U.S. Sen. Tim Scott has been chosen to given the Republican rebuttal to President Joe Biden's first joint address to Congress on Wednesday, GOP leaders announced Thursday. Scott, the only African American Republican in the Senate, is seen by many as a rising star in Washington after also having a prominent speaking position during the 2020 GOP convention. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, of Kentucky, who announced the choice, praised Scott as "not just one of the strongest leaders in the Senate. Scott, a South Carolina Republican, is well-liked in conservative circles but also known as someone willing to reach across party lines. "He is a conservative optimist with the right vision for a stronger, more united country," House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, of California, said in a statement.

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.

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.

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.

Sen. Tim Scott, R-SC, will deliver the Republican Party’s response following President Biden’s first speech to a joint session of Congress on April 28, GOP leadership said on Thursday. "Senator Tim Scott is not just one of the strongest leaders in our Senate Republican Conference. Senate Republicans are looking forward to this address from our distinguished colleague," he added. The minority party traditionally delivers a rebuttal whenever the president makes a speech to Congress. Biden’s first speech to Congress is not considered a "State of the Union" address.

"President Biden’s outright disregard of the public health crisis in Texas by welcoming and encouraging mass gatherings of illegal aliens is hypocritical and dangerous. TEXAS, MISSOURI SUE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION OVER SCRAPPING OF 'REMAIN-IN-MEXICO' POLICYThe Biden administration has been facing a spike in migrant encounters at the border, particularly in Texas. Shocking images have emerged of overcrowded facilities in places like Donna, Texas, where migrants were pictures packed together side-by-side, often without masks. "The Biden Administration is flagrantly and egregiously violating federal law, its own public health rules, the Administrative Procedure Act, and Title 42. TEXAS, LOUISIANA SUE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION FOR 'REFUSING' TO TAKE CRIMINAL ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTSIt’s one of a number of legal challenges launched by Paxton.

EXCLUSIVE: House Republicans are demanding answers from Vice President Kamala Harris on whether a facility for migrant children in Florida has not been activated because of the Democrat's personal politics. During her visit on June 29, 2019, Harris criticized the facility and called out "human rights abuse" committed by the federal government. TOP REPUBLICANS REQUEST MEETING WITH KAMALA HARRIS OVER BORDER 'CATASTROPHE'A spokesperson for Harris did not immediately respond to Fox News' request for comment. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPThe Homestead facility has long been controversial and viewed by Democrats and activists as a symbol of what was wrong with Trump's immigration policies. "The Homestead facility is empty!

The family received a $27 million settlement. Unlike former President Donald Trump, President Biden has not met with the Guillen family. VANESSA GUILLEN'S DEATH RULED 'IN THE LINE OF DUTY,' ENTITLING FAMILY TO BENEFITS"I want to call out President Biden. "Going back to the whole thing with George Floyd and Vanessa Guillen, Vanessa was murdered at this time last year, April 22. He received justice, his family received justice.

Capital gains taxInvestors currently pay a 23.8% top rate on long-term capital gains. Under current law, long-term capital gains are taxed favorably with respect to wages. The White House plan would instead tax capital gains as ordinary income, at a top proposed rate of 39.6%. For example, the plan may exempt a certain portion of wealthy investors' capital gains from the higher tax, according to tax experts. "There will be plenty of time to plan and respond to any tax or tax proposal that's ultimately in place," he added.

"Over 400 individuals have been charged in connection with the Capitol attack," federal prosecutors said in a court filing on Thursday. The Justice Department made the disclosure in a set of similar court filings asking judges to postpone deadlines in pending prosecutions. Supporters of former President Donald Trump on Jan. 6 stormed the Capitol in an attempt to stop Congress from formally certifying President Joe Biden's election victory. The violence started shortly after Trump rallied his supporters and urged them to fight to stop the certification of Biden's win. A founding member of the Oath Keepers last week became the first person to plead guilty to taking part in the riot, and prosecutors have said other defendants are in plea discussions.

A woman holds a placard as she participates in a Stop Asian Hate rally at Columbus Park in New York City, U.S., April 3, 2021. REUTERS/Jeenah MoonA hate crimes bill to combat violence against Asian Americans in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic passed the U.S. Senate overwhelmingly on Thursday, a rare bipartisan vote in the evenly divided chamber. The measure, authored by Democratic Senator Mazie Hirono and Representative Grace Meng, designates a Justice Department employee to expedite a review of hate crimes reported to police during the COVID-19 pandemic. It provides guidance for local law enforcement agencies to report hate crimes, expand public education campaigns and combat discriminatory language in describing the pandemic. One change, the Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act, would provide funds to improve reporting of hate crimes and expand resources for victims.

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.

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.

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.

Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia Fudge testifies during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, April 20, 2021 in Washington. (Chip Somodevilla/Pool via AP)Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia Fudge testifies during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, April 20, 2021 in Washington. (Chip Somodevilla/Pool via AP)WASHINGTON (AP) — The Department of Housing and Urban Development is withdrawing a Trump-era policy that would have allowed taxpayer-funded homeless shelters to deny access to transgender people. “Access to safe, stable housing — and shelter — is a basic necessity,” said new HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge. But under Trump and his housing secretary, Ben Carson, HUD proposed a modification to the rule that would have allowed single-sex homeless shelters to deny transgender people access.

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.

The state Senate passed a bill on Thursday by just one vote that would allow the programs in Oakland, San Francisco and Los Angeles County. Supervised injection sites have emerged around the world in recent years, part of a movement to rethink treatment for people addicted to powerful opioids — including heroin, fentanyl and some prescription pain killers. “We hope the administration will allow states to pilot evidence-based strategies like safe consumption sites.”In California, 45% of drug overdose deaths involved opioids in 2018, resulting in more than 2,400 deaths, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Overdose deaths involving fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, increased more than 800% during the same period. The California Legislature passed a bill in 2018 to let San Francisco offer injection sites, but former Democratic Gov.

In this image made from video, Brahim Ghali, leader of the pro-independence Polisario Front speaks to a crowd in Tindouf, Algeria, Feb. 27, 2021. The leader of the Polisario Front that leads the struggle for the self-declared Western Sahara republic has been brought to Spain to receive medical treatment, it was announced Thursday, April 22. (AP Photo)In this image made from video, Brahim Ghali, leader of the pro-independence Polisario Front speaks to a crowd in Tindouf, Algeria, Feb. 27, 2021. (AP Photo)MADRID (AP) — The man leading the Polisario Front in its fight for independence of Western Sahara is hospitalized in Spain for treatment of COVID-19, officials from Spain and the group said Thursday. Morocco has proposed wide-ranging autonomy for Western Sahara, but the Polisario Front says the local population has the right to a referendum.

Senate Republicans are pushing a return to fiscal austerity under President Biden, adopting a new internal party rule that requires dollar-for-dollar spending cuts in order to raise the debt ceiling. The debt ceiling – which is currently around $22 trillion – is the legal limit on the total amount of debt that the federal government can accrue. Biden and Democrats already approved a $1.9 trillion stimulus bill this year and are pushing for another $2.25 trillion spending plan that would be offset by new taxes on corporations. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESSSen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., is one of the GOP lawmakers urging his colleagues to support offsetting any costs in the debt ceiling with spending cuts. I think Republicans agree that we have too much debt and that we have to figure out how to live within our means," Scott told NBC News.

The officer appears to be using a projectile shotgun that fires beanbag rounds. The complaint alleges that both anti-Trump and pro-Trump demonstrators had been “engaging in similar raucous but constitutionally protected behavior,” but that the LAPD had “turned on the anti-Trump demonstrators” to drive them out of the street with projectiles. The suit seeks unspecified damages for Khan, and names as defendants the city of L.A., the LAPD, Police Chief Michel Moore and Officer Aaron Green, whom it accuses of firing the projectile. Police said objects were thrown at officers, which led to them using the projectile rounds to clear the street. The order led the LAPD to announce an immediate moratorium on projectiles that fire 37-millimeter hard-foam rounds, as well as new restrictions on 40-millimeter rounds.

In a statement, Berkshire District Attorney Andrea Harrington’s office confirmed the sentence meted out to Lonnie Durfee in Pittsfield District Court. Durfee will receive credit for the 108 days he spent locked up while the case was pending, records show. A 50-year-old Dalton man was sentenced to a year in jail on Thursday for setting fire to a big Biden-Harris sign made from hay bales at a local farm in October, prosecutors said. He pleaded guilty to one count of burning personal property, and his yearlong bid is the maximum jail term for such an offense, Harrington’s office said. He also told police he burned another Biden-Harris sign placed on a lawn beside his parents’ home in Dalton.

Their ascent would give Democrats a 5-4 majority bloc and control of the board for the first time since 2016. AdvertisementMeanwhile, 50 House Democrats have called on Biden to fire the entire board and start over with a new slate of governors. Ron Stroman, a Democrat, is the recently retired deputy postmaster general and led the Biden transition’s Postal Service review team. Advertisement"The universal service obligation of the Postal Service requires delivering prompt, reliable, and efficient service to all Americans all over the country. "If the White House looks at Bloom, they’ll see labor is behind him and ask, what’s wrong with him?

Conspiracy theories are an insidious form of conceptual quicksand. In part, that’s because conspiracy theories are based on non-falsifiable propositions, assertions that don’t exist in concrete enough form to be tested or disproved. In such a situation, facts don’t render one skeptical of conspiracy theories; rather, conspiracy theories make one skeptical of facts. “One may want to point out that throughout history, conspiracy theories have come up short,” Byford recommended via e-mail. And all that is to say nothing of the multiple arrests of cabal members that were supposed to occur.

By David Shepardson | ReutersWASHINGTON – The Biden administration said on Thursday it is moving to withdraw a Trump administration rule that sought to bar states from setting vehicle emissions rules or set zero emission vehicle mandates. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said it was proposing to revoking the Trump rule issued in September 2019. If finalized, the Trump rule “would no longer be a potential barrier to states implementing tough greenhouse gas and zero emission vehicle regulations,” the agency said. About two dozen U.S. states filed suit to block a pair of Trump actions that sought to remove California from vehicle emissions regulations. The EPA in 2013 granted California a waiver for its tailpipe greenhouse gas emissions and zero emission vehicle regulations and in tandem with the NHTSA 2019 rule revoked it under Trump.

Ahmed, whose extradition hearing in Phoenix has been scheduled for May 25, has denied involvement in the killings and being a member of a terror group. He bought a home in Surprise on the northwestern edge of metro Phoenix and operated the driving school serving largely Middle Eastern immigrants. Four months later, Iraqi authorities say Ahmed and other men fatally shot Officer Khalid Ibrahim Mohammad as the officer was sitting outside a store. A State Department official said in court records that the United States has regularly extradited fugitives wanted in other countries, even though they haven't yet been formally charged. His lawyer also said there has never been a successful extradition of anyone to Iraq in the more than 80 years that the extradition treaty between the United States and Iraq has been in place.

Oregon’s documented wolf population grew by 9.5% in 2020, but advocates are concerned by the number of poaching incidents logged by state wildlife biologists. “While northeast Oregon continues to host the majority of state’s wolf population, dispersal to other parts of Oregon and adjacent states continues,” Brown said in a statement. In 2020, two Oregon wolves dispersed to Idaho, one went to California and one wolf dispersed from California into Oregon. The fourth wolf killed illegally was shot by a livestock owner in Union County in December. The rancher mistook the animal for a coyote, the state said, and reported the incident to the Oregon State Police.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Department of Housing and Urban Development is withdrawing a Trump-era policy that would have allowed taxpayer-funded homeless shelters to deny access to transgender people. Biden directed every executive branch agency to examine further steps that could be taken to combat such discrimination. “Access to safe, stable housing — and shelter — is a basic necessity,” said new HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge. “Unfortunately, transgender and gender non-conforming people report more instances of housing instability and homelessness than cisgender people. Today, we are taking a critical step in affirming HUD’s commitment that no person be denied access to housing or other critical services because of their gender identity.”

President Biden will propose doubling the top capital gains tax rate on investments like stocks and real estate, according to a new report that sent stocks reeling Thursday. Bloomberg News reported that the new top capital gains rate would increase from 20 percent to 39.6 percent on income over $1 million. For $1 million earners in high-tax states, rates on capital gains could wind up higher than 50 percent. For New Yorkers, the combined state and federal capital gains rate could be as high as 52.22 percent. The new capital gains taxes could rise as high as 52.22 percent for some New York residents.

The Trump administration delayed $20billion of vital aid to the US territory of Puetro Rico following the devastating hurricane in 2017, a new report has claimed. The investigation also found that further delays occurred due to the 2018-2019 government shutdown. Residents evacuate after the passing of Hurricane Maria, in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico, Friday, September 22, 2017. Following the devastating storm, Congress assigned around $67 billion in aid to the island, but only about $17.8 billion, or less than a third of the amount, has been disbursed. The U.S. will NOT bail out long outstanding & unpaid obligations with hurricane relief money!”At the time Puerto Rico had estimated it would need $94 billion to rebuild, with many people still living in make-shift housing.

The National Rifle Association is set to lobby Congress against gun-control plans, despite being in the middle of a bankruptcy trial. After another spate of mass shootings in America, Democrats are again attempting to tighten gun-control measures including universal background checks and a ban on assault weapons. The organisation is attempting to declare bankruptcy and then re-establish itself in Texas as a non-profit. This week The New York Times reported that in 2016, the NRA spent around $50 million helping to elect Donald Trump and other Republicans, keeping gun rights at the centre of the party’s policies. On Friday, following another mass shooting in Indianapolis, President Biden urged Republicans to support the new measures and said: “Gun violence is an epidemic in America.

Some 40 world leaders were invited to the event, held online due to Covid-19. President Xi Jinping of China, the world’s largest carbon polluter, was the first global leader to speak after Mr Biden. Some world leaders made subtle digs at the right-wing former president in remarks on Thursday. International climate and policy campaign director, Cherelle Blazer, said it met “the urgency of the moment”. Democrats can kill US jobs & industries with no real impact on global emissions.”

Federal officials are debating whether to extend a mask mandate on airplanes, trains, buses and ferries could be extended, officials told CNN. The mandate, which applies to all public transportation, is set to expire next month. TSA is consulting experts on whether to extend a federal mask mandate for mass transit that was issued in February and is set to expire next monthMask-wearing has become nearly ubiquitous and an inextricable part of the 'new normal.' Both current president Biden and former president Trump said that they would not issue sweeping federal mask mandates. 'We do think it should maintain the mask mandate,' Nick Calio, president and CEO of Airlines for America, said at a Senate hearing on Wednesday.

Several Republican lawmakers are planning to snub President Joe Biden's first address to Congress on Wednesday as the joint session is limited to 200 attendees in the midst of the pandemic. 'I don't think I'll probably attend,' Iowa Senator Joni Ernst told Punchbowl News. Republicans are planning to snub President Joe Biden's first address to a joint session of Congress on WednesdayThe House is out of session next week, but even Republican senators say they don't plan to attend. Ohio Representative Jim Jordan said he wants to attend Biden's address and hopes the invitation gets extended to the whole of Congress. Ticket allotment has not been revealed, but it will be divided in some way among House Democrats, House Republicans, Senate Democrats and Senate Republicans.

AdvertisementA group of climate activists have dumped wheelbarrows full of cow manure outside the White House to protest President Joe Biden's climate plan. Climate activists with Extinction Rebellion pushed wheelbarrows full of cow dung through the streets and emptied them in front of the White House. After dumping the cow manure in front of the White House, a sign was placed in the pile reading, 'Stop the bulls***.' Members of the group also held banners that read, 'DECLARE A CLIMATE EMERGENCY NOW' and 'BIDEN'S 2030 PLAN = MASS DEATH.' Extinction Rebellion activists say this target is unattainable under the administration's plan.

The Senate passed an anti-discrimination bill to address the rise in hate crimes against Asians in the U.S. by wide, bipartisan margins Thursday afternoon. The Senate overwhelmingly voted Thursday on a bill to combat the rise in hate crimes against Asians, which has occurred during the coronavirus pandemicSen. Josh Hawley was the only no vote on the bill. Hawley became a national political figure for his role in challenging Electoral College vote counts on the day of the MAGA riot on January 6The bill expedites the DOJ's review of anti-Asian hate crimes. In late March, Attorney General Merrick Garland ordered a review of how the Justice Department can best deploy its resources to combat hate crimes against Asian-Americans. One concern is that hate crimes are actually underreported.

Senate Republicans revealed their counter offer to President Joe Biden's infrastructure package on Thursday, presenting a $568 billion plan that focuses on roads, transit systems, and broadband internet. The GOP's two-page proposal has smaller price tag and a narrower definition of infrastructure than Biden's $2.3 trillion plan. 'This is the largest infrastructure investment that Republicans have come forward with,' Republican Senator Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, who has taken the lead on the proposal, said. Senate Republicans revealed their counter offer to President Joe Biden's infrastructure packageBiden has proposed raising the corporate income tax from 21% to 28% to help pay for his plan. The president is expected to roll out that second package next week when he addresses a joint session of Congress.

An engineer by trade, Hoover tried to encourage cooperation between government and industry. Thus, it’s very normal throughout history for economic policy revolutions to start under presidents from the opposite party of the one who eventually gets the credit. In fact, Biden‘s entire China policy essentially continues in the direction that Trump laid out. But on trade and industrial policy, he blazed a trail by neutering his own party’s opposition to change. And if Biden ultimately succeeds in reorienting American economic policy away from free trade in a systematic and effective manner, he‘ll likely be the one who gets associated with that shift by future generations.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who in late 2016 suggested Senate Republicans should indefinitely leave the Supreme Court with only eight justices if Hillary Clinton were to win the presidency, on Thursday said Republicans never tried to “rig the game” by altering the high court’s makeup. Cruz made the comments flanked by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on the front steps of the Supreme Court building. “You didn’t see Republicans when we had control of the Senate try to rig the game. “There is certainly long historical precedent for a Supreme Court with fewer justices,” Cruz said in the wake of the 2016 death of conservative Justice Antonin Scalia. The Washington Post said Cruz made the comment in 2016 in response to a question about whether Senate Republicans would continue to “blockade” Supreme Court nominations beyond the 2016 election if Hillary Clinton won the White House.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy announced Thursday that Republican South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott will be delivering the GOP’s address to the nation. “Senator Tim Scott is not just one of the strongest leaders in our Senate Republican Conference. “I couldn’t be more proud as a friend, as a Republican, and as an American to have Senator Tim Scott deliver the Republican response to President Biden’s address next week. No member in Congress epitomizes the essence of today’s Republican Party more than my friend and colleague Senator Scott,” McCarthy said about Scott. (RELATED: ‘Thankful For The Verdict’ — Sen. Tim Scott Reacts To Chauvin Being Found Guilty Of All Charges, Calls It ‘A Monumental Day’)“I’m excited and honored for this opportunity to address the nation,” Scott said.

Fox News host and right-wing hanger-on Sean Hannity shelled out $5.3 million for a beachfront house on the south end of Palm Beach—less than three miles from Mar-a-Lago, property records show. The buy makes Hannity the latest in a long line of conservative media figures to set up shop in the wealthy south Florida town, sometimes called Billionaire’s Row. Roger Ailes died at an Ocean Lane mansion in 2017, after moving to town following his Fox settlement the year prior. Recycled-clothes manufacturer Camilo Raful and jeweler Patricia Robalino first snagged the place on March 19 for $4.2 million, a 20 percent discount on what Hannity paid. The couple still owns a neighboring house, according to the Post.

But his primary focus was the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, and its elected chief, Sheriff Ric Bradshaw. ”In Palm Beach County there were about 4,000 homeowners availing themselves of Florida’s address confidentiality laws. Asked why the DNC emails were never published on DC Leaks, he seemed genuinely taken aback. Last year, Palm Beach County prosecutors charged Dougan with extortion and wiretapping, the latter presumably for recording the Jessica calls. A recent one took the form of a mock treatment for an imagined TV series about the West Palm Beach FBI.

The waiver had allowed the state to set stricter auto emission and fuel efficiency rules than even the federal government. Trump revoked California’s waiver in 2019 shortly before his administration issued a new set of fuel economy and emissions rules that were significantly weaker than the Obama standards. The change also affected the District of Columbia and the 13 states that follow California’s tighter standards. “The Trump administration should never have challenged California’s legal authority to set our own vehicle emission standards,” Sen. Dianne Feinstein said in a statement. “The Clean Air Act clearly gives us the right to protect the air Californians breathe and I want to thank the Biden administration for dropping this frivolous challenge.”

That anxiety was evident in the first quarter fundraising hauls of three New Jersey Democrats who are likely to face fierce and well-financed challenges to their battleground districts in the 2022 midterms. Rep. Andy Kim, who flipped the 3rd Congressional District in Burlington and Ocean counties in 2018, has also moved aggressively on the fundraising circuit. STILE:New Jersey suddenly a 'beacon' in the national debate on voter suppressionSTILE:Are NJ Republicans parting ways with Trump era? Not surprisingly, the House Democrats campaign arm listed all three as "front liners,'' candidates whose campaigns will be shored up with extra cash and resources in the battle to maintain control. He also raised $964,000 in the first quarter, leading the pack among his fellow swing district Democrats in New Jersey.

Gay pride stickers placed on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Star of then-President Donald Trump. Los Angeles Times via Getty Imag Damage is seen on Donald Trump's Hollywood Walk of Fame star. Mario Tama/Getty Images Donald Trump's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame with a spray painted penis. Getty Images Donald Trump's Hollywood Walk of Fame star is vandalized. Trump is not the only celebrity to have his star vandalized on the famous strip of Hollywood and Vine.

President Biden will propose doubling the top capital gains tax rate on investments like stocks and real estate, according to a new report. Bloomberg News reported Thursday that the new top capital gains rate would increase from 20 percent to 39.6 percent on income over $1 million. For $1 million earners in high-tax states, rates on capital gains could wind up higher than 50 percent. For New Yorkers, the combined state and federal capital gains rate could be as high as 52.22 percent. The new capital gains taxes could rise as high as 52.22 percent for some New York residents.

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.

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.

REUTERS/Mike Blake/File PhotoThe Biden administration said on Thursday it is moving to withdraw a Trump administration rule that sought to bar states from setting vehicle emissions rules or set zero emission vehicle mandates. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said it was proposing to revoking the Trump rule issued in September 2019. If finalized, the Trump rule "would no longer be a potential barrier to states implementing tough greenhouse gas and zero emission vehicle regulations," the agency said. About two dozen U.S. states filed suit to block a pair of Trump actions that sought to remove California from vehicle emissions regulations. The EPA in 2013 granted California a waiver for its tailpipe greenhouse gas emissions and zero emission vehicle regulations and in tandem with the NHTSA 2019 rule revoked it under Trump.

“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.

Eleanor Holmes-Norton, D-D.C., center, joined from left by Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., speaks at a news conference ahead of the House vote on H.R. Eleanor Holmes-Norton, D-D.C., center, joined from left by Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., speaks at a news conference ahead of the House vote on H.R. 51- the Washington, D.C. Manchin is also one of a handful of Democratic Senators who has not openly supported the D.C. statehood initiative. “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.

