind these executives’ messages was, basically: If people don’t appreciate our companies’ contributions to the world, they’re wrong. They failed to acknowledge the root cause of government investigations into tech companies and criticisms from some competitors and business partners: Where there is power, there is suspicion. And technology companies are among the most powerful forces in the world.

Those who experienced higher levels of grief and depression also had higher levels of the immune system’s markers for inflammation. Another study published in 2012 found that those with higher scores on grief assessment tests also had increased levels of cardiovascular clotting factors, possibly raising the risk of developing blood clots. And in one review of 20 studies, published in 2020, people who scored higher on psychological measures of grief also had higher levels of certain stress hormones like cortisol and epinephrine. Aside from that generality, however, the biology of grief has no clear chain of cause-and-effect that the biology of, say, diabetes, has. That’s because the goals of these studies are to better understand the griever’s risks for disease, not to understand the path of grief through the body.

As housing omens go, beware the trending Google search. In the first week of April, U.S. search interest in the phrase “when is the housing market going to crash” jumped 2,450 percent compared to the previous month, and is now more popular than anytime since 2004, according to Google. The search terms “should I buy a house” and “sell my house” also reached record interest. Market watchers are right to be wary. “I think it’s what’s on everybody’s mind,” said Jonathan J. Miller, a New York appraiser who analyzes markets nationwide.

WASHINGTON — The Myanmar military’s coup and brutal crackdown on dissent has left it with few allies in the West. But one of the most sophisticated corporate lobbying operations in Washington has mobilized to head off intensifying pressure on the Biden administration to impose broad sanctions against the state-owned oil and gas company helping to finance the junta. The California-based oil and gas giant says sanctions could endanger the long-term viability of a big Myanmar gas field in which it is a partner, risk worsening a humanitarian crisis for people who rely on the operation for power and expose the company’s employees to criminal charges. Chevron, the second-largest oil and gas producer in the United States, has a longstanding relationship with Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise, or MOGE, a state-owned company that is closely connected to the military generals who seized power from elected leaders on Feb. 1. Since then, the military has killed an estimated 740 citizens of Myanmar and detained thousands more.

Live Jobless Claims May Show Uptick as Trend Stays Positive: Live Updates RIGHT NOW Credit Suisse reports a loss as regulators open an investigation. Credit Suisse also said on Thursday that it had sold bonds to investors to shore up its capital. The Swiss regulator, known as Finma, said it would “investigate in particular possible shortcomings in risk management” at Credit Suisse. Revenue for the quarter rose 30 percent to 7.6 billion francs as Credit Suisse raked in fees from lively trading on stock and bond markets. Credit... Apple, via Reuters Tile said Apple boxed out its products and then copied them.

· Source: Centers for Disease Control and PreventionThere have been fewer influenza cases in the United States this flu season than in any on record. The latest flu season, which normally would have run until next month, essentially never happened. We haven’t had an influenza season this low, I think as long as we’ve been measuring it. Influenza vs. coronavirus Flu cases dropped even as the coronavirus spread. “Every year, anywhere between 20 to 30 percent of the population gets its immunity sort of boosted and stimulated by being exposed to the flu virus,” Dr. Webby said.

Her candidacy made Ms. Hamilton want to become a leader someday too, she said, and maybe even run for office. Ms. Hamilton, a graphic designer in San Francisco, would rather help people in a more personal way, like mentoring. For others, like Ms. Hamilton, it made them search elsewhere for a way to make a difference. The survey showed that young people no longer believe many of the things that have hindered women seeking leadership before. Now, I have no aspirations of being president.”“Just seeing how underrepresented women were, especially Black women, was crazy to me,” she said.

In these kinds of situations, you can keep a mask on hand in your pocket, in case you find yourself in a crowd or need to go indoors. “Given how conservative I have been on my opinions all year, this should tell you how low risk is, in general, for outdoors transmission for contact over short periods — and lower still after vaccination. Even as more-infectious virus variants circulate, the physics of viral transmission outdoors haven’t changed, and the risk of getting infected outdoors is still low, say virus experts. If case counts are surging, your risk of encountering an infected person goes up. “People hold barbecues outdoors, but then they spend time indoors chatting in the kitchen,” said Dr. Cevik.

For American teenagers, their political coming of age has been a tumultuous one. They’ve seen the boundary-breaking candidacies of women and people of color, and the norm-shattering presidency of Donald Trump. A little more than half the teenagers surveyed were girls. The survey revealed a generation of soon-to-be voters who felt disillusioned by government and politics, and already hardened along political lines — something political scientists said was new for people this young. But it also revealed a significant share of teenagers who felt motivated to become involved themselves, whether out of inspiration or frustration.

The United States officially has a new goal for fighting climate change over the next decade. The later baseline makes the United States target look a bit better, because it omits a period when emissions were rising. Mr. Biden unveiled the pledge at the opening of a White House climate summit for world leaders, declaring that the United States is ready to reclaim a leadership role on climate change. Trajectories for the World’s Largest Emitters The United States was still increasing emissions until the mid-2000s, while Europe took earlier action. India China 3.4 0.9 2020 1990 2030 1990 2020 2030 The United States was still increasing emissions until the mid-2000s, while Europe took earlier action.

I knew he was the head of the political arm of a black Democratic organization in Bladen called the Bladen County Improvement Association. People were claiming that the Bladen County Improvement Association had been working with McCrae and that they must be cheaters, too. From Serial Productions, I’m Zoe Chace, and this is The Improvement Association, a true story about election fraud. zoe chaceAlmost everyone here is a member of Horace’s organization, the full name of which is the Bladen County Improvement Association PAC. archived recording It’s called the Bladen County Improvement Association, and it’s been operating for at least 30 years.

WASHINGTON — Rising temperatures are likely to reduce global wealth significantly by 2050, as crop yields fall, disease spreads and rising seas consume coastal cities, a major insurance company warned Thursday, highlighting the consequences if the world fails to quickly slow the use of fossil fuels. The effects of climate change can be expected to shave 11 percent to 14 percent off global economic output by 2050 compared with growth levels without climate change, according to a report from Swiss Re, one of the world’s largest providers of insurance to other insurance companies. That amounts to as much as $23 trillion in reduced annual global economic output worldwide as a result of climate change. Some Asian nations could have one-third less wealth than would otherwise be the case, the company said. Mr. Biden is expected to pledge to cut the United States’ emissions by about half by 2030.

Leadership on Climate Change President Biden will commit the United States to cutting emissions by half by the end of the decade at a virtual Earth Day summit. Rest of the World China +80 gigawatts of coal power China continues to build more new coal power plants than it retires. +80 gigawatts of coal power +70 +60 +50 +40 New coal capacity Outside of China, countries adding the most new coal power capacity include India, Japan, Indonesia and Vietnam. +80 gigawatts of coal power +60 Outside of China, countries adding the most new coal power capacity include India, Japan, Indonesia and Vietnam. +80 gigawatts of coal power Outside of China, countries adding the most new coal power capacity include India, Japan, Indonesia and Vietnam.

She waited until March, three months after she was vaccinated for the coronavirus, to visit a hair salon. According to Chimera, Hair We Share’s individual hair donor base has increased about 230 percent over the last year. Most of them want long hair,” Chimera explained. (It did not respond to The Washington Post’s requests for comment on pandemic hair donations.) She’ll remember her long hair and then her very short hair as little more than amusing relics of a year she’d like to otherwise forget.

And several former senior administration officials in the Office of Management and Budget refused to provide requested information about decision-making related to the Puerto Rico relief funds. The 46-page report presents an incomplete picture of the political influence of the Trump White House on delaying disaster relief for the struggling island. Still, the inspector general found unprecedented procedural hurdles set by the White House budget office — in addition to an extended partial federal government shutdown that also produced delays. While investigators interviewed 20 current and former HUD officials and two Puerto Rico housing officials, they had no access to Carson. “How many poison pills are in here?” Montgomery wrote in an email to other senior HUD officials, according to the report.

Should you still be wearing a mask outdoors? And how should you reorient your family’s life once the adults have been vaccinated but the children have not yet been? A mask outdoors? On the issue of outdoor mask wearing, it helps to review a basic fact: There are few if any documented cases of brief outdoor interactions leading to Covid transmission. As Dr. Muge Cevik, an infectious-disease expert at the University of St. Andrews, says, outdoors is “not where the infection and transmission occurs.”

I’m lost,” Compean texted a friend, along with two photos showing where he was — though only one went through. Since the sheriff’s department said Compean’s car was found near Buckhorn Campground, he narrowed his search to the surrounding area. “They matched.”He shared a screenshot of the satellite imagery on Twitter and called the sheriff’s department to notify officials of the coordinates he uncovered. Fortunately for Compean, Kuo was spot on. “It would just echo into the mountains, and I wouldn’t get anything in return,” said Compean, who eventually lost his voice.

Listen and follow The DailyApple Podcasts | Spotify | StitcherLast spring, Brandon Hole’s mother alerted the police in Indiana about her son’s behavior. In response, the police invoked the state’s “red flag” law, which allows for the seizure of a firearm from a person deemed a risk to themselves or others. But over the summer, Mr. Hole was able to legally purchase two semiautomatic weapons. And last week, he opened fire on a FedEx facility, killing eight people and then himself. Why did the law fail?

He says the training goes “right to the core” of the consent decree and the Justice Department’s initial findings. AdvertisementMost of the department’s officers have completed the EPIC training, as policing across the country is being scrutinized amid a national reckoning over race and law enforcement. Story continues below advertisementWhile departments had instructed officers to intervene if they witness misconduct, few had training to show officers how to do so. During the recent training, instructors told the officers that many of the concepts aren’t new in policing, and some are just common sense. During the recent training, Garrison asks how hard it is for officers to intervene when they see their partner doing something wrong.

(CNN) — It's not every day you see a gigantic superyacht weaving through the narrow canals of the Netherlands. However, few are as big as Project 817, likely to be known as Viva when it officially launches. Feadship's new superyacht Project 817 is guilded through the canals of Holland while en route to the North Sea. Photographer Tom van Oossanen was on hand to capture the painstaking transportation. Project 817 will be closely followed by a number of significant superyachts currently under construction in the Netherlands.

(CNN) — Seven of the world's top 10 busiest airports in 2020 were in China while the former world's busiest airport -- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in the United States -- fell to No. Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport in China was the world's busiest airport in 2020, rising to the No. 46 (Shanghai's Hongqiao International Airport) to break into the top 10. Beijing Capital International Airport, which has often held the No. Shenzhen (SZX) -- 37.9 million passengers in 2020; traffic dropped 28% from 20196.

Hong Kong (CNN Business) Doctors may be just a few years away from tracking your vital signs via electronic skin worn on the body. The technology was developed by Takao Someya, a professor at the University of Tokyo's Graduate School of Engineering. It has yet to undergo clinical trials, but Someya says he has started working with partners to develop manufacturing processes. Made from a flexible material — polyvinyl alcohol — with a layer of gold, the e-skin is a wearable sensor that can pick up signals such as heartbeat and electrical impulses from muscle movement. A small wireless transmitter strapped to the chest will send heartbeat data to a nearby smartphone or laptop, or to the cloud, allowing a doctor to monitor it remotely.

It will provide China with access to the Bay of Bengal and, in strategic terms, is possibly the most important single project of the BRI. But the bombing spotlights the harsh reality of a grand global engineering project across some of the world’s most restive territory. “Baloch separatists have publicly declared many times that Chinese workers, engineers and firms are one of their immediate targets. It may not be just Baloch separatists who want to target Chinese interests. “The violence will go up and, of course, the Chinese will be one of the targets.”Write to Charlie Campbell at charlie.campbell@time.com.

The deal has already been ratified by the U.K. | Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesLONDON — The European Parliament will vote to ratify the EU-U.K. Trade and Cooperation agreement on Tuesday. The vote has been added to the agenda of next week’s plenary session, according to Jaume Duch, spokesperson for the Parliament. MEPs will hold a debate and a consent vote accompanied by a resolution on Tuesday, just four days ahead of the end of the temporary application period on April 30. The Parliament’s foreign affairs and trade committees voted in favor of the agreement last week, paving the way for its expected ratification by the plenary. The deal, which has already been ratified by the U.K., conditionally came into force on December 31, 2020.

), who supports D.C. statehood, conceded that “it’s not the highest priority for me. “If it’s a worthwhile thing to do, of course there’s time,” said Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.) of the D.C. statehood bill. Dean is among the House Democrats set to appear at a press conference demanding an end to the filibuster on Thursday. They passed a massive $1.9 trillion coronavirus bill with beefed-up unemployment benefits and child tax credits and have committed to passing another similarly large infrastructure bill. We’re working on a big infrastructure bill and we’re committed to take up [the voting rights and ethics bill] S1 soon.

“That is, I guess we could say, the $2 trillion question,” said Dan Lashof, director of think tank the World Resources Institute. Administration officials told reporters in a Wednesday briefing that they saw multiple pathways to achieving the climate goal outside of the infrastructure package as currently crafted. “The trend towards the utilization of clean energy technology around the world is both steep and secular,” Zaidi said. That could be in the form of legally mandated emissions targets, a clean energy standard that requires adoption of green energy, or direct spending to eliminate carbon pollution. “Yes, the Biden administration can be successful in setting the U.S. on a path to achieving its ambitious goal without Congress,” Goldfuss said.

Grade retention policies in their earliest form originated in California in 1998, when then-Gov. Republican school-choice policymakers in the early 2000s took that idea and zeroed in on the third grade, passing the stricter third grade reading laws in place today. Let’s continue the conversation about grade retention. Florida’s measure would also expand the state’s retention policy to kindergarten through fifth grade. Thomas read the studies about grade retention.

A spokesperson for the director of national intelligence declined to comment. The investigation is part of a broader effort to look into directed-energy attacks on U.S. officials across multiple agencies in recent years. Directed-energy attacks on U.S. spies and diplomats are well-documented; the CIA recently set up its own task force to look into the issue. But the recent Pentagon effort to look into similar incidents affecting U.S. troops has not previously been reported. Circumstances surrounding these incidents are murky, and U.S. officials have encountered difficulties in attributing the suspected attacks to any particular weapon or country.

Brown was a unique character, and the grief among his colleagues has hardly abated in the month he has been gone. In my case it was a couple weeks before the JFK assassination, in his case a couple weeks after. Yet just as we were born too late for one generation, we were born too early for another. The task for my generation of journalists, in age of media upheaval, is to defend and vindicate their importance. Stephen was old enough to know the old ways — not just the glorious mythology but their more complicated realities.

A study published last month in the journal Nature Climate Change found that global carbon dioxide emissions last year fell by 7 percent compared to 2019. Andrea Pattaro / AFP - Getty ImagesBut there are already indications that global emissions could rebound significantly. Transportation accounts for nearly one-quarter of global carbon dioxide emissions, according to the International Energy Agency. Globally, air travel makes up only about 2.4 percent of carbon dioxide emissions, but before the pandemic, emissions from commercial air travel were rising. "The problem of global warming is one of cumulative emissions, not annual emissions," Hausfather said.

At-home LED devices can range in price dramatically. There’s science to prove that most professional treatments used by dermatologists and estheticians, which are higher-powered than at-home devices, work. warodom changyencham via Getty Images In-office LED mask treatments are larger and more powerful than most at-home LED devices. “At-home LED light therapy can be helpful to treat aging, sun damage and acne — but not necessarily more helpful than other products,” Hartman said. If you do want to add an LED device to your routine, the experts have some suggestions.

POLITICO Playbook: The world’s most interesting Zoom meeting Presented by“The U.S. is back!” That’s the message President Joe Biden will send today and Friday, per an administration official, as he hosts a virtual climate summit for 40 world leaders. JOIN US — Biden’s $2 trillion infrastructure and climate plan includes boosting investment in clean energy and significantly cutting fossil fuel emissions. But on Friday, the White House announced it would leave the ceiling at 15,000. Browner worked in the Obama White House and was EPA administrator in the Clinton administration. Playbook couldn’t happen without our editor Mike Zapler and producers Allie Bice, Eli Okun and Garrett Ross.

“I certainly think our focus ought to be on [the Lewis bill] and voting rights,” said Rep. Anthony Brown (D-Md. '”One big question surrounding a potential shift in focus to the Lewis bill is the timing for its consideration. Those protections were eliminated after the Supreme Court struck down the Voting Rights Act's so-called pre-clearance formula in 2013. But some of them privately believe the voting rights-only bill will be an easier lift than H.R. With the GOP in control of the Senate at that time, the voting rights bill never came to the floor.

JERUSALEM — A missile launched from Syria was fired into southern Israel early Thursday, setting off air raid sirens near the country's top-secret nuclear reactor, the Israeli military said. The attack also threatened to complicate U.S.-led attempts to revive the international nuclear deal with Iran. The air raid sirens were sounded in Abu Krinat, a village just a few miles from Dimona, the Negev desert town where Israel's nuclear reactor is located. Israel accuses Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons and has opposed U.S.-led efforts to revive the international nuclear deal with Iran. It also says it does not address Iran's long-range missile program and its support for hostile proxies in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza.

Before Cahill's remarks, Waters' comments had not been subject to a tremendous amount of scrutiny in the media — at least, not on their merits. Insider led with Greene's reaction to Waters comments, rather than the comments themselves. "The attacks are part of a long tradition of Republicans distorting Waters' remarks and draw on the racist trope of the angry Black woman," Mother Jones editor Inae Oh alleged. Cahill's warning makes it clear, though, that Waters' comments should have occasioned some critical analysis from her ostensible political allies. This is just the kind of avoidance that Democrats accused Republicans of during the Trump presidency.

The U.S. will aim to cut greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030 as part of its new commitment to the Paris climate agreement, President Joe Biden will announce Thursday. Biden will make the pledge, called the Nationally Determined Contribution, when he speaks at a two-day virtual climate summit attended by dozens of world leaders Thursday morning, the White House said. Biden rejoined the 2015 climate pact in February, reversing a decision by President Donald Trump to withdraw the U.S. from the global coalition to curb carbon emissions. The administration has been under immense pressure from environmental groups and climate scientists to commit to an emissions cut of at least 50 percent, compared to 2005 levels. Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are set to open the climate summit Thursday, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Kerry also participating.

That week, a “Thin Blue Line” flag was raised defiantly above the Brooklyn Center Police Department building in Minnesota. The Thin Blue Line flag dates back only to 2014. The Thin Blue Line flag dates back only to 2014. The blue line is both a border and an elevation, hanging above the threat that needs to be eliminated. By the morning, protesters with signs and chants had dispersed, leaving the Thin Blue Line flag to fly alone in a hazy sky.

Still, it is worth remembering that some of the focus on these long-term symptoms reflects the current attention on all things Covid. The chronic effects of Covid may well be worse than the chronic effects of familiar illnesses, like the flu, but it is not yet clear how much worse. One academic study found that up to 10 percent of people who contracted influenza later developed myocarditis, or cardiac inflammation. For children, the evidence so far does not offer much reason for alarm about Covid-19’s long-term effects. But it’s important to keep in mind that acting in the best interests of children is not the same thing as minimizing Covid risk.

Daniel Baker and Joel Martinez — also known as Desus Nice and The Kid Mero — aren’t your standard late-night TV hosts. The Bronx natives behind Showtime’s “Desus & Mero” were first discovered on social media and rose to acclaim with their podcast “Bodega Boys.” They specialize in off-the-cuff commentary, alluding to an imaginary “problematic light” when they feel their jokes cross into questionable territory. It’s their nod to cancel culture. In this conversation with Kara Swisher, the duo discusses why slurs are not comedy and whether they fear being “canceled.” They also share why they left Viceland and took their act to Showtime, how Andrew Yang is treating New York “like a science project,” and what they’ve learned in their trajectory from the sidelines of Twitter to a premium cable slot.

By the same token, unanimity in the lower courts is usually a deterrent to Supreme Court review. The cases were all brought by individuals convicted of nonviolent crimes who argued that the prohibition violated their Second Amendment rights. In her opinion, Judge Barrett wrote that there is no “virtue limitation” to the Second Amendment. I’ve always been puzzled by the notion that any limitation on the Second Amendment converts it into some sort of second-class right. The court held only that individuals have a constitutional right to own a gun and to keep it at home for self-defense.

It appears the IOC is intent on doing just that, but it will start with something of a toe-dip into the virtual waters. Story continues below advertisement“The Olympic Virtual Series is a new, unique Olympic digital experience that aims to grow direct engagement with new audiences in the field of virtual sports,” IOC President Thomas Bach said in a statement. Advertisement“The OVS is an exciting step forward for the virtual sports world and the Olympic Movement,” IOC official David Lappartient said in a statement. The IOC suggested in its announcement that it might be looking to establish its recognized international federations as esports governing bodies. Other sports federations that have expressed an interest in future OVS installments, per the IOC, include FIFA, as well as bodies that oversee basketball, tennis and taekwondo.

Live Covid-19 Live Updates: India Sets Global Record for Daily Infections More than 312,000 new cases were recorded in 24 hours, surpassing the U.S. high in January. India sets a global record for daily infections. During the clinical trials of the vaccines, pregnant women were excluded. Pregnant women who develop symptoms of the disease are more likely to become seriously ill, and more likely to die, than nonpregnant women with symptoms. Rates of miscarriage, prematurity, low birth weight and birth defects were consistent with those reported in pregnant women before the pandemic, the researchers report.

AdvertisementStory continues below advertisementChoy, a former staff producer and freelancer for public broadcaster Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK), was arrested in November and accused of breaching the law for accessing a public database of car registrations. She was seeking to obtain vehicle license plate information — a standard procedure that Hong Kong journalists practiced when fact-checking or reporting investigative stories. The license plate information was used in a documentary for the broadcaster, RTHK, investigating the failure of police to prevent a pro-Beijing mob from attacking anti-government protesters and commuters at a subway station in July 2019. The incident was one of the most consequential of the 2019 protests in Hong Kong and undermined confidence in the police, who showed up only after the mob had left and after dozens were injured. RTHK, the only independent, publicly funded broadcaster on Chinese soil, has become a key part of Beijing’s effort to tighten control in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong broadcaster TVB followed suit in canceling its coverage, citing “business considerations.” Review site Douban deleted entries for the ceremony. For the next decade, live Oscars coverage was discontinued; Gere remains barred from entering the country. Anders Hammer, who directed “Do Not Split,” said China's Oscars ban gave him a sense of concern mixed with validation. The Biden administration has criticized China over alleged human rights abuses in Xinjiang and a sweeping national security law in Hong Kong. AdvertisementStory continues below advertisementIndustry insiders say China’s boycott is not just about Zhao or the Hong Kong documentary.

AdvertisementStory continues below advertisementBailey has denied the now widely-reported allegations through his lawyer and expressed confusion and frustration with his publisher and agent. A similarly blistering criticism of Bailey’s portrayal of women in “Philip Roth” published on a blog called Reluctant Habits sparked the new accusations. The Times-Picayune | New Orleans Advocate reported more detailed accounts from several former students in a report on Tuesday. AdvertisementStory continues below advertisementThe New York Times reported a second rape allegation against Bailey on Wednesday. After the woman informed Bailey’s publisher about the incident, he sent her an email denying the allegation, the Times reported.

Inside the Chevy, state police found state Rep. Jewell Jones (D), whose blood alcohol level was allegedly more than double the legal limit. [Gretchen] Whitmer right now,” Jones told the officers on April 6, according a police report obtained by the Detroit Free Press and other local media. AdvertisementJones allegedly threatened the Michigan state troopers by telling them he oversaw their agency’s finances. (The test showed a blood alcohol content of 0.19%, the Free Press reported; a limit of 0.08% is needed to convict someone of drunken driving.) While state House leaders have not made any decisions about whether he will be disciplined, according to the Free Press, Jones appears to be taking it all in stride.

Story continues below advertisement“THANK YOU … to all y’all for your passionate support!” Burton tweeted on Wednesday. Future guests include actress Mayim Bialik, sports announcer Joe Buck, “Today Show” host Savannah Guthrie and ABC’s George Stephanopoulos. For about three decades, families invited Burton into their homes as the host of “Reading Rainbow,” where he opened children’s minds to literature. In the years since “Reading Rainbow,” Burton has not been shy about his future ambitions to host “Jeopardy!”Advertisement“There is only one game show I’ve ever wanted to host … This Is Jeopardy!” he tweeted in 2018. (Though, there’s still another petition for him to host the show that’s been floating around the Internet since 2013.)

The strong west winds, gusting up to 35 mph, and early-morning temperatures in the 30s along with subfreezing wind chills should get your attention. Confidence: HighAdvertisementStory continues below advertisementTonight: Skies clear in the evening and the winds from the west remain brisk through the night. West winds are weaker but do occasionally gust to 20 mph. Confidence: HighTomorrow night: Clear skies and calming winds make lows in the upper 30s to mid-40s less painful. Overnight lows fall to the low to mid-40s under clear skies and a nearly super full moon is on full display.

In addition, Realtor.com reported that the number of homes on the market in March was 52 percent lower than in March 2020. AdvertisementStory continues below advertisementMedian listing prices were up 39.8 percent in Austin, up 28.3 percent in Buffalo and up 24.8 percent in Los Angeles compared with March 2020. Median listing prices were up 10.5 percent in the New York City metro area, but up just 1 percent in the D.C. metro area in March compared with the same time last year. During the first quarter of 2020, homes were more affordable than historic averages in 63 percent of counties. Five years ago, during the first quarter of 2016, homes were more affordable than the historic average in 95 counties.

Written by Oscar Holland, CNNArchitectural photographer Arthur Drooker is well aware of the reputation held by America's city halls. Los Angeles City Hall as seen from the Walt Disney Concert Hall, another of the city's architectural icons. Credit: Courtesy Arthur DrookerUnlike many federal buildings, city halls were often designed to reflect the places they represent. By choosing just 15 of the country's most architecturally eye-catching examples, the photographer's new book " City Hall " is neither exhaustive nor strictly representative. Local democracy at workThe photographer's personal fascination with city halls began with his local one, in San Francisco.

The two were preparing for "Sound of Metal," a film about Ruben, an American rock drummer and recovering addict who suddenly loses his hearing. Becker's name has leapt into headlines thanks to his work in "Sound of Metal," for which he has already won a BAFTA. Having crafted POH sound for "Gravity" and "127 Hours" Becker was hired to create an aural landscape for deafness. Credit: NeonThe nuances of inclusive filmmakingEverything heard in "Sound of Metal," from a heavy metal concert to Ahmed's eyelids closing, is an original recording. The simulation in "Sound of Metal" is in contrast to how the technology is often presented in the media -- sometimes as a silver bullet or a miracle cure for deafness.

In a statement on Telegram, Navalny's team said they were confident that their "requirements will certainly be met. RIA Novosti reported about 14,400 people took part in "unauthorized protest actions in 29 cities of Russia." On Monday, Russia's Interior Ministry warned people to "refrain from participating in unauthorized actions," citing coronavirus restrictions. Navalny blames the Russian security services for his poisoning last year with the nerve agent Novichok. On Sunday, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said that in the event Navalny died, Russia would be held accountable and there would be "consequences."

Abuja, Nigeria (CNN) A popular Nigerian televangelist has urged his followers to "pray for YouTube" for shutting down his account after he posted videos on his channel claiming to 'cure' gay members of his congregation of their sexuality. "I got to know what happened to YouTube when I saw the viewers complaining... I want you to help me pray for YouTube... Don't see them the other way around; see them as friends. The YouTube channel of The Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) -- run by Joshua -- was deactivated last week and can no longer be viewed by its nearly two million subscribers. Joshua slapped a woman and her partner whom he called her 'second' (partner) at least 16 times," said Lydia Namubiru, OpenDemocracy's Africa Editor.

The lack of a Castro, finally, as the head of the Cuban government might seem monumental. On Twitter, Díaz-Canel has often used the hashtag #SomosContinuidad to underscore that he would continue the Castro vision. He and President Barack Obama also re-established full diplomatic relations, which helped the Cuban economy greatly until Trump tightened the embargo again. Were Biden to re-establish a relationship with Cuba more similar to the one under Obama, both countries would benefit. Were Biden to re-establish a relationship with Cuba more similar to the one under Obama, both countries would benefit.