Joining the governor are Charlton County Sheriff Robert Phillips, left, and Folkston Mayor Lee Gowen. Brian Kemp said Thursday he’s not wading into the debate over whether a mining company should be allowed to dig for minerals near the edge of the vast wildlife refuge in the Okefenokee Swamp. After meeting Thursday morning with local leaders and business owners in the county seat of Folkston, Kemp declined to take sides on the proposed mine. Kemp said he doesn’t see parallels between his concerns about drilling off Georgia and the proposed mine near the Okefenokee. Michael Lusk, who manages the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, told Kemp the refuge attracts about 600,000 tourists per year and invited the governor to pay a visit.

That’s the view of John Kerry, special envoy on climate, speaking Thursday afternoon as part of President Biden’s Earth Day climate summit of 40 world leaders. Read: Biden pledges to cut U.S. greenhouse gases 50% by 2030 — with major implications for oil and gas sector“ Glasgow’s U.N. climate meeting is ‘last, best hope’ to move the needle on climate change. Kerry sited a “big chunk of difference” in policy between now and January 19, or the end of the Trump presidency. The world is moving and the market is moving.’ ” — John Kerry“Tesla TSLA, -3.28% is the highest valued car company in the world — why? “The world is moving and the market is moving.

That’s the view of John Kerry, special envoy on climate, speaking Thursday afternoon as part of President Biden’s Earth Day climate summit of 40 world leaders. Read: Biden pledges to cut U.S. greenhouse gases 50% by 2030 — with major implications for oil and gas sector“ Glasgow’s U.N. climate meeting is ‘last, best hope’ to move the needle on climate change. Kerry sited a “big chunk of difference” in policy between now and January 19, or the end of the Trump presidency. The world is moving and the market is moving.’ ” — John Kerry“Tesla TSLA, -3.28% is the highest valued car company in the world — why? “The world is moving and the market is moving.

By June or July, if we immunize most American adults and adolescents, levels of virus transmission will decrease precipitously. )We must engage in new outreach to conservative groups, to highlight both the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines and the urgency for all Americans. (Worse are the conservative activists, including doctors, who make outrageous claims regarding COVID-19 vaccine safety. Cultivating conservative vaccine champions from the realms of science, politics, and entertainment could expand into a new advocacy push from the federal government.Reaching holdouts in Democratic constituencies isn’t enough. If we fail to fully vaccinate the American people, virus transmission could continue at a significant level.

Bloomberg(Bloomberg) -- President Joe Biden’s climate summit has drawn 40 heads of state including China’s Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin of Russia and Boris Johnson from the U.K. The two-day virtual event ends Friday and will include corporate executives, union heads, Pope Francis and Bill Gates.The stakes are high. He also expects to announce this year a new, more ambitious target for reducing South Korea’s carbon emissions. “No nation can find lasting security without addressing the climate crisis.”Austin described climate change as a “destabilizing force,” which intensifies competition for resources and increases the risks of displacement and famine. Instead, Morrison focused on Australia’s efforts to produce new technologies to fight climate change and announced A$1.5 billion ($1.2 billion) in climate financing focusing on the Pacific region.“We want to work with others on the how,” Morrison said.

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., and Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., joined a rare, overwhelming majority of senators in the 50-50 chamber to pass the hate crimes legislation, which included bipartisan provisions to garner Republican support. It also requires the department to give guidance to state and local police on establishing online reporting of hate crimes. It also allows judges to require community service or educational programs for perpetrators of hate crimes. She hopes it encourages Asian American and Pacific Islanders feel more comfortable reporting hate crimes. Though she has not experienced hate crimes herself in the era of COVID-19, she has friends who have.

Nevada’s Republican Secretary of State Barbara Cegavkse said Wednesday her office’s just-completed review of the election found no evidence for the state GOP’s claims. As Republicans have done nationwide, the Nevada GOP has continued to claim without evidence that widespread voter fraud swung the outcome in the presidential race to Democrat Joe Biden over Republican Donald Trump. The party then filed four boxes of complaints to the Secretary of State’s office in March containing 122,918 individual complaints. The office’s initial review reduced that number to 3,963, many of them already under review by state elections officials and law enforcement. The office contacted the state Office of Vital Statistics and identified 10 of 1,506 as being deceased.

Lansing — Ronna McDaniel, chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, revealed this week that she's considered running against Michigan Gov. Whitmer’s dismal record of leadership has done lasting harm to Michigan families," said Richard Walters, chief of staff for the Republican National Committee. Three days after Election Day, she appeared at an event with Laura Cox, then-chairwoman of the Michigan Republican Party. As Michigan Republican Party chairwoman, McDaniel helped Trump win Michigan by 10,704 votes in 2016 against Democrat Hillary Clinton. "Former MI GOP chair and current Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel also passed on a run, opting instead to lead the national party for two more years.

But that agency said in October that it no longer has jurisdiction over wetlands that would be drained or otherwise affected by the project. That's because the Trump administration limited the types of waterways that qualify for federal protection under the half-century-old Clean Water Act. Twin Pines still has five applications pending with Georgia's environmental agency, including three that deal with regulation of state waters. Kemp said he doesn't see parallels between his concerns about drilling off Georgia and the proposed mine near the Okefenokee. "You’re talking about a specific project that’s under review versus an idea that never went anywhere.”

And you should be, too.”Her comments, captured in a video Ms Chase posted to Facebook, drew rebukes from state and national Democratic groups. American Bridge 21st Century, a liberal super PAC, circulated video of Ms Chase’s remarks on Twitter, drawing about 150,000 views. Before noon Wednesday, a least one of the five Democrats running for governor was trying to raise money off Ms Chase’s remarks. Handcuffed and face down on the pavement, Mr Floyd died after Chauvin knelt on his neck for more than nine minutes. Ms Chase was the only Republican gubernatorial candidate to volunteer a statement on the verdict.

The Fox News host now owns a $5.3 million townhouse in Palm Beach, Florida, only 2.7 miles from the former president’s Mar-a-Lago estate. “I’ve said many times on my radio show: I hate the stock market, I prefer real estate,” Mr Hannity said in 2018. For Mr Hannity, however, the home’s main selling point is probably its proximity to Mr Trump. During Mr Trump’s presidency, the two men reportedly spoke on the phone every night , and Mr Hannity has made numerous visits to Mar-a-Lago. On his TV show, Mr Hannity has persistently defended Mr Trump, attacked his opponents, and invited him on for soft-ball interviews.

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg warned U.S. lawmakers Thursday that history will hold them accountable for climate catastrophes if they do not stop subsidizing the fossil fuel industry before it is too late. Thunberg, whose activism began at age 15 when she started skipping school on Fridays to protest outside the Swedish parliament for climate change, voiced pessimism. 'We appreciate that President Biden ran on ending fossil fuel subsidies. He said children had been greatly affected by the fear of climate change, and asked Thunberg why she had said previously that she wanted people to 'panic' about it. Thunberg, who was Time magazine's person of the year in 2019 for her work on climate change, has denounced the 'madness' of government subsidies for fossil fuel use.

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. Should she step down to run for governor, RNC co-chairman Tommy Hicks would become temporary chair. The list of potential Republican challengers also includes John James, an Iraq war veteran who waged unsuccessful 2018 and 2020 Senate campaigns. After Trump lost reelection, he endorsed McDaniel to serve a third term, and the RNC chose her without opposition.

Under Jenny Beth Martin’s direction, Tea Party Patriots has sprawled into a dark-money network where millions of dollars in often anonymous donations slosh around with little transparency. Tea Party Patriots ActionFounded 2017In 2019, this nonprofit brought in $3.6 million and paid Martin $246,144 for 25 hours of work per week. In 2018, its biggest expenditure was a $530,000 donation to the TPP Citizens Fund. The foundation has paid both the TPP Citizens Fund and TPP, Inc. for fundraising and other work, according to tax filings. Tea Party Patriots, Inc.

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Thursday described the climate crisis as one of the nation's existential threats with the potential to profoundly destabilize global security. The new target more than doubles the Obama administration's prior commitment under the 2015 Paris climate agreement. Former President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the accords in 2019. "I welcome President Biden's leadership on tackling climate change," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said in his opening remarks at the summit. It has a serious impact on our security, so it matters for NATO," he said, adding that NATO members would be stepping up efforts to address the climate crisis.

China says the brutal military coup in Myanmar should be left to play out without foreign interference amid criticism over its muted response to the unfolding crisis. While Western countries, including Australia, have strongly condemned the military coup - China has been more cautious in its response, emphasising the need for stability. Mr Wang said the situation should be left to play out without foreign interference. The Association of South East Asian Nations is set to meet this week for an emergency summit in Jakarta addressing the military coup in Myanmar. The unfolding military coup has prompted sanctions from international allies including the United States, European Union, Canada and United Kingdom.

"I’m gonna make it plain: DC statehood is a racial justice issue, and racism kills." Former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich was blunt a day earlier, via Twitter: "Opposition to D.C. statehood is racist. HOUSE PASSES DC STATEHOOD BILL TO MAKE DISTRICT 51ST STATE AFTER HEATED FLOOR DEBATENo, Virginia, D.C. statehood is not racist. First, as R. Hewitt Pate, Esq., told the Heritage Foundation, D.C. statehood faces deep constitutional tank traps. 22 STATE REPUBLICAN AGS SEND LETTER ARGUING DC STATEHOOD IS ‘UNCONSTITUTIONAL'Republicans and conservatives reject total Democrat control, which is what D.C. statehood would help secure.

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.

Pope Francis delivers a video message on the occasion of Earth Day, at the Vatican, April 22, 2021. We are at the brink," Francis, who has backed the scientific consensus that global warming is partly man-made, said in the Earth Day message. He said now was the time for innovation and invention and urged political leaders to act with courage and justice. The event hosted by Biden, which Francis called a "wonderful" initiative, was meant to resurrect U.S. leadership in the fight against global warming. The pope criticised former U.S President Donald Trump when he withdrew the United States from the 2015 Paris accord to limit global warming.

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.

With the U.S. pledge, about two-thirds of the current global emissions come from countries that have now pledged to reach net zero emissions by midcentury. The sooner global emissions decline, the smoother the route to zero emissions by 2050 will be. The U.K. pledged just ahead of the summit to cut emissions 78% by 2035, and the EU announced a provisional deal on a 55% emissions cut by 2030. U.S.-China diplomacy in the run up to the U.N. Paris climate meeting was widely seen as essential to its success five years ago. This commentary was originally published by The Conversation—New US climate pledge: Cut emissions 50% this decade, but can Biden make it happen?

Everything was going fine for the stock market on Thursday—and then an anonymously sourced report hit that detailed how President Joe Biden planned to raise taxes on the wealthy, causing the major indexes to sink into the red. The details in the report, courtesy of the New York Times, were sparse, but enough to spook the market. But in a vacuum, higher taxes are not a good thing for stocks, Michael Darda, chief economist at MKM Partners, wrote in a note before the report hit. “Although there is no direct linkage between tax rates and productivity cycles, we would have to assume that all other things equal (they never are) these would be a headwind,” he wrote. At least when it comes to stock market valuations, higher tax rates, higher inflation rates, and higher market interest rates could become a serious fly in the ointment.”For at least one day, the stock market appears to agree.

The Daily BeastJohn Moore/Getty ImagesThe defense intellectual Fred Ikle once wrote that every war must end. It’ll simply require far more platforms, operating at greater range,” McKenzie said, suggesting that the skies above Afghanistan will continue to see U.S. surveillance and strike aircraft. “We’ve done four such operations in the last roughly 90 days, one of which is ongoing right now.”Sen. “The long term view from the War on Terror is this: it’s not going to be bloodless,” he said. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you.

While the bill bolsters resources for addressing hate crimes more broadly, supporters said it will send a clear message to the Asian American community that steps are being taken to curb an alarming increase in threats and violence. The Senate passed by an overwhelming margin legislation designed to combat hate crimes in the U.S., as lawmakers united to respond after a sharp increase in attacks against Asian-Americans since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. “Hate crimes will not be tolerated and federal law enforcement will do everything in its power to detect, deter and if necessary prosecute crimes to the full extent of the law.”The legislation requires the Justice Department to conduct a review of hate crimes, and to provide guidance to state and local governments to enable them to establish online reporting of hate crimes and expand public education campaigns to raise awareness of such assaults. It also provides grants for states to establish state-wide hate crimes reporting hotlines and improve their training to better identify and report them. Hirono said there are some discussions underway about the House possibly taking up the Senate bill and clearing it to speed the process.

The proposal faces a far tougher fight in the Senate, where simple Democratic control of the chamber won’t be enough. 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. Connolly argued that the federal district was a theoretical concept when first conceived, not a community with a higher population than two U.S. states. “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.

It was the just the latest challenge in crisis messaging for officials since the start of the pandemic more than a year ago. With the J&J shots, the recommended “pause” announced last week was a precautionary measure as government advisers investigated the unusual clots and alerted doctors about how to treat them. Trying to appear confident when uncertain — which leaders are often taught to do — can backfire in a public health crisis, a CDC guide notes. That’s just human nature.”With the J&J shots, for example, helping people understand the magnitude of any risk has been a challenge. Confusion and anger around public messaging haven’t been limited to the J&J shots.

“You know as well as I do, Jews are Jews,” Ald. One trick of racism — and this doesn’t get mentioned enough — is to attack specific groups for doing what all people do. At this point in my life, little offends me, and there’s no purpose in decrying Burke’s anti-Semitism. I phoned Burke’s office Thursday, seeking response to this latest rotten tomato of shame to splat against his encrusted reputation. You know as well as I do, politicians are politicians, and they’ll deal with other politicians to the exclusion of everybody else, unless ... unless there’s a reason for them to use a journalist.

An identical statehood bill passed the House in 2020, but it quickly died in the then-Republican-controlled Senate. Eleanor Holmes-Norton, D-D.C., left, at a news conference ahead of the House vote on H.R. Proponents of statehood for Washington, D.C., face a milestone moment in their decades-long movement to reshape the American political map. An identical statehood bill passed the House in 2020, but it quickly died in the then-Republican-controlled Senate. “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.

But even more important than the administration’s progress in tackling the country’s major issues has been the presidency’s return to normalcy in Biden’s first three months in office. Instead, the hallmarks of the Biden presidency include:Regular schedules. The Biden White House has ended the flood of leaks that marked the Trump White House. Interestingly, as with Trump, inappropriate comments don’t seem to have affected Biden’s job approval levels, at least so far. The extent to which Biden’s orderly approach will make Trump’s chaotic presidency seem like an aberration depends ultimately on how well Biden succeeds and what comes next.

In filings with the state, Foxconn says it now plans to employ 1,454 people and invest about $672 million into its still-under-construction factory in Mount Pleasent, Wisconsin. That's a long way from the $10 billion that the company initially promised to spend building a plant that would have employed 13,000 workers. Foxconn promised to make Wisconsin a hub for the manufacturing of HD television screens and other high-tech products, but the company never explained how it planned to make the math work. Even if all 13,000 promised jobs went to Wisconsinites, the tab would be more than $230,000 per job created, the bureau found. Trump saw the Foxconn deal not only as a way to create jobs, but as proof that reorienting supply chains was a matter of political will rather than economics.

The Biden administration on Thursday pledged to slash US greenhouse gas emissions by 50%-52% from 2005 levels by 2030, a new target it hopes will spur other big emitter countries to raise their ambition to combat climate change. The goal, unveiled at the start of a two-day climate summit hosted by President Joe Biden, comes as the United States seeks to reclaim global leadership in the fight against global warming after former president Donald Trump withdrew the country from international efforts to cut emissions.

FrankSpeech, a pro-Trump social media platform set up by MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, has failed to launch for the second time in seven days. A lengthy, rambling live stream from CEO Mike Lindell was one of two videos recently playable on the bare site. Duke dismissed any notion that he is biased or funded by the Chinese Communist Party, as Mr Lindell claimed he was. A post on Sunday from Mr Lindell urged supporters to promote the site’s launch, and gained over 2,000 comments. Mr Lindell is a prominent supporter of former president Donald Trump, and has claimed Mr Trump will be in the White House again by August.

John Kerry denounced former president Donald Trump for withdrawing the US from the landmark Paris treaty, which the former Secretary of State signed in 2015. Mr Biden announced on his first day in office that the US would reenter the agreement after the former president formally withdrew in 2020. Mr Biden announced the US non-binding emissions target as part of a two-day White House climate summit with world leaders. “No politician in the future is going to undo this, because all over the world, trillions of dollars, trillions of yen, trillions of euros are going to be heading into this new marketplace,” he said. “The world as a whole is moving in this direction, because these companies have made this critical long term strategic marketing judgment,” he said.

President Joe Biden is calling to hike the top income tax rate back to where it was before the Trump tax cuts and nearly double capital gains rates for top earners to fund his phase two of his 'human infrastructure' plan.' The president would push the top income tax rate up to 39.6 per cent – where it was before Trump's 2017 tax cuts. President Joe Biden will call to raise the to income tax rate up to 39.6 per centThe hike would have those owners have their capital gains taxed at a 39.6 rate as well. The 39.6% top income tax rate would return to the 2012 level enacted after President Barack Obama signed the American Taxpayer Protection Act. The tax hit investment income on individuals earning more than $200,000 in investment income.

The political media has long been both powerful and controversial — no surprise, as it essentially plays the role of referee in American politics. Even at the start of the Trump presidency, political journalists covered Trump more negatively than they had recent other presidents. Are U.S. political journalists covering an escalation of the hyperpartisanship and polarization of the last two decades? It’s not as if the political media can or should stop caring about topics that were raised at the news conference. I am a member of the political media, of course, and grappling with many of these questions myself.

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. AdvertisementStory continues below advertisementWhile investigators interviewed 20 current and former HUD officials and two Puerto Rico housing officials, they had no access to Carson. Wanda Vázquez Garced (D) in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in January 2020 after untouched disaster aid was discovered. Davis took the unusual step of laying out the administration’s obstruction at the top of the HUD report. Puerto Rico Governor Pedro R. Pierluisi said in a statement that the inspector general’s findings show “clearly there were onerous and discriminatory restrictions on the funding appropriated by Congress to help Puerto Rico recover from recent natural disasters."

Her tax return was filed on Feb. 27 and she's expecting to receive a 2020 tax refund of $5,522. Tax returns where the IRS needs to validate information relating to the Earned Income Tax Credit or the Advance Child Tax Credit. Earned Income Tax Credit has new twistThe Earned Income Tax Credit is a potential spot for errors. This tax season, the Earned Income Tax Credit can be claimed on a 2020 tax return based on someone's 2019 or 2020 income this year. By April 19, she was still waiting for a tax refund for 2019 and another tax refund for 2020.

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.

Teenage Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg on Thursday scolded Congress on policy changes she said are needed to eliminate fossil fuels and stop global warming — saying the US must take into account the “global aspect of equity” and be held to a higher standard than poorer countries like India. The hearing was meant to address eliminating billions in tax perks for fossil fuel companies. And that’s why we need global cooperation.”Thunberg acknowledged that there was little to compel China’s government to wholly ditch fossil fuels. The hearing was ostensibly about eliminating billions in tax perks for fossil fuel companies, though Thunberg more broadly addressed climate change. And just to be clear, that is not my opinion, it is what the science clearly shows,” Thunberg added.

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.

"We're here today because the United States Supreme Court is broken," Markey said in front of the Supreme Court building, flanked by Democratic lawmakers and activists. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., rejected the notion that Democrats are trying to pack the Supreme Court. He insisted that Republicans did so by blocking Obama Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland and ramming through Amy Coney Barrett's confirmation just before the presidential election. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and likely some other Senate Democrats, are opposed to packing the Supreme Court too. If we get power back, will it be 20 Supreme Court justices?"

Cheney, the third-ranking lawmaker in House GOP leadership, was the most high-profile of the 10 House Republicans who voted in January to impeach then-President Donald Trump. We have no time for warring against one another, against fellow Republicans, or against a former president who served Wyoming well," Pendley will emphasize. CHENEY CALLS GAETZ ALLEGATIONS 'SICKENING' BUT MUM ON WHETHER HE SHOULD RESIGNBut Cheney already faces multiple GOP primary challenges when she is up for reelection next year. Last week, Trump endorsed Wyoming GOP chair Frank Eathorne's reelection bid, pointing to Eathorne's censure of Cheney earlier this year. Trump has yet to endorse any of the primary challengers or potential challengers to Cheney.

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.

REUTERS/Kevin LamarqueThe United States on Thursday said it will boost public climate finance to help poor countries reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to a changing climate, doubling funding by 2024 from average levels hit during the Obama administration. As part of the goal, the White House said that by 2024 it would triple financing of climate adaptation, which focuses on adjustments to current or expected climate change. That was the most recent period where U.S. climate finance was at an all-time high, he said on Twitter. The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) would change its development strategy to include climate for the first time, and prioritize climate mitigation and adaptation. The plan also calls for ending international investments in carbon-intensive fossil fuel-based energy projects, and steering capital toward climate-aligned investments.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Southwest Chairman and CEO Gary Kelly said Thursday that his airline has seen steady improvement in U.S. leisure-travel sales since mid-February. Dallas-based Southwest Airlines Co. reported net income of $116 million in the first quarter. American Airlines Group Inc. lost $4.32 per share after subtracting federal aid and other temporary items. ADVERTISEMENTAlaska Airlines’ parent reported a loss of $131 million, or $3.51 per share, after excluding federal relief and other temporary items. In trading Thursday morning, Southwest shares rose 1%, while shares of American and Alaska Air Group Inc. fell about 1%.

Supreme Court Rejects Restrictions On Life Without Parole For JuvenilesEnlarge this image toggle caption J. Scott Applewhite/AP J. Scott Applewhite/APThe U.S. Supreme Court, in a 6-3 vote, ruled Thursday that a judge need not make a finding of "permanent incorrigibility" before sentencing a juvenile offender to life without parole. The Jones case involved how to apply the prior Supreme Court rulings. Close to a decade after Jones was sentenced to life without parole, the Supreme Court ruled that those, like Jones, who committed crimes when they were minors could not be automatically sentenced to life terms. Because Jones had been one of those who had received such an automatic life without parole sentence, the Mississippi Supreme Court ordered him to be resentenced. And that, she argued, is all that the U.S. Supreme Court has required.

Eleanor Holmes-Norton, D-D.C., center, joined from left by Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., speaks at a news conference ahead of the House vote on H.R. 51- the Washington, D.C. Eleanor Holmes-Norton, D-D.C., center, joined from left by Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., speaks at a news conference ahead of the House vote on H.R. 51- the Washington, D.C. “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.

Thunberg was called to virtually address a House subcommittee, chaired by the Democrats in the majority, that is reviewing ending fossil-fuel subsidies. “The simple fact, and uncomfortable fact, is that if we are to live up to our promises and commitments in Paris, we have to end fossil fuel subsidies … now,” she said. In 2018, the total revenue of the U.S. oil and gas industry came to about $181 billion. Rep. Ro Khanna of renewables-embracing California, the head of the subcommittee, wants quicker action from Biden to end fossil fuel subsidies as part of a plan to rebuild U.S. infrastructure. “We appreciate that President Biden ran on ending fossil fuel subsidies.

Tony Evers, a Democrat, who defeated incumbent Republican Scott Walker in 2018“The last deal didn’t work for Wisconsin, and that doesn’t work for me,” Evers said. Under the new deal, Foxconn will qualify for $80 million if it employs 1,454 people with an average wage of $53,875 and invests $676 million by 2026. Under the original deal, when taking into account local government incentives, the taxpayer subsidies for Foxconn totaled more than $4 billion. What exactly Foxconn will make in Wisconsin has changed since it signed the first contract in 2017 under then-Gov. The original contract was tied to Foxconn producing the flat screens it initially said would be made there.