President-elect Joe Biden will be sworn in as the 46th president of the U.S. on Jan. 20. On Feb. 11, 2011, then-VP Biden spoke at UofL as part of the @ULmCenter Distinguished Speaker Series. “We are not passengers of history, but we are drivers of history," he said. #TBT pic.twitter.com/wrQAVcjuTw

PARIS – France will hold Russian President Vladimir Putin responsible if imprisoned Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny dies in custody, according to French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian. “We will impose the necessary sanctions, and we will hold mister Putin and Russian authorities responsible [if Navalny dies in prison],” Le Drian said on public broadcaster France 2 Thursday morning. “I hope we won’t get there.”Le Drian nevertheless said France and Russia “must continue talking to each other, [Putin] is our neighbor, he is quite cumbersome but he is here.”The French foreign minister also said he doesn’t believe Russia intends to carry out a military assault against Ukraine through its current buildup of around 100,000 Russian forces at the border but he said “the fact of massing so many troops at the border with Donbass presents risks of accidents or incidents and so of conflictuality.”Le Drian also outlined three ways in which he thinks Putin has grown more autocratic. “There’s an internal authoritarian drift, the targeting of Navalny is insufferable … an external provocation and intimidation drift, with what is happening in Ukraine … and attempts at interference by trying to attack our democratic institutions. We saw what happened in the Czech Republic, this is all very worrying and we must be very firm,” Le Drian said.

NEW DELHI — India reported a global record of more than 314,000 new infections Thursday as a grim coronavirus surge hits the world's second-most populous country, sending more and more sick people into a fragile health care system critically short of hospital beds and oxygen. The 314,835 infections added in the past 24 hours raise India's total past 15.9 million cases since the pandemic began. A large number of hospitals are reporting acute shortages of beds and medicine and are running on dangerously low levels of oxygen. Beg, borrow or steal, it is a national emergency,” the judges said responding to a petition by a New Delhi hospital seeking its intervention. “I try to find beds for patients every day, and it’s been incredibly frustrating to not be able to help them.

Policing experts said that officers with multiple shootings may work in high-risk units like SWAT, where they could face violent, unpredictable situations. Police accountability advocates point to examples of officers, like Myers, who have faced no consequences for multiple shootings despite allegations of potential misconduct. In Mesa, just five officers fired their guns in 23 incidents over that period. In Columbus, officers with multiple shootings fired in 74 encounters during the same period — the most of the eight cities. In Seattle, officers who fired more than once were involved in nearly a third of police shootings from 2014 to 2021.

WASHINGTON — Unlike in previous years, a progressive group has decided to deliver a formal response to President Joe Biden's first address to a joint session of Congress next week. It's traditional for the opposition party to give a response when the president delivers a State of the Union or other address to Congress. But it's much less common for a member of the president's party to deliver a rebuttal. Biden's speech will look different from the usual address to a joint session of Congress because Covid-19 restrictions will keep the House chamber almost entirely empty. In their first years, addresses are simply speeches to a joint session of Congress.)

Up From Sweatshops Up From Sweatshops For decades, economists have promoted low-wage textile industry as the best way for poor countries to build a manufacturing base. Today, a number of East African countries, including Ethiopia and Kenya, are attempting to follow that path. So how are Ethiopian workers faring? The current development efforts in East Africa have been shaped with knowledge of this checkered history. Farmers weren’t getting the credit or machinery they needed, even though their yields would have strengthened the supply of raw materials for their countries’ industrial efforts.

Over email, the INDY caught up with Rodriguez and Headen to learn more about their journey and participation/engagement with hip-hop culture via graphic design. RODRIGUEZ: I got started in graphic design around my junior year in high school. What made me turn my attention to graphic design was my older brother, who at the time was in college for that profession. I graduated from The Art Institute of Charlotte with a bachelor’s degree in graphic design. Was it always a goal of yours to make an income off of graphic design?

This is what I learned, spiced with some quotes from police reports that give you a flavor of the action. Crews lifted the bridge on hydraulic jacks, re-graded the tracks, and placed shims on the old foundation to add height. “You know, there are multiple signs, there are literally flashing lights that tell you, you’re about to strike the bridge. Traffic sign experts and traffic engineers from across the globe are baffled and intrigued by this question of road sign efficacy. “Criteria for the Design and Evaluation of Traffic Sign Symbols,” a 1988 study published by Robert Dewar, explores various aspects about why signs work and don’t work.

Roy Cooper said he anticipates lifting all mandatory social distancing, capacity, and mass gathering restrictions by June 1 if vaccination rates hold. "If we work together to get everyone vaccinated and keep metrics in a good place, we can brig back summer to North Carolina," Cooper said. Our COVID-19 trends remain relatively stable although we have seen slight increases over the past couple weeks. Currently, new COVID-19 numbers remain low, but the percent of positive tests rate has inched up over health officials' goal of five percent in recent weeks. There will also be measures in place to protect children who have not yet been vaccinated, in summer camps and summer schools, for instance.

With Isaac in support, a sweeping new bill package in the North Carolina General Assembly, collectively known as the “North Carolina Momnibus Act,” aims to combat these disproportionately high rates of maternal mortality among Black mothers planning to give birth. The bills would also establish a “Maternal Mortality Prevention” grant program for community organizations already working to combat maternal mortality in Black people. “And those are not the same privileges we as Black women have been given.”Evidence suggests birth doulas may help combat some of the risk factors associated with maternal mortality. This “Social Determinants of Maternal Health Task Force” would be under the Department of Health and Human Services, and consist of state agency leaders, people with lived experience of loss of a family member due to maternal mortality, patients who have suffered maternal morbidity, maternal health workers, and leaders from community organizations that address maternal mortality with a focus on racial and ethnic disparities. North Carolina Health News is an independent, non-partisan, not-for-profit, statewide news organization dedicated to covering all things health care in North Carolina.

Minari is a well-made film — nicely acted, solidly structured, interesting, and a mild emotional workout. It’s about a South Korean family trying to make a go of farming in 1980s Arkansas, and it’s semi-autobiographical, based on the memories of the talented writer-director Lee Isaac Chung. For me, Minari’s entire appeal is all in the specifics — South Korean family plus Arkansas farm plus 1980s. But the ultimate symbol is, of course, the Korean minari plant grown by the grandmother down by the creek, as she scorns the “stupid Americans” who don’t know about its life-giving properties. Did I mention the film is dedicated to “grandmas everywhere”?

A working-class outpost in the “red zone” close to the Jarama front, it was devastated by Franco’s advancing fascist forces. Red Area, Red Priests Yet Vallecas’s proud identity really only came to be forged during the long Franco dictatorship. In Vallecas these red priests were a central component of neighborhood organization and activism during and after the Franco dictatorship. In partnership with labor lawyers, trade unionists, Communist and other left-wing activists, worker priests generated “immense strength of internal solidarity,” as Fernández describes it. Such formidable mobilization around the home as a right would hardly endear Vallecas to Vox’s Madrid candidate Rocío Monasterio, whose background is in the development of high-end properties.

Apparently discontented with their exorbitant revenues and grossly outsized influence, on Sunday twelve of Europe’s biggest football clubs tweeted out their plans to form a breakaway European Super League (ESL). Yet, what those pining for Germany’s fan-owned footy often miss is that having the right club ownership structures doesn’t automatically create a progressive sporting paradise. This has helped create an understanding of football culture as rooted in democratic participation, often in direct antagonism to Germany’s biggest clubs and league. Unfortunately, there’s all too much evidence that fan ownership doesn’t automatically transform a soccer club into a bastion of anti-capitalism. Dietmar Hopp, billionaire founder of software firm SAP and another disdained figure in German football, owns 96 percent of Hoffenheim.

The organization has been leading the charge to block a federal $15 minimum wage and is also fighting a separate Democratic effort to make it easier for workers to form unions. During his talk, Manchin specifically took aim at Sanders for continuing to push for a $15 minimum wage. “We’ve been having meetings on minimum wage, and I can’t for the life of me understand why they don’t take a win on $11,” he said. The federal minimum wage is currently $7.25 an hour, and the subminimum wage for tipped workers is $2.13. West Virginia has an $8.75 minimum wage, with a $2.62 tipped wage.

On March 6, 2020, Marcial Morales was sent to the Essex County Jail in Newark, New Jersey to await deportation proceedings. Inside-Outside“Honk 4 ICE Detainees!”: Protesters outside of Bergen County Jail on a March afternoon. In December, police kettled and attacked protesters outside the Bergen jail, and more than a dozen people were arrested. Vergara, who organized a hunger strike at the Hudson jail in December, was kept on suicide watch for a week as retribution. A federal inspection that found conditions at Essex County Jail to be so bad that even the Trump administration’s Department of Homeland Security condemned it.

And now just three Democratic senators stand in the way of it coming to the Senate floor for a vote. King’s office was reportedly ?“inundated” with phone calls about the PRO Act in the weeks before he decided to change course, as was Manchin’s. Winning Kelly’s support for the PRO Act is considered especially crucial, since it is widely believed Sinema won’t get on board before he does. Well aware of these obstacles, the coalition to pass the PRO Act is preparing to ramp up the pressure. ?“Our coalition will continue to mobilize the working class in this country to fight for the PRO Act.”

Hunter Biden wanted to be an artist, perhaps a writer or a musician. By his own confession, Hunter Biden is a liar, a cheat and a sneak. MBNA appears only briefly in Beautiful Things, just after Hunter’s stint at Yale Law. At least, that’s the story Mykola Zlochevsky, Burisma’s owner and president, tells Hunter, and the one Hunter chooses to believe. (Hunter somewhat scandalously saw his sister-in-law, Hallie Biden, for a time after Beau’s death.)

From Maine to Iowa to Alaska, the Saudi ambassador began a campaign of courting Main Street America. Later in October, the princess would speak to more than 50 local business leaders at the Alaska World Affairs Council. Ambassador Bandar Al-Saud’s road show would only sweep on, right past the election and inauguration of President Joe Biden. Despite appearances, such events weren’t the product of meticulous planning by Saudi diplomats or Ambassador Bandar Al-Saud herself. By enlisting trusted community members across the United States to help peddle the best possible version of the Kingdom, the Saudi lobby has given its brand a homegrown, American-as-apple-pie shine.

It is indeed capitalism, or more specifically, forty years of neoliberal hollowing out of state capacity, but this is what is responsible for the great vaccine failure, not success. Where there has been success, it is where there has been a partial or temporary reversal of this process of deterioration of state capacity, at least for this sector, or in locations where the fragilization of state capacity never fully took hold. But Trudeau was the sixth successive prime minister to ignore expert warnings over domestic vaccine supply, including three Tories. And yet neoliberal hollowing out of state capacity has affected these two nations as much as any other Western country. Instead, we should look to these countries’ maintenance and even enhancement of state capacity to explain their success.

By 1989, The New York Times coined the term “fast fashion” in reference to the 15-day period between an idea’s inception and when the physical garment hit the racks. “I saw how the acceleration of fast fashion was creating a toxic disposable culture across the entire industry,” Ricketts told The Nation. Earlier this month, fast fashion outlet H&M released a new commercial with Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams. In response to increasing criticisms, fast fashion brands like Uniqlo, Zara, and Urban Outfitters have launched lines with a sustainable veneer: collections made with recycled materials and sold alongside their standard, poorly made options. Ironically, while fast fashion brands claim to support refurbishment, reuse, and upcycling, the hundreds of tailors and seamstresses working in the market have actually achieved it.

The Keystone XL Pipeline, proposed more than a decade ago, has had multiple life cycles. Now that Biden has canceled Keystone XL, one head of the great regenerating oil snake is gone. But as with Keystone XL, the victory was short-lived because of Trump’s election. On the same day that he resurrected Keystone XL, Trump (more the “angel of dearth” than the “angel of death”) issued a memorandum to expedite the completion of DAPL. We are still here—as communities, tribes, Native nations, and individuals.

Support independent cartooning: join Sparky’s List—and don’t forget to visit TT’s Emporium of Fun, featuring the new book and plush Sparky!

Subscribe to The Nation Subscribe now for as little as $2 a month! For more from The Nation, check out our latest issueSubscribe to The Nation Subscribe now for as little as $2 a month! House minority leader Kevin McCarthy claims that “the Republican Party is the party of Lincoln…not nativist dog whistles.”Liar. “This weekend in Minnesota, Maxine Waters broke the law by violating curfew and then incited violence,” claimed McCarthy. An interviewer asked, “What should protesters do?”“Well,” said Waters, “we’ve got to stay on the street.

Contracts with ed tech vendors are often negotiated by university administrators and executives without faculty, student, or parent involvement. Other pre-pandemic studies suggest that these problems with ed tech exist at institutions across the country. Other platforms we explored defer FERPA compliance to an ed tech industry–branded student privacy pledge that intentionally skirts enforceable privacy requirements, leaving the potential for unfettered and unregulated surveillance. Such practices among both tech vendors and institutions show the need for greater scrutiny. Part of this is because the pandemic prompted an uptick in use, putting more student data at risk.

These farmers constitute the first documented case of internal displacement in Chile due to climate change, according to the United Nations. Many small farmers struggle to navigate the complex registration system that was created to keep track of water rights, Roco said. Araya, who advocates for small farmers’ water rights, said that the Huasco Valley was once green, covered with fruit trees and roaming cows. “We are clearly feeling the effects of climate change, because we live in a semiarid desert. And last month, the Chilean congress passed a bill to create a ministry to oversee the 43 institutions handling water rights.

Subscribe to The Nation Subscribe now for as little as $2 a month! For more from The Nation, check out our latest issueSubscribe to The Nation Subscribe now for as little as $2 a month! Back in 1976, Jimmy Carter’s consigliere, Charlie Kirbo, was delegated to vet the president-elect’s choices for the vice presidency. Every vice president since Mondale has had a desk down the hall from the Oval Office. Democrats probably regretted the elevation of the vice presidency only once, when George W. Bush made Dick Cheney an über vice president.

What borders do, Walia suggests, is theatrically deflect attention from whatever rot, hatred, or suffering is happening between the walls themselves, obscuring the source of a political shake-up. And while the world’s many walls may not be pulled down soon, Walia’s project clearly aims to do exactly that. HW: I don’t think they are necessarily always contradictory. I don’t think we can have an anti-war movement that isn’t connected with migration. I don’t think we can have an anti-capitalist movement that doesn’t tend with migration.

A report commissioned by his government on race declared institutional racism doesn't exist and tried to sanitize the experience of colonial slavery. | Stefan Rousseau / Pool via APLONDON—United Nations experts slammed the recent race report commissioned by Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party government in the U.K., warning that it attempts to “normalize white supremacy.”The U.N. Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent said it “categorically rejects and condemns” the findings of Johnson’s Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities (CRED). “It’s about time that the government acknowledged the responses to the report and withdrew it. 10 Downing Street office said the U.N. group “misrepresents the findings” of the CRED report.

Michael Sohn/APCHICAGO – Arab Americans here, like those across the country, have connections to 22 countries that are part of the Arab world. One issue of importance to the Arab community is how the U.S. Census Bureau identifies them. Although Arab Americans have been here for over a century, their right to identify as “Arab” is still denied by the U.S. Census Bureau. Rep. Newman has been contacted regarding the violation of human rights in Egypt but has not issued any official statements on it. The congressional Egypt Human Rights Caucus is being joined by increasing numbers of lawmakers, especially those who represent Arab-Americans.

| Charles Tasnadi / APThe Selective Service Repeal Act of 2021 (H.R. If passed, it would end draft registration and abolish the Selective Service System altogether. The Selective Service Repeal Act would repeal the Military Selective Service Act in its entirety and eliminate the presidential authority to order registration for a military draft. The same day the Selective Service Repeal Act was introduced in Congress, the Biden administration filed its brief in the Supreme Court asking the court not to consider a case challenging the constitutionality of the current Selective Service registration requirement. Urge them to co-sponsor the Selective Service Repeal Act (H.R.

Plastic pollution is everywhere, including in our bodies. Today, 40% of plastic goes into packaging, the largest component of plastic waste. In March, Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) and Representative Alan Lowenthal (D-California) introduced the Break Free from Plastic Pollution Act. It would require plastic manufacturers to deal with the tide of plastic waste and pollution that disproportionately harms low-income people of color. That’s yours.”It was a potent moment of symbolism for all of the plastic waste we are handing future generations.

Photographer Tomas Muscionico captures a moment of Americana on a trip through West Texas. Growing up in the Swiss Alps, America was a distant concept on the television screen. I remember watching the movie Bonnie and Clyde and enjoyed their highway chases and shootouts with the Texas Rangers. While shooting the feature story for this issue, my wife and travel partner, ThiAnh, drove from Las Vegas along I-10 into West Texas. ThiAnh made a honky-tonk Texas playlist, and Willie Nelson was playing when we passed this truck hauling a pristine vintage car.

Reconstructing the U.S. away from the systemic racism that Chauvin’s killing of Floyd last Memorial Day emphasized must continue, Trumka declared. By the time Chauvin rose, Floyd, 46, was unconscious and not breathing. “The Minnesota AFL-CIO is committed to building a more inclusive labor movement by listening to and elevating the voices of Minnesota’s Black union members as we work to reimagine public safety,” he added. “The Minnesota AFL-CIO and affiliated unions will continue our work to bring racial and economic justice to all workers in our state,” McCarthy said. The issue of police unions presents the federation with a dilemma, but it could also be an opportunity to contribute to the healing needed.

This photo essay celebrates Houston’s Black farmers who are busy tilling the soil and feeding the people. In recent years, Black farmers were also overlooked and undercompensated by the stimulus package put forth by President Trump. Despite the difficulties, the percentage of Black farmers nationally has increased slightly over the last 20 years. A new crop of Black urban farmers in Houston are continuing traditions and pioneering innovative solutions to address food insecurity, community sustainability, and nutritional wellness. This photo essay celebrates Houston’s Black farmers who are busy tilling the soil and feeding the people.

To embark on her journey, Greta takes time off from high school, usually accompanied by her father, Svante Thunberg, to attend a sort of worldwide graduate school in twenty-first century environmental studies. In Gda?sk, Poland, Greta meets with a climatologist to discuss the causes of extreme weather in Europe that trigger flash flooding and heatwaves. Her time among Northern Europe’s Indigenous people prompts Greta to remark: “The climate crisis is unfair. Greta Thunberg: A Year To Change the World also investigates technological innovations that have the potential to help avert the eco-doomsday that Greta fears is nearing. Greta learns that the use of enriched feed could reduce by 40 percent this major contributor to climate change.

The Chauvin trial is a resounding victory for racial justice and the principles of equal protection under the law that are enshrined in our Constitution but all too rarely achieved. Like many Americans, I closely followed the Chauvin trial on television. Along with countless other viewers of the Chauvin trial, I asked if the same sad history could possibly be repeated. For me, the turning point in the Chauvin trial did not come until after both sides had rested and the trial judge instructed the jury. During the trial, Floyd’s brother Philonise and Deborah Watts, a cousin of Emmett Till, met face-to-face in a moment of shared grief and hope.

The nuclear facility — widely believed to be the seat of Israel’s unacknowledged nuclear weapons program — is located in the Negev Desert community of Dimona, south of the Dead Sea. AdvertisementStory continues below advertisementThe IDF said it responded to the missile with retaliatory attacks against Syrian antiaircraft batteries. The Syrian state news agency SANA reported that Israeli war planes attacked facilities near the capital Damascus shortly after 1:30 a.m. AdvertisementStory continues below advertisementEarlier this month, Tehran vowed to retaliate after a suspected Israeli attack on Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility. Iranian officials said the attack involved an explosive device that caused a blackout at the facility and damaged centrifuges.

Story continues below advertisementJorge Loweree, policy director at the American Immigration Council, said the outlier was the Trump administration. The total number of detainers ICE issued. “ICE has issued 48,662 immigration detainers for fiscal year 2021, as of Apr. For the first two weeks of April, ICE arrests totaled 914. We will withhold a rating for Miller’s claim that the Biden administration is not issuing “the vast majority” of possible detainers.

“Weird Al” Yankovic posted a throwback video on Twitter this week to mark 40 years since his first appearance on national TV. Yankovic performed “Another One Rides The Bus,” a parody of Queen’s “Another One Bites The Dust,” on Tom Snyder’s “The Tomorrow Show” in 1981. Thanks to the late great Tom Snyder, and to @TheGreatBermuda, who is still banging on my accordion case to this day. https://t.co/MZlEGhuFax — Al Yankovic (@alyankovic) April 22, 2021Yankovic, of course, would become the world’s best-known song parodist, with a career that’s outlasted many of the performers he parodied. But in many ways, this was the moment that introduced Yankovic to a national audience:

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) seemed to admit Wednesday that she hasn’t read the climate change bill she wants to debate about with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.). After I finish reading all 14 pages, like we agreed, I’ll schedule time for our debate.#MTGvsAOC pic.twitter.com/viuH5Uj0oD — Marjorie Taylor Greene ?? (@mtgreenee) April 21, 2021Ocasio-Cortez has not responded to Greene’s persistent tweets about a debate. "All 14 pages" pic.twitter.com/Wn2YetyydM — Fiona Taylor (@fionaleslie) April 22, 2021Interesting how she's been attacking it so vigorously while apparently not even having read it. — Scott Fitton (@Scotty_Fit) April 22, 2021So you’ve been attacking it all this time without reading it — all 14 pages? All 14 pages of it?

India has now recorded the world’s highest number of new infections in a single-day period since the pandemic began, registering a mammoth 314,835 cases Thursday and 2,104 deaths. The case count Thursday surpasses a previous world record set by the United States earlier this year, when more than 313,000 infections were reported on Jan. 8, according to data compiled by The Washington Post. India now has nearly 16 million confirmed cases, second only to the United States, and a death toll of more than 184,000. The devastating wave has led to grim and chaotic scenes of bodies piling up at crematoriums, while patients struggle for beds at crowded coronavirus wards as oxygen supplies run low. On Wednesday, at least 22 covid-19 patients died at a hospital in the western part of the country after an oxygen tank leaked, disrupting supply.

This Thursday, April 22, is Earth Day, a day to pay tribute to what our planet has to offer and a time to reflect on our collective and individual efforts toward sustainability. This year marks the 51st anniversary since the first Earth Day in 1970. It is made from organic cotton and recycled polyester that comes from discarded plastic bottles, according to the brand. It also includes a Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)-certified organic cotton and GOTS-certified organic wool quilted cover for comfort. This Fleurette bandana is made of 100 percent GOTS-certified organic cotton.

Quetta, Pakistan (CNN) A car bomb blast outside a luxury hotel where the Chinese ambassador was reportedly staying in the southwestern Pakistani city of Quetta has killed four people and injured 12, according to local authorities. Quetta is the capital of the province of Balochistan, near the Afghan border. The explosion outside the Serena Hotel took place late Wednesday night local time and rescue and security services are carrying out investigations into the incident, Muhammad Akram, a rescue official at the scene of the blast, told CNN. The Serena Hotel is considered the most secure hotel in Quetta and is typically where international development teams and diplomats choose to stay while visiting. The car was parked in the parking lot of the Serena Hotel," said Balochistan provincial Home Minister Ziaullah Lango, according to Reuters.

Other Republican senators, who had previously supported billions of dollars in arms sales to the kingdom, now threatened to upend the entire American alliance with Saudi Arabia. From Maine to Iowa to Alaska, the Saudi ambassador began a campaign of courting Main Street America. In attendance were many prominent local business leaders such as Craig Hill of the Iowa Farm Bureau and Jay Byers, CEO of the Greater Des Moines Partnership. Later in October, the princess would speak to more than 50 local business leaders at the Alaska World Affairs Council. Creating Grassroots for a Gulf MonarchyThere’s a fairly simple pattern to the way the Saudi lobby has been wooing the states to woo Washington.

Dear Common Dreams Readers:Corporate media puts the interests of the 1% ahead of all of us. The corporate media and the billionaire class have controlled the narrative for way too long. In totalitarian countries, the government uses state media to manipulate public opinion and squash dissent. But Common Dreams is different. Please—no amount is too large or too small—pitch in to support our people-powered model and keep Common Dreams strong.

—RDP"Although the bar is low, Biden has proven to be the least captured and most public-oriented president of any of our lifetimes," says the report (pdf) from the Revolving Door Project (RDP). "Certainly compared to the Trump administration, which was the most corrupt in American history, Biden has fared incalculably better at limiting corporate influence over governance." RDP, a project of the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR), credits progressives for pressuring Biden to pick people who will serve in the public interest. As for the administration's "affection for public interest-minded stakeholders," RDP gave Biden a B+ for labor, a B for civil rights, and a B- for the "progressive movement." In addition to releasing the report, RDP joined Demand Progress Education Fund as well as Action Center on Race and the Economy (ACRE) for a Wednesday event on Biden's first 100 days.

"Now he must do the same with Line 3, the Dakota Access pipeline, and all new fossil fuel projects." @TheClimateClock is traveling to the @WhiteHouse with a petition demanding @POTUS and world leaders stop all fossil fuel projects, starting with #ShutdownDAPL and #StopLine3. "Biden and world governments must drastically increase emission reduction targets to limit global warming to 1.5°C," the group added. "To do that, they must keep fossil fuels in the ground, including by stopping all new fossil fuel projects." However, climate campaigners quickly countered that such a target isn't nearly ambitious enough to successfully address the climate emergency.

Several months ago, during the Trump nightmare years, I changed the image banner for the Daily Kos community group for Star Trek fans. So for the Star Trek fans group, I decided on an image of the USS Excelsior, NX-2000, in a sort of silhouette, sized just shy of 300 by 115 pixels, to be the group banner image. But before doing any of that, I should revisit the Star Trek fans group banner image: 1280 by 360 is half a 720P HD image. So that’s the specific question for this open thread: What do you think about the Star Trek fans group banner image? And more generally, what do you think about group banner images on Daily Kos?

The CDC reports that total vaccinations since December reached almost 216 million yesterday. Worldwide Vaccinations Approach 1 Billion www.bloomberg.com/… The biggest vaccination campaign in history is underway. More than 944 million doses have been administered across 170 countries, according to data collected by Bloomberg. The latest rate was roughly 15.9 million doses a day. hidrb.comvaccinefinder.org/…How are vaccinations going in your state and county?

Right-wing says Chauvin jury was bullied into the verdict of Guilty, Guilty, Guilty. The Chauvin verdict is the exception, not the rule. Renewed push for police reform in wake of Chavin trial. 200 vaccines given in ninety-two days. Biden well ahead of what he promised his constituents when he ran.

The gentleman from Louisiana would like to compare U.S. police to the world’s Islamic communities. His comment demonstrates a deep misunderstanding of the differences between the two. He speaks as if all Muslim people carry guns and are empowered to take lives. Murders performed by jihadists are always illegal, wherever they occur; whereas, most deaths caused by police in the U.S.A. are shielded from scrutiny. Human life should not be taken over such minor things as cigarette tax stamps, counterfeit bills, or simply being afraid.

Clovid-19It looks like the US may finally be turning a corner in the Covid-19 pandemic. Only a handful of states are still showing an increase in weekly new cases at this point, and vaccination rates are now approaching the level where a significant new outbreak is becoming ever less likely. Even Michigan appears to be past its recent peak, though the same cannot yet be said about Canada. Note that at least a couple of states (Alaska and Oklahoma in particular) have gotten somewhat funky in reporting their fatality data, saving up a week’s worth or more of deaths to be dumped onto a single day. US States & Canadian Provinces: Apr 14-20 Deaths 7-Day D/1M 7-Day Deaths Weekly Change Change fr Max Cases 7-Day C/1M 7-day Cases Weekly change Change fr Max Tests %Pos Doses /100 Canada USA MI NJ AK MT NY GA WV PA KY FL MD DC DE AL PR CA VT MS VA RI TX CT IL SC NC NV ID MN AZ ON ND IA LA AR TN MO NM ME MA NH IN OH QC WA NE CO OK KS SK SD MB AB WI BC UT WY OR HI NS NB NL NN 8.5 15.9 42.9 29.4 26.0 24.4 23.8 23.6 23.5 22.7 22.1 19.0 17.9 17.0 16.4 15.5 15.0 14.7 14.4 14.1 13.9 13.2 13.2 12.9 12.9 12.8 12.6 12.3 12.3 12.2 12.1 12.1 11.8 11.4 11.0 10.9 10.8 10.6 10.5 10.4 10.3 10.3 10.0 9.9 9.1 8.4 7.8 7.5 7.1 6.9 6.8 6.8 6.6 6.2 4.8 4.8 4.1 3.5 3.3 2.1 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 321 5,277 429 261 19 26 463 250 42 291 99 408 108 12 16 76 51 579 9 42 119 14 382 46 163 66 132 38 22 69 88 175 9 36 51 33 74 65 22 14 71 14 67 116 77 64 15 43 28 20 8 6 9 27 28 24 13 2 14 3 1 0 0 0 28% 1% 37% 7% 1800% -47% -4% -19% 5% 25% 29% 22% 2% 9% -20% 9% 96% -12% 125% -9% 13% 75% -21% 5% 7% -22% 14% -10% -15% -5% -19% 41% 80% 64% -37% 65% 35% 10% -19% 100% -7% 75% -19% -34% 40% 52% -38% -14% 2800% 150% -43% -33% 0% 35% -33% -8% -46% 0% -26% -25% 100% -100% -100% -100% -74% -78% -60% -88% -42% -79% -93% -74% -84% -81% -73% -69% -75% -86% -87% -93% -50% -86% -55% -88% -92% -91% -84% -94% -87% -91% -82% -88% -84% -86% -93% -60% -94% -94% -89% -89% -92% -90% -91% -83% -94% -85% -91% -89% -90% -74% -93% -94% -93

No subject, just some music. Kitchen Table Kibitzing is a community series for those who wish to share a virtual kitchen table with other readers of Daily Kos who aren’t throwing pies at one another. Drop by to talk about music, your weather, your garden, or what you cooked for supper…. Newcomers may notice that many who post in this series already know one another to some degree, but we welcome guests at our kitchen table and hope to make some new friends as well.

You don’t have to be reading a book to come in, sit down, and chat with us. Sometimes they will send some to me in return, but I ask them to just send recommendations, since I’m trying to make room for what I already own. Once I got to the front of the autograph line, I congratulated Mr. Elwes for his solid acting in a movie called Comic Book Villains. “Comic books and publications about comics creators and creations have been with me for a long time, and I’m far from being done with this subject. Are you able to own books without books owning you?

A fitting children's book for understanding standardized testing during the pandemic. High-stakes standardized tests are mandated by the federal government, supposedly to monitor student progress. Last year states did not have to test students because of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to NYSUT President Andy Pallotta “In a year that has been anything but standard, mandating that students take standardized tests just doesn’t make sense. No-stakes standardized tests in the midst of a global pandemic are ridiculous.

The recent shooting of Ma'Khia Bryant predictably prompted diaries on this site implying, and expressly stating, that the police acted wrongfully. By shooting Bryant, the police officer appears to have saved the life of Bryant’s intended victim. Sometimes they are required to use deadly force in these encounters. The majority of police in our country have neither shot anyone, nor had the opportunity to cover up another officer’s shooting. C. “He should have used a taser” Tasers are not the appropriate weapon for situations where the use of deadly force is legally justified.

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) April 21, 2021x More than a third of U.S. adults are fully vaccinated, according to President Biden. https://t.co/qe3Ji1MRKe — Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) April 21, 2021VANITA GUPTAx The Senate has voted to advance the nomination of Vanita Gupta to serve as Associate Attorney General, 51-49. — Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) April 21, 2021SEN. ELIZABETH WARRENx Sen. Elizabeth Warren wants one of her biggest critics to face lawmakers next week. https://t.co/lzDCBFNz6U — Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) April 21, 2021x Republican Gov. https://t.co/icWzda3JGs — Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) April 21, 2021LOS ANGELES

Tuesday, April 20, evening update: Mumia called his wife Wadiya, had a good conversation, and Wadiya says that he sounds strong! Tuesday, April 20, morning update: We just heard from the medical attorneys that Mumia is recovering well from the surgery. Mumia is getting minimal oxygen and one IV which is a good sign. We have not yet heard from Mumia but we expect he will be able to call his family today. "The use of shackles during his hospital stays is deplorable, and causes Mr. Abu-Jamal additional and unnecessary suffering," said the experts.

Senator Ron Wyden’s (D. OR) re-election campaign:x It’s past time to end the federal prohibition of cannabis. — Ron Wyden (@RonWyden) April 21, 2021I've been asked a lot lately about finally ending the federal government's failed war on cannabis. It's not just enough to end the federal prohibition on cannabis. We also need to restore the lives of each and every person who has been hurt by this failed war on drugs. Please sign the petition urging President Joe Biden and Congress to end the failed prohibition on cannabis right now.

It's turning out to be Policing Week on The BradCast for some odd reason...even as a police helicopter circled above our studio here in L.A. for most of today's show. Or citizens who don't have the power of the New York Times or the AP or other news organizations to tell their story? If they're doing this to reporters, what they're doing to regular citizens is almost certainly going to be worse." But, as that promise was met, Biden is preparing to unleash an even more ambitious goal on Earth Day tomorrow, according to AP. Of course, that also means that fossil fueled wingnut heads are already exploding in the Republican Party and at Fox "News".

I tried to hold it back, but for just a moment I thought that maybe, at last, a turning point had been reached. I did, for a brief moment, think that might happen. There are people out there who have already noticed that the guilty verdict came about because bystanders didn’t just stand by. Many have also already taken notice that the guilty verdict happened because of stellar prosecution. We’re keeping on keeping on.

Welcome To Woozle WednesdayWelcome to Woozleville, our little doggie-designated corner at the PWB Peeps [that’s Pooties (cats), Woozles (dogs), Birdeez (duh), and us Peeps of course]. And of course woozles (and most critters, really) don’t pay as much attention to the passing days of the week as their Peeps might. Nevertheless, Humpday and Woozle Wednesday have arrived and some of the doggies (and yours truly, the dog chronicler) have been caught off guard. Humpday Rescues Woozle WednesdayThe canines of Woozleville and their critter friends have rallied and come to the rescue again. PWB Peeps posts two diaries a day for animal lovers: a daytime diary at 1:45 pm Eastern and a nightly open thread at 10 pm Eastern.

We’re stuck with the fact that, even though we all saw the murder on video, there was still reason to worry that he would be acquitted. Here at Top Comments we welcome longtime as well as brand new Daily Kos readers to join us at 10pm Eastern. If you see a comment by another Kossack that deserves wider recognition, please send it either to topcomments at gmail or to the Top Comments group mailbox by 9:30pm Eastern. On to Top Comments! Top mojo, courtesy of mik:Picture quilt, courtesy of jotter:

Universal prekindergarten follows on and in some cases comes in the same settings as earlier child care. Investment in universal prekindergarten and child care should also include improved wages and benefits for the sorely underpaid workers—overwhelmingly women, many of them women of color—in the industry. Paid family leave is critical. The Families First Coronavirus Response Act included a temporary emergency paid family and medical leave provision, but U.S. workers and families need something more, something not temporary. Once again, the Biden administration is getting ready to propose a package of desperately needed investments in families, in children, in the workforce.

The private prison profiteer has already filed a lawsuit against another state for enacting similar legislation, suing California over its ban last year. While a judge largely upheld the law in a major loss for GEO Group, it’s now being appealed. “If this law takes effect, ICE would simply have to transfer individuals a greater distance from their arrest location to other facilities outside the state,” ICE warned in 2019. ICE jails the vast majority of its detainees—80% of detained immigrants, according to United We Dream—in for-profit facilities like Tacoma. ICE wastes massive amounts of cash even when beds go empty, adding to the case for ending for-profit contracts altogether.

This proposed “debate” between Marjorie Taylor Greene and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez should generate plenty of charitable pay-per-view revenues. Last week, Georgia GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene publicly challenged fellow congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (D-NY) to a debate on the Green New Deal. x I’m glad I ran into you today @AOC to plan our debate about the Green New Deal. — Marjorie Taylor Greene ?? (@mtgreenee) April 14, 2021The debate would be on a major news network negotiated between the two, Greene said. thehill.com/...x I’m still waiting for you to accept my challenge to debate about The Green New Deal economic policy.

Hong Kong Images 2014The San Francisco region, San Jose northward through San Francisco county, has an extraordinary presence of people of Asian ancestry In comparison with the rest of the US, Except for Honolulu (which has more than a 50% Ethnic Asian population), no other area even comes close to the Asian presence here. For many Asian constituencies, mask wearing is completely ordinary. Like many residents of the city, I was completely habituated to seeing people wearing masks as utterly ordinary. When wearing a mask became an act of community protection, there was an almost effortless transition from seeing masks to wearing masks. The look of masks, perhaps the symbolism of constraint, or fear of the new, I can’t fully hypothesize what all the reasons are for not wearing masks for many people.

Senator Richard Blumenthal’s (D. CT) re-election campaign:Last week, horrid gun violence once again ripped through our communities and senselessly took more innocent lives. After each deadly shooting in this country, my Republican colleagues offer "thoughts and prayers" – then turn around and obstruct the commonsense gun safety reforms that would actually save lives. But as long as the filibuster exists, Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans will be able to stop every bill in its tracks. With lives depending on our ability to make progress, can I count on you to sign the petition now? This is the only way Democrats can pass the long overdue gun safety reforms we need to save lives from the mass shootings that are plaguing our country.

This Vent Hole (hereafter known as IVH), if lost or stolen will not be replaced nor will the purchase price be refunded. Violation of IVH Rules will result in expulsion without a refund. A copy of IVH Rules can be obtained from one or more members wearing tie dyed oxford shirts after submitting a written request. Good for her, student teaching online is not ideal, so she gets some classroom experience. Stuffx YouTube Videox YouTube Videox YouTube Videox YouTube Videox YouTube Video

I have been engaged in a little power play with Lil Zen. If you are going to be away from your computer for a day or a week, let us know here. We all share the publishing duties, and we welcome everyone who reads IAN to write diaries for the group! The argument that it was for me usually works and it did here but I have to stop using that NOW! But I have vowed to myself to let up, let go, let her do her.

Photo of coho salmon courtesy of Monterey Bay Salmon and Trout Project. Having lost their hatchery habitat during the CZU Lightning Complex Fire, endangered young Southern Coho salmon, known as smolts, are being released to the wild by the Monterey Bay Salmon and Trout Project (MBSTP), Davenport based 501(c)3. “Now, 14 months old, these smolts will take part in the Coho salmon migration to the sea. MBSTP’s carefully curated genetic diversity program is nationally recognized and credited with sparing the Southern Coho from extinction. Without sufficient support, the Southern Coho Salmon will become extinct within the next three years” states Mat Rowley, MBSTP Board Chair.

I am pledging not to patronize businesses in Florida. I also won’t send money to Florida from out of state. But I pledge here and now to support any business, even Walmart, that shutters their stores in Florida. But if all Americans of good conscience withhold their money from Florida businesses, we can effect change. When Florida sees the light and repeals this abominable law, we can move on to the new worst state.

Since 2007, the Overnight News Digest has been a nightly, community series chronicling the day’s news and the American dystopia. Biden needs Asia’s help to meet climate goals, but is it ready to give up coal? […] Though many countries rely on coal for power, the Biden administration is focusing on China, Japan and South Korea because of their global influence. More people were diagnosed with Covid-19 last week than any other since the pandemic began. The vice president, according to her spokesperson, Symone Sanders, will discuss relief for Guatemala with Giammattei and ways to deepen cooperation with his government on migration.

A cat sanctuary in Idlib, Syria. Welcome to MF Daily(Formerly know as Mojo Friday’s Weekly Open Thread — MFWOT)All are welcome to hang out and share what is happening in your life today.

They could rule that the individual mandate itself is unconstitutional without an actual mandate penalty attached to it, but that it’s completely severable from the rest of the ACA. This is the key to the entire case as well as the defense: The plaintiffs claim that the ACA can’t possibly function without the penalty...and yet here we are. They could rule that the entire aca is unconstitutional and strike the entire law down. Basic Health Plan coverage for nearly a million people in Minnesota and New York: GONE. Well, there’s three things they could do to #MootTheSuit...but each would be problematic for different reasons:a) Pass a simple bill changing the federal mandate penalty to an amount higher than $0.00.

Now, the city of Norfolk has fired Kelly, formerly the No. Actually, here was the full note: “You’ve done nothing wrong. And if you’re a white kid, you can jog down the street while conspicuously toting an assault rifle, shoot at people, and somehow not end up dead. It’s weird how so many cops discover patience and forbearance when it’s a white kid with a very large gun instead of a Black kid with a cellphone. Thanks to Goodbye, Asshat: 101 Farewell Letters to Donald Trump, Dear F*cking Lunatic, Dear Pr*sident A**clown and Dear F*cking Moron, you can purge the Trump years from your soul sans the existential dread.

As natural gas began to compete with coal for power production, it drove mines toward ever greater efficiency. Plans for new coal power plants were canceled. In fact, Kemper’s costs were so high that they ran out of funding before they got around to even building the proposed carbon capture facility. The truth is, coal power is simply too expensive. If the government pays to create a coal power plant with carbon capture as a demonstration facility, it will be a one-off dinosaur, pointless well before construction.

Another questionable shooting of a minority youth, this time in Chicago, and this time it’s 13 year old Adam Toledo.

Vanita GuptaIn today's news: Another historic Biden nominee receives Senate confirmation. Far-right extremists and Tucker Carlson (but I repeat myself) are outraged by a jury's conviction of George Floyd's killer. Facebook continues to get people killed, this time through the promotion of con artists, vaccine hoax-crafters, and conspiracy theorists using the social network to disparage pandemic safety for self-promotion and to sell their own (fake) products.

Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama %282015-09-29%29 04. During the call, Biden proposed a summit between the two in the near future. Writing in the Wall Street Journal, Russian chess legend and political exile Garry Kasparov denounces the idea: "A summit? In 1958, British prime minister Harold Mcmillan, paraphrasing predecessor Winston Churchill, held that "jaw-jaw is better than war-war." Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin need to have a long, serious talk.

1960s Advertising - Magazine Ad - Handi Wrap (USA)(Image by ChowKaiDeng from flickr) Details DMCAScientists have created edible food wrap made from algae and cinnamon compounds for packaging produce, bakery, poultry, meat, and seafood. Designed to replace one of the most un-recycled materials on the planet, the wrap consists of natural ingredients that are safe for the environment and humans. The research, which was published in the Journal of Food Engineering, describes three types of food films based on the well-known naturally occurring seaweed biopolymer sodium alginate—a compound found within the cell walls of brown algae.

By the 1990s it had become an international celebration, and on Earth Day 2020, over 100 million people around the world observed the 50th anniversary in what is referred to as the "largest online mass mobilization in history." The holiday was originally suggested by peace activist John McConnell who proposed using the spring equinox as a day to honor the Earth and the concept of peace. Denis and his staff quickly developed the event beyond the original idea for a teach-in, and the first Earth Day was born. My high school art teacher heard about it and encouraged students to make artwork to celebrate the occasion. On the same day in April 1970, iconic striptease artist, Gypsy Rose Lee, died in Los Angeles and Melania Knavs (later, Trump) was born in Yugoslavia.

From Smirking ChimpWe've been in Afghanistan 20 years, Joe Biden's generals told him. Unlike the Brookings authors I'm more optimistic about Afghanistan without U.S. occupation forces than with them. The rural-based Taliban are like the sea, an inevitable force waiting to pour in. The Taliban, or more precisely the neo-Taliban who have replaced them, are more moderate because they operate in a modernized environment. Were the Taliban to return to national power, life in most of Afghanistan wouldn't change.

Duluth, Minnesota (OpEdNews) April 21, 2021: Harvard's fashionable scholar Louis Menand IV (born in 1952) studies the American intellectual and artistic elite during the Cold War in his new 850-page 2021 book The Free World: Art and Thought in the Cold War (New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux). Menand's book is an accessible tour de force that is over-flowing with colorful biographical portraits of persons from the twentieth century. For a variety of reasons, I am interested in the prestige culture in American culture during the Cold War, which is why I am interested in Menand's new book. (dated April 11, 2021):Click HereNow, my favorite scholar is the unfortunately unfashionable American Jesuit Renaissance specialist and cultural historian Walter J. Ong (1912-2003; Ph.D. in English, Harvard University, 1955) in English at Saint Louis University (SLU), the Jesuit University in St. Louis, Missouri. See Menand's helpful "Index" (pages 817-857) for other specific page references to King (page 837) and Fromm (page 830).

Prisoners work in the Louisiana governor’s mansion and inmates clean up after Louisiana State University football games as well. In the Louisiana capitol, inmates also perform small tasks for legislators like grabbing lunch for them. Inmates working in the governor’s mansion in Missouri recently got a small pay raise to $1.25 an hour to make about $10 per day. Inmates working at the governor’s mansion were also employed as a cost-saving measure. Takei said prisoners working in the governor’s mansion or the capitol building are caught between a rock and a hard place.

Japan announced on April 13 that it intends to dump 1.25 million tonnes of radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the Pacific Ocean, beginning in approximately two years. Tokyo claimed that the water would only be dumped after it had been treated to remove harmful radioactive isotopes. The government and TEPCO said that without consent from the fishing communities, they won’t discharge the contaminated water. “If Japan releases radioactive water, there is no guarantee that we will not eat radioactive fish. Workers should demand oversight over the clean-up of the Fukushima plant in accordance with scientific advice and not allow the capitalist class, which caused the disaster in the first place, to remain in control.

Some 2,700 individuals responded, 87 percent of them (pre-pandemic) museum staff in the US. Forty-three percent of museum workers as a whole saw their income fall by an average of 31 percent over the course of 2020. The demands for greater and greater “sacrifice” on the part of museum workers and staff will continue. The contention of organizations such as Museum Workers Speak that enrolling museum workers in the SEIU or AFL-CIO member unions will improve their conditions and lives is false and dangerous. The notion that the central problem facing museum workers is the legacy “of colonial and racialized violence, and white supremacy broadly” in “disproportionately white and white-led institutions,” as Museum Workers Speak claims, is utterly pernicious and the greatest possible gift to the ruling elite.

Intensive care units (ICU) have already been working at their limits for months and are now overcrowded. In the Attica region of Athens alone, 48 seriously ill coronavirus patients must currently be ventilated outside an intensive care unit because there are not enough intensive care beds. Dozens of patients with other illnesses who need ventilators are also not given an intensive care bed. Nikos Kapravelos, the head of the intensive care unit at Papanikolaou Hospital in Thessaloniki, described the situation last week as a “nightmare,” saying there was no more capacity. Based on information from the Greek Intensive Care Association in January and February, out of 51 COVID ICUs surveyed, 40 fall short of government requirements in staffing levels, according to iMEdD.

Workers at Coles’ Smeaton Grange distribution centre in south-western Sydney have told the World Socialist Web Site that 96 of their colleagues have been made redundant since the warehouse re-opened in early March. They are among the 350 workers who were recently subjected to a 14-week company lockout that ended in betrayal at the hands of the United Workers Union (UWU). The refusal of the UWU to provide strike pay during the protracted lockout forced many of the Smeaton Grange workers to seek alternative employment. All up, some 2,200 Coles workers face the scrapheap. The speed with which they shut down the dispute was a response to the Smeaton Grange lockout, where the UWU’s perfidious role provoked widespread opposition.

Germany’s Greens will participate in the federal election on 26 September with Annalena Baerbock as their candidate for chancellor. Baerbock and Habeck took the final decision in a one-on-one meeting, and concealed it from party committees, the party membership, and the public. Revealingly, Baerbock and Habeck did not criticise the Grand Coalition’s policies at their press conference. But we can’t avoid the issue.”On refugee policy, Baerbock also supports the strategy of sealing borders pursued by the Grand Coalition and European Union (EU). The naming of Baerbock as chancellor candidate underscores that there is no electable alternative for the working class among the established parties.

After 42 days of strike action, British Gas was able to enforce its contracts including a 15 percent pay cut by the April 14 deadline. According to the BBC, 500 workers had refused to sign by the time the deadline expired, but this was based on assertions by British Gas. Their comment on April 14 again insisted, “After British Gas sackings, unions must shift now.”Socialist Worker article, "After British Gas sackings, unions must shift now"This is a “shift” that must be brought about by membership pressure. Other unions with members in different sections at British Gas should have come out in solidarity with the engineers. However, once again the British Gas dispute is presented as a potential lever for a campaign to “democratise” and transform the GMB into a fighting organisation.

As Putin was speaking to the nation on Wednesday, press reports emerged that Kiev is moving tank divisions and military brigades towards the Crimean border. Where this red line is, we will determine ourselves in every concrete instance,” stated the Russian president. Putin denounced efforts to overthrow the Russian-allied government of Alexander Lukashenko in Belarus and kill the head of state and his family. Prime Minister Mishustin officially made $260,800 (20 million rubles) and his wife an additional $834,560 (64 million rubles). The Minister of Industry and Trade, Denis Manturov, saw a 27 percent rise in his income to almost $2 million (154 million rubles).

As the Sri Lankan government prepares to ram its Colombo Port City Economic Commission Bill through parliament, several opposition parties have launched a campaign claiming that the proposed measure will pave the way for a “Chinese colony” in Sri Lanka. The Colombo Port City project [Credit: China Communications Construction Company]The petitioners claim that it violates the constitution. The Colombo Port City (CPC), constructed by the China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) with a $US1.4 billion loan from Beijing, is the largest single investment in Sri Lanka so far. The Port City SEZ, without even these nominal restraints on brutal exploitation, will be used as a model to suppress the rights of workers across the country. China’s Defence Minister General Wei Fenghe is scheduled to visit Sri Lanka at the end of this month.

Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias (Wikimedia Commons)The state of alarm is the juridical mechanism allowing regional governments to impose coronavirus health measures such as lockdowns, curfews and mobility restrictions. The lifting of this measure on May 9 will inevitably lead to a further escalation of infections and deaths in Spain, since the pandemic is far from under control. None of this, however, could be gleaned from the coverage of the ending of the state of alarm in the CRT’s online publication, Izquierda Diario. The CRT’s anti-lockdown position makes them complicit in the reactionary and murderous policies of the PSOE-Podemos government. In this they are in full agreement with the PSOE-Podemos government, for whose policies they seek to provide “left” cover.

Carter and Mondale—with Mondale serving as an unusually influential vice president—established the first Democratic administration in a half-century that broke with New Deal liberalism. The Farmer-Labor Party (FLP) had been established in the 1920s and became so successful that it reduced the Democratic Party to third-party status in the state. The predominance of Minnesota liberals in the Democratic Party over the next four decades is extraordinary. His campaign was thoroughly undermined, however, by the overall shift to the right in the Democratic Party. In this, his final major political intervention, Mondale acted as always as a representative of American imperialism, demonstrating once again the role of Democratic Party liberalism.

The campaign against the Police Bill organised by these elements is therefore a political fraud, epitomised by the central lie and political conceit that the Bill is opposed by the trade unions and Labour Party. The reality is that Labour and the unions have organised nothing against the Bill. This is despite their acknowledging the role of the trade union bureaucracy in attempting to sabotage the Kill the Bill protests in the early 1970s. A universal feature of the Kill the Bill protests is the virtual absence of representation from the trade unions and Labour Party. On the Overseas Operations Bill, Labour abstained on its second reading before registering a formal vote against at its last reading—knowing it would pass anyway.

Unsurprisingly, district and union demands to resume in-person instruction with rigid cohorts and an intensified cleaning schedule has brought out opposition among school staff. After the overwhelming support to authorize a strike, SEIU 1021 initially called a limited two-day strike for April 22 and 23. School staff received support from rank-and-file teachers who pressured SCTA into preparing a sympathy strike. The rush to throw open California’s schools brought on by AB86 was praised by the California Teachers Association and California Federation of Teachers. We urge all school staff, teachers, parents and students in Sacramento and throughout the region to join and help build this committee today .

A worker at the Faurecia auto parts plant in Saline, Michigan says he was subjected to harassment and victimized after blowing the whistle on unsafe management practices on a line manufacturing airbags. When he appealed to his union, the United Auto Workers, he encountered a corrupt organization that has been thoroughly integrated into company management. The company and the union responded by distributing paper masks and bringing portable toilets to the line. Management went through line by line saying: “We don’t need that many people over there. Lamont was in charge of the line and felt keenly responsible for the safety of future passengers who would depend on the critical parts.

The International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) in Australia and New Zealand is holding an online public meeting this Saturday at 4pm (AEST) to discuss the mounting threat of a US-led war against China. Speakers will trace the war drive to its roots in the deepening breakdown of global capitalism, expressed most sharply in the coronavirus pandemic, and will outline the socialist and internationalist perspective that must guide the emerging struggles of the working class against war. To register and participate, follow this link:https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_6EqC01BKRWulBQhXDg8q5QIn this video, IYSSE members and supporters condemn Australia’s central role in the US war drive, and speak on the need for an international anti-war movement. Oppose the US-led war drive against China!

Instead, everything was done to isolate the strike and limit it to the university campus, with the effect of wearing down the graduate students. While the three reform caucus members on the BC voted “no,” they have done everything to prevent a break by graduate students from the union, claiming that graduate students could still advance their interests within this rotten organization. For months, the GSOC-UAW has delayed the strike so that it would not coincide with the strike at Columbia. With only days left before the April 26 strike deadline at NYU, graduate workers and students must draw far-reaching lessons from the experience at Columbia. A successful struggle by graduate students for their interests requires an organizational and political break with the trade unions.

The continued dysfunction of Canada’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout threatens to contribute to ever greater deaths as a third wave of the pandemic—driven by new, more contagious and lethal variants—surges across the country. Canada’s Chief Medical Officer Theresa Tam has admitted that the spread of the disease is outpacing the vaccine rollout. Earlier this month, Public Services and Procurement Minister Anita Anand promised a surge in vaccine supplies that would help boost vaccination rates. All of Canada’s vaccine supplies are imported from abroad, from the United States, Europe and India. Questions surrounding the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, which have been exacerbated by geopolitical rivalries and ruthless competition to control the market for coronavirus vaccines, have compounded Canada’s vaccine debacle.

Meanwhile, a crowd had gathered in the area to mourn Brown, protest the police shooting and document the crime scene. The shooting occurred Tuesday, only 20 minutes before a guilty verdict was announced in the trial of Derek Chauvin for the killing of George Floyd. It did not say who fired the gun.” Police then fired twice, and Wilson was apparently hit by friendly fire. In the bodycam footage, Hopp encounters Garner walking in the grass along the side of a road on her way home. I have to use force to safely detain her.”The witness asked Hopp for his supervisor’s name.

Yesterday, India, a country with a population of 1.366 billion people, reported the highest number of COVID-19 cases ever seen across the globe by a single nation. The United States had set the previous record on January 8, 2021, with 307,581 COVID cases during its horrific winter surge. Worldwide, 144.4 million cases of COVID-19 have been reported, with over 3 million deaths. Globally, a new one-day high of more than 871,000 new COVID-19 cases was also reported. The seven-day moving average of new COVID cases has reached a new high with over 790,000 infections each day and continues to climb.

“The moment requires a greater effort at national unity, with a focus on fighting the pandemic and supporting vaccinations. The pandemic in Brazil is spiraling out of control, with over 3,000 deaths a day. The devastating effects of the pandemic are compounded by a massive increase in unemployment, wage cuts, and a sharp reduction in the living standards of the Brazilian working class. The growth of mass popular opposition is already finding expression in a wave of strikes against workplace deaths and economic attacks suffered by the working class. Genuine opposition requires the mobilization of a mass movement of the Brazilian working class, organized independently of these parties and the unions, unified with the international working class, and based upon a socialist program for the overthrow of bourgeois rule and the establishment of a workers government.

There is no doubt that racism is a factor in many police killings, but it is not the racism of the entire society. By blaming “systemic racism” and “white supremacy,” the reality of capitalism and class oppression disappears. Those who appeal to “systemic racism” as the cause of police brutality cannot explain why the largest share of those killed by the police every year are white. They seek to obscure the class character of the opposition to police violence and undermine a class movement against police violence. As a social phenomenon, police violence does not emerge from “white supremacy” or “systemic racism”; it is fundamentally rooted in the capitalist order, which police departments were created to defend.

Amid mounting tensions in the Black Sea region, President Volodymyr Zelensky declared on Tuesday night that Ukraine is “ready” for war with Russia. On April 19, Ukraine and NATO-member Romania had conducted joint military exercises in the Black Sea. Russia just concluded its own military exercises in the Black Sea, involving 20 warships from the Black Sea Fleet and over 50 fighter jets. Within the Ukrainian press, the notion that the United States and NATO will militarily back Ukraine against Russia continues to be pushed. Zelensky himself was only elected in 2019 due to mass opposition to the former president’s rabidly anti-Russian policies and war mongering.

They’re all saying the same thing: We won’t be able to breathe until you’re able to breathe,” Floyd’s brother Philonese Floyd said at a news conference Tuesday. “France isn’t the United States, but France is becoming like the United States,” William Bourdon, a lawyer for the Chouviat family in Paris, said at a news conference last June. AdvertisementStory continues below advertisementIn the months after Floyd’s death, police were filmed using similar arrest tactics in Britain and Germany. But some countries could offer inspiration to those seeking police reform in the United States. AdvertisementBut while the world may not always like what it sees in the United States, it watches.

“I did a class act,” Ms. Storm told Portland’s Oregonian newspaper in 2014. “You haven’t seen stripping till you’ve seen Tempest,” Gayety Burlesk manager Abe Attenson told The Washington Post in 1966. Years earlier in Washington, Ms. Storm had met the young Kennedy, long before he was elected president in 1960. After the marriage, Ms. Storm had a daughter, then carried on with her career, much to Jeffries’s consternation. Throughout her career, Ms. Storm emphasized that she always left something to the audience’s imagination in her performances.