Lily Batchelder has been nominated as assistant secretary for tax policy in the Treasury Department, he noted. Some estate tax changes are a “done deal” in the eyes of Professor Donald Williamson, executive director of American University’s Kogod Tax Policy Center. An increase in estate tax also means the “step up in basis” is on the chopping block, Williamson said. If an asset like long-held shares in a blue-chip company keeps growing in value, that’s a major shield against a major capital gains tax liability. 96% of the tax savings from a pulled-back lid would go to the highest 20% of households, according a 2018 Tax Policy Center analysis.

Thunberg was called to virtually address a House subcommittee, chaired by the Democrats in the majority, that is reviewing ending fossil-fuel subsidies. “The simple fact, and uncomfortable fact, is that if we are to live up to our promises and commitments in Paris, we have to end fossil fuel subsidies … now,” she said. In 2018, the total revenue of the U.S. oil and gas industry came to about $181 billion. Rep. Ro Khanna of renewables-embracing California, the head of the subcommittee, wants quicker action from Biden to end fossil fuel subsidies as part of a plan to rebuild U.S. infrastructure. “We appreciate that President Biden ran on ending fossil fuel subsidies.

With the U.S. pledge, about two-thirds of the current global emissions come from countries that have now pledged to reach net zero emissions by mid-century. The sooner global emissions decline, the smoother the route to zero emissions by 2050 will be. Nearly every study that shows a 50% drop in U.S. emissions is feasible is based on the observation that the power sector will cut emissions at a fast clip. The U.K. pledged just ahead of the summit to cut emissions 78% by 2035, and the EU announced a provisional deal on a 55% emissions cut by 2030. Forty world leaders attended the climate summit by video on April 22, 2021.

Court TV via AP, Pool Press abuse vs. press limits Jay Near always knew there were bad cops in Minnesota. Today, Near is remembered – if at all – for his legendary Supreme Court victory in the 1931 U.S. Supreme Court decision known as Near v. Minnesota. Near v. Minnesota opened up the modern version of press freedom we recognize today. A portion of the front page of The Saturday Press, Oct. 15, 1927, published by Jay Near that figures prominently in U.S. press freedom law. The cost of limiting the press But media freedom is always a double-edged sword.

Walsh told “New Day” host John Berman, “Why don’t more conservatives say [‘Black Lives Matter’] yet? They’ve got people like Hannity and Tucker Carlson riling them up every day, John. Also Read: Tucker Carlson’s College Yearbook Says He Belonged to Club for Harvey Milk’s Murderer Walsh told Berman on Thursday, “I’ve learned. I listened to Black Americans and I understand why it’s important to say ‘Black Lives Matter. I listened to Black Americans, and I understand why it's important to say Black Lives Matter.

Mark McCloskey, the St. Louis attorney who grabbed national headlines last year for pointing guns at Black Lives Matter protesters with his wife, says he’s "maybe running for Senate" to fight President Biden's "anti-American" agenda. I'm still in the Lara Trump, Herschel Walker camp," he said on FOX Business’ "Mornings with Maria" Thursday. While city attorneys brought weapons charges against McCloskey and his wife, they quickly were vaulted to conservative stardom. GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE"The legislature is out there busily undermining our rights," he added. When it comes to a 2022 run for Missouri's open Senate seat, it may come down to a sense of duty for McCloskey.

The proposal faces a far tougher fight in the Senate, where simple Democratic control of the chamber won’t be enough. 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. AdvertisementConnolly argued that the federal district was a theoretical concept when first conceived, not a community with a higher population than two U.S. states. “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.

Lakers star LeBron James is once again involved in controversy regarding a deleted tweet in the wake of a police shooting in Columbus, Ohio. James tweeted, “YOU’RE NEXT #ACCOUNTABILITY,” with a photo of the officer who shot and killed 16-year-old Ma’Khia Bryant on Wednesday in James’ home state. In the aftermath of the verdict, James tweeted one word — “ACCOUNTABILITY.”AdvertisementJames deleted his tweet about Bryant, later explaining his rationale. I am so desperate for more ACCOUNTABILITY — LeBron James (@KingJames) April 21, 2021ANGER does any of us any good and that includes myself! ?????? — LeBron James (@KingJames) April 21, 2021Before and after James deleted the tweet, he faced criticism from right-wing media and politicians.

NEW YORK (AP) — A judge sentenced a Bangladeshi immigrant to life in prison Thursday, saying he plotted to carry out a “barbaric and heinous” plot to kill as many people as he could with a suicide bombing attack in New York City’s subway beneath Times Square in 2017 . Advertisement“A life sentence is appropriate,” Sullivan said. 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. AdvertisementAt 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.

The proposal faces a far tougher fight in the Senate, where simple Democratic control of the chamber won’t be enough. AdvertisementAn 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. Connolly argued that the federal district was a theoretical concept when first conceived, not a community with a higher population than two U.S. states. “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.

The proposal faces a far tougher fight in the Senate, where simple Democratic control of the chamber won’t be enough. 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. Connolly argued that the federal district was a theoretical concept when first conceived, not a community with a higher population than two U.S. states. “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.

The proposal faces a far tougher fight in the Senate, where simple Democratic control of the chamber won’t be enough. 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. Connolly argued that the federal district was a theoretical concept when first conceived, not a community with a higher population than two U.S. states. “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.

“Meeting this moment is about more than preserving our planet,” Biden declared, speaking from a TV-style set for a virtual summit of 40 world leaders. But the U.S. summit also marshaled an impressive display of the world’s most powerful leaders speaking on the single cause of climate change. The pandemic made gathering world leaders for the climate summit too risky. The format meant a cavalcade of short speeches by world leaders, some scripted, some apparently more impromptu. His people he said, are “ teetering on the edge of despair.”After the stream of solemn pledges on fighting climate change, the talk turned to money.

The proposal faces a far tougher fight in the Senate, where simple Democratic control of the chamber won’t be enough. 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. Connolly argued that the federal district was a theoretical concept when first conceived, not a community with a higher population than two U.S. states. “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.

Updated 3 times AlertMeWASHINGTON — Proponents of statehood for Washington, D.C., face a milestone moment in their decades-long movement to reshape the American political map. The House will vote Thursday on legislation that would create a 51st state with one representative and two senators. A tiny sliver of land including the White House, the U.S. Capitol and the National Mall would remain as a federal district. Connolly argued that the federal district was a theoretical concept when first conceived, not a community with a higher population than two U.S. states. “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.

If the measure were to become law, Smith predicted a wave of lawsuits that would cloud the new state's actions and any congressional legislation it touched. "Every legislative act of this new state would be called into question. D.C. has long chafed under its relationship with Congress, which has the power to essentially veto or alter any local laws. After a night of widespread vandalism, President Donald Trump usurped D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s authority and called in a massive multiagency federal force to downtown. The law enforcement forces cleared peaceful protesters from a public street so Trump could pose for a photo outside a church.

The new urgency comes as scientists say that climate change caused by coal plants, car engines and other fossil fuel use is worsening droughts, floods, hurricanes, wildfires and other disasters and that humans are running out of time to stave off catastrophic extremes of global warming. Leaders of smaller states and island nations buffeted by rising seas and worsening hurricanes appealed for aid and fast emissions cuts from world powers. “We are the least contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, but the most affected by climate change,” said Gaston Alfonso Browne, prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda. He called for debt relief and more international assistance to recover from storms and the pandemic to prevent a flow of climate refugees. His people he said, are " teetering on the edge of despair.”After the stream of solemn pledges on fighting climate change, the talk turned to money.

In a scathing dissent, the liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote that the high court’s decision “guts” precedents that had strictly limited juvenile life sentences without possibility of parole. Beginning in 2005, the supreme court had concluded in a series of cases that minors should be treated differently from adults, in part because of minors’ lack of maturity. Today's decision is a huge blow against the movement to end juvenile life without parole. He was convicted and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. In the case – Jones v Mississippi, 18-1259 – Jones had argued he is not “permanently incorrigible” and should therefore be eligible for parole.

The Trump administration delayed more than $20bn in hurricane relief aid for Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria, according to a report by the housing department’s office of the inspector General. The efforts to deliver recovery funding to the island were “unnecessarily delayed by bureaucratic obstacles”, according to the 46-page report. The investigators were also denied or delayed access to Hud information on several occasions. The report found that Hud’s review and approval of their funding action plan for Puerto Rico was delayed due to the 2018-2019 government shutdown. More than 5,000 people died in Puerto Rico in 2017 due to the hurricane, according to a study by the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health.

After his wife Linda died in 2016, Tom Jones feared he would never sing again. Without Linda, Jones suspected that even his well-oiled songs would stick in his throat. Surrounded by Time is the fourth album Jones has made with Ethan Johns, the producer who resurrected the Welshman’s career with a trio of rootsy Americana records. He’s a modern Dylan, tracing the arc of popular culture through from when video killed the radio star, reality killed the video star and reality TV star Donald Trump killed reality with his “alternative facts”. It contains the obvious gag that Lazarus couldn’t make a comeback without Jesus (Jones couldn’t without Johns).

Snooker’s world governing body has denied it has plans to ban Mark Williams’ controversial break-off shot despite consultations with top players and its own Rules Committee. The statement read: “The issue of the ‘defensive break-off’ was raised by a small number of players to the WPBSA Players Board earlier this year. “As a representative body of the current tour players, WPBSA Players sought opinion from the playing membership on this issue. The WPBSA Rules Committee was also being consulted at this time. Williams has vowed to continue with the shot in his second-round match against John Higgins, which starts on Friday.

World leaders took shots at ex-president Donald Trump as they participated in Joe Biden’s Earth Day climate summit. Mr Biden convened 40 leaders from the world’s most powerful countries to galvanise a global effort against the climate crisis, even securing commitments from Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Mrs Merkel’s comments came as Joe Biden unveiled ambitious plans to cut emissions during the virtual White House summit. Mr Biden told the summit that the US will aim to cut carbon emissions by as much as 52 per cent by 2030. “It is so good to have the US back on our side in the fight against climate change,” said Ms von der Leyen.

Adding yet another layer to the tensions, Pentagon officials have briefed lawmakers on directed-energy attacks on U.S. troops that Defense Department officials believe were carried out by Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and the U.S. Russian troops began returning to basis following massive demonstrations in Crimea, which prompted warnings from Ukraine and the U.S. and allies. The exercises involved thousands of Russian troops and hundreds of warplanes. Nearly 100,000 Russian troops are believed to have massed at the Ukrainian border.

He had detonated his homemade pipe bomb during rush hour in New York City's busiest subway station on December 11, 2017. 'A life sentence is appropriate,' Sullivan said. The judge told the would-be suicide bomber that life in prison was 'less draconian than the sentence you were going to impose on yourself'. Surveillance video of the attack showed Ullah entering the subway station at 6.26am before making his way towards Port Authority via the underground pedestrian tunnel. Prosecutors had sought the life term for Ullah, saying the 'premeditated and vicious' attack was committed on behalf of ISIS.

Russian President Vladimir Putin endured an awkward moment during Thursday's climate summit after he was left sitting in confused silence following a technical glitch. ', he told fellow world leaders. The cost of inaction is mounting,' he said in his speech kicking off his Climate Summit. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced Wednesday the UK would cut emissions by 78 per cent by 2035. In addition to the president and world leaders, several Cabinet secretaries and business leaders will attend.

Vaccine coverage in the state had been steadily rising by two to four percentage points a week since late January. But with the rise in infections and hospitalizations seen last week, and vaccinations slowing, those numbers could rise again, as happened in Michigan. A quarter of the available shots went unused, says Jennifer Michaluk, a county health department official. Trump won more than 60 percent of November's vote in 49 Michigan counties. 'We remind [Michiganders that] Trump got vaccinated,' said Mark Hamed, who serves as medical director for eight Michigan counties, all of which voted for Trump with at least 63 percent of the vote.

"Right now, (I'm) just going through the process and thinking about it," Walker told CNN. "This got nothing to do with President Trump," Walker said. And it's anyone's guess what kind of candidate Walker might turn out to be. When asked about Walker, Warnock told CNN: "I'm prepared to defeat whoever they put up." "He is a candidate that Trump Republicans, non-Trump Republicans, Independents, traditional Democrats, and even many partisan Democrats can agree with," said Evans.

In this image from video world leaders participate in the White House Climate Leaders Summit via Zoom Thursday, April 22, 2021. (AP Photo)In this image from video world leaders participate in the White House Climate Leaders Summit via Zoom Thursday, April 22, 2021. “Meeting this moment is about more than preserving our planet,” Biden declared, speaking from a TV-style set for a virtual summit of 40 world leaders. The pandemic made gathering world leaders for the climate summit too risky. The format meant a cavalcade of short speeches by world leaders, some scripted, some apparently more impromptu.

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.

Failed Port Authority bomber Akayed Ullah was sentenced to life behind bars Thursday morning. … I do not support harming innocent people.”NYPD at the scene of a the bombing attempt involving Akayed Ullah. NYPD and Port Authority cops arrested him soon after, while Ullah was lying injured on the ground of the emptied subway tunnel. After the jury returned their verdict, Ullah tried to blame President Trump for inspiring the failed terrorist attack. Gregory P. MangoThe failed terrorist tried to appeal his conviction by claiming he had not acted on behalf of ISIS — but a judge shot that down in January.

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.

A message left with Gardner’s office wasn’t immediately returned. Mark McCloskey emerged from his home armed with an AR-15 rifle and Patricia McCloskey came out with a semiautomatic handgun. A police probable cause statement said protesters feared "being injured due to Patricia McCloskey’s finger being on the trigger, coupled with her excited demeanor." The indictment states that a semiautomatic pistol was altered in a way that "obstructed the prosecution of Patricia McCloskey" on the weapons charge. GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HEREIn December, a judge dismissed Gardner’s office from prosecuting the case, ruling she created an appearance of impropriety by mentioning the McCloskey case in fundraising emails before the August Democratic primary.

Conservatives have contended the money primarily went to heavily Democratic areas in battleground states in an effort to tilt the balance. States should note that private funding for public matters is not unusual, said Tiana Epps-Johnson, executive director of the Center For Tech and Civic Life. "Private funding is used to supplement a variety of government services where there are funding shortfalls, including schools and libraries," Epps-Johnson told Fox News in a statement. Last year, with generous private funding, CTCL announced the COVID-19 Response grant program," the statement said. But if you’re a blue jurisdiction, we’re going to give you $10 million or $12 million or $15 million.

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.

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.”

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.

* 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.

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.”

1 of 3 FILE - This undated file photo provided by the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission shows Akayed Ullah, who was convicted of terrorism charges for setting off a pipe bomb in New York City's busiest subway station. The Bangladeshi immigrant, whose subway pipe bomb mostly misfired, was sentenced Thursday, April 22, 2021, to life in prison for the 2017 attack in New York City busiest station. The Bangladeshi immigrant, whose subway pipe bomb mostly misfired, was sentenced Thursday, April 22, 2021, to life in prison for the 2017 attack in New York City busiest station. 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. ADVERTISEMENTBut defense lawyer Amy Gallicchio said Ullah deserved no more than the mandatory 35 years in prison.

Hoback followed the growth of the QAnon movement for three years and unravels the twisted knots of the conspiracy theory in a six-part series on HBO. Well, I don't think Jan. 6 happened because of Q, but I also don't think it would have happened without Q. The documentary builds a powerful case that Ron is Q. Ron denies this, but in the documentary, he seems to relish the idea of being suspected. What happens to Q followers and the movement? But I think Q, as we knew it, will not remain.

He's no fanboy of hydrogen fuel cells, calling them "fool cells" and "mind-bogglingly stupid." Even oil companies are teaming up with fuel cell stocks like FuelCell Energy (FCEL), Ballard Power Systems (BLDP) and Plug Power (PLUG). And on Wednesday, Chevron (CVX) and Toyota (TM) announced they are teaming up to build out hydrogen fuel cell infrastructure. And unlike batteries, hydrogen fuel cells don't need lengthy periods of recharging. He says he speaks with oil companies nearly every day about their interest in the expanding hydrogen fuel cell industry.

It was the just the latest challenge in crisis messaging for officials since the start of the pandemic more than a year ago. Whether the pause seriously undermines public confidence in the J&J shot — or the other vaccines — remains to be seen. Trying to appear confident when uncertain -- which leaders are often taught to do -- can backfire in a public health crisis, a CDC guide notes. That’s just human nature.”With the J&J shots, for example, helping people understand the magnitude of any risk has been a challenge. And for months, officials have been trying to ease worries about the COVID-19 vaccines overall, in part by enlisting local leaders.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Proponents of statehood for Washington, D.C., face a milestone moment in their decades-long movement to reshape the American political map. A tiny sliver of land including the White House, the U.S. Capitol and the National Mall would remain as a federal district. Connolly argued that the federal district was a theoretical concept when first conceived, not a community with a higher population than two U.S. states. 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. “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.

WASHINGTON — Proponents of statehood for Washington, D.C., face a milestone moment in their decades-long movement to reshape the American political map. A tiny sliver of land including the White House, the U.S. Capitol and the National Mall would remain as a federal district. For lifelong statehood proponents like Eleanor Holmes Norton, Washington’s long-serving and nonvoting delegate in the House, the vote will be a culmination of a life’s work. Connolly argued that the federal district was a theoretical concept when first conceived, not a community with a higher population than two U.S. states. “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.

“A life sentence is appropriate,” Sullivan said. 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.”

His commitment to cut U.S. fossil fuel emissions up to 52 percent by 2030 will come at the launch Thursday of an all-virtual climate summit for 40 world leaders. President Joe Biden speaks to the virtual Leaders Summit on Climate, from the East Room of the White House, Thursday, April 22, 2021, in Washington. “Meeting this moment is about more than preserving our planet,” Biden declared, speaking from a TV-style set for a virtual summit of 40 world leaders. The pandemic made gathering world leaders for the climate summit too risky. The format meant a cavalcade of short speeches by world leaders, some scripted, some apparently more impromptu.

“Meeting this moment is about more than preserving our planet,” Biden declared, speaking from a TV-style set for a virtual summit of 40 world leaders. But the U.S. summit also marshaled an impressive display of the world’s most powerful leaders speaking on the single cause of climate change. China’s Xi, whose country is the world’s biggest emissions culprit, followed by the United States, spoke first among the other global figures. The pandemic made gathering world leaders for the climate summit too risky. The format meant a cavalcade of short speeches by world leaders, some scripted, some apparently more impromptu.

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. 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.

It was the just the latest challenge in crisis messaging for officials since the start of the pandemic more than a year ago. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy explained at a media briefing soon after the announcement on the J&J vaccine. Trying to appear confident when uncertain -- which leaders are often taught to do -- can backfire in a public health crisis, a CDC guide notes. With the J&J shots, for example, helping people understand the magnitude of any risk has been a challenge. Confusion and anger around public messaging haven’t been limited to the J&J shots.

Before sending the signal formally disqualifying Maximum Security from the 2019 Kentucky Derby, the state’s chief steward spun her red swivel chair around to face her fellow officials. “I thought I had a passion for it, and I knew the music business as a professional is really, really cutthroat and really, really difficult. “I received mail at my house, at my home address, and some things were threatening: ‘You ruined the Kentucky Derby. The Kentucky Derby media guide lists only five claims of foul and one race-related disqualification prior to the 2019 race. (After trainer Jason Servis was indicted in 2020 in a federal case involving performance-enhancing drugs, Maximum Security was moved to Baffert’s barn.)

Seth MeyersOn Wednesday night, Seth Meyers offer chastened relief at the conviction of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd. “It was a simple yet powerful statement that applied to so much of how our racist system of policing and oppression is built,” he continued. But a conviction on all three counts “does not mean justice was done. True justice would mean George Floyd would still be alive today. The verdict “brings up a lot of complex feelings, because no jury verdict can bring George Floyd back”.

Putting the United States back at the forefront on climate, Biden told a virtual Earth Day summit that the world’s largest economy will cut emissions blamed for climate change by 50 to 52% by 2030 compared with 2005 levels. The United States isn’t waiting,” Biden told the opening of a two-day summit of 40 leaders including the presidents of rivals China and Russia. The White Rebels and Extinction Rebellion DC block 17th Street after dumping cow manure outside the White House to protest President Biden’s climate plan in Washington on Thursday. Addressing the virtual summit, President Xi Jinping reiterated his promise last year to reach carbon neutrality by 2060. President Joe Biden speaks during a virtual Leaders Summit on Climate at the White House in Washington on Thursday.

Ministers drew up radical plans to slash the cash the European Super League could earn from broadcast rights in Britain by forcing the ill-conceived project to be shown free-to-air, Sportsmail can reveal. EUROPE REACTION Fans across Europe objected to the European Super League and are now calling for long-lasting reform. they tackled the Super League. 'You couldn't ask for a better springboard for reform,' reflected one source in the aftermath of the Super League debacle. When plans for the European Super League landed, his patience had reportedly run out.

Joe Biden wants to use taxpayer money to promote critical race theory lessons in schools in a move branded 'politically tone-deaf' by Republicans. Federal grant money will be offered to incentivize the 'woke' lessons for teachers and students. Republican strategist John Feehery slammed the plans as he accused Biden of ignoring the more pressing issue of opening up schools. He believes the so-called 'woke' lessons will help Republicans as people are turned off by Biden's plans. The proposals come amid a huge backlash over 'woke' lessons in private schools, which have led to one teacher losing his job after he complained.

But now we see conservatives' true colors on civil liberties. Private companies have criticized Republican efforts to set up one-party rule, while individuals have protested police brutality en masse. Georgia Republicans attempted to repeal a fuel tax break for Delta for the same reason. There are already laws against riot, property damage, assault, and all the other things Republicans are supposedly concerned about. Every day, right-wing media produces a stream of new, largely-invented outrages to stoke the conservative victim complex, keeping the fury boiling.

Washington (CNN) Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg argued on Thursday that President Joe Biden's goal to drastically cut greenhouse gas emissions is vital to reasserting US leadership in fighting the climate crisis. During his virtual climate summit attended by 40 other world leaders Thursday, Biden announced an ambitious goal of reducing the United States' greenhouse gas emissions by 50-52% below its 2005 emissions levels by 2030. The US is the world's second-biggest polluter behind China, which has said it will continue to increase carbon emissions through at least the end of the decade. Although the Biden administration has not outlined a plan for how it will achieve this goal, the rhetoric marks a significantly different approach than that of former President Donald Trump, who denied climate change science and whose administration rolled back several environmental policies. On CNN Thursday, Buttigieg called it "disastrous" that the Trump administration left the United States' "seat at the table empty" on the issue.

The Lincoln Project, a group of Republicans-turned-Donald-Trump-critics, has targeted the former president in a TV advert that will air in Palm Beach – where Mr Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort is based. The ad further goes on telling Mr Trump that "now everyone is saying you're old, impotent, [and] an embarrassment." When calling him impotent, the group was likely claiming Mr Trump lacked political power now that he’s out of office, not that his male fertility was at risk. The Lincoln Project, which formed in 2020 ahead of the presidential election to rally against Mr Trump, told the Palm Beach Post that the group decided to air the ad in Palm Beach because they knew Mr Trump would likely see the commercials. This was the second direct attack the Lincoln Project has launched in Palm Beach, Florida.

President Joe Biden speaks to the virtual Leaders Summit on Climate, from the East Room of the White House, Thursday, April 22, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)President Joe Biden speaks to the virtual Leaders Summit on Climate, from the East Room of the White House, Thursday, April 22, 2021, in Washington. “Meeting this moment is about more than preserving our planet,” Biden declared, speaking from a TV-style set for a virtual summit of 40 world leaders. The pandemic made gathering world leaders for the climate summit too risky. The format meant a cavalcade of short speeches by world leaders, some scripted, some apparently more impromptu.

He headed into the 18th Avenue subway station, boarded an F train and took it to Jay Street MetroTech. There, as he walked, he detonated the bomb, setting off a blast that filled the tunnel with smoke and sent thousands of commuters fleeing. It was, the authorities have said, nothing short of a miracle that Mr. Ullah, an immigrant from Bangladesh, did not kill anyone. The makeshift bomb malfunctioned, seriously injuring him and sending shrapnel into the leg of a nearby pedestrian. Two bystanders partly lost their hearing and they and others were traumatized and suffered lasting emotional damage.

1 of 3 FILE - This undated file photo provided by the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission shows Akayed Ullah, who was convicted of terrorism charges for setting off a pipe bomb in New York City's busiest subway station. The Bangladeshi immigrant, whose subway pipe bomb mostly misfired, was sentenced Thursday, April 22, 2021, to life in prison for the 2017 attack in New York City busiest station. The Bangladeshi immigrant, whose subway pipe bomb mostly misfired, was sentenced Thursday, April 22, 2021, to life in prison for the 2017 attack in New York City busiest station. 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.

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.

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.

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.

(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.

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.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama could soon have a database that would track disciplinary actions and excessive force complaints against law enforcement officers, a measure aimed at weeding out “bad apples” in the profession. The Alabama Legislature last week approved a bill that would create a state database to track law enforcement officers’ employment history, disciplinary actions, use of force complaints and reassignments for cause. But it’s just like any other profession, you have great actors and you have bad actors. “It would make it more difficult for someone who has got a checkered past to hop from law enforcement agency to law enforcement agency. Former President Donald Trump in June signed an executive order to encourage better police practices and establish a database to track officers with excessive use-of-force complaints.

“No nation can solve this crisis on our own,” Biden said Thursday from the White House. “Scientists tell us that this is the decisive decade,” Biden said at the summit. “This is the decade we must make decisions that will avoid the worst consequences of the climate crisis. The Biden administration opted not to make an explicit commitment to pare emissions of methane as part of the pledge, despite entreaties from environmentalists. And that’s where the whole world is still way off course.”Environmentalists argue Biden’s planned emissions reduction is both achievable and ambitious -- a sweet spot essential to U.S. credibility.

Then, he met Martin Louie Sr., a member of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation. Like Harden, I had my first encounter with the history of the ill-fated missionaries, Marcus and Narcissa Whitman, in a Washington school. His long career has included stints with the Washington Post, the New York Times, PBS’ documentary series “Frontline” and the Economist. As one tribal member told Harden, “Seeing all those white people playing those slot machines … We got our water back and our fish back. We are going to be okay.” All it took was harnessing the white man’s greed, just as the white man had harnessed their water.

We reached Sir Tom by phone in London to talk about the latest entry in his decades-spanning career. The only thing that has happened to me vocally is I’ve gone from a tenor to a baritone. When you’re young, you’re gung-ho and full of piss and vinegar. At that first meeting, he said to me, “I hear things in your voice that I haven’t heard on record yet. People listen to you when you sing things, the sound of your voice, the way that you sing things, but if you speak it, the words are driven home even more.

The border wall is reflected in the San Bernardino River, which flows to wetlands south of the border. Deer prick up their ears near Sasabe, Ariz., where a new portion of the border wall was recently built. “The border wall could really isolate a smaller population of coatis in the United States from the core population,” Burns said. And how far does that effect ripple away from the border itself?”Impacts on wildlife along the border Researchers speak on how the Trump border wall has impacted nearby wildlife. The waiver authority wasn’t limited to that period of time, so the Trump administration used it to accelerate border wall construction during his term.

The endangered cat may slowly be recovering in the borderlands, but the Trump border wall may hurt that progress. But new sections of border wall were built by the Trump administration in the middle of the habitats, forming a barrier that conservationists fear could hamper the jaguars’ recovery. Following the Biden administration’s pause of wall construction along the U.S.-Mexico border, researchers are searching for ways to support the big cats’ return. In 1972, jaguars were listed under the Endangered Species Conservation Act, the precursor to the Endangered Species Act. 'Saving themselves'The recent sightings near the border, coupled with the results of the study, underline the role that unobstructed landscapes play for the jaguar along the border.

Ashraf KhalilAssociated PressWashington — Proponents of statehood for Washington, D.C., face a milestone moment in their decades-long movement to reshape the American political map. A tiny sliver of land including the White House, the U.S. Capitol and the National Mall would remain a federal district. For lifelong statehood proponents like Eleanor Holmes Norton, Washington's long-serving and nonvoting delegate in the House, the vote will be a culmination of a life's work. Although every state other than the original 13 was admitted to the union via congressional vote, statehood opponents argue that D.C. is a special case that requires special steps. “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.

.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........WASHINGTON — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is renewing her push for a bipartisan commission to investigate the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection, floating a new proposal to Republicans that would evenly split the panel’s membership between the two parties. Pelosi and House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy haven’t even been able to agree on whether the Republicans have been sent the proposal. Pelosi said in her letter Friday that ” we have once again sent a proposal for such a Commission to the Republicans,” but a spokesman for McCarthy said Wednesday that neither the Republican leader nor his staff have received Pelosi’s latest proposal. Pelosi has said repeatedly that she will not concede to the Republican demands on the scope. “It’s not about examining Black Lives Matter,” Pelosi said last week.

Then he’ll try to cajole other nations to ratchet up the pollution-cutting promises they made in 2015’s Paris climate agreement. After the United States helped negotiate the last two climate agreements — 1997’s Kyoto Protocol and 2015’s Paris accord — Presidents George W. Bush and Donald Trump backed out. The United States last year became the only country to leave the Paris deal. “The fact that the United States is back is very important.”WHY WATCHHuman-caused climate change is getting worse around the globe. The United Nations is counting on nearly 200 nations to announce tougher emission cut targets before that meeting, which will hash out still lingering issues.

Republicans in the Arizona state senate are set to begin an unprecedented audit of the presidential vote in Maricopa county, the most populous of the state, this week. First, they said, Maricopa county has already performed two audits of the election and found no irregularities in the vote. Second, the effort is being led by a Florida-based firm with a CEO who voiced support for election conspiracies after the election. Third, the audit will probably only breathe new life into Donald Trump’s lies about the 2020 race in Arizona. And a spokesman for the audit told a reporter for the Arizona Mirror this week that there would be significant restrictions in place for reporters who covered the event.

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Boris Johnson, the United Kingdom's prime minister, called Biden's pledge "game changing" and offered a blunt retort to those who question the need to address climate change. In his opening remarks, Biden noted the U.S. represents less than 50% of the world's emissions. While other world leaders offered similarly dire assessments of the threat posed by climate change, only a few outlined aggressive new steps to address the crisis. “President Biden is unilaterally committing America to a drastic and damaging emissions pledge,” Barrasso said in a statement Thursday. He has already taken several steps to address climate change, such as pausing oil drilling on public lands and halting construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline.

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 nonwhite 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.

The Trump administration lined up unprecedented bureaucratic obstacles that delayed approximately $20 billion in hurricane relief for Puerto Rico, according to an inspector general report that could be released publicly as soon as Thursday. Hurricanes Irma and Maria had left Puerto Rico residents without power and clean water for months after ravaging the U.S. territory in 2017. While investigators interviewed 20 current and former HUD officials and two Puerto Rico housing officials, they were unable to ever gain access to Carson, the Post said. “Since its first days, the Biden-Harris Administration has prioritized action to enable stronger recovery for Puerto Rico,” HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge said in a statement Monday. “The actions taken by HUD today will unlock access to funds Puerto Rico needs to recover from past disasters and build resilience to future storms, while ensuring transparency and accountability.”

A conservative organization is calling out House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) for hypocrisy after he tried to censure Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) this week. McCarthy accused Waters of using “violent rhetoric” when she told protesters to “stay on the street” and “get more confrontational” if former police officer Derek Chauvin wasn’t found guilty in the George Floyd murder case. But as the new video from the Republican Accountability Project shows, McCarthy has ignored far more violent rhetoric from inside his own conference. The ad also includes some violent rhetoric from former President Donald Trump, who McCarthy continues to support. McCarthy, Gohmert and Cawthorn are among the 13 names in the group’s online “Hall of Shame.”The organization has also vowed to recruit and support candidates to challenge them in primaries “to ensure that as few of them as possible return to Congress in 2022.”

Advertisement:Mandel has tried to make inroads with the Trump wing of the party by echoing the former president's complaints about "Big Tech." Some of the biggest donors to the committee have been the same Silicon Valley millionaires he has railed against. Advertisement:Jordan Blashek, an executive at Schmidt Futures, a Silicon Valley nonprofit founded by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, also kicked in $5,800 to Team Josh. Like Mandel, Vance has made attacks on "Big Tech" a core component of his fledgling campaign. In 2019, Vance founded Narya Capital, raising $93 million from tech titans like Thiel, Schmidt and Silicon Valley legend Marc Andreesen.

In March alone, more than 172,000 migrants were stopped by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) — the highest amount in over 20 years. Let’s be clear: No one is to blame except President Biden and Vice President Harris. Even Democrats such as West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin have called this administration’s situation a “crisis” long before the leader of the free world admitted it this past weekend. Now, I wonder how much Vice President Harris, who has been put in charge of handling this crisis, could learn from taking a single trip to see this catastrophe. The path starts with President Biden and Vice President Harris stepping up to the plate to address this catastrophe and seeing it firsthand.

The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that a juvenile offender can be sentenced to life without parole even while not having a separate factual finding that the defendant is incapable of rehabilitation, or what the law refers to as “permanently incorrigible.”The conservative majority court ruled 6-3 along ideological lines, with Justice Brett Kavanaugh Brett Michael KavanaughFeehery: The left-wing hysteria machine Biden's court-packing theater could tame the Supreme Court's conservatives Trump knocks CNN for 'completely false' report Gaetz was denied meeting MORE writing for the majority and the court's three liberals dissenting. The opinion affirms the sentence of defendant Brett Jones, who received a life sentence without parole for murdering his grandfather with a kitchen knife during a domestic dispute. Jones, who was then 15, claimed to have acted in self-defense.

More:Arizona Senate's plan for counting 2.1M ballots impossible and biased, election consultants sayThe Senate’s plans for managing and funding the audit have raised concerns, too. Related reading:Head of firm hired for Arizona election audit pushed fraud theoriesWho will provide security? Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office deputies were present as the county delivered the ballots, and the county used specialized racks to transport the voting machines. Election audit experts have said that hand-counting this many races on this many ballots will take much longer than 20 days if done right. Representatives from all major political parties did a hand count of county ballots after the election.

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.

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.

“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.

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.

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum on Wednesday vetoed a bill that would ban transgender girls from playing in girls' sports following a similar move earlier this year by South Dakota Gov. The bill passed overwhelmingly in the North Dakota House, which could have the votes to override Burgum's veto if it chooses, KX News reported. These regulations require transgender girls to undergo testosterone suppression treatment...for a full calendar year before they are eligible to compete." The North Dakota bill that Burgum vetoed addressed K-12 sports specifically.

A message left with Gardner’s office wasn’t immediately returned. The couple said protesters broke down an iron gate and ignored a "No Trespassing" sign. Mark McCloskey emerged from his home armed with an AR-15 rifle and Patricia McCloskey came out with a semiautomatic handgun. A police probable cause statement said protesters feared "being injured due to Patricia McCloskey’s finger being on the trigger, coupled with her excited demeanor." The indictment states that a semiautomatic pistol was altered in a way that "obstructed the prosecution of Patricia McCloskey" on the weapons charge.

The airline posted first-quarter net income of $116 million, compared with a $94 million loss a year earlier. (CNBC)American Airlines (AAL) posted a $1.25 billion net loss, its fifth consecutive quarterly loss. American's revenue came in at just over $4 billion, down nearly 53% from the more than $8.5 billion it posted a year ago. Shares of the Swiss bank that trade on Wall Street fell 5.5% in the premarket. The number of homes listed for sale in the Hamptons plunged 41% in the first quarter, marking the fastest decline on record.

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.

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.

At Climate Summit, Biden Stresses U.S. Commitment And Economic OpportunityEnlarge this image toggle caption Evan Vucci/AP Evan Vucci/APEmphasizing U.S. commitments on climate change and the economic opportunity in confronting global warming, President Biden kicked off the first international summit of world leaders during his presidency on Thursday. Biden and Vice President Harris began the summit with remarks from the White House's East Room. Pope Francis, an outspoken advocate for more aggressive global climate action, has a featured speaking role. "We are not having any side zoom room bilateral discussions happening," said another White House official.

With this latest increase, we could end up spending several times as much to make all those problems worse. Through the Trump years, the annual military budget expanded by more than $60 billion after adjusting for inflation. We’re spending more on the military now (in inflation-adjusted terms) than we were at the height of the Korean War, Vietnam War, or Cold War. In one case last year, the Pentagon nearly spent $1 billion budgeted for COVID-19 protective equipment on jet parts and body armor instead. Increasing the budget for the polluting, destabilizing, and profligate Pentagon undermines our ability to create true security by creating jobs, rebuilding infrastructure, ending racism and stopping climate change.

(Bloomberg) -- President Joe Biden’s climate summit has drawn 40 heads of state including China’s Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin of Russia and Boris Johnson from the U.K. Tackling Climate Change ‘Herculean Task,’ Merkel Says (9 a.m.)German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she is delighted that the U.S. under President Biden is again helping with the “Herculean task” of tackling climate change. “There can be no doubt that the world needs your contribution if we really want to fulfill our ambitious goals,” Merkel said. Biden has said that a key goal of this summit is to encourage nations to increase their ambitions toward fighting climate change. “Let us mobilize political leadership to move ahead together – to overcome climate change, end our war on nature and build lives of dignity and prosperity for all,” Guterres said.

I do, however, have some intriguing information about an idea that always seems to gets folks excited: Putting solar panels over water. A rendering shows what the California Aqueduct would look like covered with solar panels as it flows through Stanislaus County. AdvertisementNemeth sees solar panels over canals as one option for reaching 75%, and for complying with a state mandate of 100% by 2045. To be clear, Nemeth still has serious questions about covering large canals with solar panels. In this particular case, installing solar panels over canals may have plenty of advantages.

Over the past four years, the former Trump administration refused, reconsidered and reduced proposals to protect public lands across Arizona and the Southwest, easing restrictions on mining, visitation and grazing. Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva, D-Ariz., chairperson of the House Natural Resources Committee, introduced the original Great Bend of the Gila National Monument Establishment Act in 2013. “But when you go in and declare thousands and thousands of acres a national monument, you’ve gone overboard. The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance says it has tracked at least 15 new claims on places previously within the national monument. His book, "Our Common Ground," details the political history of public lands and is set to be published by the end of next year.

I miss people in government, (and out of government as well) who conducted themselves with dignity, honesty, and empathy. I miss people who try from their very bones to create an America that aspires to its greatest angels. Mondale said of his time as vice president to President Jimmy Carter, “We told the truth. So, is a “well regulated militia” still necessary when cities have police forces, counties have sheriffs, and states have both state patrols and national guards? As a “well regulated militia” is no longer necessary “to the security of a free State,” the right to bear arms can and should be sensibly regulated for the public safety.

What followed was an unfortunately belated epiphany, but one crucial to Masvidal’s pugilistic rebirth: stop leaving your career in the hands of the judges. In press conferences before and after the fight, Masvidal had sported Tony Montana-esque suits. The fifth was caught, but Masvidal persisted, and the sixth saw Usman take him down . Another comprehensive defeat by the champion, this time with no “built-in excuse”, could see Masvidal’s enigma evaporate for good. That said, if one is to occur, there could be no better backdrop than a full-capacity arena in Masvidal’s home state.

Marjorie Taylor Greene confronted Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on the House floor Wednesday and posted a picture of the interaction to push again for a debate with the progressive congresswoman on her Green New Deal. 'I'm glad I ran into you today @AOC to plan our debate about the Green New Deal,' Rep. Greene posted on Twitter Wednesday evening. Last Wednesday she tweeted: '@AOC I'd like to challenge you to a debate on the Green New Deal economic policy.' 'A debate between AOC and I on the Green New Deal economic policy would be informative for the American People.' AOC was mocked for claiming during the relaunch of her controversial Green New Deal that climate change is a product of racial injustice.

The cost of inaction is mounting,' he said in his speech kicking off his Climate Summit. In his remarks, Biden stressed the importance of working together but also emphasized combatting climate change can create jobs and boost economies. In his remarks to the summit, Chin's President Xi Jinping reiterated his country's pledge to peak carbon emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060. Xi said developed countries, responsible for greater historical carbon emissions, should bear more responsibility for making changes at home and helping developing countries finance their transition to low-carbon economies. He called for world leaders to build a global coalition for net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 - 'every country, every region, every city, every company and every industry.'

President Moon Jae-in on Thursday set more drastic cuts in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 than previously revealed to achieve a carbon-neutral Korea by 2050, at a two-day virtual climate summit ending Friday.The Leaders Summit on Climate, joined by 40 world leaders and hosted by US President Joe Biden seeking to restore US leadership on the carbon-cutting commitment, marks Washington’s return to the climate dialogue that the Donald Trump administration abandoned after withdrawing from the Paris agreement.“We’ve decided to raise the emission reduction target for 2030 to go beyond what we promised,” Moon said, referring to an earlier pledge to reduce carbon emissions 24 percent by 2030 compared to 2017 levels. Moon set out goals the previous year to emit zero emissions by 2050.Moon, who did not elaborate on the hike, said he will bolster support for renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power, noting his government will no longer build coal-fired power plants and will shut down old ones. Tax credits and subsidies for new coal plants will be suspended, he added.Moon said the government will help local industries ride out the fallout from the change as it attracts investments in renewables. In March, he promised $7 billion in government aid to make the country run on renewables rather than fossil fuels.On the first day, the summit discussed leaders’ commitments to cut carbon emissions and the role of capital markets to realize their targets, known as a Nationally Determined Contribution.On Friday, Biden’s “Build Back Better” program will be the agenda as he has made clear that fighting climate change is an opportunity to create jobs. The Seoul-hosted meeting will discuss helping developing nations use technologies for green economic growth.“The P4G summit will be a steppingstone to a promising UN climate conference in November,” Moon said.By Choi Si-young ( siyoungchoi@heraldcorp.com

Yet they also indicate Biden’s handling of the border is a weakness, creating an opportunity in the eyes of the GOP. Senate Minority Whip John Thune John Randolph ThuneSenate GOP keeps symbolic earmark ban Senate GOP crafts outlines for infrastructure counter proposal On The Money: Senate GOP faces post-Trump spending brawl | Senate confirms SEC chief Gensler to full five-year term | Left-leaning group raises concerns about SALT cap repeal MORE (R-S.D.) “Despite the national party rhetoric, individual senators are still very interested in talking about aspects of immigration. “We want as broad as a reform as we can get.”Durbin said Wednesday that he prefers moving immigration reform through regular order, instead of using the budget rules to bypass Republicans. Such legislation would be less likely to get such GOP support in 2020, given the political punishment Rubio suffered after helping to craft the 2013 immigration bill.

A lot of Republicans reportedly won’t attend President Joe Biden’s first address to Congress next week if invited. “I don’t think I’ll probably attend,” Senate Republican Conference Vice Chair Joni Earnst (R-IA) said, according to Punchbowl. However, a handful of Republicans said they do want to attend Biden’s speech, including Trump loyalists like Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH). “I think the whole House should be there,” Jordan told Punchbowl. Biden is slated to give his remarks next Wednesday, right before his 100th day in office.

800% drainBut the investigation stretches back much farther than the start of the pandemic—through years of questionable federal contracts. Advertisement“Emergent has raised the government purchasing price of the anthrax vaccine by 800% since acquiring the drug in 1998,” the lawmakers write in their letter. “As a result, through most of the last decade, nearly half of the SNS’s budget has been spent purchasing Emergent’s anthrax vaccine. First on the list is that Emergent failed to thoroughly investigate how the millions of Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca doses became contaminated. At the request of the FDA, vaccine production at the Baltimore facility has been halted since April 16.

After weeks of grueling, emotional testimony, a jury on Tuesday found former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin guilty on all three charges in the murder of George Floyd, an all-too-rare showing of accountability to which the nation reacted with palpable, if fleeting, relief. The case against Chauvin was particularly damning given the killing was captured in broad daylight on a 17-year-old bystander’s cell phone, without which the former officer may have gotten off. Yet despite the indisputable evidence, as well as testimony from fellow police officers who decried Chauvin’s use of force, Fox News host Tucker Carlson had a different message for viewers, as he argued Tuesday’s conviction “was never in doubt” following “nearly a year of burning and looting and murder by BLM” to achieve the guilty verdict. Republicans who excused former President Donald Trump’s role in the deadly Capitol attack distorted Waters’ call for activists to “get more confrontational” in the case of an acquittal, claiming the California Democrat was inciting violence and threatening the jury. Get your tickets to Vanity Fair’s Cocktail Hour, Live!

Just before the guilty verdict in the Derek Chauvin murder trial was handed down in a Minneapolis courtroom, a police officer in Columbus, Ohio shot and killed a Black 16-year-old named Ma’Khia Bryant. This is not alright, it’s not okay, and it can’t continue on.”Floyd’s murder last May prompted a national reckoning over systemic racism and policing. That last part is crucial: the Chauvin conviction can’t be the end of the movement that intensified last summer. As CNN’s Van Jones suggested Tuesday, that could include bans on choke-holds and the establishment of a registry for convicted cops. Even the reforms backed by many Democrats stop short of defunding or doing away with the current policing system, as many activists demand.

The U.S. now aims to cut annual greenhouse gas emissions in half—between 50% and 52% lower than 2005 levels—by the end of the decade. The Biden administration announced the goal today as its new commitment under the Paris climate agreement , nearly doubling the previous commitment made under Obama. There should be a plausible pathway to success.”In one analysis, Hultman and other researchers found that a combination of new policies and federal standards could cut emissions 51% by 2030. That’s partly by design—countries set voluntary goals under the Paris agreement and then are expected to ramp up ambition over time. More than 200 American companies have science-based targets to cut emissions.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene says she's sorry for 'wrong and offensive' comments Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene apologized for previous incendiary social media post regarding conspiracy theories. What Greene is sayingRep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, Feb. 5, 2021. Nick Dyer, Greene's spokesperson, told CNN in an email Friday that the America First Caucus platform would be announced "very soon." Why the House removing Marjorie Taylor Greene from committees is significant The House has voted to remove Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene from House committees. She referred to it as "a catcall to the KKK" in a text message to a USA TODAY reporter on Saturday.

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."

Stock futures dip, a day after a Wall Street comebackTraders working at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), today, Wednesday, April 21, 2021. The Dallas-based airline posted first-quarter net income of $116 million, compared with a $94 million loss a year ago. American Airlines posted a $1.25 billion net loss, its fifth consecutive quarterly loss. 3. Credit Suisse announces quarterly loss after Archegos scandalA Credit Suisse logo in the window of a Credit Suisse Group AG bank branch in Zurich, Switzerland. Had it not been for Archegos, Credit Suisse CEO Thomas Gottstein told CNBC on Thursday that Q1 was "one of our best quarters in the history" of the bank.