Return to Transcripts main pageCNN Transcripts for April 22, 2021Note: This page is continually updated as new transcripts become available. If you cannot find a specific segment, check back later.

Koji Sasahara/Associated PressThe International Olympic Committee announced that athletes who protest at the Tokyo Summer Olympics will be subject to punishment. Per the Associated Press, the IOC claimed it sent out a survey soliciting opinions from more than 3,500 athletes regarding demonstrations at the Games. It's unclear what punishments athletes would face at this time. Per Kirsty Coventry, a representative for athletes on the IOC board, a "proportionate" range of punishments would be enacted. The Olympics, which were delayed one year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, are scheduled to begin with the opening ceremony on July 23.

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated PressLeBron James is continuing to speak out against police violence toward the Black community after Columbus, Ohio officer Nicholas Reardon shot and killed 16-year-old Ma'Khia Bryant on Tuesday. In a series of tweets, James expressed the need for more accountability while pointing to the systemic nature of police killing Black people across the country. This came after James tweeted and then deleted an image of Reardon with the caption "YOU'RE NEXT," followed by an hourglass emoji and "#ACCOUNTABILITY." Bryant was killed around the same time the jury in Minnesota returned three guilty verdicts to Chauvin for second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Reardon shot four times at Bryant.

Hong Kong (CNN Business) The Australian government has canceled a Belt and Road agreement signed by China and the state government of Victoria, escalating trade and diplomatic tensions between Beijing and Canberra. Victoria — the country's second largest and wealthiest state — signed a memorandum of understanding on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) with the Chinese government in October 2018, the only government in Australia to sign up for Chinese President Xi Jinping's signature global infrastructure initiative. In a statement Wednesday night , Foreign Minister Marise Payne said the federal government had evaluated "more than 1,000" deals between Australia's states and territories and foreign governments. Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne talks to media during a press conference at Parliament on April 22 in Wellington, New Zealand. In total, four deals were canceled, two with China and one each with Iran and Syria, all signed by the Victorian government.

Rachel Maddow points out that even though the verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial was only yesterday, today there were three press conferences about deadly police shootings around the United States that were not related to George Floyd or even Daunte Wright, but were just part of the news on a Wednesday in America.

Rachel Maddow reports that despite significant resistance by Senate Republicans, Vanita Gupta was confirmed by a bipartisan majority to the number three position in the Department of Justice, with Senator Lisa Murkowski voting with Democrats.

A few things helped me unlearn that lesson, and continue to help me deal with high-drama people lovingly: (1.) a simple check-in to know if I am problem-solving or venting (with venting, I hear it as a story, not a problem) (3.) With one friend, I finally spelled it out — I wasn’t in a place to carry his guano. Once, I thought he was suicidal and dropped everything — and he didn’t even remember that conversation as significant in any way. Now he is very conscious of any emotional dumping, and I am very conscious of his needing to vent occasionally.

The game, which the Wizards won 118-114, didn’t deliver as clean a performance as you would have hoped. LeBron James may be the biggest star in the NBA, and his long injury recovery has dampened the season. AdvertisementBefore the game, Wizards Coach Scott Brooks said of Curry, “He’s a genius on the court.” Through the years, Brooks has learned all too well that there is really no defense Curry hasn’t seen. The Wizards didn’t necessarily fool him in this one, but they challenged him with an attention to detail that other teams haven’t managed, especially of late. The Wizards reopened the doors and invited in the hottest player in the NBA, only to douse him with water.

Now she plans to come here to visit a friend who lives near us. Story continues below advertisementThe fact that she will not be fully vaccinated really bothers me. Story continues below advertisementIs your sister-in-law planning to ignore all the travel guidelines that should apply to her? Story continues below advertisementMy cousin never called back to check on either my mom or our uncle. I am flabbergasted that she would have the audacity to send an invitation to family that she obviously cares so little about.

Dear Miss Manners: Is there a proper way to ask someone to repeat themselves? With acquaintances, I sometimes say, "I'm sorry; I didn't catch that. When said nicely, “What?” is not as rude as you think, but you could say, “I’m sorry, could you say that again?” But only if it won’t make you late for your next errand. New Miss Manners columns are posted Monday through Saturday on washingtonpost.com/advice. You can send questions to Miss Manners at her website, missmanners.com.

Much of the hearing zeroed in on Apple's treatment of app makers , largely because of Apple's closed ecosystem that prohibits the installation of iOS apps from anywhere but the Apple app store. Sine testified that on the eve of the hearing, Google contacted Match Group asking for an explanation of its coming testimony. Apple later responded to Spotify's claims of unfair retaliation — such as allegations that Spotify was denied promotional placement on the app store due to its criticism of Apple — by citing Spotify's immense business success. Apple is set to go to trial next month against Epic Games, the maker of the hit video game "Fortnite," in a closely watched case on app store fees. That still didn't make sense to Lee or to Sine, who argued that app store operators like Apple and Google "have essentially taken the internet and moved it into the app stores."

(CNN Business) The Justice Department has created a new task force dedicated to rooting out and responding to the growing threat of ransomware, according to an agency memo obtained by CNN Business. The new initiative follows what the memo describes as the worst year ever for ransomware attacks — incidents in which hackers seize control of victims' computers and refuse to unlock them until they receive a payment. The DOJ effort highlights how cybersecurity threats have become a major focus of the Biden administration, particularly following other recent high-profile network security incidents such as the Russian-backed SolarWinds hacking campaign and the Microsoft Exchange server vulnerabilities that Microsoft has attributed to Chinese hackers"Although the Department has taken significant steps to address cybercrime, it is imperative that we bring the full authorities and resources of the Department to bear to confront the many dimensions and root causes of this threat," Acting Deputy Attorney General John Carlin wrote to DOJ department heads, US attorneys and the FBI on Tuesday. The new task force will unify efforts across the federal government to pursue and disrupt ransomware attackers, according to the memo. Actions could include everything from "takedowns of servers used to spread ransomware to seizures of these criminal enterprises' ill-gotten gains," the memo continued.

MSNBC Contributor Brittany Packnett Cunningham joins Brian Williams to explain that a guilty verdict for Derek Chauvin doesn't mean 'the system' is working because that would mean that George Floyd would still be alive.

With two more police shootings grabbing national headlines and police reform activists still absorbing the impact of a guilty verdict in the Derek Chauvin murder trial, the Biden White House is pushing Congress to pass police reform legislation. Brian Williams discusses with Peter Baker, Brittany Packnett Cunningham, and CK Hoffler.

Actor and comedian Eric Andre said he was racially profiled by two law enforcement agents in an Atlanta airport Wednesday as he was preparing to board a plane. Several hours later, the Clayton County Police Department took responsibility for the interaction but denied Andre’s version of events. During the encounter, Mr. Andre voluntarily provided the investigators information as to his travel plans. @KeishaBottoms — Eric Andre (@ericandre) April 22, 2021The airport also issued a statement, noting that multiple law enforcement agencies at federal, state, county and local levels operate there. Tara Ziemba via Getty Images Eric Andre said he was in Atlanta to film his new movie.

The European Commission is getting ready to launch legal proceedings against vaccine producer AstraZeneca, according to five EU diplomats. One diplomat clarified that the point of the legal proceedings is to make it mandatory for AstraZeneca to provide the doses set out in its EU contract. Two of the diplomats said there was a deadline later this week, by which point EU countries must sign off on launching legal proceedings. By the end of the first quarter, the company delivered 30 million doses to EU countries, rather than the 100 million doses pledged in its EU contract. The shortages severely hampered the vaccination campaigns across EU countries.

Growing up in California’s Coachella Valley, the daughter of immigrant farmworkers, Elizabeth Esteban dreamed of going to Harvard. Her dream is coming true, with a full scholarship. Her message for others: “Don’t live a life regretting and questioning what if I did try.”

Professors Eddie Glaude and Melissa Murray join Lawrence O’Donnell to discuss Attorney General Merrick Garland’s investigation into potential patterns of misconduct in the Minneapolis Police Department. Glaude says Derek Chauvin’s guilty verdict only brings us to the “heart of the contradiction,” and Murray says the investigation is an important step, but there are limits to what the federal government can do because “most policing is quintessentially a local activity.”

Dr. Ashish Jha, the Dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, tells Lawrence O'Donnell that those fully-vaccinated may not have to worry about getting a booster shot until next year unless the coronavirus variants start causing a lot of breakthrough infections.

Should Covid-19 guidance be updated to allow people to skip wearing a mask in some outdoor settings? Brian Williams discusses that, plus the U.S. hitting 200 million vaccines administered, with MSNBC Medical Contributor Dr. Nahid Bhadelia.

A Southern California man accused of punching an elderly Asian couple in an unprovoked attack has been charged with hate crimes, the Orange County district attorney said Wednesday. After an attack on a Korean couple in a park Sunday, Michael Orlando Vivona, 26, of Orange, was surrounded by people until officers arrived and arrested him, according to Orange police. Vivona was charged with two felony counts of elder abuse and two felony counts of battery – hate crime causing injury, and he also faces two felony hate crime enhancements, District Attorney Todd Spitzer said in a statement. Kokumai the next day posted videothat showed a man threatening her, telling her to "go home" and using the words Chinese and "disgusting." The attacks come amid an increase in the number of anti-Asian hate crimes in some parts of the country.

Rachel Maddow reads the description of the actions of one pro-Trump rioter at the U.S. Capitol who not only literally threatened police but physically brutalized several of them, and yet did not suffer the fate of many Black Americans when they are perceived as a threat by police.

Rachel Maddow looks at new bills from state Republicans across the U.S. that aim to discourage protest by broadening the definition of riot, increasing punishments for protesters, and offering new protections to motorists who hit protesters. Florida State Senator Shevrin Jones joins to discuss Florida's leading role in the Republican attack on First Amendment assembly rights.

Live Covid-19 Live Updates: Reassurance on the Vaccine and Pregnancy From a New Study The Food and Drug Administration issued a highly critical inspection report for the plant that was forced to throw out up to 15 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The new study, which was published on Wednesday in The New England Journal of Medicine, is based largely on self-reported data from V-safe, the C.D.C.’s coronavirus vaccine safety monitoring system. They focused on 35,691 participants who said that they had been pregnant when they received the vaccine or became pregnant shortly thereafter. And there is not yet any data on pregnancy outcomes from people who were vaccinated during the first trimester of pregnancy. Annie Karni andAdvertisement Continue reading the main storyNew coronavirus cases around the world reached a new weekly record, according to the W.H.O.

But it seems increasingly clear that this is not the problem that is preventing the country from administering those last-mile vaccinations. At the same time, the gap between the number of vaccines distributed to states and the number of vaccines administered continues to grow. On April 13, the seven-day average of new doses given in total was 90 percent of the total of new vaccine doses distributed. On Jan. 20, when Biden took office, the problem was getting vaccines to the people who wanted them. Now, the problem is getting vaccines to the people who don’t want them, and who need to be vaccinated to get us that last mile to herd immunity.

“That was one of the wildest games I’ve coached,” the Wizards’ Scott Brooks said. That opened the lane up for hard drives from Westbrook, Beal and even Bertans, the three-point specialist who helped close the game from short range, for once. The trio had all but three of the Wizards’ 32 points in the fourth quarter. After a topsy-turvy night of energy, joy and loss, Brooks had one message for his streaking team: Focus on the next game. “I know we’ve won six in a row, but that has nothing to do with our next game,” Brooks said.

PoliticsWatch Harris's full remarks following guilty verdict in Chauvin trialVice President Harris on April 20 said “a measure of justice isn’t the same as equal justice,” following the guilty verdict of former police officer Derek Chauvin.

One of the largest reports on COVID-19 vaccination in pregnancy bolsters evidence that it is safe although the authors say more comprehensive research is needed. ’’Everyone, including pregnant women and those seeking to become pregnant, should get a COVID-19 vaccine. It also included reports on pregnancy complications from almost 4,000 women enrolled in a U.S. vaccine safety registry. In the vaccine registry, about 13% of pregnant women reported miscarriages, less than 1% stillbirths, 9% premature births and 2% birth defects. Those rates are all within the same range observed in reports in pregnant women before the pandemic.

Unfortunately, it’s unlikely to be a change that bodes well for global action on the climate front. All governments in Europe are to varying degrees in favor of developing a carbon border mechanism. Germany is no longer keen on implementing such a mechanism unilaterally. Climate campaigners will take heart in the fact that Brussels won’t take the adjustment mechanism off the table. Senior EU officials also argue that the mere threat of a border tax is already having an effect on global policies — the raison d’être of EU climate policy.

But he warned that the risk of carbon leakage "increases as the EU raises its climate ambition above that of its trading partners." Biden is expected to announce a new 2030 U.S. emissions goal this week, ahead of the climate summit of around 40 world leaders. That turns U.S. industry into a potential target of the EU’s trade measures. The White House has been sending urgent messages to the EU that it wants Brussels to put its CBAM policy in the deep freeze. If they feel discriminated by the EU's CBAM, it is unlikely they would wait for the WTO to decide whether the system is legal.

What both camps can agree on: A waiver by itself isn’t going to automatically help other manufacturers produce vaccines. Here’s the rundown of what you need to know:What is the waiver proposal and what would it do? Would passing the waiver allow more manufacturers to produce vaccines? In March, Rajinder Suri, CEO of the Developing Countries Vaccine Manufacturers Network, laid out the complexities at every step of the process, according to Health Policy Watch. Knowledge Ecology International has investigated this question, pulling together a spreadsheet of over 140 companies that currently manufacture vaccines and could potentially be drafted in to produce coronavirus vaccines.

Climate change is a defining challenge for our generation and a crisis multiplier. Leaders Summit on climate change, at the invitation of President Joe Biden and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. I expect NATO leaders to agree an action plan at the NATO summit this year. First, we need to better understand the link between climate change and our security, so we can better address it. In addition to aggravating crises across the globe, climate change also affects where and how we operate.

He chairs the advisory board of a German bank. As he racks up the business cards, Oettinger is pushing the EU’s revolving door laws to the limit — and finding the limit doesn’t really exist. As a member of the Juncker Commission, Oettinger held more meetings with lobbyists than any other commissioner or senior official, according to data gathered by Transparency International. He’s the advisory board chair for a Hamburg-based bank, Donner und Reuschel. He’s also on the advisory board for a Hamburg-based logistics company, HAM-LOG-GRUPPE.

Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-CA), chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, joins Lawrence O’Donnell to discuss the caucus’ meeting with President Biden and passing immigration reform in the Senate. Rep. Ruiz says, the president “truly, genuinely cares about Hispanic Americans … something we haven’t had in over four years.”

The House of Representatives passed legislation on Wednesday to prevent a president from ordering broad bans on travel into the U.S., a targeted attack on executive authority following former President Donald Trump’s ban on travel from mostly Muslim-majority nations. The chamber voted 218 to 208 in support of the bill, referred to as the No Ban Act, with one Republican joining all House Democrats. If enacted, it would limit the president’s ability to control immigration, place any travel bans under congressional oversight and mandate that they be temporary. Amid a prolonged legal battle, the White House was forced to amend the ban twice, and the Supreme Court upheld it by a vote of 5-4 in 2018. Biden had earlier promised to allow more than 60,000 refugees, and the White House has since walked back the restrictive number and said it would announce a new cap by mid-May.

Some students said his remarks and behavior were attempts to “groom” them for sexual encounters years later. Eve Peyton, 40, a former student who now works in publicity at a high school in New Orleans, said that Mr. Bailey raped her when she was a graduate student. In June 2003, she was a graduate student at the University of Missouri School of Journalism and engaged to be married. She and Mr. Bailey both happened to be visiting New Orleans at the same time and met for drinks. After he drove her to her father’s house, where she was staying, Mr. Bailey said he had “wanted her” since the day they met, when she was 12, Ms. Peyton said.

However, Dimona is some 300 kilometers (185 miles) south of Damascus, a long range for an errantly fired surface-to-air missile. But on Saturday, Iran’s hard-line Kayhan newspaper published an opinion piece by Iranian analyst Sadollah Zarei suggesting Israel’s Dimona facility be targeted after the attack on Natanz. Israel accuses Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons and has opposed U.S.-led efforts to revive the international nuclear deal with Iran. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly said Israel will not allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapons capability, and defense officials have acknowledged preparing possible attack missions on Iranian targets. It also says it does not address Iran’s long-range missile program and its support for hostile proxies in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza.

CNN's Jake Tapper reports that Afghans are trying to flee the country and come to the US because their lives are at risk after they worked for the US during the war.

How many Americans have received at least one dose of the Covid vaccine? And how do we compare to other countries? Steve Kornacki crunches the numbers.

Human remains have been found in Pennsylvania in a search related to the disappearance of an 18-year-old Amish woman missing for 10 months, the district attorney's office said Wednesday. Last summer, he was charged with kidnapping, and in December, he was charged with criminal homicide, the Lancaster District Attorney's Office said. The district attorney's office said the remains were found in a rural area in the eastern part of the county, which is southeast of Harrisburg. East Lampeter Township Detective Christopher Jones said DNA profiles recovered were insufficient to test. In March, a county judge ruled there was enough evidence to hold the trial for the homicide charge, according to the DA's office.

For the last two buckets, the White House is leaning on local leaders and non-political validators to reach them. But the White House concedes that a Democratic administration isn’t the best messenger for them or necessarily the moveable middle. Our goal isn’t to elevate us, it’s to get shots in arms,” a White House official said. “I think we've had too many instances of people saying, ‘Well, if you don't get this vaccine, you're just stupid’. Administration officials say they continue to be hopeful that over the long term, people will see the decision to pause the J&J vaccine as proof the system worked.

The Bayview plant was supposed to produce the bulk of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which received federal authorization for emergency use this year but only for doses made in the Netherlands. The regulators found that Emergent failed to thoroughly investigate that incident and performed only routine cleaning afterward. The inspectors, who examined security footage as part of their review, found that Emergent failed to consider whether one or more workers might have been the source of the contamination. Workers are supposed to change gowns and bootees and shower before crossing between the different manufacturing zones for Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca. The inspectors also said Emergent failed to consider whether using common storage containers for raw materials might have caused the contamination.

Republicans opposed both bills; just one of them, Representative Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, crossed party lines to support the No Ban measure. They argued that controls on immigration should be tightened, not relaxed, given the crush of migration through the southwestern border. “Are Democrats working to repair the crisis?” Representative Kevin McCarthy of California, the Republican leader, asked on the House floor Wednesday. No.”The bills face an uncertain future in an evenly split Senate, where a backlog of House-passed bills on immigration and other topics face steep obstacles. Amid court challenges, Mr. Trump later amended the ban, expanding it to include some countries that are not predominantly Muslim, such as North Korea.

In Arizona, Mr. Kavanagh, a committee chairman in the state House of Representatives, noted that Republicans’ bill to allow the Legislature to overturn certified presidential election results had never even been assigned to a committee. Neither was the proposed measure to repeal the permanent early voting list, which is how more than three million voters in Arizona get their ballots. Mr. Kavanagh said the list was “tremendously popular with Democrats, Republicans and independents,” and therefore made no sense to do away with. “But that part never got written, or was rarely covered in the newspapers,” Mr. Kavanagh said. This year in Florida, lawmakers introduced legislation to ban drop boxes, limit who can collect ballots for other voters and restrict access to people in voting lines, among other provisions.

Mr. Putin has good domestic political reasons to address economic and social issues, including the struggle with Covid-19 in Russia, given his sagging ratings and parliamentary elections five months away. That is one reason analysts don’t think Mr. Putin really intends any military action against Ukraine. This week, Mr. Zelensky declared that he was prepared to meet Mr. Putin at any time. Or Mr. Putin is trying to demonstrate, at a time when U.S.-Russian relations are at a serious low, that he still must be reckoned with. Whatever Mr. Putin’s motive, the military buildup in Crimea is a dangerous ploy, especially by a major nuclear power.

The Justice Department will examine whether the Minneapolis police routinely use excessive force or treat minorities unfairly. The inquiry will also scrutinize police training and accountability practices, among other issues. “Good officers do not want to work in systems that allow bad practices,” Mr. Garland said in brief remarks delivered at the Justice Department. “Officers welcome accountability because accountability is an essential part of building trust with the community and public safety requires public trust.”The Minneapolis police have long faced accusations of racism. Black residents are more likely to be pulled over, arrested or roughed up than white residents.

Then came the verdict: Derek Chauvin was guilty on all counts, including murder, for killing George Floyd last May. The station house stayed silent, the officers processing what the verdict meant after a year of tension and conflict, said Inspector Charles Adams, the precinct’s commanding officer. “It was just like, wow,” Inspector Adams said. For him, it was a relief — he felt that Mr. Chauvin had been wrong and that his actions, kneeling on Mr. Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes, cast a negative light on policing. “So much is being thrown at us as law enforcement officials,” Inspector Adams said.

Curry, who has been scorching hot, overtook Beal in the scoring race with a 49-point game Monday. Curry averaged 30.2 points in those games, including a pair of 51-point outbursts, while Beal averaged 16.5 points, with a high of 25. With Curry out with a hand injury, Beal averaged 38.5 points in two games against Golden State last season. 110Playoff games Curry has started en route to winning three NBA titles, compared to 40 for Beal, who has yet to advance past the Eastern Conference semifinals. Beal averaged a career-best 30.5 points last season, finishing runner-up in the scoring race to Harden.

“If Joe Buck becomes the host of Jeopardy I’m going to learn to read lips so I can watch every episode on mute,” one viewer tweeted. With Joe Buck as host(?) Representatives for Buck and “Jeopardy!” did not respond to requests for comment. “Jeopardy!” on Wednesday announced Buck among the show’s final guest hosts of Season 37. “Jeopardy!” executive producer Mike Richards told USA Today he may select the show’s permanent host before its next season begins in September.

AdvertisementStory continues below advertisement“I feel like when you train short course and then you race long course, it’s a little bit harder because there’s more swimming long course,” said Huske, an 18-year-old senior at Yorktown High. The best local option has been the St. James in Springfield, which offers Huske a 50-meter pool once per week when it doesn’t host a meet. AdvertisementStory continues below advertisementBut other than that, Jim Huske has contacted every pool in the area and has been mostly shut out. And that came after minimal long-course training in previous weeks. One of Huske’s few peers is Claire Curzan, who trains in Cary, where Triangle Aquatic Center has converted its pool to long course.

“I’m afraid that to him, a protective order will be just a piece of paper,” Alyssa wrote in a June application seeking such an order. I’m afraid he might hurt me or my mom for coming forward.”Story continues below advertisementThe protective order was granted. AdvertisementAnd he had a gun, police say, even though his bond conditions and the protective order forbade him from keeping or buying firearms. Story continues below advertisementIn the application for a protective order, Amanda wrote that Broderick called her some 30 times after she left home. AdvertisementIn August, the estranged couple agreed to a protective order that would continue until 2022.

Advertisement“Tell Joe Manchin to reject President Biden’s extreme gun-control agenda,” the ads say, targeted to each state’s senators. The NRA spent millions to defeat Hagan that year. Story continues below advertisement“Our efforts will eclipse $2 million opposing Joe Biden’s gun-control agenda and the nomination of radical gun control lobbyist David Chipman to head ATF,” Arulanandam said. Though the NRA has filed for bankruptcy protection, faces legal challenges and infighting, it has also been expanding its membership and income. The election of Biden and the prospect of gun-control measures has inspired contributions and activism, officials said.

But Hunt’s attorney, Jan Rostal, told jurors Wednesday that the people targeted by her client’s alleged threats did not even know about his social media posts. Rostal likened Hunt’s performance to that of a famous comedic actor who often breaks character during skits on live television. AdvertisementStory continues below advertisement“He’s like Pete Davidson on [“Saturday Night Live”] but not as good,” she argued. “The defendant’s threats were specific, they were scary and they were violent,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Francisco J. Navarro told the jury. “We’re not voting in another rigged election,” the alleged social media comments continued.

Thinking he had been hit by a shell, the French commando group’s chaplain René de Naurois gave Mr. Faure Communion in the sand. During the 12-week Battle of Normandy, 140 of the 177-man Kieffer commandos were killed or seriously wounded. In June 1940, Mr. Faure was taken prisoner by the Germans but escaped after the French government signed an armistice with Adolf Hitler. “The commander told us there would be many casualties,” Mr. Faure recalled in a French radio interview. Mr. Faure told reporters: “It would be a desecration.

Participants include Britain, France, Germany, Russia, China and the European Union, all signatories to the original agreement along with Iran and the United States. The United States’ European allies in the group have shuttled back and forth between the two to answer questions and convey negotiating terms. AdvertisementFor the United States, compliance is more difficult. “We understand that lifting of some sanctions will have to come from a return to the JCPOA,” the official said. Pompeo spoke at a news conference at which congressional Republicans unveiled what they called the “Maximum Pressure Act,” aimed at preserving all existing sanctions against Iran and adding more.

Some public health officials said the development reassured Americans that the government paid close attention to vaccine safety. Average daily shots plunged by more than 30 percent in Georgia and South Carolina over the past week. Health officials in these places said they had not expected such anti-vaccine antipathy. “They don’t have demand for it among their clientele anymore.”Nearly half of Iowa’s counties rejected vaccine doses, state officials reported Wednesday, as Gov. But experts say vaccine doses need to be shipped in smaller packaging so they can be spread out among more facilities and doctors without going to waste.

Democrats and civil rights activists, meanwhile, said they would push to pass legislation by the first anniversary of Floyd’s death on May 25. the best strategy is to provide the space for those conversations to happen privately, and that’s part of our objective,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Wednesday. “So we definitely have to get something done.”Still, similar efforts to revise policing practices last summer fell victim to election-year politics. But influential civil rights leaders in close communication with the administration signaled that it could be a red line. Both Bass and civil rights advocates said that they want legislation sent to the White House by May 25, or before Chauvin’s sentencing, which is expected in about two months.

But on Saturday, Iran’s hard-line Kayhan newspaper published an opinion piece by Iranian analyst Sadollah Zarei suggesting Israel’s Dimona facility be targeted after the attack on Natanz. Israel accuses Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons and has opposed U.S.-led efforts to revive the international nuclear deal with Iran. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly said Israel will not allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapons capability. It also says it does not address Iran’s long-range missile program and its support for hostile proxies in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza. Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only, and has called for more scrutiny of Israel’s nuclear facility in Dimona.

“We misunderstand motivation for lying and often judge liars too harshly,” Meyer told HuffPost. Lying, however, is part of the human experience.”So how do you know if someone is lying to your face? Lying, however, is part of the human experience.” - Pamela Meyer, founder and CEO of CalibrateOne way to do that? Lying while trying to appear calm and truthful is taxing; it requires a ton of mental energy. “My recommendation is to confront the person who is lying when both parties are in a calm enough space to have a discussion about it,” Frazier said.

And yet, one can count on his or her hand the number of Republican lawmakers who, while in office, changed their position on gun control legislation during that period of time. I asked a series of gun control advocacy groups to help me compile a list. Peter King, the former Republican New York congressman who supported gun control legislation, recalled trying to talk some of his GOP colleagues into backing those bills. “There is a paradox that has always bedeviled the gun debate,” Jim Kessler, a longtime gun control advocate, said. Peter Ambler, the executive director of the gun control group Giffords, noted that more voters and politicians became comfortable with gay marriage as they began to know people who were gay and out.

Joy says the reaction from right wing figures on the Chauvin verdict was ‘both stunning and predictable.’

Black Lives Matter protesters gather in Wade Park to protest for Black lives and against U.S. President Donald Trump on September 29, 2020 in Cleveland, Ohio. | Seth Herald/Getty Images Democrats fear GOP targeting racial justice protestsRepublican state lawmakers across the country are pushing legislatures to pass dozens of anti-protest measures, sparking concerns among Democrats and others that states will begin cracking down harder on racial justice and anti-police brutality demonstrations. You could say the same for Florida.”So far, Tennessee, Florida and Oklahoma are the only states to pass “anti-riot” legislation. Oklahoma’s governor approved its “anti-riot” bill, HB 1674, on Wednesday. “We are seeing Republicans conflate our movement with the white supremacist rioters who attacked the Capitol,” Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation stated.

But even well-intentioned countries are liable to miss, or to manipulate, their climate targets, whatever they say. Kerry got verbiage from the Chinese about tackling climate change “with the seriousness and urgency that it demands.”This is a great coup, just not how Kerry imagines. Regardless, it’s not clear how high the Chinese emissions peak is going to be, or what the trajectory will be after it hits it. In political terms, it is an eon from now and no one can say what crises will potentially have emerged to overwhelm the current obsession with climate change. To do more than nibbling around the edges of climate change would require restrictions on economic activity too onerous to contemplate.