REUTERS/David RyderAs U.S. President Joe Biden escalates his climate change agenda, pressure is growing on the country's regulators to catch up with Europe and incorporate various risks posed by climate change into their oversight of the financial system. After the Trump administration's assault on climate change policy, the United States lags Europe on financial climate risk and is under pressure from countries there to catch up. European regulators have also begun adding climate risks to annual bank exams, a step the Fed has so far resisted. And the Federal Reserve, CFTC and housing finance agency have begun assessing how climate change could affect lenders, trading firms and the markets they oversee. Many such measures will be opposed by Republicans and corporate lobbyists, who say Democrats are using financial policy to advance a political agenda.

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.

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.

Health Insurance For $10 Or Less A Month? You May Qualify For New DiscountsEnlarge this image toggle caption Healthcare.gov/Screenshot by NPR Healthcare.gov/Screenshot by NPRSigning up for health insurance can be a confusing headache. Now, during a special enrollment period, the Biden administration is trying to make getting health insurance irresistible — and simpler, too. In fact, for several groups of people, it's possible to enroll in health coverage for zero dollars in monthly premiums. If you need health coverage or want to see if you can lower your costs, here are six tips for taking advantage of these new prices and options.

White House officials described the goal as ambitious but achievable during a call with reporters Tuesday night. Yes, but: Some environmental groups say that in the global context, the U.S. target is not ambitious enough. Global action is required to meet that 1.5-degree goal, and other countries must commit to sharp emissions cuts in the near-term. The administration is not betting the entire target on passing its $2.2 trillion infrastructure package, currently grinding through congressional negotiations. Ben Geman contributed reporting.More from Axios: Sign up to get the latest market trends with Axios Markets.

On Friday, White House officials informed reporters of the new policy. Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, blamed the episode on “messaging” mistakes. But Biden had yet to do that, and flights for refugees, officials warned, would soon be canceled. Within a few hours, officials in the White House knew they had a problem on their hands. “I don’t think anyone can know exactly what the pace is going to be.”By Friday evening, the White House was in full damage-control mode.

There is no doubt that President Biden inherited a bureaucratic and humanitarian nightmare at the U.S.-Mexico border. His agency is responsible for caring for unaccompanied minors taken into custody by Border Patrol agents and placing them with relatives or caregivers. And his tenure began nearly two months into the Biden presidency, which means the White House has had more time than Becerra to come up with workable solutions. Yet some now seem ready to set up Becerra as the fall guy if the problem worsens and the politics get uglier. People flee for valid reasons, and in most cases arrive at the U.S. border hoping to join relatives already here.

WASHINGTON — Sen. Ted Cruz has spent more than almost any other member of Congress on private security since Election Day, drawing $126,000 from his campaign account for security systems and personnel. Lawmakers in both parties have tapped campaign funds to beef up security as passions ran high – nationwide and across the spectrum. Rep. Colin Allred, a Dallas Democrat elected to a second term last fall, has spent $11,900 on security since late January. Since Jan. 29 she’s spent $58,500 on security, including protection from three former Secret Service agents. Rep. Henry Cuellar, a Laredo Democrat in his ninth term, has spent $18,600 on security since 2017, mostly for equipment.

A quarter of the available shots went unused, says Jennifer Michaluk, a county health department official. Local health officials said they have also had to combat a torrent of misinformation on social media about the virus and the efficacy of the vaccines. Trump won more than 60% of November's vote in 49 Michigan counties. "We remind Trump got vaccinated," said Mark Hamed, who serves as medical director for eight Michigan counties, all of which voted for Trump with at least 63% of the vote. Cheatham and other public health officials say the resistance is largely rooted in fears over the vaccines' safety, which can be disproved with a robust education campaign in the coming weeks.

Lil Wayne is at the center of marital rumors involving his on-again, off-again girlfriend Denise Bidot. The Carters,' Lil Wayne said, quoting the 2000 Outkast staple Sorry Ms. Jackson. The latest: Lil Wayne, 38, is at the center of marital rumors involving his on-again, off-again girlfriend Denise Bidot, 34A rep for the Uproar artist told Page Six that 'there was no confirmation' of a wedding between the pair. He tweeted in November: 'I live the way I love and love the way I live. Lil Wayne has past been married to ex Toya Johnson from 2004 until 2006, and they're parents to daughter Reginae, 21.

President Joe Biden will ramp up US ambitions on slashing greenhouse gas emissions, putting the United States back at the forefront with a summit he hopes brings the world closer to limiting climate change. In a virtual Earth Day summit, Biden will announce that the world's largest economy will cut emissions blamed for climate change by 50 to 52 percent by 2030 compared with 2005 levels, officials said. Comparisons between major economies are difficult as the United States takes 2005 as its baseline while the Europeans use 1990, the date set in the landmark Kyoto Protocol. But the United States is still largely on track to meet Obama's goals thanks to commitments by states, especially California, and a sharp drop in industrial production during the Covid-19 pandemic. But much of Trump's Republican Party remains adamantly opposed to action on climate, drawing a question mark on whether Biden can guarantee US commitment in the long run.

White House national climate adviser Gina McCarthy said the United States needs to be humble going into this week's Earth Day summit after four years away from global climate negotiations while President Donald Trump was in office. President Joe Biden has said he plans to push other world leaders to amp up their commitments to reducing carbon dioxide emissions to combat climate change. She said the federal government can lead the way by prioritizing climate solutions that will build momentum for those efforts. And I think climate change is exactly that type of issue," she said. And I think President Biden's plan is going to deliver the momentum we need to really get across the finish line."

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett ’s reported $2 million book deal is drawing criticism from legal experts who say its size and timing create bad optics for a court that is already in the political crosshairs. The advance, first reported by Politico, would be the largest ever for a Supreme Court justice, topping the $1.5 million Justice Clarence Thomas received for his 2007 memoir and the $1.175 million advance Justice Sonia Sotomayor got for hers, published in 2013. This book would emerge unusually soon for a justice who joined the court only six months ago and has just two majority opinions to her name. ‘Perverse Incentives’Another judicial ethics scholar, Stephen Gillers of New York University Law School, said he doesn’t see Barrett’s deal as problematic. “On the one hand, she will be marketing her book to conservative buyers.

"Achieving that target is something we can do in multiple ways," a senior administration official said a day ahead of the announcement. It's hoped that other countries will follow the US' lead with additional announcements of new goals to tackle the crisis, the administration official said. The former President repeatedly denied the scientific reality of the climate crisis and his administration systematically rolled back environmental policies. He has said his proposal would create hundreds of thousands of jobs while tackling the climate crisis, reducing emissions and building a "modern, resilient and fully clean grid." "The 2030 target is a target we believe we can meet," the senior administration official said.

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.

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 ahead of a White House climate summit for world leaders, declaring that the United States is ready to reclaim a leadership role on climate change. 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. The administration is also betting that expanding clean-energy technology willIt remains to be seen if the United States can pull that off.

In December, Christie told radio host Hugh Hewitt he "would not" rule out the possibility of running again for the presidencyChris Christie Is Considering a 2024 Presidential Bid, Whether Trump Runs or Not: ReportNew Jersey Gov. Chris Christie delivers the State of the State Address on January 14, 2014 in the Assembly Chambers at the Statehouse in Trenton, New JerseyNew Jersey Gov. Chris Christie delivers the State of the State Address on January 14, 2014 in the Assembly Chambers at the Statehouse in Trenton, New JerseyChris Christie is mulling a 2024 presidential bid, according to a new report. In December, Christie told radio host Hugh Hewitt he "would not" rule out the possibility of running again for the presidency. For his part, Trump has also repeatedly teased a 2024 run, while Biden has already said he plans to run again for a second term.

Lil Wayne sent fans into a frenzy after he shared a tweet saying he's the "happiest man alive"Lil Wayne Sparks Marriage Rumors with Girlfriend Denise Bidot on Twitter: 'Beginning of Our Forever'Lil Wayne has fans thinking that he tied the knot! While he has yet to confirm the news officially, the couple — which made their relationship social media official in June — have had an on-again-off-again relationship over the past few months. (The two unfollowed each other then and Bidot's social media accounts have since been deactivated.) "I live the way I love and love the way I live. Back in September, however, Bidot shared birthday wishes for her beau and called him a "dream come true."

Former White House aide Bolton says Trump not 'fit' to be presidentAdded: 18.06.2020 19:47 | 5 views | 0 commentsFormer top White House aide John Bolton delivered a damning indictment of his former boss, saying Donald Trump's behavior in office and dealings with foreign leaders showed he was unfit to be president of the United States.

Added: 18.06.2020 19:47 | 15 views | 0 commentsU.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Thursday revelations in a book by a former top White House aide show President Donald Trump is unfit and unprepared to be president and Democrats will continue oversight of the Republican president's behavior.

Added: 18.06.2020 19:30 | 15 views | 0 commentsThe U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday dealt President Donald Trump a major setback on his hardline immigration policies, blocking his bid to end a program that protects from deportation hundreds of thousands of immigrants - often called "Dreamers" - who entered the United States illegally as children.

The 35 most outrageous lines from Trump's 'interview' with Sean HannityAdded: 21.04.2021 17:22 | 15 views | 0 commentsOn Monday night, former President Donald Trump sat down with Fox News' Sean Hannity for his first on-camera interview since leaving the White House in January.

Drug Pitched to Trump for Covid-19 Comes From a Deadly PlantAdded: 20.08.2020 20:10 | 17 views | 0 commentsSource: www.nickiswift.comThe chief executive of My Pillow, a Trump donor, claims oleandrin is a miracle cure for Covid-19. But no studies have shown that it is safe or effective, and the shrub it’s derived from is poisonous. More in www.nytimes.com »

House Democrats are still tinkering with a comprehensive reform bill with the understanding that they can only afford to lose a handful of votes. Her precise ruling was that while the $15 wage would have significant impact on federal revenues and spending (a Byrd Rule requirement), such impact was “incidental” to its basic purpose (a Byrd Rule prohibition). But as was the case with the $15 minimum wage, the Byrd Rule is just part of the problem. Is Joe Manchin on board with the idea of enacting a reform bill over the angry objections of Republicans? Yes, he supports comprehensive reform, as Forbes noted recently:Manchin has repeatedly pointed to a 2013 immigration bill adding 40,000 border patrol agents and creating a pathway to citizenship for many undocumented immigrants as the ideal version of an immigration bill.

So it’s not a bad idea to ask what we know about likely 2022 turnout levels and patterns as we enter that cycle. Turnout will be down from 2020, but probably still higher than usualAs Roll Call’s Nathan Gonzales observes, the last time midterm turnout exceeded that of the previous presidential contest was 1838. Since 2020 turnout was the highest in any national election since 1900, the midterm precedent won’t be shattered in 2022. The more pertinent question is whether 2022 turnout will reach that of 2018 (the highest since 1914) or more greatly resemble 2014 (the lowest since 1942). If that happens next year, it would put 2022 turnout back to the record midterm of 2018 at 50 percent.

Directed by: Richard Phelan, Will BecherNominations: (1) Best Animated FeatureIn the 20-year history of the Best Animated Feature category, only a handful of franchises have been nominated for their first two installments. Directed by: Aaron SorkinNominations: (6) Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Original SongThere was a dual sense of anticipation and dread, as summer 2020 turned to fall, for Aaron Sorkin’s take on the Chicago 7. Directed by: Emerald FennellNominations: (5) Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Original Screenplay, Best EditingThe boldness of Emerald Fennell’s directorial debut is what sticks with you long after its much-discussed and -debated ending. CollectiveDirected by: Alexander NanauNominations: (2) Best Documentary Feature, Best International FeatureLast year, Honeyland became the first film ever to be nominated for both Best Documentary and Best International Film, and it says a lot about the current state of documentary film that it happened again so quickly with Collective. Directed by: Shaka KingNominations: (6) Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (x2), Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Song, Best CinematographyIt took a long time to get a Fred Hampton biopic to the screen, and in Shaka King’s hands, it is a thing of fire and purpose.

President Joe Biden campaigned on a promise to revive pattern-or-practice investigations – as well as subsequent reform agreements – after the Trump administration suspended the program in 2017. Many police accountability experts say the reform agreements – both consent decrees and settlement agreements – are the most effective way to achieve long-term police reform. “Consent decrees and settlement agreements really offer systemic reforms for entire police departments. Reform agreements have long-term staying power, according to Walker, and there’s no better example of that than the past four years. Had the department undertaken these steps, as the settlement agreement required them to do, they might have been covered.”

In South Carolina, one bill would make it a felony to provide affirming medical care to minors, punishable by 20 years in prison. Rather than focusing on the purported threat of “biological men in bathrooms,” they turned to trans kids in school sports. Bans on trans medical care, on the other hand, could tangibly change the lives of the vast majority of trans youth in their state. So my goal is that you have to look me in the face, and still say, ‘Yeah, we’re gonna hurt trans kids,’ ” says Bundy. Taking these bills to court once again puts the onus on trans kids, who will have to endure the Trump-packed judicial system.

Filing a statement of organization is not enough to get on the 2022 primary ballot as a Republican candidate for governor. The last Michigan governor defeated at the polls was Democratic Gov. To find a Michigan governor voted out after a single term, go back nearly 60 years, to 1962, when Democratic Gov. And unlike whoever emerges as the Republican candidate, Whitmer is not expected to have to spend money and other resources fighting a primary challenger. The March poll of 610 likely voters showed an overall 53% job approval for Whitmer among Michigan voters, similar to what the EPIC-MRA poll showed.

Biden will announce the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50% to 52% percent, from a baseline of 2005 emissions, at the start of a virtual climate summit he is hosting with 40 other world leaders on Thursday and Friday. An administration official who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity did not detail how the White House plans to achieve the 50% reduction in emissions. The virtual summit is aimed at renewing America's leadership on climate change and rallying other world leaders to set their own aggressive targets. But Biden's climate change agenda faces obstacles at home and abroad. Biden has pledged to be the most aggressive president on climate change, setting a goal of de-carbonizing the U.S. power sector by 2035 and reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

A quarter of the available shots went unused, says Jennifer Michaluk, a county health department official. Michigan has seen the biggest case spike of any state in recent weeks. Local health officials said they have also had to combat a torrent of misinformation on social media about the virus and the efficacy of the vaccines. Trump won more than 60% of November's vote in 49 Michigan counties. “We remind [people] Trump got vaccinated,” said Mark Hamed, who serves as medical director for eight Michigan counties, all of which voted for Trump with at least 63% of the vote.

The goal, unveiled at the start of a two-day climate summit hosted by Democratic President Joe Biden, comes as the United States seeks to reclaim global leadership in the fight against global warming after former President Donald Trump withdrew the country from international efforts to cut emissions. Biden focused on restoring U.S. climate leadership during his campaign and in the first days of his presidency after Republican Trump, a climate change skeptic, removed the United States from the Paris agreement on global warming. Biden will announce the number at the start of a climate summit on Thursday that will be attended by leaders from the world's biggest emitters, including China. World leaders aim to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, a threshold scientists say can prevent the worst impacts of climate change. "When we close this summit on Friday, we will unmistakably communicate ... the U.S. is back," he said.

), 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.

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.

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.

Then he’ll try to cajole other nations to ratchet up the pollution-cutting promises they made in 2015?s Paris climate agreement. After the United States helped negotiate the last two climate agreements — 1997’s Kyoto Protocol and 2015’s Paris accord — Presidents George W. Bush and Donald Trump backed out. The United States last year became the only country to leave the Paris deal . “The fact that the United States is back is very important.”WHY WATCHADVERTISEMENTHuman-caused climate change is getting worse around the globe. The United Nations is counting on nearly 200 nations to announce tougher emission cut targets before that meeting, which will hash out still lingering issues.

Biden Makes New Pledge For U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions: A 50% CutEnlarge this image toggle caption Charlie Riedel/AP Charlie Riedel/APPresident Biden will begin a global summit on climate change Thursday morning by announcing that the United States will aim to cut its greenhouse gas emissions in half, based on 2005 levels, by the end of the decade. That aggressive 2030 goal, which the White House is framing as a "50-52 percent reduction," will be formalized in a document called a "nationally determined contribution," or NDC. The White House will lay out more details on its NDC goals, and how, specifically, it plans to achieve them, in future reports to the United Nations. Two key themes emerge when Biden and his top advisers talk about climate change. Nearly every time he speaks about climate change, Biden says something along the lines of, "when I hear the words climate change, I hear another word: jobs."

On March 31 this year, federal campaign records show, Graves for Congress — Sam’s campaign committee — paid $21,879.85 to the Four Seasons Hotel in Teton Village, Wyoming. Why would a congressman from Missouri spend more than $20,000 at a luxury ski resort? Story continuesNo one from Missouri donated directly to Graves for Congress on those dates, the records show. But PACs later came through for Graves, the records show, including PACs for pilots, airlines and ironworkers, all keenly interested in transportation policy. In fact, Graves for Congress has spent more than $100,000 over the past three election cycles hosting similar events in Jackson Hole.

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 incident, marking the most serious violence between Israel and Syria in years, pointed to likely Iranian involvement. It also threatened to complicate U.S.-led attempts to revive the international nuclear deal with Iran. 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.

President Biden is announcing an ambitious new pledge to cut U.S. greenhouse gas emissions roughly in half by 2030 as part of a global climate summit he is hosting this week. 2015: President Obama pledges to cut U.S. emissions 26% to 28% below 2005 levels by 2025 under the landmark Paris climate agreement. 2017: President Trump announces the U.S. will quit the Paris agreement, in a sharp turn toward pro-fossil fuel policies and “America First” isolationism. 2021: President Biden moves to rejoin the Paris agreement on his first day in office. This week his administration is expected to announce a new pledge to cut emissions in half by 2030, establishing one of the world’s most ambitious climate targets.

The Justice Department can sue local and state governments if there is a pattern of constitutional violations and seek appropriate remedies. In most instances, the department’s investigation forces cities to enter into a settlement and a consent decree, without going through protracted litigation. The Justice Department has used this authority on many occasions — such as in Baltimore, Cincinnati, Los Angeles, New Orleans and Pittsburgh — to reform police departments. The Harvard Kennedy School did a detailed study and found that the consent decree significantly changed policing in Los Angeles. Getting the Justice Department back into this work is a crucial first step after four years of neglect by the Trump administration.

Washington — President Joe Biden will announce plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 50% to 52% by 2030 from 2005 levels during a climate summit with world leaders this week, according to White House officials. There's a long way to go: Greenhouse gas emissions in 2020 were 10% below 2005 levels, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The administration's opening salvo on global climate discussions will also serve as a litmus test for the country's role on the global stage. China is the leading greenhouse gas emitter in the world today, followed by the U.S., India, Russia and Japan. In January, Biden directed his administration to re-evaluate Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards and greenhouse gas emissions standards for the auto sector, which are expected to become more stringent under his leadership.

It’s very normal throughout history for economic policy revolutions to start under presidents from the opposite party of the one who eventually gets the credit. But by doing that, he broke with the most important and powerful consensus in elite policy circles: free trade. Below the level of elite opinion, dissatisfaction with free trade had been boiling for years. In fact, Biden’s entire China policy essentially continues in the direction that Trump laid out. But on trade and industrial policy, he blazed a trail by neutering his own party’s opposition to change.

Years ago, the developed world committed to $100 billion in public and private financial help, much of which hasn’t been paid. The U.S. promised $3 billion in aid in Paris but paid only the first $1 billion. “The U.S. is way behind on its commitment because of those four Trump years,” Figueres said. WHOM TO WATCHThis is Biden’s show, and he will kick it off, formally announcing the 50% to 52% emissions cut. He’ll be followed by the leaders of the world’s biggest economies, which spew 80% of the greenhouse gases.

Gone are the terms “alien”, “illegal alien” and “assimilation”. Usage of the thankfully now-defunct term “illegal aliens” is probably the worst culprit. That year, she became the first justice to use the term “undocumented immigrant” rather than “illegal alien” in a court decision. In 2013, the Associated Press updated its influential AP Stylebook, abandoning the term “illegal immigrant” as well. “Instead, ‘illegal’ should describe only an action.”There are other fundamental problems with the way the term “illegal alien” is commonly used today.

But the county has already conducted two separate audits of the 2020 election and found no irregularities. Cyber Ninjas is not accredited by the US Election Assistance Commission to inspect voting machines, the Washington Post reported. Karen Fann, the president of the Arizona senate, did not return a request for comment. “That should scare a lot of people,” said Martin Quezada, a Democrat in the Arizona state senate. Quezada, the Arizona state senator, said it was impossible to separate the audit from the suite of voting restrictions in the Arizona state legislature that would make it harder to vote by mail.

Ahead of a virtual gathering of dozens of world leaders in a climate summit called by Joe Biden, which begins on Thursday, the White House said the US will aim to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by between 50% and 52% by 2030, based on 2005 levels. “The United States isn’t going to wait, the costs of delay are too great and our nation is resolved to act right now,” the administration official added. The US is scrambling to regain international credibility after Trump pulled the country out of the Paris climate agreement. China, the world’s largest carbon polluter, has expressed some skepticism over the US’ return to the climate fold, but the country’s president, Xi Jinping, will attend Biden’s Earth Day climate summit and the White House is confident America retains its clout. “This new target gives us significant leverage to push for climate action abroad,” said the White House official.

Donald Trump Jr mocked calls for police reform after the jury found former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin guilty of murdering George Floyd. Mr Trump shared memes and videos of Die Hard — that he has earlier said is his favourite Christmas movie — alluding to the calls for police reform in the wake of the jury verdict. The video that captured the arrest and murder of Floyd captured worldwide attention and the verdict has been called a watershed moment. She said: “Racial injustice is not just a black America problem or a people of colour problem, it’s a problem for every American. On his Instagram stories, Don Jr posted a picture of a crack pipe, parmesan cheese and a lighter to troll Mr Biden.

Sirens sounded in Abu Qrenat, a Bedouin village not far from the nuclear site, the Israeli military said, before it responded by striking multiple defence batteries across the border. "A surface-to-air missile was fired from Syria to Israel's southern Negev," the Israel Defense Forces tweeted. SANA reported "some material losses" but said Syrian air defence batteries intercepted most of the missiles. Israel's Iron Dome missile defence system has thwarted hundreds of attacks from Syria and the Gaza Strip in the past decade. Israel says Iran is trying to build an atomic bomb, though the Islamic republic says its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes.

In fact, the only major issue that cannot be resolved without Moscow is the conflict in Donbass. But here, too, the Americans are not convinced that they have a negotiating partner in Moscow. The Kremlin, Washington believes, is set on freezing the Donbass conflict on a permanent basis, and there is nothing Washington could offer that would be sufficient to move Moscow off of that position. Moscow evidently decided to correct this unfortunate state of affairs by means of escalation, forcing the Americans to question their own analysis. Moscow, obviously, is opposed, and the troop buildup on the border is meant to underscore the possible consequences for all involved.