The House on Wednesday voted overwhelmingly to restrict arms sales to Saudi Arabia over its killing of the U.S.-based dissident and journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The bill, H.R. 1392, would bar sales, authorizations and transfer of arms and other defense services from the president to Saudi Arabia. President Joe Biden, however, could continue sales if he can certify the country is not engaged in killing, torturing or endangering the lives of dissidents and detaining U.S. and international citizens. The legislation, which passed 350-71, is sponsored by Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), who represents Khashoggi’s district in Virginia.

Officials in Columbus, Ohio, have identified the police officer who, on Tuesday afternoon, fatally shot Ma’Khia Bryant, a 16-year-old Black girl. Woods said Ma’Khia appeared to have threatened two other girls with a knife before Reardon fired his weapon. pic.twitter.com/vhBauZn3Kc — Lacey Crisp (@LaceyCrisp) April 21, 2021In body camera footage of the shooting, an officer identified as Reardon can be seen emerging from his vehicle to encounter a confrontation on a residential street. Columbus police released body camera footage of Ma’Khia’s death on Tuesday night and additional footage on Wednesday. “My daughter dispatched Columbus police for protection, not to be a homicide today,” Paula Bryant, who identified herself as Ma’Khia’s mother, told reporters.

“People start to think that a trial like that represents American justice—It doesn't," says Chris Hayes on the Derek Chauvin trial.

“This isn’t about good intentions. This isn’t about overt racism. This is about this is about systems that desperately need change,” says Sen. Cory Booker discussing what the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act would address.

It’s rare for a police officer to be convicted of murder on the job, so rare that zero officers were convicted of murder for shooting a person between the years 2005-2015. From 2016 on, there were about one or two such convictions. MSNBC’s Chief Legal Correspondent Ari Melber reports key facts of what made this trial different and offers a warning based on criminal justice reporting through the years.

Throughout the Chauvin trial, prosecutors called eight witnesses from the Minneapolis Police Department and Chauvin’s boss to testify against him. MSNBC’s Chief Legal Correspondent Ari Melber and retired NYPD detective Marq Claxton discuss how this rare move might affect the outcomes of similar cases and why police culture makes the so-called blue wall of silence so dangerous.

Rep. Gaetz is once again scrambling as the DOJ probe against him continues, paying $5,000 to Trump ally Roger Stone’s firm for “strategic consulting.” The firm is the same feds allege Stone is using to hide income. Gaetz denies all allegations against him. MSNBC’s Chief Legal Correspondent Ari Melber reports on the updates in the case.

LOS ANGELES — The 200,000-plus LeVar Burton boosters who signed a petition calling for him to be the new “Jeopardy!” host will get to see him try the job on for size. I am overjoyed, excited, and eager to be guest-hosting Jeopardy!, and will do my utmost best to live up to your faith you in me. https://t.co/C7mZWMok2X — LeVar Burton (@levarburton) April 21, 2021Burton is among the final group of guest hosts for the quiz show, which lost its longtime host Alex Trebek to cancer last November and has put off announcing his successor. "I am overjoyed, excited, and eager to be guest-hosting Jeopardy!, and will do my utmost best to live up to your faith you in me," Burton tweeted Wednesday after the announcement. In an email, a spokeswoman for Burton said he believes the petition drive and his social media interactions with fans were factors in the invitation for him to be a guest host.

WASHINGTON — The day after Derek Chauvin was found guilty of the murder of George Floyd, Republican Sen. Tim Scott expressed renewed optimism about the prospects of Congress passing a police reform bill. But like most things in Congress, partisan division has stalled prior efforts, and Republicans were chafed that Senate Democrats blocked their last attempt to consider a reform bill. “I don't know that anyone will see the George Floyd verdict as a transformative moment in our justice system. A police reform bill authored by Scott in 2020 was blocked by Democrats. “We will not rest until the Senate passes strong legislation to end the systemic bias in law enforcement.”

Spring is here, folks! I know things aren’t really normal yet. But they seem to be coming around. Sooner or later we’ll all actually be going to work at … work. And before your socializing gets into full swing, let’s make sure you’re caught up on everything that’s been going on in the wonderful world of politics.

MINNEAPOLIS — As a young civil rights lawyer almost 20 years ago, Keith Ellison took on a client who accused two Minneapolis police officers of sodomizing him with a toilet plunger. The officers in the case involving Mr. Ellison’s client, Stephen Porter, were ultimately cleared by an F.B.I. But Mr. Ellison achieved a very different outcome on Tuesday regarding another Black man’s encounter with the police, when Derek Chauvin, the white former officer charged with killing George Floyd, was convicted of two counts of murder as well as manslaughter. Mr. Ellison, 57, who grew up in Detroit and moved to Minnesota to attend law school, became the first Muslim elected to Congress in 2006 and a rising star of the progressive wing of the Democratic Party. A little more than a year after taking office as attorney general, he took charge of the Chauvin case.

WASHINGTON — A day after a white Minneapolis police officer was found guilty of murdering George Floyd, a Black man, lawmakers in both parties said they were cautiously optimistic that the verdict could provide new momentum in Congress to overcome the hurdles that have thwarted a far-reaching police overhaul. In a speech on Tuesday night at the White House, President Biden formally called on lawmakers to resurrect the bill known as the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, Democrats’ expansive measure to address the use of excessive force and racial discrimination, pledging to sign it into law “as quickly as possible.” The bill, co-written by Vice President Kamala Harris when she was a senator, has languished for almost a year amid partisan differences. “We’re going to stay at it until we get it done,” the president assured Mr. Floyd’s family in call after the verdict. On Capitol Hill, key lawmakers in both parties said on Wednesday that the conviction may have opened a rare window of opportunity to break the stalemate. In the clearest sign of progress, Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, Republicans’ lead emissary on the issue, said that a bipartisan group of lawmakers was “on the verge” of a compromise in the coming weeks, although the details were murky.

History has been a stern instructor of Black people in this country, beating out hope wherever it dares to emerge. The possessors of dashed hopes spread their wings, which make them vulnerable, and get them clipped. Before Tuesday’s guilty verdict for a former Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin, in the murder of George Floyd, many of us were afraid to hope that justice would be done. So when the verdicts came down, for me, there was a moment of shock: The justice system had administered justice to a Black man, a Black family, the Black community, the country and the world. We are so used to the system betraying us that it was stunning to see it serve us.

He acknowledged, though, that some families still distrust in-person learning. Officials hope to switch these students to four days of in-person learning before the end of April. Elementary and middle school students who are performing below grade level in reading and math will be invited to take part. As of mid-March, roughly 84,600 students in Fairfax County — representing 47 percent of the student body — had returned for in-person learning. And they argued that Virtual Virginia provides less comprehensive instruction than the Fairfax school system.

Story continues below advertisementTokyo and two other regions could face tightened restrictions, according to Japanese media reports, amid a surge of new cases and concerns about overwhelming health services. On Wednesday, Tokyo saw its highest new caseload since Jan. 29 — 843 coronavirus infections, which is 252 more than the same day a week earlier. AdvertisementThe emergency declaration reportedly would run through at least May 9 and would encompass Japan’s annual “Golden Week” holiday period. “This is absolutely in line with the overall policy of the government but is not related to the Olympic Games,” Bach said. There have been 340 world championships and world cups being organized with the participation of far more than 40,000 athletes.

The fans could have, too, sitting spaced apart while bundled in blankets and hats at Nationals Park. Yet wind was the workplace hazard of the Nationals’ 1-0 victory over the Cardinals. It made Max Scherzer, the Nationals’ ace, spend a good portion of his start huffing hot breath on his fingers. Catcher Alex Avila put Washington ahead for good with an RBI double off Cardinals starter Carlos Martínez in the second. Well, nothing aside from constant and nagging while Scherzer lifted the Nationals against the Cardinals (8-10).

“Night Coming Tenderly, Black,” Dawoud Bey’s haunting 2017 series of nighttime landscape photographs, named for a line in a poem by Langston Hughes, also were taken during the day. Instead of fabricating Paris’s seedy glamour, Bey’s photographs imagine nighttime scenes experienced by fugitive enslaved people on the Underground Railroad. Bey’s photographs, after all, are knowing inventions, the product of darkroom trickery. You photograph something in a certain moment, and there it is: a photograph of something in that moment. AdvertisementStory continues below advertisement“There’s my life before this photograph, and there’s my life after this photograph,” Bey said during a roundtable discussion in 2018.

Global Change Research Program in November, the interagency body that coordinates the National Climate Assessment. In Kuperberg’s place, the White House appointed David Legates, a scientist who questions the seriousness of climate change and its human influences. Her views on climate change science are considered mainstream, and many scientists, including those who have worked with Democrats, have praised her competence and background. Global Change Research Program, involving Weatherhead. A new director for the National Climate Assessment has not been named nor has an executive director for the overarching research program.

After 2009, when Democrats controlled Congress and the presidency, they did not act on D.C. statehood. Does anyone believe that if D.C. were as incorrigibly Republican as it is Democratic, Democrats would favor D.C. statehood, which would mean two more Republican senators until the last trumpet shall sound? AdvertisementStory continues below advertisementA 2019 Gallup poll showed a national majority opposed to D.C. statehood. In 1961, a Democratic-controlled Congress understood that a constitutional amendment was necessary to give D.C. presidential electoral votes. Historian Gordon proposes a constitutional amendment that would confound Democrats by giving them what they say they want.

Without that testimony, without the unanimity from Minneapolis Police Department trainers and leadership that Chauvin had violated policy, it seems unlikely he would have been convicted. Former officer Mohamed Noor, a Somali immigrant, was convicted of murder in 2019 for shooting and killing Justine Ruszczyk in 2017. Chauvin’s conviction struck a blow for justice, but this isn’t how the system operates most of the time. It’s how the system operated once, under immense public scrutiny and extremely favorable conditions, with incredibly damning evidence. A system that requires so much merely to hold one of its own to account is a system badly in need of repair.

“Traditionally, summer school has been a program for kids that have not done well in school to try to make up. Although most districts are making summer school voluntary, districts are expecting demand for spots will be greater than ever. Some school districts that have struggled to afford offering summer school courses in the past are now able to make them available with the funding allocated by Congress. Advertisement“We’re calling it a summer ‘experience’ because it’s summer school like no other before,” said Superintendent Cindy Marten at her Senate confirmation hearing as No. As more schools expand their summer school programs, advocates for a longer school year say the changes should be made permanent.

Scott’s bill could have been the basis of bipartisan compromise. Rather than work with Scott, Democratic leaders attacked him. One said that 12 people stood up and said, ‘We should vote on Tim Scott’s bill and, frankly, we should quit demonizing the bill.’” That would have been enough to overcome a filibuster. Angus King (I-Maine), Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) and Doug Jones (D-Ala.) — voted to advance Scott’s bill, killing any chance of passing police reform. to pass bipartisan education reform, Biden should reach out to Scott to work with him on bipartisan police reform.

That day, BioNTech, where Karikó was working, began designing an mRNA vaccine. And 336 days later, that vaccine was the first one authorized in the United States for prevention of covid-19. Then, we didn’t have the technologies that allowed so many people to socially distance while they waited for a vaccine. The pandemic has been awful, and the toll too terrible for words. Well, I invite you to step off the treadmill, just for today, and look at how far we’ve come.

Mr. Biden’s pledge to the global community nearly doubles President Barack Obama’s 2015 Paris commitment of 26 to 28 percent by 2025. The quickly changing economics of power generation will aid this shift, as the costs of wind and solar power have plummeted. The United States will require new transmission lines to send electricity from where the wind is blowing, and the sun is shining to where it is not. Much of Mr. Biden’s plan, such as his proposed new spending on energy research and building new power lines, is badly needed. Mr. Biden must show that big goals like his new Paris commitment can be met, and in an orderly and efficient manner.

This slow-motion torment echoes horrific episodes from the Soviet prison system, even in its more “liberal” post-Stalin version. Western officials, including senior representatives of the Biden administration, are warning the Kremlin — in somewhat macabre fashion — that there will be consequences if Navalny dies. Rather than waiting to memorialize Navalny after the fact, the West must take steps to prevent his death. Indeed, it was suggested by Navalny himself during a European Parliament hearing late last year. Before his arrest in January, Navalny helped compile a list of business tycoons who should be prioritized for immediate sanctions.

“America has a long history of systemic racism,” Harris told the nation in a televised speech at the White House. “Black Americans, and Black men in particular, have been treated through the course of our history as less than human. In her remarks Tuesday night, Harris tried to thread the needle between marking the progress represented by the guilty verdict and the progress the nation still needs to make. He was part of a group of Asian American and Pacific Islander leaders who met with Biden and Harris after the mass shooting. Story continues below advertisementStill, one looming question is whether she can deliver concrete action as well as soaring words.

Four of the eight dead identified as Sikh and the facility was known to employ a significant number of members of the Sikh community. The faith's founder, Guru Nanak , was born in 1469 and was disenchanted with the suffering, divisions and social inequities he saw around him. Guru Nanak put his vision into practice, establishing institutions that would live beyond him. There were 10 total gurus (enlighteners) in the lineage of Guru Nanak, the last of whom, Guru Gobind Singh, passed away in 1708. All of this together makes the Sikh community about one million strong in North America.

(CNN) For so long, Asian Americans have been left out of critical conversations about race, despite longstanding barriers that impede their lives and careers. ChoiAt the academic medical institution in New York City where I work, Asians and Asian Americans make up 32% of the student body and 24% of faculty and staff. But we are far from a homogenous group, and Asian Americans of all classes and backgrounds are vulnerable to discrimination and violence. This racism can seep into the health care setting, where nearly one in five practicing doctors is of Asian descent. Such affronts threaten the doctor-patient alliance that is necessary for optimal health care and can fuel burnout among health care providers.

(CNN) You know the Republican Party has really gone off the rails when even George W. Bush is being rehabilitated as a reasonable moderate -- and even a progressive hero. But that's how far the GOP has fallen, and how reactionary it has become, particularly on an issue like immigration. Today's Republican Party, as Bush himself has noted, is as nationalist, xenophobic and nativist as any political movement has been in decades. He's right -- and his own conservative leadership during his terms didn't exactly send the Republican Party in a positive direction. But while he's pointing to the ugly thing his party has become, he should pause and reflect on his own contributions.

(CNN) Remember when we all thought we had to wash our vegetables to remove possible contamination from the novel coronavirus? In those frantic early months of the pandemic, routes of transmission of the virus were not well-characterized. Everything and anything seemed a potential danger, from touching a countertop to eating an apple to walking in the street. It turns out that airborne transmission of the virus is much more likely than transmission from surfaces, especially porous ones. It -- the CDC -- did not dissuade people from the sort of over-sanitizing that can be dangerous.

London (CNN Business) Less than a quarter of the world's big public companies are doing their part to address the climate crisis, according to new research highlighting the shortcomings of corporate climate pledges. In an analysis published on Thursday, sustainable finance firm Arabesque assigned companies in 14 of the world's largest stock indexes a "temperature score" based on publicly reported emissions data between 2015 and 2019. It found that less than 25% of companies are on track to achieve the goals of the Paris agreement by 2050, which aims to limit the global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Despite growing commitments by companies to tackle the climate crisis, emissions have continued to rise since 2015 and initial data shows there was a decrease in global Paris-alignment last year, according to Arabesque, which uses data to assess corporate sustainability performance. The company's chairman, Georg Kell, said the research confirms that voluntary measures taken by companies "have made a difference here and there, but they don't add up to systemic change."

(CNN) On Tuesday, the world let out a sigh of relief when former officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of murdering George Floyd nearly a year ago. Critics reacting to Waters' support of street demonstrations for Black citizenship and dignity have willfully reinterpreted her words as advocating violence. Voting rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer faced death threats , physical violence from law enforcement and unspeakable forms of harassment during the 1960s and 1970s. In the meantime, Black people continue to be shot, to be brutalized and to die at the hands of the police. She calls upon this nation to devote resources, energy and innovation to protecting Black lives in Minneapolis and across the country.

But look again: “Shadow and Bone” is actually a young adult romance that just so happens to be set in a fantasy universe. The original iteration of “Charmed” — since rebooted — was charming but also entirely white, upper-middle class and utterly unaware of its characters' privileges. First, he made Alina less white: She’s biracial (or “half-Shu,” which is the fantasy world’s reimagining of China). But the series takes these matters seriously. “Shadow and Bone,” then, represents a significant step forward for fantasy lovers, both from its source material and within the genre.

Each day it grows a little closer, a little brighter. Of course, though the world might become more familiar, it won’t return to being exactly as it was. While there’s much to mourn from the past year, there’s also a lot to celebrate — a lot of experiences and lessons that made our lives richer, healthier, more compassionate, more meaningful. And that we should be aware of how fleeting our time is so we make the most of it. These are the things we want to keep as we move past the pandemic.

Railway worker Shri Mayur Shelke has been hailed as a hero after he saved a child who fell onto the tracks at Vangani Station, India on April 17.

The report found that 24 PPE contracts, totaling £1.6 billion, were awarded to those with known political connections to the Conservative Party, and three contracts, worth £536 million, went to politically connected companies for coronavirus testing services. The report, seen by POLITICO, lists scores of contracts across the EU in which criminal outfits as well as politically connected individuals have undermined public procurement systems. Corruption in public procurement isn't new. According to Transparency International’s U.K. report, 98.9 percent of U.K. COVID-19 related contracts (by value) were awarded without any form of competition, "many without adequate justification." But she notes that changes proposed by U.K. government in its recent Transforming Public Procurement green paper will introduce an even greater degree of latitude.

Whoopi Goldberg reflected on her classic role as Oda Mae Brown in the 1990 film “Ghost,” telling Variety that her late co-star, Patrick Swayze, advocated for her to get the part. Goldberg told Variety she instantly felt a connection with Swayze, who died of pancreatic cancer in 2009. Sunset Boulevard via Getty Images Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore and Whoopi Goldberg on the set of "Ghost," which was released in 1990. Goldberg told Variety that she’s working on a script for a superhero film about an older Black woman who acquires new powers. https://t.co/jSv4laZVD9 pic.twitter.com/QPt940O8mr — Variety (@Variety) April 21, 2021Another one of Goldberg’s legendary roles has also recently made its way back into the spotlight.

Clyburn entered the House floor on Tuesday through an entrance that faces the Capitol Rotunda. They went around the metal detector to return onto the House floor, the source said. House Democrats, including Clyburn, voted in February to implement fines for members who evaded the metal detectors. Clyburn was not asked to go through a metal detector again, according to the source, while Gohmert, a rank-and-file member, was asked to go through security screening again and declined. Gohmert, like Clyburn, went through security before exiting to go to the bathroom off the House floor.

Yet on the Republican side, nearly the opposite was true — few lawmakers saw a need to weigh in at all. Republicans, in an overt appeal to suburban whites, responded to a summer of civil uprisings with calls for law and order. In the run-up to the Chauvin verdict, Republican attention remained fixed on the protests against police brutality, marked by the introduction of legislation in more than 30 states to constrain protests. Surveying the political fallout from the verdict, Florida state Rep. Omari Hardy, a Black progressive who has been pushing for legislation that rethinks policing, said, the “verdict doesn’t change a thing. And just moments after the verdict was read, there was news of another fatal police shooting: 16-year-old, Ma’Khia Bryant.

Caitlyn Jenner speaks at the 4th annual Women's March LA: Women Rising at Pershing Square on Jan. 18, 2020 in Los Angeles. | Chelsea Guglielmino/Getty Images California Caitlyn Jenner has infrequently voted. All told, Jenner has voted just nine times in California's 26 statewide elections since 2000, the records show. Seven of those were statewide general elections, including five presidential contests. Jenner may announce as early as this week whether she’ll challenge Newsom in a recall election.

As before, Fox has rejected the demands for Tucker Carlson Tonight’s cancellation. Even if Fox isn’t earning top dollar for Tucker Carlson Tonight advertising slots, the network still benefits from him being on the schedule. Loyal Carlson viewers treat the Fox channel like their home page, leaving it running in the background all day. As long as Carlson stays out of legal trouble and doesn’t outrun the leash his Fox masters have roped to his neck, it’s going to be Tucker Carlson tonight, Tucker Carlson tomorrow and Tucker Carlson for as long as he wants to stare-down a Fox TV camera for a living. In 2018, I opposed the Carlson boycott.

Philonise Floyd talks about his reaction when the verdict was announced: "When the judge started reading and I heard 'guilty,' and then I heard 'guilty,' and then I heard 'guilty' one more time, I wanted to jump up and down ... I was ecstatic about everything."

On what’s next after the guilty verdict, Joy says “True justice requires more than that, right? It requires that going forward, Black and other nonwhite people be treated as human beings. As Vice President Harris made clear in her statement.”

In 2017, a pair of senior Democratic lawmakers first introduced legislation designed to create the nation’s first comprehensive child care system. It would establish the kind of permanent, national child care system that, until recently, was almost impossible to contemplate getting through Congress. The Problems Of American Child Care Are LegendaryFinding affordable, quality child care has never been easy in this country, and the challenge has always hit lower-income families the hardest. Another factor pushing child care to the top of the agenda has been the persistent, behind-the-scenes work of advocacy and research organizations documenting the costs of America’s weak child care system, both in terms of child welfare and to the economy as a whole. The primary impetus for linking child care subsidies to the salaries of providers is the realization that child care workers are grotesquely underpaid, given the importance of their job.

Lawyers representing Apple and Google found themselves in hot water Wednesday at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the companies’ app stores and whether they stifle competition. In 2020, the payments amounted to a combined $33 billion for Apple and Google according to data tracked by the app analytics firm Sensor Tower. “Apple therefore has things exactly backwards when it claims that companies like Spotify are free-riding on Apple’s innovations,” he said. The proof is Apple’s own slogan: ‘There’s an app for that.’”Apple also maintains the fees are justified as a matter of paying for App Store upkeep. Scam apps are likely making millions on the App Store, an investigation by The Verge found.

Stacey Abrams continued her crusade against Georgia’s new voting law this week by supplying lawmakers with a laundry list of reasons why she finds the changes both restrictive and racist. When Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) asked Abrams to clarify which provisions of Georgia’s new voting law she opposed, she didn’t hold back. Republican Senator John Kennedy asks @StaceyAbrams to give him a list of provisions in Georgia’s new voter suppression law that she objects to. ????? — Jake Lobin (@JakeLobin) April 21, 2021I just watched Stacey Abrams go back and forth with Senator Kennedy of Louisiana regarding the new voting law in Georgia being racist.

A growing number of governors in Texas, Florida and Arizona have announced executive orders curtailing the use of so-called “vaccine passports,” or documentation of the Covid-19 vaccine. President Joe Biden's chief medical adviser, Dr. Anthony Fauci, told Politico that the federal government will not mandate vaccine passports for businesses or travelers. That’s why today I issued an executive order prohibiting “vaccine passports," and I’ll continue protecting individual liberty and personal privacy. "Today I issued an executive order prohibiting the use of so-called COVID-19 vaccine passports," DeSantis, a Republican, said in a tweet. Today I issued an executive order prohibiting the use of so-called COVID-19 vaccine passports.

Governor Doug Ducey is deploying the National Guard and declared a state of emergency in multiple counties. NBC News’ Dasha Burns speaks with authorities along the border. In March, Border Patrol reported a 20-year high in the number of migrants they’ve encountered crossing the border.

For Jessie Hamilton’s 74th birthday, alumni of Louisiana State University’s Phi Gamma Delta fraternity surprised her with a check to pay off her mortgage. Hamilton was a cook for 14 years for the fraternity house and had a powerful impact on many members.

Asked about the Floyd family awaiting trials on the three other officers involved with Derek Chauvin, Benjamin Crump says there will ‘possibly be some plea agreement because they saw what just happened to Derek Chauvin.’

Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY) looks at how Marjorie Taylor Greene is influencing the GOP and how the party is “going down these dark roads of racism and white supremacy and conspiracy theories”

Human remains have been found in a rural area of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, during a search related to the disappearance of 18-year-old Linda Stoltzfoos, the Amish woman who has been missing since June 21, 2020, the Lancaster County District Attorney's Office announced Wednesday. Linda Stoltzfoos East Lampeter Township Police DepartmentMembers of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, East Lampeter Township Police Department and Pennsylvania State Police were called to the scene, which is being forensically processed. The remains will then be released to the Lancaster County Coroner’s Office for official identification and to determine the cause and manner of death. Justo Smoker East Lampeter Township Police DepartmentSmoker’s vehicle had been seen parked at that location on June 23. A statement was posted to the Facebook Page Amish Girl Missing - Linda Stoltzfoos on Wednesday that read, “Thank you for all your prayers and support to help bring Linda home.

That's a key reason it's critical for the Senate to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. This law makes it a federal crime for law enforcement officers to deprive people of federally protected rights because of their race. Although immediate passage of the George Floyd Act would be ideal, no clear consensus has emerged among senators yet, despite the urgent, vivid need for its reforms. Passing the George Floyd Act would put us on a path toward restoring credibility in policing and ensuring that communities regain confidence in law enforcement. Accountability has to become the culture if we're really going to have justice for George Floyd.

The Justice Department is opening an investigation into whether the Minneapolis police routinely uses excessive force, a move that signals changes in the works. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced the investigation a day after a former officer, Derek Chauvin, was convicted of murder in the death of George Floyd. Mr. Chauvin’s guilty verdict represented a rare rebuke of police misconduct and could send him to prison for decades. Our analysis from June found that the Minneapolis Police Department used force against Black people at seven times the rate of white people. Above, a memorial for Mr. Floyd in Minneapolis yesterday.

“If the car rental search engine says the cars are all gone, get crafty,” said Leigh Rowan, the founder of Savanti Travel, a travel management service, who recommends using Google Maps to search for car rental locations near your hotel or vacation home rental. “In major tourist spots like Wailea in Maui, there are four different car rental spots walkable from hotels.”For his own April break on the island of Hawaii, Mr. Rowan had made a reservation with Alamo through Costco — retail memberships often offer discounts on travel services such as rental cars — for a minivan to accommodate his group of seven. In lieu of hunting yourself, you can use AutoSlash, which uses rental car company coupons and discount codes to sort through search results that it says would take consumers considerable time. The service then tracks the rental to ensure it remains the best value, emailing travelers to rebook in the event of a price drop. Alternatives to traditional rental carsThere are, of course, transit alternatives to renting a car, including ride share services, bike share systems and public transportation.

The first agent she spoke with liked her pictures but told her to change her name. She chose Vikki as a homage to the actress Vickie Lester; Dougan was her mother’s maiden name. In 1953, at age 19, she appeared on the cover of Life magazine as part of a story on working mothers, with her 3-year-old daughter, Deirdre, the product of a brief marriage. She made upward of $100 an hour working as a model, she said, but always harbored dreams of acting. Sensing the direction the interview was going in, Ms. Dougan made up an excuse about having another appointment to get to.

MOSCOW — He warned ominously of “red lines” in Russia’s security that, if crossed, would bring a powerful “asymmetric” response. He reminded Western leaders once again of the fearsomeness of his country’s modernized nuclear arsenal. And he boasted of Russia’s moral superiority over the West. Yet even as President Vladimir V. Putin lashed out at foreign enemies real or perceived in a state-of-the-nation speech on Wednesday, tens of thousands of Russians defied a heavy police presence to pour into the streets to challenge his rule. In Moscow, some gathered across the street from the Kremlin to chant, “Go Away!”It was a snapshot of Russia in the third decade of Mr. Putin’s rule: a leader facing an increasingly angry and desperate opposition but firmly in power with his country’s vast resources and huge security apparatus at his disposal.

The comprehensiveness helped overcome what is often a central defense in such cases — that the camera doesn’t tell the whole story. “You’re going to have to stand in their shoes.”Chauvin’s attorney also asked jurors to consider the scene from the officer’s point of view. These recordings were rarely exculpatory, and at times the most chilling details about Chauvin’s conduct were caught by his own camera. At one point while Floyd was being held on the ground, another officer asked Chauvin, “Should we roll him on his side?” — a position that might have made it easier for Floyd to breathe. “No,” Chauvin said, “he’s staying put where we got him.”

The Danish government “is destroying the country by trying to follow these voters that they expect would agree with this policy,” said Michala Bendixen, head of Refugees Welcome Denmark. AdvertisementA 2019 report by the Danish Immigration Service classified these areas as safe, citing a decline in fighting there since 2015. Denmark has taken in a relatively small number, about 32,000 refugees. The European Parliament, the United Nations’ refugee agency and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, among others, have rejected forcible returns to Syria. Story continues below advertisementDenmark and Syria do not have diplomatic relations, so Danish authorities cannot deport Syrians who have lost their appeals.

Soto missed the start of last season after a positive coronavirus test and returned to lead the sport in most offensive categories. “…The good thing is we’ll get videos of what he is doing and how he’s doing, and we’ll have conversations about what he’s doing every day. But when we deem that he’s ready, he’s going to get back. Right before going to the IL, he snapped an 0-for-11 slump with a searing double to right. It’s a long season,” Soto reasoned.