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) is pleading for money from his supporters as he launches a media attack on CNN amid reports he’s under investigation in connection with a sex scandal. pic.twitter.com/diwXGzcek2 — Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) April 21, 2021Gaetz’s associate in Florida, former Seminole County tax collector Joel Greenberg, is reportedly cooperating with investigators, who seized Gaetz’s cellphone last year. https://t.co/ZvBGIeVT90 — ? Monika ? (@Dragonfly_Drama) April 21, 2021Oh, Matt, grifting to the end. https://t.co/cbOt9urNai — avocats (@avocats18) April 22, 2021You saving up for your legal defense Matt? pic.twitter.com/tN4gIiCwDY — LLC (@LCLafine) April 21, 2021When you realize the mounting legal fees aren’t going to pay themselves.? https://t.co/YWQzTFAD6H — Matt Gaetz’ Liver ? (@MattGaetzLiver) April 21, 2021Of course all money going to his defense fund!

The Biden administration is moving to address global warming by setting a new, economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions reduction target of 50% to 52% below 2005 levels by 2030. The costs of delay are too great, and our nation is resolved to act right now," an administration official told reporters on Tuesday night's call. Global action is required to meet that 1.5-degree goal, and other countries must commit to sharp emissions cuts in the near-term. They then compared those to the president's existing commitments, such as moving the U.S. to net zero emissions by 2050. Reality check: Global emissions fell in 2020, but are on track to rebound after the pandemic-induced decline.

... Whatever bill the Democrats are pushing forward is probably going to go too far for most moderate Republicans." Reform advocates say qualified immunity effectively offers police impunity to use excessive force in encounters with Black Americans. "Qualified immunity and Section 242 ... those are real key components to the bill, and we have to make sure that that's there," she said. Sticking points on key aspectsAny compromise on qualified immunity would have to pass muster with progressives and civil rights groups, who see it as vital to reversing decades of discrimination and brutality toward Black Americans. "You say this is a reform bill.

President Joe Biden is pledging to reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by 50% to 52% by 2030, in the latest push by the administration to aggressively combat climate change, the White House announced on Thursday. The U.K. and European Union have committed to slash emissions by 68% and 55%, respectively, by 2030. China, the world's biggest emitter, has vowed to reach peak emissions by 2030 and be carbon neutral by 2060. U.S. climate envoy John Kerry speaks while White House national climate advisor Gina McCarthy listens during a press briefing at the White House in Washington, January 27, 2021. If passed, the legislation would be one of the largest federal efforts ever to reduce emissions.

EditorsUSA TODAYBiden to honor Earth Day with virtual climate summitPeople across the globe are celebrating our planet's very own holiday Thursday. Overall, more than 1 billion people in 192 countries participate in each Earth Day "to build environmental democracy and advocate for sustainability," according to EarthDay.org. On Wednesday, they renewed their mourning for 20-year-old Daunte Wright, who will be laid to rest Thursday. Wright, a Black man, was killed by police during a traffic stop in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, on April 11. The officer accused of killing Wright, Kim Potter, said she accidentally drew her handgun instead of a Taser.

Christopher J. ScaliaOpinion contributorOf all the questions raised by the Judiciary Act of 2021 — the bill introduced by Democratic lawmakers last week that would expand the Supreme Court to 13 justices — perhaps the most basic is: Why four new justices? Thanks to Congress, the responsibility that Supreme Court justices have for the judicial circuits to which they are assigned is not remotely close to what it was in the 1800s. As Felix Frankfurter (before he became a justice himself) and James Landis explained in "The Business of the Supreme Court: A Study in the Federal Judicial System," “The Supreme Court docket became a record of arrears. These new judges made it possible to also reduce the circuit-riding schedule of Supreme Court justices to every two years. I doubt that the Democratic lawmakers are eager to implement a reform so that these particular justices can better attend to their duties on the Supreme Court.

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.

Akio Toyoda, the head of a Japanese lobby group, said on Thursday Japan's auto industry can lead the country's push to achieve carbon neutrality. While carbon neutrality is the final target, there is no sole path in achieving it, Toyoda also said, speaking as chairman of the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA). "What Japan needs to do now is to expand its options for technology. Japan Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga will attend a two-day virtual summit of 40 leaders on climate change starting on Thursday. JAMA, which is headed by Toyota Motor Corp President Toyoda, represents all of Japan's big automakers, including Toyota (7203.T) , Nissan Motor Co (7201.T) and Honda Motor Co. (7267.T).

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.)

Democrats Ask Justice Barrett To Recuse In Case Involving Nonprofit Donor PrivacyEnlarge this image toggle caption Patrick Semansky/AP Patrick Semansky/APDemocratic Members of the House and Senate Judiciary Committees are asking U.S. Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett to recuse herself from participating in a case involving a conservative nonprofit with ties to a group that gave at least $1 million to fund a "national campaign" to win Senate confirmation of her Supreme Court nomination. But after she was confirmed, the court agreed to review the case, and there was no indication of a Barrett recusal. In 2009 the Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution's guarantee to due process of law required a West Virginia Supreme Court justice to recuse himself from a case involving a $50 million jury award against a coal company CEO. That decision was the only time the Supreme Court has ruled in a conflict of interest case involving judicial campaign contributions; the vote was 5-to-4. The letter sent to Justice Barrett this week was signed by Democratic Sens.

Ahead of Saturday’s annual commemoration of the killing of more than a million Armenians a century ago, Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill are pressing President Biden to become the first U.S. president to acknowledge the events as genocide. Biden is widely expected to make the declaration in a statement Saturday, according to several people familiar with the conversations. “I would expect the president, being a man of his word, will do what he said he would do in the campaign, which is to recognize the genocide,” Menendez said. “Statements that have no legal binding will have no benefit, but they will harm ties,” Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said in an interview with Turkish broadcaster Haberturk, according to Reuters. “There’s absolutely no reason for the United States to carry Turkish water on genocide.

Simon & Schuster has said it will not pull out of a seven-figure book deal for Mike Pence’s memoir after a protest from its employees. Staff at the publisher called for the contract to be withdrawn in an open letter that claimed S&S had “chosen complicity in perpetuating white supremacy by publishing Pence”. The letter stated that the former vice-president had “made a career out of discriminating against marginalised groups and denying resources to BIPOC and LGBTQA+ communities”. “By choosing to publish Mike Pence, Simon & Schuster is generating wealth for a central figure of a presidency that unequivocally advocated for racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, anti-Blackness, xenophobia, misogyny, ableism, islamophobia, antisemitism, and violence,” the letter read. S&S later stated it is not distributing Mattingly’s book.

Did he not recall the insurrection at Anfield when Fenway Sports Group (FSG) tried to charge £77 for tickets five years ago? Or the outburst of anger last summer when the club tried to take advantage of the furlough scheme? You would have to be neuralyzed to think Liverpool fans would respond to this week’s proposed changes with anything other than anger. They thought they would become founder members of the Super League but instead they were inducted into the Stupid Club. “It’s important that the Liverpool football family remains intact,” Henry said, suddenly claiming kinship with ‘legacy fans.’ It is laughable nonsense.

South Korea’s president Moon Jae-in has criticised Donald Trump’s efforts to denuclearise the Korean Peninsula and said he “failed” in his diplomacy towards North Korea. The South Korean president helped broker two meetings between Mr Trump and North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un. Mr Moon urged the US to undertake a “mutually trusted road map” with North Korea. Mr Trump indirectly defended his relationship with Mr Kim during a Fox News interview with Sean Hannity. “I have a great relationship with a certain man that’s got great power over North Korea,” Mr Trump said.

Sources cautioned that given the importance of bilateral ties with Turkey, Biden may still choose not to use the term at the last minute. “Today, we remember the atrocities faced by the Armenian people in the Metz Yeghern — the Armenian Genocide. If elected, I pledge to support a resolution recognising the Armenian Genocide and will make universal human rights a top priority,” he said on Twitter at the time. For decades, measures recognising the Armenian genocide stalled in the US Congress and US presidents have refrained from calling it that, stymied by concerns about relations with Turkey and intense lobbying by Ankara. Any move by Biden to recognise the mass killings as a genocide will further harm already strained ties between the NATO allies, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Tuesday.

REUTERS/StringerJapan on Thursday raised its target for cutting carbon emissions to 46% by 2030, responding to pressure from the United States and domestic companies and environmentalists who criticised its previous goal of 26% as unambitious. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced the new target, compared with 2013 emissions levels, hours before the start of a virtual summit on climate change called by U.S. President Joe Biden. Washington is seeking to restore its credibility on combating global warming after Biden's predecessor Donald Trump undermined an international consensus on reducing emissions. Japan has been under pressure from the Biden administration to be more ambitious, according to sources familiar with discussions held when Suga visited Washington last weekend. Suga late last year set a goal for carbon neutrality by 2050, bringing Japan more into line with some other countries.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The White House has framed Biden’s failure to act on his promises to increase refugee admissions so far as the result of a scarcity of resources and manpower at refugee agencies that were hollowed out by the previous administration. But it seems as though the arrival of record numbers of unaccompanied children at the southern border and Republicans’ efforts to label it a “Biden border crisis” may have also stymied momentum on refugee issues, which were once a bipartisan priority. Trump succeeded in politicizing the once-bipartisan refugee programPractical concerns weren’t the only factor in Biden’s decision not to immediately increase the refugee cap. Even in previous Republican administrations seeking to curtail immigration, no one ever set the cap on refugee admissions as low as Trump did. Despite the fact that the refugee admissions program and the asylum system are separate, the Biden administration has still used conditions at the border to justify maintaining Trump’s refugee cap, echoing some of the Trump administration’s talking points.

First, this official said that climate change is a global problem that other nations must, and therefore will, address. Of course, that’s more an argument for why nations should take climate change seriously, not necessarily America’s moves to curb its effects. And Democrats and Republicans remain far apart on how bold the US should go in response to climate change. While both parties mostly agree that climate change is real, Republicans’ initial plans to tackle climate change revolve around planting 1 trillion trees worldwide and investing in technologies to remove carbon from the atmosphere — rather than reorienting the American economy to not produce carbon in the first place. The Biden administration has come in with firmer guidance, and many businesses are already responding.

Most liberals will acknowledge that it is useful and even urgent for institutions such as Princeton to be vigilant against subtle biases in attitudes and procedures. Figuring out where to draw the line is ever elusive, but one clarifying development in the Princeton case was, of all things, a threatened civil-rights investigation of the university. It was part of the Trump administration’s callow play to the “populist” sentiments of its voter base as well as evidence of an overall numbness to even basic concern with issues of race, racism, equity, and racist legacies. And if the letter refers to matters so elusive and indirect, one must question the uncompromising, alarmist extremity of the letter. Dalton has made serious efforts to accommodate the concerns and needs of students of color, just a few years ago sponsoring a multi-school workshop on race, privilege, and community building, and assembling a student body that is substantially nonwhite.

Since May, the Trump administration has paid a fledgling Texas company $7.3 million for test tubes needed in tracking the spread of the coronavirus nationwide. Officials in New York, New Jersey, Texas and New Mexico confirmed they can’t use the Fillakit tubes. Fillakit owner Paul Wexler acknowledged that the tubes are normally used for soda bottles but otherwise declined to comment. In at least one state, the shipment of unusable Fillakit tubes contributed to delays in rolling out widespread testing. Typically, test tubes are individually packaged to guard against contamination.

Police are rarely fired, let alone criminally convicted, for the use of force. Chauvin’s nonchalance in the video as Floyd begs for his life, and the apparent inaction of the officers around him, represent more than individual indifference to human life. The doctrine of qualified immunity means that officers are very rarely liable in civil court for violations of Americans’ constitutional rights. It might have simply been another in the hundreds of incidents in which officers in Minnesota used neck restraints on suspects. Many Americans want police to “rough up” those considered to be criminals or proximate to criminality—an expectation that has persisted for generations.

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department is launching a federal investigation into policing practices in Minneapolis, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Wednesday, one day after a jury found former city police officer Derek Chauvin guilty of murdering George Floyd. The verdict in Chauvin’s case “does not address potentially systemic policing issues in Minneapolis,” Garland said. The Minneapolis Police Department released a statement saying that Chief Medaria Arradondo "welcomes this investigation" and that the department would "cooperate fully." There’s a long history of these types of “pattern or practice” investigations by the Justice Department into police departments accused of civil rights violations, and they ramped up under the Obama administration. Garland's announcement "sends a message that the Department of Justice is going to be doing more of these investigations," Smith said.

He started making YouTube videos to supplement his radio show for fun and has since cultivated a community, he told BuzzFeed News. While groups like PIVOT have launched efforts to address the misinformation, many young Vietnamese Americans told BuzzFeed News that they’ve faced language barriers and pushback when they criticize misinformation online. “They say these YouTube channels are on in their houses 24/7, even during dinner,” Duong said. Nguyen said that fear has been constantly reaffirmed on Vietnamese YouTube channels. Troung said his father had also repeated conspiracy theories from YouTube channels about looting and rioting during the Black Lives Matter protests last summer.

And it looks as though it may be working, according to a BuzzFeed News review of 22 Telegram channels and chats with a combined tens of thousands of followers. On Telegram, he added, “really hardcore extremists have the home-field advantage.”Telegram has long been a haven for violent neo-Nazis and white supremacists. In big white block letters, it reads, “WHITE LIVES MATTER.” The post calls for white Americans in cities across the country to flood the streets in simultaneous rallies. The extremist groups behind the “white lives matter” rallies aren’t treating them as a defeat. They are using the flop and the fact that they were outnumbered by antifascist activists to bolster their argument that white lives are under attack.

Shoulder injuries to remain eligible for vaccine fund payouts under Biden administrationEnding a 14-month fight, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today killed a rule that would have prevented people who sustain shoulder injuries during vaccination from winning compensation from a $4.1 billion government fund. In its announcement rescinding the rule, HHS said the previous administration had been “irregular in its haste” last year when it proposed removing shoulder injuries from a table of injuries eligible for government compensation under a 1986 law. The rule change had been set to take effect on 22 February; the Biden freeze stopped that from happening. Shoulder injury claims under the program have surged in recent years and now account for more than 54% of all claims filed. Most shoulder injury claims come from adults who received flu injections.

Chrissy Teigen just gave a very comforting update about Kim Kardashian’s well-being amid the reality star’s divorce from rapper Kanye West. “I know Kim gave her all for everything and it’s honestly a shame it didn’t work out because I saw them being a forever relationship,” the model said. However, Teigen chalked up their lack of communication to West’s tendency to go off the radar. She’s really, really busy working on all of her different projects that she’s doing and I don’t know how she does it with all those grandbabies. Kim and Kanye share four kids together — North, 7, Saint, 5, Chicago, 3, and Psalm, 1 — and they are reportedly co-parenting successfully.

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.

A $765 million loan to Eastman Kodak stalled in August after it was announced prematurely. Image: ApiJect syringe (NBC)The Defense Department also touted its pandemic relief work with a timeline that gave the same time frame and volume for ApiJect's syringe production. The FDA would have to determine that storing vaccine in ApiJect's syringe didn't cause problems, such as corroding the syringe's plastic. Meanwhile, ApiJect needs to raise about $197 million to help secure the additional $590 million federal loan. And ApiJect syringes could still play a key role in getting vaccines to Americans, especially if booster shots are needed.

WASHINGTON — President Biden on Wednesday called for employers to provide workers with paid time off for coronavirus vaccination, holding out as enticement a federal tax credit program that would reimburse such outlays by business owners. Vice President Kamala Harris and White House COVID-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients listen on Wednesday as President Biden speaks about COVID-19 vaccinations. The issue of paid leave has been a contentious one since the pandemic began. Democrats have pushed paid leave as both a compassionate and a scientifically sensible policy, while Republicans have complained that it is too expensive. There were already funds for paid leave tax credits in Biden’s coronavirus relief package, and the tax credit announced on Wednesday will come from that $1.9 trillion measure.

World leaders have not even started discussing how climate change targets will impact people's everyday lives, the United Nations (UN) has admitted. To mark Earth Day, 40 world leaders will meet at a summit in Seoul, South Korea, on Thursday to discuss the global commitment to reduce carbon emissions. The talks might see 2015's Paris climate agreement - where it was agreed to limit global warming to 2 degrees Celsius - beefed up given temperatures have actually increased. But the UN has admitted that the world leaders have not even discussed what it means for the public going about their lives. Although optimistic of hitting long term global warming goals, Ms Espinosa conceded it was a concern that no conversation has taken place about what it will mean for people's lifestyles.

The Trump years marked a new low in US relations with the global community on the issue of climate change. One of President Biden's first acts on the day of his inauguration was to rejoin the Paris climate agreement, which his predecessor had castigated as "unfair" when he announced the US would leave pact in 2017. But the perception that the US has been an unreliable partner on climate change does not just rest with Donald Trump. Former UN climate chief Yvo de Boer, who ran global climate talks between 2006-2010, had this scathing assessment of the US. “Then Obama signed the Paris Agreement, and Trump walked away.

When Trump cozied up to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, Trump’s allies, including members of Congress, mostly were mute. When Trump blabbed classified information about ISIS to Russian officials in the Oval Office, his supporters sat silent. Even after the election, Russians continued their propagandizing, including questioning the election results, the report stated. Well before the 2020 election, Trump made baseless claims about voter fraud. The lie took hold even though court after court, including judges appointed by Trump, rejected the false allegations of widespread voter fraud.

Nancy Pelosi proved to be a moving target. When I began working on a biography of the House speaker two years ago, the deadline to my publisher was Labor Day 2020, with an extension carved out to submit a final chapter right after Election Day. 'Madam Speaker':Susan Page's new Nancy Pelosi biography examines the singular politicianFrom 'creepy' to dangerousPelosi was long accustomed to being at the center of the news. “She knows what her mission is.”As it turned out, the unprecedented events of 2020 didn’t change Pelosi. Susan Page, the Washington Bureau chief of USA TODAY, is the author of "Madam Speaker: Nancy Pelosi and the Lessons of Power," published by Twelve on April 20.

Even as the man who killed George Floyd was found guilty of murder, we are finding plenty to argue about. We see it with those who believe Biden is mentally addled and not really running the White House, and those who view him as the second coming of FDR. Politics used to be a sideline for most people, less important than their jobs, colleagues, family, friends and local sports teams. Now many like or dislike MLB, NFL and NBA based on political debate. Now many reflexively love or hate political leaders (Biden or Trump, Andrew Cuomo or Ron DeSantis) based on what their "side" says.

Gavin Newsom in his almost certain recall election this fall -- despite Jenner having a spotty voting history, according to a report. She also reportedly didn’t vote in California’s 2003 gubernatorial recall election that replaced Democrat Gray Davis with Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger. Records also show Jenner didn't vote in the presidential primary or the general election in 2016, although she has claimed she voted for Donald Trump in 2016, Politico reported. Schwarzenegger’s own spotty voting record, however, didn’t hurt his campaign at the time, the outlet noted. Other Republicans considering a run against Newsom include former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer and businessman John Cox, who lost to Newsom in 2018.

By John Irish and Arshad MohammedPARIS (Reuters) - Serious differences persist between the United States and Iran over how they might resume compliance with the 2015 Iran nuclear deal despite making some progress in their latest indirect talks in Vienna, a senior U.S. official said on Wednesday. The main differences are over what sanctions the United States will need to remove and what steps Iran will need to take to resume its obligations to curb its nuclear program, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Earlier, the European parties to the Iran nuclear deal said they had seen progress in the first two rounds of indirect U.S.-Iran talks but there were still major hurdles. A U.S. delegation is in a separate location in Vienna, enabling representatives of the five powers to shuttle between both sides because Iran has rejected direct talks. The U.S. official said he would not rule out the possibility if enough progress were made, but stressed the United States would not rush to meet a deadline.

The official declined to specify which sanctions fall into which baskets but said the third group is the most problematic. Any sanctions relief offered by the administration will be strongly opposed by Republicans in Congress, who on Wednesday unveiled draft legislation to codify the Trump-era sanctions in law. The 2015 deal gave Iran billions of dollars in sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program. The official said the Trump administration had designated some nuclear sanctions as terrorism sanctions. The official said there is not yet any sanctions relief agreement between Iran, the U.S. or other parties in the indirect negotiations taking place in Vienna on reviving the nuclear deal.

Instead, the hallmarks of the Biden presidency include:Regular schedules. The Biden White House has ended the flood of leaks that marked the Trump White House. Biden waited 64 days before his first formal news conference, the longest of any modern president, and has given few interviews. His reputation as a gaffe machine is probably one reason White House officials have limited his opportunities for off-the-cuff comments. But Biden has so far displayed a serious, steady approach that gives assurance he will make key decisions carefully, after considering the options.

As we drew down, approximately 6,500 NATO troops remained. So when we pull our 2,500 troops, the larger NATO-led support mission for the Afghan troops will also leave. NATO allies have always said that when America exits, they will follow. In return, U.S. and NATO troops would end their presence in Afghanistan. With a destabilized Afghanistan, emboldening terrorist groups is a near-term risk with long-term consequences that should not be ignored.

The World Health Organization's emergency committee this week urged the "rapid implementation" of the report recommendations for phase two probes. Critics charge the mission was heavily orchestrated by Beijing and that the report focused disproportionately on theories favoured by China. While this was "one very credible hypothesis, what we should have been looking at is the origins of the pandemic," he said. "When you start with the frame of the zoonotic origins of the virus, you start with a conclusion." Even as all sides stress the urgency of solving the origins mystery, there seems to be little progress towards the next steps.

Washington (CNN) US and Iranian officials say they have made progress in talks aimed at bringing the United States back to the 2015 nuclear deal and Iran back into compliance with it, but US officials stressed that a long road remains ahead. A delegation from the US, which left the pact in 2018, has also been in the Austrian capital for indirect talks with Iran. "At this point the discussions taking place in Vienna are about full compliance for full compliance," they said in a call with reporters. Tehran has repeatedly maintained that the US must lift all Trump-era sanctions before it will stop breaching its commitments under the deal. Iran also wants the US to provide an "objective guarantee" that it will not pull out of the nuclear deal again if it rejoins, according to the Iranian official.

Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) recently introduced legislation to strip federal funding from the United Nations Population Fund (UNPF), an international program that is openly complicit in China’s two-child policy and other inhumane population control tactics. Titled the “No Taxpayer Funding for the UN Population Fund Act,” the proposed bill would permanently prohibit U.S. taxpayer money from going toward funding the communist regime’s forced abortions and sterilizations. Under this provision, the United States has withheld funds from the UNFPA in 18 of the past 36 years. A Jamestown Foundation report found funds from the Chinese central government went towards funding sterilizations in Xinjiang, sufficient for almost 200,000 sterilizations. “We, therefore, urge you to support the legislation sponsored by Representative Chip Roy to remove taxpayer funding of UNFPA.

Democrat House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ignited a firestorm on social media and throughout the political world on Tuesday evening after she thanking George Floyd for “sacrificing” his life. “So, again, thank you George Floyd for sacrificing your life for justice. https://t.co/uzrtkHtNyN — lenika ? (@lenikacruz) April 20, 2021please, please shut up Nancy Pelosi you fucking idiot https://t.co/ziQXbDfz6j — ben mekler (@benmekler) April 20, 2021"Thank you George Floyd for dying." https://t.co/3Qr3xPtsm6 — aleksander chan (@aleksnotalex) April 20, 2021"thank you George Floyd, for sacrificing your life for justice." They’re eager to see Karen Bass’ George Floyd Justice in Policing Act passed and signed by the President into law.

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.

—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.

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?

— 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

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.

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.

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 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.