As defenders of Biden’s comments pointed out, the jury was sequestered at the time and deliberating on the verdict, and it came to a decision very shortly afterward. It’s unlikely that it was even aware of his comments, much less that he influenced them. The most famous example is Richard Nixon declaring serial killer Charles Manson to be guilty before a jury reached that verdict. Nixon’s comments arguably went further than many of the above, but they weren’t enough to allow Manson to skate. Even after Chauvin’s conviction, activists cautioned that one case doesn’t signal a sudden and lasting shift in that paradigm.

“I think that is a step in the right direction in terms of reining in out-of-control spending,” Sen. Ted Cruz (Tex.) The debt ceiling is the maximum amount the U.S. government is allowed borrow to meet its financial obligations. AdvertisementStory continues below advertisementRepublicans raised hardly any complaints about the debt ceiling during the Trump administration, voting frequently to increase it without demanding any spending cuts in return. In fact, the debt increased by roughly $7 trillion during the Trump administration as he pushed for large levels of military spending and tax cuts. But many Republicans now are arguing for reviving their spending cut demands, something they often do when Democrats control the White House.

He memorably ended the speech by invoking the words of the civil rights anthem, saying, “And we shall overcome.” Five months later he signed the Voting Rights Act into law. At the time, the nation was still absorbing and digesting the historic Civil Rights Act of 1964. Strong voting rights were not part of the 1964 Civil Rights Act; it was deferred business. By then, the Voting Rights Act was on its way to passage. “If the words begin to mobilize more public sentiment, that gives you more possibility for doing something.

Carlson hammered away at the wildly exaggerated idea that the police were allowing the country to succumb to chaos throughout the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests. AdvertisementWe talk constantly about the radicalization of figures such as Carlson and Greene and of the GOP. AdvertisementAfter all, if widespread voter fraud can simply be asserted, then overturning an election result can magically be made legitimate. AdvertisementField’s preoccupation is with intellectuals, but this framework can be usefully applied to the likes of Greene and Carlson. Greene’s now-infamous flirtations with political violence have been explicitly about beating back various leftist tyrannies that were simply asserted.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) explains on the Senate floor why she will break from her party and vote for President Biden's associate attorney general nominee Vanita Gupta.

Michael D'AntonioPerhaps unsurprisingly, Hannity didn't follow up with a question about the legal concerns that Trump noted. That question might have brought some clarity to Trump's remarks and yielded real news. I paid close attention to Trump's reply and noticed that before he said a word, he struck a defensive pose, folding his arms cross his chest. He then said, "Um when I came in, we were hit with phony Russia, Russia, Russia investigations." What ensued was a litany of complaints from Trump about the "phony hoax" and -- surprise, surprise -- not a word about what he would do differently.

Darron Cummings/Associated PressPhiladelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said Wednesday he challenged some 2021 NFL draft prospects to a game of "rock, paper, scissors" during Zoom calls to test their level of competitiveness. While on one hand it's an extremely important job interview, on the other it's impossible for prospects to fully prepare for what's coming their way. From random questions, often ranging from seemingly meaningless to disrespectful, to an NFL head coach trash-talking you while playing a game popular among preschoolers, it's quite a ride during one of the most stressful stretches of a player's career. In that regard, perhaps a game of "rock, paper, scissors" is more useful than asking what species a player would be if they were part of the animal kingdom. Sirianni and the Eagles have the most picks (11) of any team in the 2021 draft, starting with the No.

Coronavirus vaccine supply in the United States could be outstripped by demand. CNN's Nick Watt details why this may be a concern.

The death of Prince Philip, consort of the Queen Elizabeth, "father" to her "mother," feels to many of us here in Britain like a death in the family. JUST WATCHED The life of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH The life of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh 04:48There is more here, however, than the mere death of a long-lived celebrity. In Britain, we have a tendency to project our private family dynamics onto the royal family. Prince Philip navigated this public scrutiny with pragmatism, despite his visible frustration with it and some missteps along the way. For most of my generation, Prince Philip has always been the old guard, reminiscent of everyone's grumpy grandad.

New details about potential quality issuesThe Emergent plant had been making coronavirus vaccines under contract for both Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca. In a statement, Emergent said it is "committed to working with the FDA and Johnson & Johnson to quickly resolve the issues identified." On Wednesday, Johnson & Johnson said it will "redouble" efforts to secure an emergency use authorization for the Covid-19 vaccine drug substance manufactured at Emergent's Bayview campus. "Johnson & Johnson will exercise its oversight authority to ensure that all of FDA's observations are addressed promptly and comprehensively," the company statement noted on Wednesday. Emergent's situation likely won't influence or push back any decisions around possibly resuming Johnson & Johnson vaccinations moving forward, Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser to President Biden, told CNN's Victor Blackwell on Wednesday.

The benefits of a veggie gardenIf you've been toying around with the idea of starting your own veggie garden but aren't sure if it's worth it, there are plenty of benefits to consider. How to start an indoor veggie gardenIf you're short on outdoor space, you can still reap the benefits of a veggie garden in the comfort of your own home. Indoor veggie gardens require you to get a bit creative, but they're worth it if you put in the work. What to grow in an indoor veggie garden: Chives, mint, parsley, thyme, leafy greens and herbs, and dwarf or compact fruiting plants. What to grow in an outdoor veggie garden: Cucumbers, tomatoes, beets, peppers, pole beans and just about any other veggie.

Some experts believe a contagious effect sometimes seen after widely publicized suicides could be tied to the back-to-back shootings from over the weekend, which also followed a handful of high-profile shootings that have taken place so far this year. There have been at least seven mass shootings, defined as three or more people having been shot, so far in 2021, based on data collected by NBC News, with a fear of more to come as Covid-19 restrictions are lifted nationwide. “We do know that those types of mass shootings are contagious; that they tend to spread through things like the media and social media,” Peterson said. Mass shootings are often what happen when despair meets rage, something that has not been in short supply recently, he said. Gun violence prevention should look at the larger context of environmental factors that drive shootings, said Metzl, who is director of medicine, health and society at Vanderbilt University.

A Texas school district has adopted a new gender-neutral dress code after making national headlines in December for suspending an openly gay male student who wore nail polish to school. NBC News affiliate station KRBC spoke to Trevor Wilkinson about his experience.

Doug Emhoff rebrands as Second Gentleman Douglas Presented by NextEra EnergyWith help from Allie Bice, Daniel Payne and Caitlin OpryskoWelcome to POLITICO’s 2021 Transition Playbook, your guide to the first 100 days of the Biden administrationDuring her presidential primary campaign, KAMALA HARRIS’ husband DOUG EMHOFF always went by Doug. He is henceforth DOUGLAS EMHOFF, second gentleman of the United States of America. The White House has kept true to that style change in advising the second gentleman’s daily activities. Whether Emhoff goes by “Doug” or “Douglas” is hardly the decision upon which the Biden presidency hangs. Are you DOUG EMHOFF?

The Bulwark’s Tim Miller and Jonathan Lemire of the Associated Press discuss new polling that shows enthusiasm for Trump is seeming to fade, yet many Republicans have stuck to Trumpism

Distinguished professor at Vanderbilt University Michael Eric Dyson and civil rights attorney David Henderson discuss how the conviction of Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd is just one step of accountability in the fight for justice

Even if just in that moment, activists and advocates championing reforms on these issues found some solace in the decision. Having been skeptical from the start of the trial, and fearful of the possibility that Chauvin would be acquitted, “I think I let out an audible ‘what,’” they say. They have received the kind of outcome the criminal justice system is supposed to provide for all of its citizens—but often does not. “It’s not an example of our criminal justice system working. It’s an example of the criminal justice system attempting to look as though it’s changing,” Omeoga argues.

A man is being praised as a hero after risking his life to rescue a child who fell onto train tracks at the Vangani station in Mumbai, India, as an oncoming train barreled into the station, according to India's Ministry of Railways. The ministry released video that shows Shri Mayur Shelke running at full speed down a set of train tracks to save a child who had fallen off the platform and onto the tracks as a train approached. The video, captured by security cameras at the station, shows the child initially walking alongside an unidentified person when they slip off of the edge of the platform and onto the tracks below. The video shows the child struggling to get back onto the platform and the unidentified person grasping at the air, struggling to pull them to safety. ?? pic.twitter.com/8fCSR6S4Vy — Ministry of Railways (@RailMinIndia) April 19, 2021Shelke works as a pointsman at the Vangani station where the incident occurred.

North Carolina authorities have been asked to investigate after a man was fatally shot by deputies while a search warrant was being served on Wednesday. Andrew Brown Jr. died after deputies went to execute a search warrant in a residential neighborhood in Elizabeth City at about 8:30 a.m, according to Pasquotank County Sheriff Tommy S. Wooten. Wooten did not offer details as to the reason a search warrant was issued, whether the warrant was for Brown’s home, or what events occurred prior to Brown being shot. via FacebookBody cameras were active during the incident, but Wooten said he has not viewed any footage from the incident. Brown lived on the street where the warrant was served with his girlfriend, according to Glenda Brown Thomas, who described herself as Brown's paternal aunt.

One landmark court victory won’t be enough to slow the movement of civil rights activists in Minneapolis who vow to remain focused on reaching their larger goal. It may appear that the only people talking about it are people of color, but really this is an issue that impacts all communities," Hussein said. Chauvin, a former Minneapolis police officer, was convicted Tuesday of second- and third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter for causing the death of George Floyd. The Justice Department is already investigating whether Chauvin and the other officers involved in Floyd's arrest violated his civil rights. Trahern Pollard, 48, has lost track of how many protests he’s attended since Floyd's death.

Police in Columbus, Ohio, released more body-camera video Wednesday showing an officer's point of view as he pulled his weapon, opened fire and killed a 16-year-old girl while responding to a 911 call. Police have said the video shows someone trying to stab a person on the ground, as well as a second person. The girl whom police shot and killed was identified as Ma'Khia Bryant, 16. A representative for the union representing Columbus police could not be immediately reached for comment Wednesday afternoon. "We try, but it is not a policy requirement that you yell your intent to fire your weapon," Woods said.

China is behind a newly discovered series of hacks against key targets in the U.S. government, private companies and the country’s critical infrastructure, cybersecurity firm Mandiant said Wednesday. The hack works by breaking into Pulse Secure, a program that businesses often use to let workers remotely connect to their offices. The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, or CISA, said in a warning Tuesday evening the latest hacking campaign is currently "affecting U.S. government agencies, critical infrastructure entities, and other private sector organizations." Unlike the hacks on SolarWinds and Exchange, both of which had at least tens of thousands of potential victims, there's little indication that China used Pulse to hack a broad number of targets. As with the Exchange hack, China deflected but did not deny responsibility.

The investigation will determine whether the department engages in a pattern or practice of policing that violates the Constitution or federal civil rights laws." * Ma'Khia Bryant: "A Columbus, Ohio, police officer fatally shot a teen girl Tuesday afternoon while responding to a call about someone armed with a knife, officials said. After the shooting, there appears to be a knife lying on the ground near the person who was shot." * Important confirmation, Part II: "The U.S. Senate on Tuesday overwhelmingly confirmed President Joe Biden's nominee, Lisa Monaco, as deputy attorney general, the No. * Bad policy, made in a bad way: "The Trump administration sidelined career staffers at the Environmental Protection Agency when weakening pollution rules for new passenger vehicles, according to a federal watchdog report.

One of the largest reports on Covid-19 vaccination in pregnancy bolsters evidence that it is safe although the authors say more comprehensive research is needed. Their rates of miscarriage, premature births and other complications were comparable to those observed in published reports on pregnant women before the pandemic. ‘’Everyone, including pregnant women and those seeking to become pregnant, should get a Covid-19 vaccine. Pregnant women seemed more prone to injection site pain with both vaccines but less likely to experience other reactions than non-pregnant women. Those rates are all within the same range observed in reports in pregnant women before the pandemic.

Former Minneapolis police officers J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao are charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and manslaughter. Jurors in the Chauvin trial saw extensive video from bystanders, police body camera video and security video. Herbert said the defense would most likely file a motion to move the trial because of juror bias, a motion that was denied in Chauvin's trial. Hochglaube said the judge could rule to move the trial because things "evolved so dramatically" throughout Chauvin's trial. She said two of the officers, Lane and Kueng, were rookies with just days of experience as full-time officers when Floyd was arrested.

The dramatic decrease came one year after Latino college enrollment had increased by nearly 2 percent, according to Deborah Santiago, CEO of Excelencia in Education, a nonprofit that analyzes how higher education institutions are enrolling, retaining and graduating Latino students. While HSIs make up only about 18 percent of all colleges and universities, they enroll and graduate over 60 percent of the nation's Latino college students. This is due to an increase in Latino college students who are mainly concentrated in several predominantly Hispanic areas, cities and states. Roadblocks, then CovidWhile college enrollment among Latino students has been increasing over the past decade and reached a record high in 2017, Hispanics still lag behind in college completion, according to Excelencia's research. High costs, a limited knowledge of college and trying to balance work, family and academics are the most common barriers preventing Hispanic students from finishing college on time.

Could the verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial mark a changing tide in holding law enforcement responsible for police violence? This is one of the most important questions emerging from the trial, in which a jury found former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin guilty of murdering George Floyd. Chauvin is one of a few officers to be convicted in a police violence trial, and the fact that law enforcement officers condemned him in court was also quite rare. Meanwhile, some Black officers have been sidestepping police unions in the wake of Floyd’s death to call for changes within police departments. Johnson added that the Chauvin trial could signify a positive change in the perspectives of future juries.

“The COVID pandemic showed us how quickly and profoundly we can alter the fundamentals of society when we recognize we’re in an overwhelming crisis,” said Howie Hawkins, the 2020 Green Party Presidential Nominee. The Green Party noted the science has long been clear: 7 years remain, at the world’s present rate of greenhouse gas emissions, before surpassing the limit required to keep warming below the 1.5? threshold that will trigger catastrophic climate change. “Biden and the Democrats must, at long last, stop following the fossil fuel companies and their campaign contributions and start following the science,” said Green Party National Co-Chair Margaret Elisabeth. “That means a goal of zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. The world remains skeptical of the climate positions of both the Democrats and Republicans” added Green Party National Co-Chair Tony Ndege.

WASHINGTON - Today the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will each be hosting subcommittee hearings on the crisis in Yemen and U.S. foreign policy on Yemen. Lawmakers will be hearing from and asking questions of the U.S. Special Envoy for Yemen, Timothy Lenderking. For the past few years, Demand Progress has been working with Congress and civil society to end U.S. involvement in the war on Yemen, which has caused the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. We urge Congress to insist on answers to what steps the Administration has taken since President Biden declared an end for U.S. support for 'offensive operations' in Yemen. Demand Progress will be watching these hearings closely, and are happy to discuss the hearings further.

WASHINGTON - The Leaders Summit on Climate will take place on April 22nd and aims to underscore the urgency of immediate and stronger climate action. The climate clock, which has been on display in New York, Union Square is a reminder of the urgent need to take climate action now. Glasgow City Council and UK youth climate activists light-projected a CLIMATE CLOCK onto Glasgow’s landmark Tolbooth Steeple. Graham Hogg, CLIMATE CLOCK’s Glasgow Team“As Glasgow prepares to host COP26, the Tolbooth Steeple is the perfect location for Glasgow’s CLIMATE CLOCK. “James Miller, 19-year-old, UK youth climate activist“1.5 degrees is our global beacon for climate action.

The bipartisan legislation would stop the federal government from lawlessly purchasing information about people in the United States from data brokers that it cannot directly obtain without a court order. It is disturbing and outrageous that intelligence and law enforcement agencies are circumventing Constitutional and statutory protections by purchasing information about people in the United States from data brokers. The Fourth Amendment Is Not For Sale Act would put a stop to this most recent effort by the government to do an end run around the Constitution and wrongfully obtain information about people in the United States. Intelligence and law enforcement agencies must come to understand that the American people are off limits to warrantless mass surveillance, no matter how it is done." The Fourth Amendment Is Not For Sale Act would put an end to these unseemly practices.

WASHINGTON - Multiple news reports suggest that the White House is set to announce a goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions in half from 2005 levels. In response, Food & Water Watch Policy Director Mitch Jones released the following statement:"While these White House goals are being lauded as aggressive, they are inadequate. Biden can make real headway on that front by fulfilling his campaign pledge to end fossil fuel extraction on public lands. He must also halt all new fossil fuel projects, which are polluting frontline communities and driving up emissions, and should join the push to ban fracking everywhere. "It is also vital that Democrats in Congress zero out fossil fuel subsidies in any infrastructure and climate packages, including the giveaways for industry-friendly carbon capture schemes."

The Leaders Summit on Climate will take place on April 22nd and 23rd and aims to underscore the urgency of immediate and stronger climate action. 1.5 degrees is our global beacon for climate action. Leaders must make the decisive move to keep all fossil fuels in the ground! We demand more from our world leaders than empty promises, empty solutions and empty negotiations at Biden’s Climate Summit. It is time for the Nigerian government to embrace a green economy, build back better and stop the issuance of any more licences towards fossil fuels exploration in the country.

Until we deliver on that, efforts at climate diplomacy will inevitably fall short. While many will applaud the President’s commitment to cut U.S. emissions by at least half by 2030, we have a responsibility to tell the truth: it is nowhere near enough. “The landmark 2018 IPCC report gave a directive that in order to have even a 50% shot of staying under 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming to avoid the worst of the climate crisis, we must half global emissions by 2030. If the US — the country with the most historical responsibility and greatest economic capacity — only halves our own emissions by then, we are doomed. A new report outlines that in order to truly meet our global historic responsibility, we’d have to reduce global emissions by the equivalent of 195% of 2005 US levels.

WASHINGTON - After both chambers of the New York State Legislature passed S.830 // A4448, a bill permanently restoring voting rights to 43,000 returning citizens, Stand Up America issued the following statement:“Outdated, racist voter suppression laws that disenfranchise the formerly incarcerated have no place in New York. No one should be excluded from our democracy because of Jim Crow-relic voting laws or as a result of our deeply broken criminal justice system. Please, select a donation method and stand with us today. The bill also requires that New Yorkers be informed of their newly restored voting rights before being released and that they also receive a voter registration application. Stand Up America’s community members in New York drove 2,200 calls and emails to state lawmakers in support of the bill.

Now he must do the same with Line 3, the Dakota Access pipeline, and all new fossil fuel projects. There can be no meaningful climate action if we don’t keep all fossil fuels in the ground. To do that, they must keep fossil fuels in the ground, including by stopping all new fossil fuel projects. “The Biden Climate Summit is a big opportunity for the administration to end all fossil fuel projects that threaten our sacred lands, Manoomin(Wild Rice), Treaty’s, and waters. “First and foremost, we must keep fossil fuels in the ground.

The Fourth Amendment Is Not For Sale Act would close major loopholes in federal privacy laws — including the Electronic Communications Privacy Act and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act — to protect the Fourth Amendment rights of all people in the United States. Free Press Action Government Relations Director Sandra Fulton made the following statement:“Every time federal agents buy data from unregulated and exploitative data brokers they’re violating the spirit of the Fourth Amendment. “We applaud Senator Wyden and Chairman Nadler for their leadership in introducing the Fourth Amendment Is Not for Sale Act. It’s time we shut down these dangerous practices, and ensured that the Fourth Amendment is not a relic of the past. The Fourth Amendment Is Not For Sale Act would close these loopholes and stop federal agencies from doing an end-run around our constitutional rights.”###

The signers of this letter urge President Biden to take a new approach: “COVID-19 is a shared threat, and the U.S. needs to treat it like one. By prioritizing humanitarian relief for Iran and other sanctioned states, President Biden can follow through on his campaign commitment and demonstrate that the U.S. can be a force for global good.”Read the full letter here. President Biden knows that urgent steps are needed to ease sanctions on ordinary Iranians. “They fuel poverty and suffering, rally support for hardliners, and undermine the people of Iran who are fighting for change. For the people of Iran and the United States alike, President Biden must act now.”###

Greenpeace EU climate campaigner Silvia Pastorelli said: “The EU is more worried about having something to brag about at Biden’s climate summit than it is about what it means for the climate emergency. Based on existing climate measures and targets, the European Commission already expects the EU to reduce emissions by 46% in 2030. The climate law enshrines the EU’s 2050 climate neutrality target, but it remains a Union-wide target, not for individual countries. The new climate law does include provisions for an independent climate advisory body, the European Scientific Advisory Board, made up of 15 members with a four-year mandate, which would provide scientific advice and scrutinise EU climate policies to check their alignment with EU targets and objectives. While this will inform a 2040 climate target, it does not address the current decade, which scientists warn is where the struggle against extreme climate breakdown will be won or lost.

Concern: An Emergency Charity Stimulus will take money away from future needs. As one critic put it, “it’s hard for a lot of groups to handle sudden surges of money, then a pullback. But Fidelity also took in $14.4 billion in new contributions, $5 billion more than they gave out in grants! Concern: The philanthropic and nonprofit sector are divided over this matter. As one national charity leader put it, “Members of Congress have nothing to gain by passing legislation in any sector, including the nonprofit sector, that the sector is divided on.”Response: Right.

WASHINGTON - Today, the House of Representatives voted to pass the NO BAN Act (H.R. The following is a statement from Muslim Advocates Special Counsel for Anti-Muslim Bigotry Madihha Ahussain:“Just days ago, Donald Trump re-emerged to spew false smears about Muslim terrorists to argue that we should reinstitute the Muslim Ban. That is why the passage of the NO BAN Act is so important. The Muslim Ban tore families apart, put lives on hold for years and labeled Muslims, Africans and other targeted people as threatening outsiders. We also want to thank the NO BAN Act Coalition for their tireless work to end the ban.

WASHINGTON - In a historic bipartisan vote today, the U.S. Senate voted to confirm Vanita Gupta to the role of associate attorney general, the third highest-ranking position in the U.S. Department of Justice. Gupta is now the first woman of color ever to be confirmed to the role and the first civil rights lawyer to serve in one of the top three positions at the Department of Justice. As a long-standing champion of civil rights, Vanita Gupta is exactly the person we need to help lead the Justice Department and advance equal justice for all. “With this historic confirmation, the U.S. Senate also is sending a clear message to the American public – communities of color are a critical part of the strength of our nation. It’s great to see that America again has a Justice Department that is back in the business of fulfilling its mission of enforcing the nation’s civil rights laws and ensuring equal justice for all.”###

If it happens, it will be built on a new urgency, on scalable action and young voices, and on true commitment to environmental justice and inclusion. With the arrival of the Biden administration, the federal government has put a powerful and unprecedented focus on climate change. I ticked through data to illustrate how climate change is upon us and accelerating: Record-breaking temperatures, extreme weather, Arctic ice melts. He cited an environmental justice advisory council that will connect affected communities directly to the White House, environmental justice community grants, and targeted funds in the $1.9 trillion Covid-19 rescue package to frame the administration's environmental blitz as a long-haul investment. "We keep setting new records relating to heat," Phoenix mayor Kate Gallego told me when we sat down for another recent Planet Forward conversation.

In mid-March, Reuters reported that Mexico would "restrict movement on its southern border with Guatemala to help contain the spread of COVID-19." In a press briefing on the same day, Psaki revealed additional measures the US had pushed to "increase border security" in the region. Of course, it is anyone's guess as to how "protection" might factor into the arrangement, given the established track record of anti-migrant violence by the security forces of all three countries. In the aftermath of the coup, the Barack Obama administration—featuring Biden as vice president—upped aid to Honduran security forces that were diligently murdering, raping and generally terrorising the domestic population. Now, nearly 12 years later, the same security forces are being "surged" to the border to disband groups of migrants fleeing the landscape of brutality these forces assisted in creating.

Last summer, Black Lives Matter protests in the United States after the murder of George Floyd echoed around the world. Today’s global crises—police violence, a global pandemic, the climate emergency, and many more—require action wherever we live. Global inequalities play out on so many issues like these that it is no exaggeration to talk of a more general "global apartheid." U.S. policy on global issues will not change fundamentally without widespread public demand. The obstacles to global solidarity may seem overwhelming.

Nearly 95 percent of America’s school buses run on diesel, a fossil fuel that has been shown to cause numerous health problems, including asthma, bronchitis, and cancer. Transitioning to all-electric school bus fleets would prevent the release of 5.3 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions each year. Achieving all-electric buses by 2030 means that by the time today's toddlers grow up to become middle schoolers, kids will be using clean, green and quiet electric school buses to get to school. We’re grateful to Senator Padilla, Senator Warnock, Representative Hayes and Representative Cárdenas for championing electric school buses and putting childrens’ health first. The Clean Commute for Kids Act will help tackle the existential threat of climate change, protect our childrens’ health and accelerate us toward a zero-emission future.”###

WASHINGTON - Jamal Abdi, President of the National Iranian American Council (NIAC), issued the following statement on the House passage of the NO BAN Act (H.R. “Thankfully, the House took the first step toward guarding against any future discriminatory bans by passing the NO BAN Act. Now it is time for the Senate to officially debate the ban for the first time and pass the NO BAN Act. We call on Sen. Schumer and all Senators of good conscience to send the NO BAN Act on to President Biden for his signature. The Senate should pick up this bill and pass it without delay, along with the NO BAN Act."

The Manhattan district attorney's office in New York announced Wednesday what it called a "paradigm shift" by saying it will no longer prosecute prostitution and unlicensed massage. His office is also dismissing over 5,000 "loitering for the purpose of prostitution" cases. "Countless sex workers, those profiled as sex workers, and trafficking victims have suffered under the weight of convictions and warrants," she said. She called on lawmakers to pass the Stop Violence in the Sex Trades Act, S6419, which would decriminalize sex work. "Sex workers have been saying they face significant violence from police and clients for decades and it is time that we all listen to these voices when determining how to improve safety for sex workers."

"Yesterday's verdict in the state criminal trial does not address potentially systemic policing issues in Minneapolis," Garland told reporters. —Attorney General Merrick GarlandThe investigation could result in a civil lawsuit, with the Justice Department calling on a federal court to order the MPD to change its practices. The DOJ intends to "look beyond individual incidents to address systemic failures," Garland said, and officials will review the MPD's policies, training, and use-of-force investigations. https://t.co/vv8NitRraY — Marianne Williamson (@marwilliamson) April 21, 2021Today, @TheJusticeDept Attorney General Merrick Garland announced that the DOJ is opening a sweeping investigation into policing practices in Minneapolis. — ColorOfChange (@ColorOfChange) April 21, 2021"The Department of Justice will be unwavering in its pursuit of equal justice under law," said Garland.

Biden’s announcement follows a January executive order on scientific integrity, laying out a year-long process for federal agencies to adopt and tackle the suppression of science in the federal government by adopting new scientific integrity policies. However, they proved to be so weak that the Trump administration did not need to roll them back, as they fulfilled Trump’s anti-science agenda. Ensuring supervisors are not evaluating the scientific integrity complaints of their subordinates. Even though political appointees are a major source of scientific misconduct, there is no process for disciplining them via a “personnel action,” such as a reprimand or suspension for violating scientific integrity. President Biden’s promise to support scientific integrity in the federal government is a welcome change from the Trump administration.

"We applaud the activists who brought attention to this injustice and the state lawmakers who voted for this critical bill," the group added, thanking state Sens. "With the passage of this bill, we are one step closer to dismantling the vestiges of segregation-era felony disenfranchisement in New York," he continued. Though it's unclear if or when Cuomo will sign the bill, he did begin using his pardon power to restore voting rights to New York residents on parole in 2018. The progress on expanding voting rights in New York comes as GOP policymakers in several states including Georgia and Texas have proposed or passed legislation to restrict ballot box access. According to the Brennan Center, Republicans across 47 states this year have introduced at least 361 bills with restrictive voting provisions.

More than a year after the coronavirus pandemic and the corresponding economic crisis began, a new analysis out Wednesday shows that as 2020 ended, the richest 10% of Americans possessed just under 70% of the nation's household wealth. Nearly half of those assets are concentrated in the wealth of the top 1%, who own a combined $38.91 trillion. The bottom 50% of earners, meanwhile, control a combined $2.49 trillion—or 2% of U.S. household wealth. The richest 1% in the US control 31.4% of all household wealth. The richest 10% control 69.2% of all household wealth.

The U.S. Senate on Wednesday narrowly confirmed Vanita Gupta to be associate attorney general, eliciting praise from civil rights defenders. In the position, she will oversee the Justice Department's tax, antitrust, and civil rights divisions—the latter of which she led under the Obama administration. Delivering a similar message was Damon Hewitt, acting president and executive director of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. Jealous and Ifill also urged the Senate to confirm Kristen Clarke, Biden's nominee to lead the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. Like Gupta, Clarke is a woman of color, a civil rights lawyer, and a target of GOP attacks, as Politico reported this week.

I represent the International Rescue Committee (IRC), a humanitarian organization with over 400 staff, mainly Yemenis, working across the country. While the humanitarian crisis in Yemen is protracted, it is by no means static. The result—the world's worst humanitarian crisis is on track for its worst year yet. Second, push back against constraints on humanitarian operations across Yemen. It would facilitate the delivery of much needed aid and help create space for a meaningful political process.

"The time is long overdue to make public colleges and universities tuition-free and debt-free for working families." "In the 21st century, a free public education system that goes from kindergarten through high school is no longer good enough. The time is long overdue to make public colleges and universities tuition-free and debt-free for working families." "The skyrocketing cost of college is preventing workers and our families from pursuing our dreams," said Nelson. "We have to reverse the divestment in higher education and shift the burden of cost away from individuals and families."

"It's impossible to protect the forest by giving funds to someone responsible for record levels of Amazon deforestation and human rights violations." "We share your concerns that urgent action must be taken to address threats to the Amazon, our climate, and human rights, but a deal with Bolsonaro is not the solution," the coalition wrote. "Many in Brazil would say that unless Bolsonaro radically changes his policies on the Amazon, they shouldn't make a deal." "The theme has been central to talks Brazil's environment minister, Ricardo Salles, said he has had in recent weeks with Biden administration climate officials." "President Biden must stop the deal with Bolsonaro," said Alves.

"Urgent action is needed to end the expansions of fossil fuel production, phase out current production, and invest in renewable energy." In addition to being the leading source of emissions, there are local pollution, environmental, and health costs associated with extracting, refining, transporting, and burning fossil fuels. Efforts to meet the Paris agreement and to reduce demand for fossil fuels will be undermined if supply continues to grow. The fossil fuel system is global and requires a global solution—a solution the Leaders Climate Summit must work towards. And the first step is to keep fossil fuels in the ground."

"There can be no meaningful climate action if world leaders don't make a decisive move to keep all fossil fuels in the ground." "Biden can make real headway on that front by fulfilling his campaign pledge to end fossil fuel extraction on public lands. A new report (pdf) outlines that in order to truly meet our global historic responsibility, we'd have to reduce global emissions by the equivalent of 195% of 2005 U.S. "The Biden Summit is a critical meeting of world leaders ahead of COP26 this November," Hall said Wednesday. "Talk of 'net-zero' won't cut it: we demand more from our world leaders than false promises, false solutions, and empty negotiations."

"We've been having meetings on minimum wage, and I can't for the life of me understand why they don't take a win on $11," said the West Virginia senator. "If it comes down to one person," Manchin added, "I don't believe it should be above $11, I don't think the tipped wage should ever go above half of that." HuffPost reported earlier this month that Sinema is working with Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) on legislation that would increase the federal minimum wage, but the details—including the wage floor the bill will propose—have not been finalized. The federal minimum wage, which currently sits at $7.25 an hour, has not been raised since 2009. If so, that would be lower than the current $12 minimum wage in Sinema's home state of Arizona, where a strong majority of voters favor raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour.

After overnight negotiations to finalize a European Union climate law ahead of U.S. President Joe Biden's leaders summit at the end of the week, E.U. EU member states have to become real climate leaders instead of contradicting their own parliament and the #ParisAgreement. "This climate law is nothing more than a new package for what already exists, rushed by E.U. This is definitely not the kind of climate law that will help the E.U. On the day the EU agrees a new climate law, the Dalai Lama and 100 other Nobel prize winners call on governments to PHASE OUT #fossilfuels.

"Every time federal agents buy data from unregulated and exploitative data brokers they're violating the spirit of the Fourth Amendment." Pass the Fourth Amendment Is Not for Sale Act! Today I'm introducing my legislation to put a stop to the federal government using its credit card to end-run the Fourth Amendment. Fulton added that "it's time we shut down these dangerous practices, and ensure that the Fourth Amendment is not a relic of the past." Free Press Action is urging people to tell their senators and representatives to protect the right to privacy by passing the Fourth Amendment is Not For Sale Act.

African states are more involved in the war on terror than we may think, writes Samar Al-Bulushi. Read more ?

"By prioritizing humanitarian relief for Iran and other sanctioned states, Biden can follow through on his campaign commitment and demonstrate that the U.S. can be a force for global good." We've partnered w @WinWithoutWar, Miaan Group & 40+ other orgs to urge the Biden admin to ease #Iran sanctions & provide humanitarian relief amidst its battle with Covid-19. "Biden knows that urgent steps are needed to ease sanctions on ordinary Iranians. Many members of the Iranian American community are counting on him to live up to his campaign commitment and ensure sanctions do not block humanitarian trade with Iran." "Biden knows that urgent steps are needed to ease sanctions on ordinary Iranians.

Corporate media unquestioningly regurgitates dubious intelligence that promotes U.S. interests abroad. What is called national security reporting in the U.S. essentially consists of reporters ludicrously believing whatever they are told by U.S. intelligence officials, who are schooled in the dark arts of deception. Reporters’ repeated faith in “high” and “low confidence” whispers, delivered with zero proof, makes a mockery of even the idea of adversarial journalism. In their book, “confirming” other media’s reporting doesn’t mean obtaining evidence, but soliciting the same whispers. The unnamed “senior officials” know what suckers for scoops they are, even for scoops that all too often turn out to be false.

This dispersal of power requires careful consideration of the racialized labor that sustains war-making in Somalia, and of the geographical implications of this labor. Ethiopia was the first African military to intervene in Somalia in December 2006, sending thousands of troops across the border, but it did not do so alone. Finally, the fact that some of AMISOM’s troop-contributing states have conducted their own aerial assaults against Al-Shabaab in Somalia demands further attention. War-making in Somalia relies on contingent and fluid alliances that evolve over time, as each set of actors evaluates and reevaluates their interests. Officially, at least, U.S. troops have been withdrawn and repositioned in Kenya and Djibouti, while African troops remain on the ground in Somalia.

The United Mine Workers of America’s support for carbon capture, however, leaves cause for disagreement. “We always end up dealing with climate change, closing down coal mines. In other words, using the imagined potential of carbon storage to legitimate further dirty energy extraction could exacerbate climate catastrophe. “If you believe curbing the climate crisis requires fundamentally challenging capitalism, workers must be part of that,” Lazare tweeted. Building genuine solidarity between climate and labor movements is a tremendous — and existential — challenge.”This article is from Common Dreams.

Good climate change fiction involves, in a sense, a combination of both material and sociological storytelling: climate change is, after all, geographic materiality impacting the structural, institutional challenges of politics (and vice versa). (If the story had ended in the triumph of winter and the White Walkers, it would have in many ways been more honest.) Tyrion, in a conversation with Jon Snow, suggests that the problem posed by the White Walkers is simply too big to motivate people. After all, there is a dearth of good climate fiction. The White Walkers were bogeymen, melted away by the dawn.

Welcome to the New Day Cafe! This is an open thread. x US jogger talks bear out of pursuing him further – video https://t.co/t71QfnxnSf — The Guardian (@guardian) April 21, 2021

As you can see, the Backyard Garden is enjoying (?) Case in point: Lima Beans. I like Lima Beans; they don’t give me indigestion like cucumbers do, and they’re a bit different from the usual Green and Wax Beans that Prior Administrations have planted in the Garden. Then I went online to see what is the recommended length of time to soak seeds…and I found out something that I never knew about Lima Beans: They contain cyanide. Planting poison was NOT my intent when contemplating the addition of Lima Beans.

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But while other states are attacking the right to vote, Virginia is leading the way with new laws expanding access to the ballot box. Some folks forget that just a few years ago, Virginia was a hotbed of restrictive voting laws and illegal gerrymandering. Thankfully, we turned things around by flipping the General Assembly blue and electing Democrats who have championed the right to vote. So I'm personally asking you to make a contribution and join me in supporting the Virginia House Democrats. Will you join me in supporting the Virginia House Democrats?

I don’t know about other folks, but I’ve been getting pretty sick of figuring out different ways to comb my long mangy locks. I get my second vaccine shot tomorrow, and barring any unforeseen side effects like urges to go lick doorknobs or growing a third hand from the top of my head, I’ll be heading straight the barber in 11 days. (Once full immunity kicks in.)

Starting off in the Bistro Cafe, Val Demings must have struck a nerve when she wouldn’t take any of what Gym Jordan went to the mat with. After the break, we move to the Chef’s Table where media freedom around the world has deteriorated dramatically during the pandemic; and, Japan reported the Chinese military is behind the cyberattacks on two hundred companies and research organizations, including the country’s space agency. All that and more, on West Coast Cookbook & Speakeasy with Chef de Cuisine Justice Putnam. Bon Appétit! The Netroots Radio Live Player

It has also already failed to live up to expectations, as the only CCS plant in the US closed in February . Then consider the scale - Woods and Blommaert mention the Gulf Coast’s potential capacity to capture 500 billion metric tons of CO2, and the (expensive, experimental, taxpayer funded) Houston Hub another 100 million metric tons. But what about the other 100 million metric tons ExxonMobil pollutes every year? Its 2019, Scope 3 emissions (pollution from its value chain) were equivalent to 730 million metric tons . Of course, Devon gave shareholders $257 million in dividends, and cut 400 jobs (about 22% of its workforce), according to the newest report from Bailout Watch .

For those of you who don’t get the Good News Roundup, this morning niftywriter included a section about a letter some congressional democrats sent to President Biden and Vice President Harris asking them to include some pretty big changes to SSI in the upcoming American Families Plan. You can read the whole letter here (Sorry I couldn’t figure out how to embed the actual letter). The proposed changes will really make a difference in the lives of many disabled citizens. I am excited about this because my daughter is autistic and we are currently in the process of applying for SSI for her. It may not hurt to drop President Biden and VP Harris a line as well telling them you support the proposed changes.

--Gabriel Sterling, a top official in the office of the Georgia Secretary of State, argues in an Apr. 14 Washington Post op-ed that the new Georgia election law is not as bad as it is portrayed. The law is that bad, particularly for voters of color. Black voters heavily used absentee voting in the last election. In the same vein, Sterling indignantly denies that the law permits the State Election Board to overturn elections.

Japanese Americans being sent to internment campsToday, as the Senate is scheduled to vote on Senator Hirono's AAPI hate crime bill, it is relevant to reflect on the history of exploitation and exclusion of Asian immigrants by the United States. A wonderful article was recently published in the Atlantic by Columbia University professor Mae Ngai outlining the sadly undertaught history of exploiting and dehumanizing Asians by Americans from the 19th century to the present day. From Chinese gold rush and railroad workers to the Chinese Exclusion Act, from Japanese internment to the Treaty of San Francisco to the Japanese car quotas of the 90's, through the exploitation and murder of Asians in countless satellite wars, she paints a comprehensive (if confusingly detailed) picture of the history that has brought us in to today's surge in violence against Asian-Americans.

Rusty Young, founding and longest lasting member of Poco has died at 75. With a career spanning from Buffalo Springfield thru the Covid-19 pandemic, Rusty’s voice, steel guitar, acoustic and electric guitars and band leadership kept the first true country-rock band’s legacy alive despite a rotating group of collaborators. I saw them around the time their live album Deliverin’ was released and they were just as dynamic with Rusty even bringing his pedal steel guitar down onto the floor on his knee while he played it Chuck Berry/duckwalking style.

Not all Republicans are rats but all rats are Republican. Consider their nature: burrowing rodents that dwell in dark holes in the subway, nest in overcrowded buildings, and live in garbage dumps. Don’t forget Mitch McConnell, a Top Rat, who openly states that he will fight Democrats “every step of the way.”Did bipartisanship end up in a rat’s nest? Too many people worship rats like at the Karni Mata Temple in India, home to 15,000 well-fed rodents. If you look beyond the rats, we have a “conventional” leader in Joe Biden – steady, stable, and grounded.

On Tuesday night Fox News presented another episode of Tucker Carlson's White Power Hour. Because Fox News wants their audience to think that there were civil disturbances happening currently in response to the verdicts. Carlson began his interview by belittling the verdicts that he claimed were the result of viewing "a murder case through the lens of politics." That's a good question considering that it is Carlson who is forcing the case to be viewed through a political lens. It's not the first time that Carlson has equated the loss of white power to the end of civilization.

x YouTube VideoWhen I moved to the island 28 years ago, I didn’t realize I was relocating to one of the country’s premier birdwatching hot spots. This winter it was a destination for birdwatchers hoping to see our Short Eared Owls. Now I realize my diverse and and abundant avian neighbors are one of the best things about living where I do. Where else can a trip to the store involve passing four Bald Eagles lined up in a row atop four utility poles? So there is a lot of avian activity to watch.

White Americans saw the need for soul cleansing penance, black Americans, between short-lived smiles, saw another atrocity added to the long line of soiled justice. George Floyd is not a new phenomenon in my community, it is a scenario that has been repeated for over 400 years. When George Floyd cried for his mother to save him, I imagined the spirit of Mamie Till-Mobley wept. The aftermath of both murders was punctuated by the media portrayals of the vicious and ruthless disregard for black life. The protest must continue because the confrontations that too often leave a black body dead, will continue.

So, I got dropped off at the hospital, DGS went home with Dear Husband, and one of our guests waited in the hospital parking lot for me. Apparently the night supervisor at the cop shop had decided that Dear Daughter had to be taken into custody right now. Dear Daughter was arraigned the next morning and we fetched her home. We are all saving our pennies and searching for grants and programs so Dear Daughter can get her very own house. Dear Daughter is fretting because apparently she has the notion that it is somehow bad for a nearly 40 year old to move back in with her parents.

Now that former officer Chauvin has been convicted of murdering George Floyd, many have started to wonder what justice for our communities of color might look like. But the most likely reason for passing a single counterfeit bill is that you don’t know what you’re doing. George Floyd, nabbed for passing the bum bill, probably wasn’t aware he might have done anything wrong until after he was arrested. Should allegedly passing a single counterfeit bill be treated more seriously than a speeding violation that could endanger the driver and others? So what will justice look like?

I am no stranger to discomfort, but today I am in physical pain, not in psychiatric pain. Though I wanted to leave quarantine desperately, I am beginning to wish that I had not. I’m beginning to wish that I had waited longer for medical science to have worked out the bugs and the kinks with our currently available vaccines. In the beginning, some of us believed in worst-case scenario—a super virus that would prove to be our totally annihilation. The first shot was not nearly this bad, but then I had heard anecdotally that the second Moderna shot can produce ample side effects.

Pierce is picking up on an LA Times report by Nabih Bulos: The Dead Sea is dying. A virtually landlocked desert kingdom with few resources, the country’s yearly decrease in rainfall could lead to a 30% reduction by 2100, according to Stanford University’s Jordan Water Project. At one time, a proposal was being floated for building a pipeline from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea. Because the Dead Sea is below sea level, once the water from the sea reaches a certain point, it’s all downhill. This was brought up as a way of developing a hydropower resource while reversing the shrinkage of the Dead Sea.

Helping Humpday is specifically about generating community support for struggling Kossacks who find themselves facing an imminent financial need like keeping the lights on, avoiding eviction, getting to work, paying medical bills. Some need help with a one-time emergency. They are working towards financial independence and self-sufficiency, but still need some help. Your small gift can help a family or individual find stability for another month in the face of a crisis. After struggling for years as a well respected but underpaid substitute teacher, jtg made the difficult choice to return to college to get his teaching credentials.

Whistleblower Bruce Boise blew the opioid whistle on Big Pharma. This black man has a message on national guard in communities. Bruce Boise, Big Pharma whistleblowerPolitics Done Right Live weekdays @ 3:00 PM CentralVideo Zoom: LINK — Live Calls: (346)248-7799 ID:254 0 9091This black man gives the most prescient statements about the National Guard and extensive police force policing downtown Minneapolis. most prescient statements about the National Guard and extensive police force policing downtown Minneapolis. Whistleblower & author of Cold Comfort Bruce Boise paid the price for crossing big Pharma.

David Waldman gets us over the hump, that many of us will sled down this morning. Accountability, and maybe a step towards justice took place last night, as Black lives mattered, for a moment. People keep coming up with clever ways to convince boneheads, but boneheads hate experts almost as much as they hate math. The House has been frozen at 435 representatives, but just like those 9 Supreme Court justices, that’s just a number. Democrats blocked Republican censure of Maxine Waters until the Gop cleaned up its own act.

If one surprise comes out of the Chauvin verdict I hope it's a slander and libel suit against Tucker Carlson and fox. I'd like to encourage the chauvin jury to sue carlson and fox for slander, libel or whatever other grounds some good lawyers can come up with. Anyone want to start a #suetuckercarlson ? Poll 0 votes Show Results Should the jurors in the Chauvin case sue tucker carlson for slander, libel, defamation, etc? Should the jurors in the Chauvin case sue tucker carlson for slander, libel, defamation, etc?

Upon listening to @AliVelshi's interview with this young black man's take on the National Guard protecting Minneapolis pre-verdict is more telling than most think. The use of the National Guard tells a bigger storySee full episodes here. And I specify the man's "race" because he is someone who understands what his community is going through day after day. "Not enough people are out here defending people, so we do not have these incidents," the young man said. I've seen a lot of National Guard down here protecting these buildings.

During those same years, Major League Baseball owners were engaging in the perhaps the worst scandal in baseball history. I barely noticed when Major League Baseball went on strike on August 12, 1994. I once asked my dad why he didn’t pursue baseball after that championship high school season. The Post-Game ShowFor 15 years after Edgar retired, he watched and waited as he was passed over for admission into the Major League Baseball Hall of fame. My team and I will both keep preparing, but changing our routines when the game calls for it, for the love of baseball, my dad, and ‘Gar.

Seth Richardson of Cleveland.com writes that Mandel raised that much through a joint fundraising committee that consisted of his campaign, his PAC, and the Delaware County Republican Party. Another Republican, former state party chair Jane Timken, took in $1.1 million from donors and loaned her campaign an additional $1 million. On the GOP side, state Rep. Brian Stewart and state Sen. Bob Peterson each announced Monday that they were running in the upcoming special election. The Columbus Dispatch's Laura Bischoff reports that state Sen. Stephanie Kunze and Tim Schaffer are also considering. The top fundraiser on either side was GOP state Rep. Jake Ellzey, who took in $504,000 from donors.

For many education activists, the decision to resume standardized testing confirmed their suspicions about the Biden administration’s lack of commitment to creating equity in education. Even supporters of standardized testing have concerns about the test-taking process and how the results will be used. Ismael Jimenez, an educator in the Philadelphia School District, described standardized testing as a “continuation of eugenics-type thinking applied to education.”“The origin [of standardized testing] is to weed out who is able and who is not,” Jimenez said. Advocates are still determined to press the administration and schools to reconsider the role of standardized testing and explore more equitable and less stressful alternatives. Failing that, parents need to opt their kids out of testing.”More than half of universities have committed to not requiring test results.

Soon after, Shabazz, parents, and students kicked off a school renaming process that led to Haight becoming Love Elementary School. “You got to reject the lies of history.”Communities have taken a wide variety of approaches to evaluating school names. Malcolm Cawthorne, a Brookline Naming Committee member, believes that his school district has been inconsistent in its approach. “The school district did what was easy to do,” Cawthorne said. But it is not clear whether involving school communities and a formal professional review in choosing school names have historically been the norm.

Huerta turns 91 years old on April 10, and her birthday has been recognized as Dolores Huerta Day in her home state of California since 2018. We’re raising money to give to families who aren’t able to get resources, like a lot of undocumented families. Huerta: I think in some respects it’s easier because social media can inform, educate, and mobilize people. Huerta: I think that’s a really great question and I think that’s something that we’re not really exploring enough. If the first person you’re trying to organize rejects you, that’s okay, go to the next person.

Thanks to that 8-point margin, Biden won districts representing 232 seats in the House, while Donald Trump carried just 168. Yet in the face of this headwind, fully 50 Republicans chalked up wins in Biden seats while just five Democrats prevailed in Trump seats. En route to that victory, Sununu won an extraordinary 366 seats in the House to just 34 for his opponent. There, Republicans reversed the 14-10 majority Democrats won in 2018 and took 14-10 majority of their own. Biden carried 16 districts and Trump just eight, but Republican senators won six Biden districts.

Senator Alex Padilla’s (D. CA) re-election campaign:Sen. Alex Padilla (D. CA)Hi — It’s Katie Porter. So let me get right to it: I’m asking you to donate to Alex Padilla's reelection campaign. Your support today is so important, because now more than ever we need bold, progressive Democrats like Alex in the Senate. So please, do your part today by joining me and chipping in $5 or $10 to Alex Padilla’s reelection campaign. A dollar raised today is so valuable compared to a dollar raised a year from now.

Drug price negotiation for Medicare has pretty much nothing to do with the response of the federal government and private companies to a global pandemic. Democrats can also point to public polling, which has pretty consistently shown that the American public supports efforts to control prescription drug costs, and that majority support crosses political divides. That's not all: "At least eight in ten—across party identification—say profits made by pharmaceutical companies are a 'major factor' in the price of prescription drugs." A Gallup survey conducted a year ago found that two-thirds of U.S. adults reported that their prescription drug costs had increased over the past three years. Thirty percent said that lowering drug costs was "the single most important issue" or "among the most important issues" influencing their vote in the 2020 election.

“The new guidance mirrors an earlier change in language at U.S Citizenship and Immigration Services, the agency in charge of legal immigration,” the report continued. Unfortunately, it represents only a sliver of the things that have been wrong and continue to be wrong with problematic agencies like CBP and ICE. “Agents have maintained connections to the white supremacist movement,” the American Immigration Council said earlier this year. The Biden administration has also kept the previous president’s acting ICE director, Tae Johnson, in his role too. “Asked if reforming the agency included a change in leadership and firings, Grijalva said ‘absolutely,’” the report said.

Timothy McDonald, the founder of the African American Ministers Leadership Council, accused Home Depot of being "in the business of building homes and, it appears, tearing down democracy." It also appears to have decided that meeting with voting rights advocates could be risky optics for its brand, thereby taking a pass on standing up for the voting rights of all Americans. The clergy members called on both Home Depot and GOP Gov. Home Depot employs some 30,000 people in Georgia. But the clergy members said Georgia now served as a focal point for the nation on the issue of voting rights.

As long as American policing endures in its current form, the movement to save Black lives continues. Toshira Garraway of Families Supporting Families Against Police Violence reminded the crowd that there are lots of other victims of police violence. ‘For every well-known name and victim of police violence there are hundreds of others,’ shouted Garraway, urging the crowd to help those families get justice too. Those calls have continued to resonate, emphasizing how Black-led activism has fundamentally reshaped the discourse around policing and public safety in America. One single guilty verdict may be a step in the right direction, but there are miles yet to go.

The book world was roiled last week when Post Hill Press announced it would be publishing a memoir by Sgt. Post Hill subsequently confirmed the news when the Courier-Journal called them. Note that Regnery picked up Hawley’s book after S&S dropped it, so Simon & Schuster is having it both ways on that book. Post Hill Press has a mostly conservative slant, and has published books by Dan Bongino, Laura Looper, and—yes—Matt Gaetz. They are publishing Mattingly under their Bombardier Books imprint, which has this charming mission statement:

Nevertheless, Ingraham invited Florida governor, and fawning Donald Trump wannabe, Ron DeSantis, to discuss this manufactured topic (video below). And if all of that weren't enough, throughout much of the interview, there was a graphic on screen that read that the "Left Celebrates Chauvin Trial As Proof Riots Work." It was simply left there to poison the weak minds of the Fox News audience. No one on the left was celebrating the verdict, which was regarded as a solemn moment to reflect on the loss of lives. And in this program Ingraham, DeSantis, and Fox News are demonstrating that they are dangerously deaf.

Don’t you just want to wipe that smirk off his face?? I am pretty sure he had a bad high school experience — shitty bow tie and that smirk. Is that why he is such an asshole now — I wonder?? What I really want to say about him I would probably get in trouble for. x Oh Tucker..... https://t.co/er4XTDdFNg — The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) April 21, 2021Such a fucking joke this guy really is.

Wandering the slopes of a volcanic giant: making it above the treeline just on time to see the landscape bathed in some of the most incredible mountain light I've ever seen.

Ate, now writing this diary. Loneliness, depression, and living in a nursing home do not a good birthday make. So ,,,,just a simple diary tonight, I am hoping and thinking that it will get a lot of responses: Please post a song that in it’s title there is a question. In your answer, if possible please post the song video or a picture of it or the group. I answer the challenge with a dance song that was hot when I was in my club years, in 1993: "What is love?”You are up next.

“The jurors in the Derek Chauvin trial came to a unanimous and unequivocal verdict this afternoon: ‘Please don’t hurt us,’” Carlson said on “Tucker Carlson Tonight.” Carlson added, "Everyone understood perfectly well the consequences of an acquittal in this case. pic.twitter.com/mBOxrsbhaJ — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 21, 2021Fox News host Tucker Carlson behaved strangely on the air Tuesday night. Carlson, who spent months spreading lies about Floyd’s death and railing against the Black Lives Matter movement it reignited, invited former New York corrections official Ed Gavin on “Tucker Carlson Tonight” to speak after the verdict. Tucker Carlson simply cuts off the conversation when an alternate sentiment intrudes. "https://t.co/OOdav4ZSKi — Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) April 21, 2021x Tucker Carlson is like the Joker but racist and more destructive pic.twitter.com/ZkdlYAsmBu — MeidasTouch.com (@MeidasTouch) April 21, 2021

Rep. Val Demings wasn’t a champion wrestler and a wrestling coach like Jim Jordan was. Val Demings was a police officer who rose to the position of Chief of Police in Orlando. In this interchange with Jim Jordan she takes him down like an Olympic gold medal wrestler. If you take out Rep. Nadler’s interruptions round this out and you could say Val Demings demolished him in the first period and pinned him in the last seconds. @HouseJudiciary pic.twitter.com/x9i9LO5AAi — Rep. Val Demings (@RepValDemings) April 20, 2021Tomorrow’s diary: Just Sayn', I've been in prisons and jails and can say that Derek Chauvin is having a rude awakening

During my perusal of the comments I noticed a theme of folks not understanding stuff that, as a trans person I kinda have to know. Before we get to the AMA I'm gonna clear up a few things. The "trans women in sports" question. Here is his rebuttal towards the idea of trans women not being able to compete in sports. If someone comes in sealioning, begging the question or reducto ad absurduming me I'm gonna lay into them, fair and full warning.

But first a message from our founder:Been here. Trust me, this is not funny. So what’s been happening with your critters?

If the previous guy doesn’t run, the 2024 POTUS field seems “wide-open” with dark horses, stalking horses, mudders, and nags. Ron DeSantis has been courting donors. Ron DeSantis. Ron DeSantis. — Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) April 17, 2021x Liz Cheney says she won't support Trump if he's the 2024 Republican nominee.

The premise, then, is that every single House Republican believes that Maxine Waters referring to some of the central lessons of the Civil Rights era—be visible, be peaceful, and be willing to make the powers-that-be uncomfortable and inconvenienced—is worthy of House punishment. It was an attempt by the Republican Party to overthrow the U.S. government by so inflaming their rabid base that the base itself would rise up and demand democracy's end. The only Republican outrage over any of it is over cancelled book deals or other trivial public consequences for their acts. There's no point in taking anything any Republican lawmaker says seriously, because the whole party uses strategic lying as foundation. The House Republican caucus is what would happen if you elected cocaine to high office.

According to Blackman, Frank Speech and Lindell were easy marks. x MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell’s new social platform “FRANK” was supposed to launch their “VIP” option last night, but it didn't get off the ground. x MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell's new social platform, "Frank," has gone offline. x You can curse on https://t.co/cb5jFn5kZG so it’s definitely more of a free speech site than Mike Lindell’s. — The Good Liars (@TheGoodLiars) April 20, 2021Is it too much of a stretch to say I’m now more addicted to Mike Lindell than Mike Lindell was previously addicted to crack?

ABC NewsAt least nine teenagers and juveniles have been injured after a gunfight broke out at a 12-year-old’s birthday party. (snip)When authorities arrived they discovered that multiple people had been shot after an alleged verbal confrontation at a 12-year-old child’s birthday party somehow erupted into a gunfight. (snip)Authorities believe that an estimated 60 young people were at the 12-year-old’s birthday party and that two groups of male juveniles who have an ongoing feud with each other began arguing at some point during the party which is what eventually led to the shootout. Yet, in spite of all of the witnesses at the party, not a single person has given a formal statement of what they saw take place. No arrests have been made in connection with the shooting but officers have determined that two guns were fired in the altercation.