Louise Erdrich Takes Home Aspen Words Literary Prize For 'The Night Watchman'Courtesy of Aspen WordsIn a virtual ceremony tonight, Louise Erdrich was named the winner of this year's Aspen Words Literary Prize, for her novel The Night Watchman. The $35,000 prize goes to a work that "illuminates a vital contemporary issue and demonstrates the transformative power of literature on thought and culture." And they all contain these words, as long as the grass grows, as long as the rivers flow." In a statement, Urrea called The Night Watchman "a magisterial summation of [Erdrich's] influential work" that also builds a foundation for the future. You can see the entire ceremony — including a conversation with three of the finalists, moderated by All Things Considered's Mary Louise Kelly — here.

“It’s the worse educational crisis in the region’s modern history,” said Jean Gough, UNICEF’s director for Latin America and the Caribbean. The Biden administration has yet to decide which U.S. city will host it. He should sign agreements with existing free online education platforms such as KhanAcademy.org and Schoolhouse.world to expand online personalized tutoring to millions of schoolchildren. Salman Khan, the founder of both platforms, told me in a telephone interview that the Biden administration could use its megaphone to promote these platforms. “A lot of folks in Latin America don’t even know that these tools are available to them, and for free,” Khan told me.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democrats are spotlighting Georgia as they build their case for a broad overhaul of U.S. election law, arguing the new voting rules in the state are emblematic of Republican measures across the country that threaten access to the polls. Abrams said parts of the sweeping new Georgia law are intended to suppress minority votes. They argue it would strip power from the states, fundamentally alter how elections are conducted and cement an unfair political advantage for Democrats. Brian Kemp said Tuesday that attacks on the law are “absolutely not true” and motivated by partisanship. Abrams said she believes the motivation behind certain provisions is “a direct result of increased participation of communities of color” in recent elections.

Developing countries are increasingly concerned that their need for financial assistance to cope with the climate crisis will go unmet, as leaders of the world’s biggest economies meet for a virtual White House summit on the climate. That includes providing debt-free and increased climate finance to low-income countries.”The US has made some key pledges on climate finance ahead of the summit, but they fall short of what developing countries have been hoping for. Biden has asked Congress to approve $2.5bn in overseas climate finance, including $1.2bn for the Green Climate Fund. Developing countries are already facing mountains of debt, increased by the Covid crisis, and need ways to cut this urgently. Boris Johnson, prime minister of the UK, will address the White House summit in a plea to world leaders to make Cop26 a success.

The Biden administration is weighing an appeal from progressive Democrats to accelerate global access to COVID-19 vaccines, by supporting a waiver of intellectual-property protections — a move opposed by big drugmakers. In separate virtual meetings on April 13 with drugmakers and waiver-seeking groups, she said the administration wants to increase the production and distribution of vaccines. The U.S. isn’t the only country that has opposed a waiver; the European Union, U.K., Japan, Switzerland, Brazil and Norway also have resisted the push. ‘Critical’ need“The waiver is critical to be able to increase global production of vaccines and treatments as soon as possible,” said Lori Wallach, director of Global Trade Watch at Public Citizen, one of the groups lobbying for the measure. A Bosnian medical worker prepares a dose of the AstraZeneca PLC COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination station in Sarajevo on Wednesday.

Any sanctions relief offered by the administration will be strongly opposed by Republicans in Congress, who on Wednesday unveiled draft legislation to codify the Trump-era sanctions in law. The 2015 deal gave Iran billions of dollars in sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program. The official said the Trump administration had designated some nuclear sanctions as terrorism sanctions. The official said there is not yet any sanctions relief agreement between Iran, the U.S. or other parties in the indirect negotiations taking place in Vienna on reviving the nuclear deal. The Biden administration has said it will only lift sanctions if Iran returns to compliance with the restrictions the agreement placed on its nuclear activities.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Proponents of statehood for Washington, D.C., face a milestone moment in their decades-long movement to reshape the American political map. A tiny sliver of land including the White House, the U.S. Capitol and the National Mall would remain as a federal district. For lifelong statehood proponents like Eleanor Holmes Norton, Washington’s long-serving and nonvoting delegate in the House, the vote will be a culmination of a life’s work. Although every state other than the original 13 was admitted to the union via congressional vote, statehood opponents argue that D.C. is a special case that requires special steps. “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.

Also Read: Derek Chauvin Found Guilty in George Floyd Murder Trial on All Counts Following the guilty verdict, other prominent voices took to Twitter to express their thoughts. — kerry washington (@kerrywashington) April 20, 2021 Guilty Guilty Guilty… No one wins.. George Floyd is still gone..and finally someone was responsible… Derek Chauvin — Whoopi Goldberg (@WhoopiGoldberg) April 20, 2021 The evidence of our eyes met at last by accountability in the eyes of justice. BREAKING: Police officer Derek Chauvin found guilty of murdering George Floyd. https://t.co/E1vzU7rarZ — Maria Shriver (@mariashriver) April 20, 2021 Derek Chauvin: guilty on all 3 counts Now let’s do the entire system of policing in this country. Derek Chauvin- GUILTY — Emmanuel Acho (@EmmanuelAcho) April 20, 2021 I was on pins and needles waiting on the verdict of Derek Chauvin to come in.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and then-Vice President Joe Biden attend a press conference after a meeting at the Beylerbeyi Palace on November 22, 2014 in Istanbul, Turkey. Kayhan Ozer/Getty ImagesBiden is set to formally recognize the Armenian Genocide on Saturday, the NYT reported. Biden would be the first sitting US president to officially recognize the killing of 1.5 million Armenians by the Ottoman Empire during World War I as genocide. Turkey has urged Biden against recognizing the World War I killings as genocide at a time when the dynamic between Washington and Ankara is already historically contentious. In other words, the word "genocide" is fundamentally linked to what happened to the Armenians during World War I.

For lifelong statehood proponents like Eleanor Holmes Norton, Washington's long-serving and nonvoting delegate in the House, the vote will be a culmination of a life's work. A tiny sliver of land including the White House, the US Capitol and the National Mall would remain as a federal district. 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. Although every state other than the original 13 was admitted to the union via congressional vote, statehood opponents argue that D.C. is a special case that requires special steps. “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.

The Arizona Senate has found a venue for its recount of Maricopa County's 2.1 million ballots. Though two previous audits of the county's election results did not turn up problems, the Senate nearly passed a resolution to jail the members of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors as they fought the subpoenas in court. When the county lost its legal battle, the Senate still had to figure out where, exactly, it would house 2.1 million ballots. Fann, R-Prescott, previously said she hoped to use the county’s facilities, but the county has declined, insisting that the audit is in no way a joint effort with the Senate. Officials and experts contacted by The Arizona Republic are skeptical a rigorous hand recount of 2.1 million ballots can happen in just a few weeks.

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 incident, marking the most serious violence between Israel and Syria in years, pointed to likely Iranian involvement. It also threatened to complicate U.S.-led attempts to revive the international nuclear deal with Iran. 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.

Two people familiar with the decision said the President was expected to make the declaration as part of an official statement on Remembrance Day, which falls on Saturday. Both said it was possible he would change his mind before then, and issue a statement merely recognizing the event without describing it as genocide. The government of Turkey often registers complaints when foreign governments describe the event, which began in 1915, using the word "genocide." They maintain that it was wartime and there were losses on both sides, and they put the number of dead Armenians at 300,000. Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump both avoided using the word genocide to avoid angering Ankara.

This is our justice system and it’s all that stands between us and barbarism. If it were plagued by systemic racism, as claimed by the president, then Chauvin could not have been found guilty. They see the verdict as proof that policing is racist and must be abolished. After the Chauvin verdict, she issued a call to arms to her 8.8 million Instagram followers: “I . “And that’s what creates a lot of complexity in this moment.”Lying always creates “complexity,” when you refuse to acknowledge the truth that our colorblind justice system worked.

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.

A missile launched from Syria struck southern Israel early Thursday, setting off air raid sirens near the country’s top-secret nuclear reactor, the Israeli military said. The incident, marking the most serious violence between Israel and Syria in years, pointed to likely Iranian involvement. It also threatened to complicate U.S.-led attempts to revive the international nuclear deal with Iran. 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.

Virginia gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe has received donations from Lanny Davis, attorney for Ukrainian billionaire Dmytro Firtash, a key figure in Donald Trump’s first impeachment, government filings show. Davis, who registered as a foreign agent to represent Firtash earlier this week, according to filings under the Justice Department’s Foreign Agents Registration Act, also donated $500 to McAuliffe in February. Fox News could not immediately McAuliffe for comment on the nature of his relationship with Davis. Firtash also allegedly worked with Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani, and was found by federal prosecutors of later aiding Giuliani’s efforts to dig up dirt on Hunter Biden’s dealings in Ukraine, reported the Daily Caller. Despite Davis remaining an ardent supporter of President Biden throughout his campaign, he said he was "pleased" to be rejoining Firtash’s defense team.

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.

The bill — known as the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act — seeks to assign a Justice Department official to expedite reviews of potential COVID-19-related hate crimes and establish an online database to track such crimes. Law enforcement officers deserve better that to be utilized as pawns. When Jordan continued to interrupt, House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler stepped in in an attempt to restore order. "Mr. Jordan you don't know what the heck you're talking about," she said, accusing Jordan of using law enforcement officers as "pawns." The findings of a study released last month of police department statistics shows that hate crimes against Asian Americans rose by nearly 150 percent in 2020, despite hate crimes overall dropping by 7 percent.

They are well versed in law enforcement techniques, training and best practices among today’s law enforcement agencies." The inquiry into the Minneapolis Police Department is one of four open Justice Department investigations into law enforcement agencies. Some in the law enforcement community also support Gupta's confirmation and are optimistic that they will be heard. "Her confirmation will be huge among law enforcement and in the law enforcement community." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: DOJ launches Minneapolis police inquiry following Chauvin verdicts

The list does not include Los Angeles County, which remains the epicenter of California’s coronavirus activity. “If ‘R’ stays under one, then the epidemic in Los Angeles County is expected to decrease over time,” she said. — If your job has been affected by the coronavirus pandemic, here’s how to file for unemployment. Here are resources for coping during the crisis from the CDC and the L.A. County Department of Public Health. L.A. County residents can also call (800) 854-7771 or text “LA” to 741741.

This is one of them: I am white, and my wife is black, and I have nothing to teach my son about how to be a black man in America. It is my whitest, most naive hope that my son will never have to worry about racism at all. And the first black player who got to play on a white team was named Jackie Robinson.”“Jackie Robinson,” Nile repeats. “Probably not.”Hennick and Nile play at their home in a Boston suburb. On that night at the ballpark, I won’t tell Nile what happened.

The batch, reportedly enough to make about 15 million J&J vaccine doses, had to be thrown out. The nearly 8 million doses of J&J vaccine given in the U.S. came from Europe. The Biden administration now is working to move AstraZeneca vaccine manufacturing to another factory. At the moment, use of the J&J vaccine is on hold in the U.S. as government health officials investigate its possible connection to very rare blood clots. After the J&J vaccine batch was contaminated, FDA inspectors started checking the Emergent factory on April 12 and finished their investigation on Tuesday.

The White House confirmed Wednesday that all 40 world leaders invited to President Joe Biden's climate summit this week will attend, a list that includes Russian leader Vladimir Putin and China's Xi Jinping. The White House argues any domestic interference or interference with foreign allies is a threat to the US. Chinese state media said Wednesday that Xi will give a speech on Thursday via video conference at Biden's global leaders climate summit. In addition to the president and world leaders, several Cabinet secretaries and business leaders will attend. The virtual Leaders Summit will be live streamed for public viewing, the White House noted in its announcement of the event.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has been mocked for claiming that climate change is a product of racial injustice, as she relaunched her controversial Green New Deal. Ocasio-Cortez said that climate change must be viewed through the lens of race. 'The climate crisis is a crisis born of injustice, and it is a crisis born of the pursuit of profit at any and all human and ecological cost,' she said. Tucker Carlson and Mark Steyn laughed at Ocasio-Cortez's claim on Wednesday nightCarlson agreed, adding: 'Climate change is racism is indigenous rights is infrastructure - it's all bad, give me power.' Initially introduced in 2019, the Green New Deal was relaunched ahead of Joe Biden's climate summit, to be held virtually on Thursday and Friday.

We’ve known for some time that Senate Republicans were laying the groundwork to obstruct the new administration, particularly when it came to opposing President Biden’s Cabinet nominees. Obstruction threatened national security, public healthInstead of moving to quickly confirm key Cabinet posts, Senate Republicans sat on their hands — national security and public health be damned. Another top target for Senate Republicans was Congresswoman Deb Haaland, President Biden’s nominee for Secretary of the Interior. Despite their best efforts, Senate Republicans’ attempts to sink or damage Biden’s nominees ultimately failed because the American people saw through them. Instead of celebrating the administration’s many historic confirmations, Senate Republicans spent months delaying, obstructing, and attacking these nominees to protect the needs of their special interest donors.

Republicans, obviously, do not like these protests for a variety of reasons, chief among them being their insistence that racism does not exist. If he could have made it legal to attack a protestor for displaying a sign one didn’t like, he most definitely would have. Trump, of course, didn‘t get to that, his focus being turned elsewhere amidst his quest to overturn the 2020 election. A Minnesota bill would bar people convicted of unlawful protesting from receiving unemployment benefits, housing assistance, and even student loans. While the bill died in the statehouse, its lead sponsor, Republican State Senator Danny Carroll, said he would refile it next session.

JERUSALEM (AP) — 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 incident, marking the most serious violence between Israel and Syria in years, pointed to likely Iranian involvement. It also threatened to complicate U.S.-led attempts to revive the international nuclear deal with Iran. 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.

Staten Island Rep. Nicole Malliotakis is among five Republican lawmakers pressing the Biden administration to publicly release FBI and CIA documents that they say may disclose the Saudi government’s possible involvement in the 9/11 terror attacks. Malliotakis, and four other Republican members of Congress, sent a letter Wednesday on behalf of 9/11 victims’ families to Attorney General Merrick Garland calling on the Department of Justice to declassify and publish the reports. The documents have been sought by families of 9/11 victims who are suing Saudi Arabia. The representatives have sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland on the behalf of 9/11 victims’ families. Saudi Arabia has repeatedly denied any involvement in the attacks, though 15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudis.

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.

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 incident, marking the most serious violence between Israel and Syria in years, pointed to likely Iranian involvement. It also threatened to complicate U.S.-led attempts to revive the international nuclear deal with Iran. 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.

House Democrats moved Wednesday to try to prevent that from happening. That can’t be allowed to happen again.”WASHINGTON — Pamela Raghebi of Seattle blames former President Donald Trump’s travel ban for keeping her separated from her husband, Afshin, a native of Iran, for three frustrating years. President Joe Biden, who reversed Trump’s travel bans after taking office, is backing the legislation. But the statement said the administration reserved the right to restrict travel from specific countries if necessary. “Many were denied the right to counsel.”Still, the legislation comes at a difficult political moment for Biden and Democrats on immigration.

WASHINGTON — More than a century after the Ottoman Empire’s killing of an estimated 1.5 million Armenian civilians, President Joe Biden is preparing to declare that the atrocities were an act of genocide, according to officials familiar with the internal debate. Foreign Minister Ara Aivazian of Armenia said in an interview Wednesday that “the recognition by the United States will be a kind of moral beacon to many countries.”“This is not about Armenia and Turkey,” Aivazian said. Past American presidents have held back from the declaration for that very reason, and Biden could still change his mind about issuing it. AdvertisementHe said the genocide designation would serve as a reminder to the rest of the world if malign values are not countered. “And we will be witnessing less tragedies, less human losses, once the United States will reaffirm its moral leadership in these turbulent times.”This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

“I’m shocked — I can’t put it any other way,” said Dr. José Romero, chairman of a panel advising the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that later this week will recommend how to handle the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. All the Johnson & Johnson shots that have been administered in the United States have come from overseas. Workers are supposed to change gowns and bootees and shower before crossing between the different manufacturing zones for Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca. The findings were released two days before the expert advisory panel of the CDC was scheduled to vote on whether to extend, lift or modify the Johnson & Johnson suspension. After announcements last year of deals with the federal government, Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca totaling $1.5 billion, Emergent’s share price climbed.

While giving an update on Covid-19 measures, Canada's PM suddenly felt a bit chilly. Justin Trudeau's family has been self-isolating after his wife Sophie tested positive for the coronavirus. Earlier on Wednesday, US President Donald Trump and the Canadian prime minister agreed to close the US-Canada border to all non-essential travel in an attempt to curb the spread of the virus. "We will be, by mutual consent, temporarily closing our northern border with Canada," Mr Trump tweeted. Trade will not be affected, he added.

The meeting, and others hosted by Sonnenfeld, have been criticized as pushing business leaders down a dangerous path, and urging an unnecessary political stance. Not all business leaders agree with Sonnenfeld's defense of 'woke' corporate policies. It's also not the clergy, sadly, as much as it is business leaders.' Sonnenfeld also argued that business leaders could no longer stay silent about social issues. 'I think that business leaders recognize that.'

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.

Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio) is calling on the FBI to review and reassess its decision to classify the 2017 congressional baseball shooting where Republican lawmakers were targeted during a practice as a “suicide by cop” instead of labeling the incident an act of domestic terrorism. Rep. Brad Wenstrup says left-wing extremist James Hodgkinson shot “well over 100 rounds” at congress members during the shooting. An FBI evidence response team investigates the scene of the shooting of Congress members at Eugene Simpson Stadium Park in Alexandria, Virginia on June 14, 2017. Rep. Brad Wenstrup is “extremely frustrated that the FBI failed to conduct thorough interviews during the initial investigation” of the 2017 congressional baseball shooting. Rep. Brad Wenstrup noted the FBI did not interview any witnesses of the 2017 congressional baseball shooting.

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.

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.

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo joined "Fox Business Tonight" Wednesday to discuss Thursday's U.S.-led climate change summit, which will provide the setting for the first meeting between President Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping. POMPEO: My expectation is we’ll hear what we’ve heard from the Chinese Communist Party before, a series of commitments that they have absolutely no intention of honoring. They have broken more promises over these last years, including a promise to President Obama that they wouldn’t militarize the South China Sea. One of the things that we [Trump administration] were careful to do was that we didn’t make commitments, we didn’t make threats that we weren’t prepared to execute or deliver on. We [the Trump administration] took the opposite approach.

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.

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.

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.

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.

JERUSALEM (AP) — A missile launched from Syria struck southern Israel early Thursday, setting off air raid sirens near the country’s top-secret nuclear reactor, the Israeli military said. The incident, marking the most serious violence between Israel and Syria in years, pointed to likely Iranian involvement. It also threatened to complicate U.S.-led attempts to revive the international nuclear deal with Iran. 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.

It may seem odd to focus on the one outlier at a conference intended to boost climate ambitions ahead of a larger United Nations climate summit in November. But instead of snubbing Bolsonaro, President Joe Biden has used his first few months in the White House to urge Bolsonaro to reclaim Brazil’s former mantle as a global leader in the fight against climate change. (Photo: EVARISTO SA via Getty Images)There’s a clear logic behind Biden’s climate entreaties to Brazil. Few countries are more important in the battle to curb carbon emissions, and any attempt to stem the effects of climate change is harder ? perhaps even impossible ? without South America’s largest nation at the table. Biden’s victory forced a slight change in tune in Brazil: Bolsonaro fired his foreign minister, who had described climate change as a Marxist plot.

Pressure is mounting on the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to publicly release documents pertaining to the role of the Saudi government in the September 11 terror attacks ahead of the 20th anniversary. Deutch and Mast have previously been involved in the effort to publicly release the files, while the other Republicans have newly signed on. Brett Eagleson, a leading 9/11 family member who lost his father in the World Trade Center, applauded the lawmakers' help. Gillibrand asked that this happen in the next two weeks, with Wray replying that a forthcomng release was 'consistent with that rough timeframe.' A renewed effort to see the 9/11 documents came in March after the Biden administration released documents in late February that said Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman approved the killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

These are the findings of a review of nearly 4,000 election integrity violation reports submitted to the Nevada secretary of state by the state Republican Party. The Nevada Republican Party delivered four boxes worth of reports to the secretary’s office in March. “Many of the complaints submitted were already under investigation by law enforcement.”One allegation was 8,842 Nevada voters registered with commercial addresses. Several lawsuits alleging widespread voter fraud in Nevada in the most recent election were thrown out of court last year. Former Attorney General Bill Barr, a Republican, said there was no evidence of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election.

Biden is set to formally recognize the Armenian Genocide on Saturday, the NYT reported. Turkey has urged Biden against recognizing the killings as genocide at a time when the dynamic between Washington and Ankara is already historically contentious. The step Biden is reportedly set to take would be more official and occur in concert with Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day, which happens every year on April 24. In other words, the word "genocide" is fundamentally linked to what happened to the Armenians during World War I. But recognizing the Armenian genocide would signify that when it comes to US-Turkey relations, Biden is prioritizing human rights over keeping Ankara happy.

The Israeli military says that a missile was fired into Israel from neighboring Syria early Thursday and that it has struck targets in Syria in responseJERUSALEM -- A missile launched from Syria struck southern Israel early Thursday, setting off air raid sirens near the country's top-secret nuclear reactor, the Israeli military said. The incident, marking the most serious violence between Israel and Syria in years, pointed to likely Iranian involvement. It also threatened to complicate U.S.-led attempts to revive the international nuclear deal with Iran. 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.

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.

Throughout the hearing, the app makers expressed fear over how easily either company could undercut their businesses by making small changes to their app store rules. But in testimony, Match complained that Google had made "false pretenses of an open platform" and complained about its "monopoly power." Wilson said he didn't view it as a threat "and we would never threaten our partners" because Google needs app developers to use its app store in order for it to be successful. Apple Chief Compliance Officer Kyle Andeer compared the services offered on the App Store today to the cumbersome and expensive process app makers had to pursue to distribute their apps before the App Store existed. An exchange between subcommittee Ranking Member Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Andeer revealed how complex Apple's App Store rules can be.

(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.

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.

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.

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Legislation outlawing nearly all abortions in conservative Idaho by banning them once a fetal heartbeat can be detected headed to Republican Gov. Earlier this year, a federal court temporarily blocked a fetal heartbeat bill in South Carolina. But abortion legislation draws so many amendments from lawmakers that they are typically discarded if a problem is discovered and a new bill brought forward to avoid the amending process. The first version of the bill contained wording protecting health care providers when performing abortions in cases of rape, incest or medical emergency. That wording was changed in the second version to allow for prosecuting providers for performing any abortion.

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 official declined to specify which sanctions fall into which baskets but said the third group is the most problematic. Any sanctions relief offered by the administration will be strongly opposed by Republicans in Congress, who on Wednesday unveiled draft legislation to codify the Trump-era sanctions in law. ADVERTISEMENTThe 2015 deal gave Iran billions of dollars in sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program. The official said the Trump administration had designated some nuclear sanctions as terrorism sanctions. The official said there is not yet any sanctions relief agreement between Iran, the U.S. or other parties in the indirect negotiations taking place in Vienna on reviving the nuclear deal.

ATLANTA (AP) — President Joe Biden called Georgia’s new voting law an “atrocity.” A leading Black bishop called for a national boycott of companies headquartered in the state. “These are laws that respond to an increase in voting by people of color,” Abrams told the Associated Press recently. Yet Abrams, a nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize, has mostly avoided harsh individual criticism of Gov. Georgia voters will have many months to sort out whom they believe. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, Georgia Republicans who backed Trump and lost their Jan. 5 runoffs, because those lies turned off moderate Georgia voters.