Bagel dog photo credit: David Guo. Bible added. — Why “are you all so good with money?” — Why “you all reject Jesus when he was one of your own?" Rather than accepting the degrading invitation to nosh on blessed bagel dogs with their Bible-thumping boss, the two Jewish service members contacted their base’s local Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) representative, who put them in touch with MRFF founder and president Mikey Weinstein. This morning, the grateful service members sent the following email to MRFF, describing in their own words the outrageous anti-Semitism that MRFF had put a stop to for them:

ForbesThe stress test is coming for states like Arizona as water levels likely to dip below 1075 feet in June. The mega-drought in the American west means water restrictions are looming in the next few months. The federal government is likely to issue its first-ever official shortage prompting cuts for water in Nevada and Arizona cities and for agriculture. Lake Mead 3D clip from Earth Timelapse video downloadsFrom Vox:Lake Mead’s recent contractions are concerning because the body supplies water to 25 million people across Arizona, Nevada, California, and Mexico. As the lake level has dropped, states have so far managed to avoid reaching the point where mandatory water restrictions kick in, but it looks like they are coming soon.

His empty rhetoric did nothing to dent the collapse of employment by Big Coal that has seen the disappearance of half of America's coal jobs since 2011. Some coal miners believed Trump — and coal mine owners grabbed the cash offered to prop up the sagging industry — but realists knew Trump’s policies were a political stunt. Biden’s Infrastructure plan, on the other hand, offers concrete hope for the benighted area. Their language is echoed in the Biden’s administration’s infrastructure plan. As soon as those desires are met, the coal job goal will recede in importance.

We’re hearing lots of reports about just how many cops and military types were part of the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol. There was also some indication that some of the Capitol Police management was in on it. Lofgren (D-Calif.) revealed the finding while she questioned Capitol Police Inspector General Michael Bolton, who appeared before the House Administration Committee Wednesday to testify about security failures that precipitated the Jan. 6 attack. Lofgren, who chairs the panel, described the findings as she asked him whether he had read the internal investigation reports. Specifically, police were instructed NOT to interfere with the pro-Trump mob, but just to keep any anti-Trump people (assuming there were any!)

After punching the cellophane, Whisler took a video of himself urinating into it. Before striking Ryan, Whisler “took a lot of verbal abuse,” NBC News affiliate KARE11 reported. After Ryan’s friend said he was calling the police, Whisler and his friend fled in a vehicle. Ryan coached the Bloomington Jefferson High School girls’ hockey team. https://t.co/ih2pguPKrX — Jefferson Jaguars (@jeffjaguars) April 20, 2021According to a 2016 Sun Current article, Ryan played for Bloomington’s Jefferson High School’s 1989 championship hockey team and coached for years.

The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act would ban chokeholds and many no-knock warrants, require body and dashboard cameras, and limit transfers of military equipment to police departments. Additionally it would mandate training and create law enforcement accreditation standards. "As a matter of fact, since the trial started on March 29, 63 people have died at the hands of police. In my opinion, this is (a) human rights issue in the United States of America.”The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act has passed the House, but as usual, it faces a Republican filibuster in the Senate. Sen. Tim Scott, the only Black Republican in the Senate, has put forward his own bill, but it’s significantly weaker—in particular, Scott opposes ending qualified immunity.

This will probably be the last diary I write about my sister. A few weeks ago, out of the blue, she sent my husband a horrible text, "Trina and i had a falling out over politics, don't get vaccinated, it is an evil democrat plot to make everyone sick." ( i know, Caterina, this was a clue that your sister had very different views.) This felt similar to the relationship i had had with my ex- husband, he was an emotionally abusive, manipulative, controlling cheater. There is quite a lot i am leaving out concerning my relationship with my sister, i will just say that i think she fooled me, too.

They want to tax people who are trying to save the environment by driving electric- and hydrogen-powered vehicles like gas-powered cars for the wear and tear on highways. That's sure going to go over well with businesses like Amazon, which is building an electric fleet and which has endorsed the proposed corporate tax hike in Biden's plan. Finding consensus among Republicans on a way to pay for this could be the largest obstacle to getting even the GOP behind this effort. Democrat Chris Coons, a close ally of Biden and a constant problem with his blue dog tendencies, is playing along. And never mind that Republicans, spearheaded by Lindsey Graham, are already plotting how they won't let Democrats pass anything by reconciliation.

And for Carlson, “politics” means liberal culture war to destroy and replace white Americans. We can debate all that and over this hour we will.” Spoiler alert: He won’t, and he doesn’t. “No politician or media figure has the right to intimidate a jury.” Spoiler alert: Barf. First up was a very British-sounding reporter from the Rupert Murdoch-owned New York Post saying some of the same. pic.twitter.com/TYklyfC8tS — Travis Akers (@travisakers) April 21, 2021Dan White murdered Harvey Milk less than a decade before Carlson made this joke to add the context.

Chauvin was found guilty on all three felony counts charged against him in the death of Floyd after kneeling on his neck for more than nine minutes: second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. Although higher numbers of Democrats and independents agreed with the guilty verdict, 85% and 71% respectively, a 55% majority of Republicans also did. Just 11% viewed Chauvin's actions as an accident. Across the board, 61% of Democrats, Republicans, and independents said they planned on accepting the verdict without taking any further actions. Still, some 20% of Republicans said they reject the verdict, but only 5% of Republicans both rejected the verdict and planned to protest it.

That legislation would legalize millions of undocumented essential workers. “For the past year, essential workers have further proven themselves to be a truly important part of our nation’s critical infrastructure and crucial part of the backbone of our society,” legislators wrote. “The U.S. Department of Homeland Security even designated essential workers as part of our nation’s critical infrastructure. “According to [CHC chair Raul] Ruiz, Biden expressed a ‘strong sentiment’ about getting immigration reform ‘done once and for all,’ through whatever means available,” the report continued. Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema, Colorado Sen. John Hickenlooper, Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, and Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

Those attacks came despite glowing endorsements from many law enforcement leaders. “She always worked with us to find common ground even when that seemed impossible,” wrote the head of the nation’s largest police union. The Republican attacks weren’t done there. Gupta is far from the only woman of color whose confirmation has run into ferocious Republican attacks in recent months. There’s a very clear pattern of especially fierce, personal opposition to women of color, and it doesn’t seem like Senate Republicans mind how obvious it is, either.

x Paula Bryant tells me her 16 year-old daughter Ma’Khia Bryant was an honor roll student and a sweet child. Ma’Khia was shot and killed by a @ColumbusPolice on Legion Lane at 4:30p today. “Say her name: Ma’Khia Bryant,” a crowd chanted in one video of demonstrators. Bryant killed no one & got 4 bullets to her chest. https://t.co/ZqetZMlSq3 — Alexis McGill Johnson (@alexismcgill) April 21, 2021x Ma’khia Bryant is proof we need COMMUNITY policing.

What indeed is the meaning these days of a ‘jury of your peers?’ ”“Why don’t whites riot?” wondered a white-nationalist “Groyper” fan at the message board 4chan. I just feel so angry right now.”A post by a white-nationalist ‘Groyper’ at 4chan. Far-right conspiracy theorists, particularly those from the authoritarian QAnon cult, were frothing similarly, primarily on Telegram. “I’m just going to go all out and say there is no Derek Chauvin,” wrote Tiffany, a QAnon fan on Telegram. “I don't think any police officer can have a fair trial due to them by our Constitution,” wrote one member.

While resettlement agencies had been decimated by the prior administration, they told the administration they had the capability to handle the 62,500 number. The other is largely run by the State department,” Lutheran Immigration Refugee Services president Krish O’Mara Vignarajah continued to clarify, Politico reports. But with no mention of the 62,500 pledge, there are worries the number the administration announces will be nowhere close to that. “Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service is calling for President Biden to keep his promises to the thousands of vulnerable children and families who seek refuge on our shores,” the organization tweeted. To the administration’s credit, they listened.” The organization said “[n]ow refugee advocates and supporters must keep the pressure on to make sure the administration fulfills its promise this time.” They’re urging advocates to contact the Biden administration here.

The Department of Agriculture will reimburse the cost to schools for the free meals, as reported by The Washington Post. We’ve seen deep pain and humiliation when kids are denied free lunch. For example, one New Jersey school district threatened to ban students from field trips and the prom if they had school lunch debt. In one particularly heinous example, one school district in Pennsylvania threatened to send students to foster care over school lunch debt. So while stories like two pastors using $17,000 from the church budget to erase local school lunch debt are truly inspiring, they’re also truly sad—school lunch debt should not exist.

Southern Transitional Council forces backed by the United Arab Emirates prepare to storm the presidential palace in the southern port city of Aden, Yemen on August 9, 2019. © 2019 AP Photo

In between, they’ve made false claims about the COVID-19 vaccine being fatal, amplified the long-debunked link between all vaccines and autism, and seriously leaned into the ‘Bill Gates microchipping your brain’ nonsense. That includes forgers like the Chicago-area pharmacist who has also sold more than 100 CDC vaccination cards over eBay. As a result, the value of any vaccine passport system in the United States has been hugely diminished even before it’s been implemented. eBay has made token gestures at wiping away the fake vaccine cards, only to have them appear again in ads that are worded slightly differently. But then, what do you expect from a PAC created by scammers to promote scammers?

The UN Security Council has condemned the military escalation in Yemen's Marib and the Houthi movement's cross-border attacks against Saudi Arabia. Yemen's Houthis renew call for end to Saudi-led blockade before ceasefire Read More »It also highlighted the Iran-aligned Houthi movement's recent attacks on Saudi Arabia and expressed concern about military developments elsewhere in Yemen. Stressing "the need for de-escalation by all", the Security Council noted that "the international community is increasingly united to end the conflict" in Yemen as soon as possible. In Thursday's statement, the Security Council emphasised the importance of facilitating humanitarian assistance as well as the movement of fuel ships into Hodeidah port, a key gateway for humanitarian aid into Yemen. The council also reiterated support for Yemen's sovereignty, unity, independence, and territorial integrity.

A member of the Supreme Political Council in Yemen, the executive body of the Houthi-led government based in Sanaa, has warned Turkey against any intervention in the country. Al-Mahbashi was quoted by Iran's IRNA earlier today as saying, "If Turkish soldiers enter Yemen they will have a fate worse than that of the aggressors who preceded them." Lebanon's Al-Akhbar reported last week that Turkey's alleged role in Yemen has escalated after the improvement in relations between Ankara and Riyadh. "Invading Yemen will not have a happy ending for Erdogan himself as well as the country's government and military," he insisted. READ: Saudi reconciliation could see Turkey on the wrong side of history in Yemen

Turkey yesterday said it would fight alongside Saudi Arabia against Houthi attacks on the kingdom. "Turkey stands alongside Saudi Arabia and its people against the Houthi attacks targeting Saudi oil facilities," the Turkish Foreign Ministry announced in a statement. The statement called for an "immediate cessation of these attacks," expressing Turkey's "best wishes for the kingdom and its people." Since March 2015, Riyadh has led an Arab coalition to fight the Houthis, who have captured large swathes of Yemen including the capital Sanaa. READ: Iran tells Saudi Arabia that only a political solution will work in Yemen

By Dave LindorffPresident Joe Biden and his Secretary of State Antony Blinken are worried about Russian Putin critic and presidential aspirant, currently in a Russian prison after conviction on charges of skipping bail and leaving the country and other charges, being abused and at risk of dying in jail. While the list is fairly long, I will highlight three cases here. Abu-Jamal, who is about to turn 67, has served 40 years in prison, more than two decades of that time on death row before his death sentence was ruled unconstitutional and converted to life in prison without parole. During all those death row years he was held in solitary confinement. Now he's been diagnosed with Congestive Heart failure and is about to be given open heart bypass-surgery to replace clogged arteries, no doubt due to his imprisonment, inactivity and poor prison diet.

Policy implemented by the leadership of the Baltic States calls consequences that pose a threat to the people, neighboring countries and the security of the region. NATO exercises in the Baltic States are being carried out one after another. COVID-19 regularly puts out of action NATO units during exercises in the Baltic States. And what are the armed forces of the Baltic States without NATO? This shows the absolute incompetence of the military command of the Baltic States.

In this brilliant Harpers mag piece, Sam Sussman, a NY writer, considers the implications of his possibility that his father is Bob Dylan, a secret his mother kept well-hidden, and never outright admitted, a tantalization that reframed his thinking and had him listening to 'Tangled Up In Blue' differently ever after. It's personal glimpse of the enigmatic Dylan (aka, Mr. Anything-You-Please) that is often missing from biographies and autos of the legend. Also references another great song -- Series of Dreams -- that works like dysfunctional nostalgia, dreams replacing memories. Good stuff.

Killer Robots & Human Security | Jody Williams | TEDxGatewaySalon Jody Williams explains the move toward killer robots - the third revolution in warfare - and the threat these lethal autonomous weapons pose both to global ...(Image by YouTube, Channel: TEDx Talks) Details DMCAWhile nuclear weapons rightly draw a lot of attention from arms control organizations, they are not the only point of interest for arms control advocates. Killer robots are also drawing attention. Peace activist and Nobel Peace Prize Winner Jody Williams recently sounded the alarm about killer robots in calling them a combination of artificial intelligence and weapons of war. Williams continues to speak out on landmines and points to the fact that they killed 5,000 people in 2019. Ms. Williams' voice is needed on the issue of killer robots and landmines, and one doesn't have to be an expert on nuclear weapons to know of their dangers.

Recently the U.S. marked the 160th anniversary of the beginning of the American Civil War. Most civil wars do not spring up overnight, and the American Civil War was no exception. Armed militias patrol U.S. streets and groups like the Atomwaffen Division and the Base plot to start a larger conflict. As evidenced by recent events in the U.S., ? new civil war could start in the United States at any time as a result of political or racial conflicts. It's obvious that American soldiers will not defend Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland and other countries when chaos, devastation and, in the worst case, civil war occurs in homeland and the future of America is at stake.

In the 2004 film, the day after tomorrow, humans are faced with an apocalyptic scenario, where the North Atlantic Current, the current that is responsible for the ...(Image by YouTube, Channel: LifesBiggestQuestions) Details DMCAIf we do not effectively and aggressively address Climate Crisis NOW, this is what we have to look forward to!! THE Climate Scientists have been saying for the last couple of years that they have drastically underestimated how fast the Climate Crisis is advancing!! The Climate Crisis is not going to turn deadly overnight, like it did in the movie. But, unless we effectively and aggressively deal with the Climate Crisis NOW, the world that our grandchildren and great grandchildren grow up in will be drastically different that the world that exists today. Unless we take DRASTIC action RIGHT NOW, and at a level that has yet to be proposed by our government, the Climate Crisis will continue to worsen each and every year.

The government of Americans means to have its way through the use and threatened to use of superior force. It does this in the face of the fact that its very preparation for a nuclear war may destroy all life. The number of times the use of nuclear weapons has been contemplated by Americans is unbearable. The authors of this book, both university physicists, document how the nuclear policy of the U.S.A. has not been one of deterrence as publicly stated, but rather has been one of threatening the use of nuclear weapons. (Ramsey once showed us his treasured manuscript of King's 'Beyond Vietnam - a Time to Break Silence' sermon given him by King himself.)

US Capitol west side.JPG(Image by Wikipedia (commons.wikimedia.org), Author: Martin Falbisoner (1978–) ) Details Source DMCAAmerican politicians love to boast of their nation's status as the world's premier "representative democracy," and to lecture other, presumably less enlightened, countries on the importance of representative political institutions. In terms of the ratio of legislators to population, only the European Union and India are "less representative." The US comes in behind such exemplars of "representative democracy" as China, North Korea, Russia, Syria, Cuba, and Egypt when it comes to representation. Of course, it's reasonable to question the "democracy" part of the "representative democracy" equation for some of those countries compared to the US. Or we could stop pretending our "democracy" is more "representative" than Zimbabwe's or Nicaragua's.

Tellingly, if we are really honest with ourselves, at one time or another and to a greater or lesser degree, we've all been sheeple. The hardest thing for me, as a very smart person, with a smart mouth, and a smart aleck attitude, to learn and fully internalize has been this:Don't judge. Don't make final declarations which cut you off from any further understanding or appreciation, whether it's about a person or a circumstance. And the undeniable truth is, sometimes it feels great being part of some "community" of people doing the same thing. Rah rah rah.

Congress Switchboard: 202-224-3121"We are in the midst of a profound change of paradigms: from seeing the world as a machine to understanding it as a network. Rob Kall has interviewed many of the leaders, both thinkers and activists, of this global cultural transformation. In this eminently readable book, he weaves their statements, values, and ideas into a coherent and inspiring whole. Bottom-Up is a joy to read!" Fritjof Capra, author of The Web of Life and The Hidden Connections, coauthor of The Systems View of Life

From SubstackBrian Sicknick(Image by Wikipedia (commons.wikimedia.org), Author: New Jersey National Guard.) Details Source DMCAIt was crucial for liberal sectors of the media to invent and disseminate a harrowing lie about how Officer Brian Sicknick died. That is because he is the only one they could claim was killed by pro-Trump protesters at the January 6 riot at the Capitol. (Image by Substack) Details DMCA(Image by Twitter.) Details DMCA(Image by Video Screenshot) Details DMCABecause the truth usually prevails, at least ultimately, their lies, yet again, all came crashing down on their heads on Monday.

For that matter, George Floyd didn't die because he was black and the cop who killed him is white. Now, not all cops are guns for hire, trained to act as judge, jury and executioner in their interactions with the populace. In this way, the old police motto to "protect and serve" has become "comply or die." Warrior copstrained in the worst case scenario and thus ready to shoot first and ask questions laterare definitely not making us or themselves any safer. Next Page 1 | 2 | 3(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).

Stephen JanisHost & ProducerStephen Janis is an award-winning investigative journalist whose work has been acclaimed both in print and on television. His in-depth work on the city's zero-tolerance policing policies garnered an NAACP President's Award. As an Investigative Producer for WBFF/Fox 45, he has won three successive Capital Emmys: two for Best Investigative Series and one for Outstanding Historical/Cultural Piece. He is the author of three books on the philosophy of policing: Why Do We Kill? The Pathology of Murder in Baltimore; You Can't Stop Murder: Truths About Policing in Baltimore and Beyond; and The Book of Cop: A Testament to Policing That Works.

Protest Song Of The Week: ‘It’s Been Burning For A While’ By Chris PierceWhen news hit that Derek Chauvin was found guilty on all three counts for the murder of George Floyd, there was a collective sigh of relief. But the fact that the verdict was in doubt is evidence that there is still a long way to go. “This song was written in memory of George Floyd and all those whose lives have been affected by abusive, excessive, and inhumane force,” the songwriter says. “The melody and chord structure are in the spirit and structure of African-American work and protest songs. Listen to Chris Pierce’s “It’s Been Burning for a While” on Bandcamp or watch the video for it here:

Michelle Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, signed legislation that not only legalizes adult use of recreational marijuana but also includes key social justice provisions long sought by proponents of legalization. New Mexico’s @GovMLG just signed cannabis legalization into law! As the governor put it: "This legislation is a major, major step forward for our state." Recreational cannabis sales start next year by April 1 at state-licensed dispensaries. Last month, New York lawmakers enacted legalization legislation the state's DPA director dubbed "the new gold standard for reform efforts nationwide."

GOP state Rep. Mary Bentley has been very busy doing what religious conservatives might say is the lord’s work in the Arkansas state legislature. A fourth-term member of the House, Bentley has introduced two seemingly anti-science bills in the past month — HB 1701 and HB 1749 — that enact what some on the religious right might celebrate as Bible-sanctioned policies targeting children. And it’s not enough that she believes it, she wants the machinery of the state to push this creationism in public school classrooms. Senate Minority Leader Keith Keith Ingram, D, told Salon that Bentley’s most recent push with HB 1749 seemed to come out of nowhere. “I don’t think any of us when we came in here in January anticipated a piece of legislation” like HB 1749.

GOP state Rep. Mary Bentley has been very busy doing what religious conservatives might say is the lord's work in the Arkansas state legislature. "For Bentley, creationism dictates her anti-trans views," he wrote. And it's not enough that she believes it, she wants the machinery of the state to push this creationism in public school classrooms. Advertisement:Senate Minority Leader Keith Ingram, D, told Salon that Bentley's most recent push with HB 1749 seemed to come out of nowhere. Although both HB 1749 and HB 1701 are both Republican-backed, he expressed doubt that House Republicans would see unanimous support from their colleagues in the Senate.

Du Bois realized that standardized tests were designed to perpetuate inequity rather than to correct it. Today, we know that the communities hit hardest by the pandemic, racism and economic distress are the same ones harmed most by standardized testing. Standardized testing has been weaponized against Black and Brown communities. We know that the communities hit hardest by the pandemic, racism and economic distress are the same ones harmed most by standardized testing. Extending the ban on standardized testing lowers the burdens facing schools struggling to adapt to a host of new pandemic-related challenges.

"It is about saving lives at the end, not protecting systems." Even after six months of deliberations and #COVID creating havoc in many countries in Latin America and India, some countries continue to oppose this landmark waiver. Márcio da Fonseca, Doctors Without Borders"As of [February], orders had been confirmed for 8.6 billion doses, a remarkable achievement. "Poorer nations—which account for 80% of the world's population—so far have access to less than one-third of the available vaccines." The WTO is expected to consider the waiver once again during its next general meeting in May.

On Monday night, the Brooklyn Center City Council passed a resolution banning the use of crowd control tactics like rubber bullets, protester kettling and tear gas. Videos show the police launching canisters of tear gas on protesting crowds on Monday night shortly after the rule was passed. He also implemented a curfew for the counties surrounding Brooklyn Center. The unrest in Brooklyn Center started on Sunday, when about 200 people gathered near the Brooklyn Center Police Department to protest Wright’s death. We need real consequences for these killings.” Potter is a 26-year veteran of the Brooklyn Center Police Department.

Just before he was killed, Daunte Wright called his mother to say he was being pulled over — allegedly because an air freshener was obscuring his rearview mirror. AMY GOODMAN: That was Naisha Wright, the aunt of Daunte Wright, speaking to Don Lemon on CNN. AMY GOODMAN: According to the Star Tribune, Daunte Wright is the sixth person killed by Brooklyn Center police since 2012. As I said yesterday and will continue to say, this officer did not believe in the humanity of Daunte Wright. We talked to him about, on the scene, to remove the police officers, initially, where they had killed Daunte Wright.

Michelle Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, signed legislation that not only legalizes adult use of recreational marijuana but also includes key social justice provisions long sought by proponents of legalization. “The signing of the cannabis legalization and expungement package will ensure equitable opportunities for farmers and other small businesses, and long overdue justice — including automatic expungement — for those with past cannabis arrests or convictions,” said Kaltenbach. New Mexico’s @GovMLG just signed cannabis legalization into law! Recreational cannabis sales start next year by April 1 at state-licensed dispensaries. Last month, New York lawmakers enacted legalization legislation the state’s DPA director dubbed “the new gold standard for reform efforts nationwide.”This piece was reprinted by Truthout with permission or license.

Attorney General Merrick Garland announced on Wednesday that the Department of Justice (DOJ) will conduct a probe into the practices and culture of the Minneapolis Police Department. “Yesterday’s verdict in the state criminal trial does not address potentially systemic policing issues in Minneapolis,” Garland said while speaking at the DOJ. Former Attorney General William Barr had opened a federal civil rights probe into Floyd’s death shortly after he was murdered last year. Investigators will also look into whether or not current accountability systems are enough to keep police in line. As many advocates have pointed out, however, current accountability systems are clearly not enough to stop police from killing people unlawfully.

The police murder of George Floyd added jet fuel to a nationwide push to defund the police. KANDACE MONTGOMERY: Yeah, you know, I think it’s really critical that we are lifting up this history and that Attorney General Keith Ellison is also doing so. KANDACE MONTGOMERY: I don’t necessarily think that I have an assessment of what would feel as a just sentence in this moment. And I want to just end this conversation with a reminder of what actually came out from the police department versus what Darnella did. Shortly after Derek Chauvin killed George Floyd, the Minneapolis Police Department issued a press release describing what had happened.

This isn’t justice.”She explained that it’s not “justice” because justice would be Floyd and Adam Toledo still alive and a school system that’s not of the school-to-prison pipeline. “We saw a murder in front of all of our eyes, and yet we didn’t know if there would be a guilty verdict — it tells you everything.”“Verdicts are not substitutes for policy change. This one case and this one verdict, we still have people getting killed by police every single day on average in the United States,” continued Ocasio-Cortez. “We’ve really got to talk about how Democratically controlled cities still pump and pump and pump police budgets,” she said. And so long as health care is not number one, health care is not our highest priority.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) and Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Washington) introduced a bill on Wednesday that would make college and university tuition-free for most people living in the United States. The proposal would also allow for no tuition costs at institutions that primarily serve students of color (for example, historically Black colleges and universities). Dreamers, or individuals living in the U.S. who were brought here from other countries as children, would also qualify for free tuition and grants. Within that bill, the White House is hoping to fund free community college and universal prekindergarten, but it would not make tuition at four-year public universities free. Many have called on Biden to also issue an executive order to instantly end student debt for thousands of Americans who are currently struggling with paying for their previous or current higher education costs.

“We urge all countries in opposition to this, including the U.S. and the E.U., to stand on the right side of history and join hands with those in support,” said Guevara. Even after six months of deliberations and #COVID creating havoc in many countries in Latin America and India, some countries continue to oppose this landmark waiver. But some 6 billion of these will go to high- and upper-middle-income countries,” the board noted. The WTO is expected to consider the waiver once again during its next general meeting in May. It may not be reproduced in any form without permission or license from the source.

He spent a chunk of last week unspooling some doozies directed at corporate America, which has long been a close ally of the Republican Party. In fact, McConnell has labored mightily to get corporations and their money as far into politics as can be managed. “I didn’t say that very artfully yesterday,” he said about calling corporate America “stupid” while telling them to keep contributing. Is there any scenario that could ever bring about a schism between corporate America and the Republican Party? After the attack on the Capitol by Trump supporters, a number of major corporations vowed to curtail political donations to anyone even vaguely involved in that calamity.

At the same time that verdicts were being read in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, police in Columbus, Ohio, shot and killed a 16-year-old Black girl named Ma’Khia Bryant. Police responded, and 10 minutes after that call was made, an officer shot Bryant four times. Hazel Bryant, Ma’Khia Bryant’s aunt, spoke with a number of news outlets about the killing of her niece. We want you to stop killing Black people! A pair of teenagers, one identified to be Ma’Khia Bryant, tumble to the ground as police arrive.

Shaina Oliver is an Indigenous peoples’ rights advocate and field organizer with Moms Clean Air Force, a group of 1 million mothers in the United States determined to protect children from air pollution and climate change. Residents of Shiprock have been exposed to poor outdoor air quality on account of atmospheric conditions that trap plumes of emissions from nearby coal-fired power plants, in combination with poor indoor air quality related to the burning of coal for heat. Amendments to the Clean Air Act in 1990, or “good neighbor” requirements, instructed the EPA to hold states accountable for preventing air pollution generated in their jurisdiction that might drift downwind across state lines, dirtying air many miles away. San Francisco-based Aclima, a public benefit corporation that makes air quality sensors and uses its own fleet of Google street view cars to measure air pollution on a block-by-block basis, set out in 2015 to change that. According to the legal petition, 63 million pounds of illegal air pollution was released from Texas facilities in 2019 during routine “breakdown” events.

We [in Texas] don’t have the wind issues that California does with wildfires and things like that — or to that extent, anyway. That’s especially the case for a place like California that relies a lot on [energy] imports, unlike Texas. There are folks out there who, when they think “clean energy future,” they think “renewable energy future” only. And so, we’ve got a long way to go in terms of building the energy infrastructure we frankly really need. It becomes a big logistics, red tape problem in order to build the infrastructure we need.

As protesters have rallied across the U.S. over the past year against police-perpetrated violence and brutality, Republicans in state legislatures have been busy cooking up anti-protest laws. Reporting has found that, just in the 2021 legislative session, Republicans have introduced 81 bills in 34 states aimed at suppressing protests. The bills range from criminalizing protests to making it easier for people to harm protesters without consequences. Other bills seek to take rights away from protesters in ways other than those outlined in the Florida bill. “You have just declared war on the First Amendment in the state of Florida,” said Democratic Florida State Sen. Shevrin Jones after DeSantis signed the anti-protest bill.

So, with the Chauvin trial, we are witnessing an attempted divorce, between a death-making system and one of its enforcers. Can you say a bit about the day-to-day violence of policing and what that looks like? So, you know, policing has always been subjected to reform. AV: So, the primary work of The Policing and Social Justice Project here in New York is pushing back against gang suppression policing. And you have statements coming from, like, LA Sheriffs executives saying, — How are we going to address this gang violence?