Delegates from the parties to the Iran nuclear deal - Germany, France, Britain, China, Russia and Iran attending a meeting at the Grand Hotel of Vienna. The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) placed limits on Iran’s nuclear programme in exchange for relief from international sanctions. Mr Trump torpedoed the deal and launched a campaign of “maximum pressure” meant to economically strangle Iran, which responded by upping its nuclear programme. “Otherwise we’ll get stuck in the generalities because the details aren’t clear.”Some US factions remain vehemently opposed to the nuclear talks. “[Maximum pressure] was supposed to deliver a better deal, a stronger deal, a longer deal with Iran,” said Mr Price.

A handful of House Democrats and Republicans cleared $1 million, while some senators banked several million dollars.Seemingly every recent election cycle has yielded bigger fundraising numbers than the last. Their opposites within the party—the members who voted to impeach Trump—found themselves heckled and censored by the GOP base. Liz Cheney (R-WY), the most high profile House lawmaker to impeach Trump, raised over $1.5 million—five times more than she raised in the first three months of 2020, an election year. Increasingly, campaign season has become constant, owing to the forces of polarization and the decline in fundraising regulations. “Campaign fundraising and online fundraising has been exponentially growing cycle after cycle, but these first quarter numbers look like a natural growth, plus a supercharge,” said Ferguson, speaking about trends on the Democratic side.

(Columbus Police Department via WSYX-TV via AP)Police have defended the fatal shooting of teenager Ma’Khia Bryant as they named the officer involved as Nicholas Reardon. Officials say that Officer Reardon has been a Columbus police officer since December 2019, and he has been placed on leave while the incident is investigated. Reporters on Wednesday asked Chief Lee why Ma’Khia had not been shot in a less lethal area, like the leg. Police have released the body camera video footage of the incident from the officer involved in the shooting, and two other officers. The officer then fired his weapon, with four shots being heard on the video, and Ma’Khia fell to the ground.

‘Kudlow’ host Larry Kudlow slammed Biden's infrastructure spending bill saying tax hikes would "destroy" the current economic boom. LARRY KUDLOW: Expectations for a bipartisan [infrastructure] deal should remain low. None of this stuff has any real work requirements or work incentives, and I don’t think the GOP wants to roll back the Trump tax cuts which have proved so successful. In fact, even now, I’ll repeat, the booming economy rests on the Trump tax incentives and the regulatory rollback, along with the Trump-inspired Operation Warp Speed vaccines, which, by the way, are now running up to 216 million. And of course, the vaccines are reopening the economy, and a reopening economy with tax incentives is booming.

FEMA has always provided funeral assistance under its “Other Needs Assistance (ONA) provision of the Individuals and Households Program (IHP) to individuals and households with disaster-related funeral expenses,” according to its website . Under the American Rescue Plan Act, FEMA will provide assistance for funeral costs for deaths from COVID-19 incurred after Jan. 20, 2020. Minors can apply if the documentation shows that they paid for funeral costs. In the case that multiple people helped to cover the costs of the funeral, FEMA said they will work with applicants. Beware of scamsFEMA warned that it has received reports of people being contacted directly with offers of funeral assistance.

By Jeremy Herb and Ted Barrett | CNNVice President Kamala Harris cast her first tie-breaking vote related to a Biden administration nominee on the Senate floor Wednesday evening, voting to advance the nomination of Colin Kahl to be the Pentagon’s undersecretary for policy. The Senate deadlocked 50-50 on a straight party-line procedural vote to discharge Kahl’s nomination from the Armed Services Committee, requiring Harris to break the tie. She’ll likely have to cast two more tie-breaking votes on Kahl’s nomination before he is confirmed to the No. Wednesday was the first time Harris had to cast a vote in the Senate on a Biden nominee. Manchin told CNN last month that Kahl’s tweets weren’t as “pointed” at specific individuals and senators and were focused much more on policy.

The official said the Trump administration had designated some nuclear sanctions as terrorism sanctions. But others, ostensibly imposed on terrorism and human rights grounds, are less clear cut, including those on Iran’s financial, shipping, manufacturing and energy sectors. The official said the Biden administration is still determining which of those were legitimately related to terrorism and human rights. The official said there is not yet any sanctions relief agreement between Iran, the U.S. or other parties in the indirect negotiations taking place in Vienna on reviving the nuclear deal. The official would not give a timeframe on when the talks might conclude.

A $765 million loan to Eastman Kodak stalled in August after it was announced prematurely. The Trump administration also approved a Defense Production Act loan for ApiJect of up to $590 million. The FDA would have to determine that storing vaccine in ApiJect's syringe didn't cause problems, such as corroding the syringe's plastic. Meanwhile, ApiJect needs to raise about $197 million to help secure the additional $590 million federal loan. And ApiJect syringes could still play a key role in getting vaccines to Americans, especially if booster shots are needed.

In response, DeSantis called the remarks “really, really troubling,” adding “I don’t know what happened with this verdict, but if that’s something that can potentially happen, where you basically have justice made meted out because the jury is scared of what a mob may do? “I think what we’ve done with our bill, our anti-riot bill, is saying, you engage with that you’re going to jail, you’re not going to gain by doing that, we’re going to maintain law and order,” DeSantis said. Earlier on Tuesday, Chauvin was found guilty on all three of the criminal counts he was charged with: second-degree murder, second-degree manslaughter and third-degree murder. Chauvin was captured on video footage in May kneeling on Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes. Protests erupted throughout the country following Floyd’s death, as people began demonstrating against racial injustice and police violence.

First reports are often wildly inaccurate in the favour of the police; the initial report issued about the death of George Floyd referred to a “medical incident”. “Not if you’re a black man, or a young black man, or a 16-year-old girl,” she said. Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd last in May 2020 (Getty Images)SOMETHING OTHER THAN THISIt was not not supposed to have been like this. The administration appears to have drawn away from that, and instead looks focused on helping pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. Another, Albert Rein, said since the killing of George Floyd “you seldom see the police”.

The actress, 70, has sold her six bedroom, seven bathroom Mediterranean mansion in the Los Feliz area of Los Angeles for $7.8 million, more than two decades after plunking down $3 million for the estate in 2000. 'I’m trying to simplify my life ... things that were once important just aren’t anymore,' she said in a tweet Wednesday. The eight-seater dining room is lit by a black marble fireplace and opens onto a picturesque terrace through French doors. The showstopping property is swathed in glittering decoration including handpainted murals, carved antique fireplaces, brocade wall coverings and herringbone patterns. Perfect for outdoor parties, there is a swimming pool, pool house and a turtle pond at the home.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy criticized Democrats for not censuring Rep. Maxine Waters, saying Wednesday that the decision hurts 'George Floyd's family, as she put the verdict of the Derek Chauvin case 'in jeopardy.' 'Well you know the Democrats had an ability to condemn those types of actions,' McCarthy said. 'I hope we get a verdict that says guilty, guilty, guilty,' she told reporters at the scene, speaking about Chauvin, who was on trial for the Memorial Day 2020 killing of George Floyd. McCarthy pointed out to Brody that his censure resolution was narrow in scope - as it only quoted Waters and then Cahill. 'The one thing I do understand what the judge said, was what Maxine Waters did was abhorrent,' McCarthy answered.

Rep. Rashida Tlaib said Wednesday that Congress had sent a message to Muslims that 'you are welcome here' after the House voted for legislation that would prevent actions like President Trump's Muslim ban. The bill passed on a 218-208 vote. The bill passed the House by a vote of 218-208. 'But former President Trump abused this authority, twisting it in ways that were never intended.' Within a week of him taking office in early 2017, the first travel ban was announced with little notice, causing chaos at airports and sparking protests across the nation.

"There's a lot more going on in the world to worry about (than) my poxy break-off," said Williams after his latest success at the Crucible Theatre. "If they ban the break-off they've got to ban rolling up behind baulk colours and rolling up behind the black. It's not an illegal shot and I don't see the problem with it, it's farcical," insisted Williams, who now faces fellow veteran former world champion John Higgins. Williams and Higgins joined another ex world title-holder in Stuart Bingham in reaching round two. But 2015 champion Bingham needed a final-frame decider to see off China's Ding Junhui 10-9.

President Biden’s climate summit will gather three dozen leaders from countries with their own motivations related to domestic politics, international trade and, sometimes, altruistic intentions toward global warming. Whether other countries match, or exceed, that goal is an uncertainty that could help define the early days of Biden’s presidency. Nathan Hultman, of the University of Maryland’s Center for Global Sustainability, said he sees the summit as creating a road map to deliver climate action and allowing the United States to resume global climate leadership. The United States has also pressed South Korea and Japan to reduce their support for coal. A U.N. report released in February showed that current climate commitments would only reduce global emissions 1% by 2030 from 2010 levels.

American Bridge 21st Century, a liberal super PAC, circulated video of Chase’s remarks on Twitter, drawing about 150,000 views. AdvertisementStory continues below advertisementBefore noon Wednesday, a least one of the five Democrats running for governor was trying to raise money off Chase’s remarks. Handcuffed and face down on the pavement, Floyd died after Chauvin knelt on his neck for more than nine minutes. All five Democratic candidates were quick to applaud the Chauvin verdict, as was third-party candidate Princess Blanding, whose brother, Marcus-David Peters, was killed by Richmond police while he was experiencing a mental health crisis in 2018. Chase was the only Republican gubernatorial candidate to volunteer a statement on the verdict.

While a Democrat-controlled NLRB under Joe Biden is likely to be more amenable to academic labor organizing, the fight cannot be dictated by presidential politics. The Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act is a significant opportunity to shift the terrain for private-sector worker organizing, including academic workers. How Does the PRO Act Help Academic Workers? The PRO Act is the most substantial attempt in decades to reform labor law in the United States. The PRO Act would repeal all state-level right-to-work laws, a huge win for the entire labor movement.

In Houston and Los Angeles, The Guardian found, 93 percent of charges were either dropped or never filed; in some cities like Dallas and Philadelphia, that number rose to 95 percent of charges dropped or never prosecuted. Instead, officers filed felony charges like assault and looting with no evidence, ultimately forcing the charges to be dropped or dismissed. The high proportion of charges being dropped is also a stark illustration of how left-wing protesters are punished or face the threat of punishment much more often than right-wing protesters. An analysis of protests from last year found that police are three times more likely to use force against left-wing protesters than right-wing ones. There’s evidence that protest suppression, especially against left-wing protesters in the U.S. and internationally, is getting worse.

Most, if not all, CIA operators working in Afghanistan are almost certain to leave as well, current and former officials told CNN. Neither the removal of special operations forces nor the likely removal of intelligence operators has been previously reported. Douglas London, a 34-year veteran of the CIA, said intelligence operations in Afghanistan are dependent on the large military presence the US has kept in the country. The fate of the special operations forces — who often work with the CIA on counterterrorism missions — is more clear cut. "It's unequivocal, all troops out," the senior US official told CNN, asked specifically about special operations forces.

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.

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.

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday joined with House Republicans in unveiling a bill to impose sanctions on the regime in Iran -- renewing a push for sanctions he led during the Trump administration. The bill would also expand sanctions, slapping measures on Iran's ballistic missile program, the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Iranian-backed terror groups in the Middle East. The Biden administration has taken steps to reverse Trump’s maximum pressure strategy, which saw the U.S. leave the 2015 Iran deal in 2018, and re-impose waves of sanctions on Tehran. IRAN STARTS ENRICHING URANIUM TO 60%, ITS HIGHEST LEVEL EVERRepublicans, as well as Pompeo, opposed the U.S. re-entering the deal. "Rejoining the failed Iranian nuclear deal would come at great cost," he said.

"Democrats in Congress are pressuring the FCC to block the sale of a radio station based on the political viewpoints it would broadcast to South Florida’s Hispanic community," Carr tweeted. "It’s interesting that he’s doubled down on this claim that the FCC shoud be acting purely based on the political positions of this radio station," Carr said in response. A certain market could, in theory, have all liberal or all conservative station owners. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP"The Fairness Doctrine results in news coverage that looks like 1990s airline food, as opposed to a diverse environment with different viewpoints," Carr told Fox News. Carr said his fellow commmissioners should speak out against Democrats calling for the FCC to thwart the sale, saying they were merely upset over a progressive outlet becoming conservative.

"This conclusion defies logic and contradicts the publicly known facts about the perpetrator and the attack," Rep. Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio, wrote in a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray. FBI DIRECTOR WRAY: CAPITOL RIOT COULD HAVE INSPIRED INTERNATIONAL TERRORISTSThe gunman, James Hodgkinson, fired well over 100 rounds at the congressmen, their aides and others present on the ballfield. But the FBI never made a public declaration, and the "suicide by cop" theory came to light only last week when Wenstrup was grilling FBI Director Christopher Wray during a House Intelligence Committee hearing. "Director, you want suicide by cop, you just pull a gun on a cop. The FBI director noted that he was not in his current role at the time of the shooting.

Doug Ducey on Wednesday urged President Biden to declare a national emergency at the border, a day after the Republican governor deployed the National Guard and issued an emergency declaration in response to the migrant crisis. SINEMA, KELLY BACK GOVERNOR'S MOVE TO DEPLOY NATIONAL GUARD TO BORDERDucey announced on Tuesday that he was deploying 250 National Guard members to help deal with the escalating numbers, that has seen record numbers of migrant encounters and overwhelmed local authorities. He was at the border meeting with local law enforcement and border officials about the crisis and related security threats. DUCEY DEPLOYS NATIONAL GUARD TO SOUTHERN BORDER AMID MIGRANT CRISISDucey had been mulling deploying the Guard, but had urged the federal government to reimburse the state for the deployment beforehand. Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema expressed support for the moves Both senators later wrote to President Biden, urging him to reimburse Arizona for the National Guard deployment.

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.

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

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.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Democratic-led House passed legislation Wednesday designed to constrain a president’s power to limit entry to the U.S., a response to former President Donald Trump’s travel ban covering five Muslim-majority countries. “But former President Trump abused this authority, twisting it in ways that were never intended.”ADVERTISEMENTThe White House announced its support for the measure earlier this week. Within a week of him taking office in early 2017, the first travel ban was announced with little notice, causing chaos at airports and sparking protests across the nation. Republicans said Trump’s actions were not a Muslim ban. “The president said he was going to impose a Muslim ban, and he did,” Nadler countered.

Civil Rights Attorney Vanita Gupta Confirmed As Associate Attorney GeneralEnlarge this image toggle caption Alex Brandon/AP Alex Brandon/APThe Senate on Wednesday narrowly voted to confirm Vanita Gupta to serve as associate attorney general, elevating a longtime civil rights attorney to the third-highest position inside the Justice Department on the same day the agency announced renewed efforts to monitor local police practices. With her confirmation, Gupta, 46, will become the first woman of color in Justice Department history to serve as associate attorney general — a role in which she will oversee the department's civil rights litigation, as well as its antitrust, civil and environment divisions. "Not only is Ms. Gupta the first woman of color to ever be nominated to the position, she is the first civil rights attorney ever to be nominated to the position," Schumer said. We never have had a former civil rights attorney serving in such a position of prominence at the Justice Department." Gupta will return to the Justice Department at a moment when it is recommitting itself to increased federal oversight of police departments.

ATLANTA (AP) — President Joe Biden called Georgia’s new voting law an “atrocity.” A leading Black bishop called for a national boycott of companies headquartered in the state. “These are laws that respond to an increase in voting by people of color,” Abrams told The Associated Press recently. Georgia voters will have many months to sort out whom they believe. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, Georgia Republicans who backed Trump and lost their Jan. 5 runoffs, because those lies turned off moderate Georgia voters. “A lot of people unfairly blame Stacey for [Georgia’s] going blue, so I think she’s going to have some problems.

Abrams said parts of the sweeping new Georgia law are intended to suppress minority votes. She said federal legislation to strike down hurdles to voting is “essential to the protection of democracy.”Georgia state Rep. Jan Jones, the No. Like the House-passed legislation, the Senate bill would create automatic voter registration nationwide, promote early voting, require more disclosure from political donors and restrict partisan gerrymandering of congressional districts, among other changes. A separate Democratic bill honoring the late Georgia Rep. John Lewis would aim to better protect voting rights in places with a history of discrimination. See: Voting rights intensify as partisan battleground, with Democrats pushing H.R.

A group of Democratic senators re-introduced legislation, dubbed the "Medicare at 50 Act," that would expand Medicare access to Americans who are between 50 and 64 years old. “And it would help strengthen the health insurance marketplace.”A 2019 survey by the University of Michigan found that 27% of adults approaching retirement had little or no confidence in being able to afford health insurance over the next year and 45% had little or no confidence to afford the cost of their health insurance once they retired. “She was so focused on her health care. “As people approach retirement, their health care needs tend to go up,” Brown said. Letting people choose to buy into Medicare, starting at age 50, would fix that.

AxiosSouth Korean President Moon Jae-in criticized former President Trump's attempts to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula, telling the New York Times he "beat around the bush" with North Korea and "failed to pull it through. "Why it matters: Moon, now in his final year in office, called denuclearization a "matter of survival" for South Korea and urged President Biden to resume negotiations with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un after a standstill of nearly two years.Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. “The most important starting point for both governments is to have the will for dialogue and to sit down face to face at an early date.” Moon also called on the U.S. to cooperate with China on North Korea and other issues, warning that if "tensions between the United States and China intensify, North Korea can take advantage of it and capitalize on it. "North Korea also conducted its first major weapons test since Biden took office in March by firing two ballistic missiles into the East Sea.Go deeper ... Biden's blinking red lights: Taiwan, Ukraine and IranLike this article? Get more from Axios and subscribe to Axios Markets for free.

On Friday, White House officials informed reporters of the new policy. Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, blamed the episode on “messaging” mistakes. But it was not what anyone outside the White House expected: Trump’s cap would remain in place. Within a few hours, officials in the White House knew they had a problem on their hands. “I don’t think anyone can know exactly what the pace is going to be.” By Friday evening, the White House was in full damage-control mode.

WASHINGTON — 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. On paper, the lower emissions standards were signed jointly by the EPA and the Transportation Department’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. “I feel like it really confirmed what I had seen,” Alson said of the inspector general’s investigation. Environmental groups cheered the report’s release, as did Democrats in Congress who previously raised concerns about how the Trump administration watered down auto standards. Nick Conger, a spokesman for Regan, said the agency appreciates the inspector general’s probe and “values transparency in the rulemaking process.”

But the board’s two sitting Democrats, chairman Ron Bloom and Donald Lee Moak, have publicly supported the postmaster general. President Biden’s three nominees to the US Postal Service’s governing board could fundamentally tilt the balance of power at the beleaguered mail agency and add pressure on Postmaster General Louis DeJoy. Ron StromanHe is the recently retired deputy postmaster general, an office he held from 2011 to May 2020. In that role, he was the Postal Service’s liaison to Congress and the White House, and its point person on voting by mail. AdvertisementThe responsibilities of the role also change with each incoming postmaster general.

There is a catch: Brazil’s president, Jair Bolsonaro, wants the international community to pledge billions of dollars to pay for the conservation initiatives. The Trump administration turned a blind eye to Brazil’s environmental record under Bolsonaro, a close ally of the former US president. The closed-door meetings were seen with trepidation by environmentalists, who deeply distrust the Bolsonaro administration. European and British diplomats have been working for months to pressure the Bolsonaro administration into committing to protect the environment before November’s United Nations climate summit. The Bolsonaro administration is backing a bill that would give land grabbers amnesty, a move that would open up a swath of the Amazon at least the size of Florida to largely unregulated development.

President Biden will announce Thursday that the United States intends to cut planet-warming emissions nearly in half by the end of the decade, which would require Americans to transform the way they drive, heat their homes, and manufacture goods. It will not include detailed modeling showing how the United States proposes to meet its pledge, an administration official said. The goal is largely in line with what environmental groups and big businesses, including McDonalds, Target and Google, have wanted. “George Floyd didn’t ‘sacrifice’ his life. He was an American citizen murdered by a cop.”Pelosi later tweeted a quote from her comments, adding, “George Floyd should be alive today.

WASHINGTON — Attorney General Merrick Garland on Wednesday announced a sweeping Justice Department probe into the practices and culture of the Minneapolis Police Department, elevating the federal government’s role a day after former officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty in the murder of George Floyd. Advertisement’'Nothing can fill the void the loved ones of George Floyd have felt since his death,’' Garland said during brief remarks at Justice Department headquarters. He indicated Justice Department lawyers will also review tactics authorities used against protesters, including tear gas and other less-than-lethal munitions, in the mass street demonstrations that erupted in the city after Floyd’s death. Last week, Garland rescinded Sessions’ memo, signaling the Justice Department will return to a more robust use of federal legal authority to push for reforms among police departments. Gupta led the agency’s civil rights division during the Obama administration and helped oversee several investigations into local police departments.

The Senate will pay only for electricity and personnel at the Coliseum, which it rented starting Monday for four weeks. Supporters of former President Donald Trump have cast doubt on the Maricopa County election results since Biden's narrow win last year. Last month, the county released the results of two new audits of its equipment that showed no malicious software or incorrect counting equipment and that none of the computers or equipment were connected to the internet. The election was conducted securely, and the audit could undermine confidence in U.S. elections, they said. Logan has said his personal views are irrelevant because he intends to conduct a transparent audit.

Updated 4 times AlertMePHOENIX — Officials in Arizona’s most populous county started delivering equipment used in the November election won by President Joe Biden to the state fairgrounds on Wednesday. They plan to cart 2.1 million ballots to the site Thursday so Republicans in the state Senate who have question whether Biden’s victory was legitimate can recount them and audit the results. Senate Democrats oppose the effort to recount the ballots of the long ago certified election and are not participating. The Senate will use the Veterans Memorial Coliseum, former home of Phoenix Suns NBA basketball team, to hold the election equipment and recount the 2.1 million 2020 ballots. Supporters of former President Donald Trump have cast doubt on the Maricopa County election results since Biden’s narrow win last year.

Since taking office in January Joe Biden has worked through a laundry list of climate issues, making good on his campaign promise of bold action on a crisis he’s described as “an existential threat”. Coinciding with Earth Day on Thursday, Mr Biden will convene 40 world leaders for a two-day virtual summit to drive ambition ahead of the United Nations climate talks, known as COP26, in Glasgow this November. The guest list includes allies and adversaries alike, putting aside other fraught geopolitical issues in the hopes of more dramatic climate action. Invitees include leaders of the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate, which total about 80 per cent of global emissions, and nations on the frontlines of the climate crisis who are already facing more extreme weather and rising sea levels. “One way is the American Jobs Plan which has provisions that will create traction on a number of fronts for climate action: renewable energy, transport, especially electric vehicles, the retrofitting of buildings and energy efficiency.

The Senate on Wednesday confirmed Joe Biden's nominee for associate attorney general after Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski broke ranks and voted for the president's pick. Vanita Gupta was confirmed for the number three spot at the Justice Department in a narrow 51-49 vote. Gupta is the first woman of color and first civil rights lawyer to hold to hold the DoJ position. Because this has clearly been very hard on her as a nominee,' Murkowski said in a speech on the Senate floor. 'I am going to give the benefit of the doubt to a woman who I believe has demonstrated throughout her professional career to be deeply, deeply committed to matters of justice,' Murkowski added.

PHOENIX (AP) — Officials in Arizona’s most populous county started delivering equipment used in the November election won by President Joe Biden to the state fairgrounds on Wednesday. Senate Democrats oppose the effort to recount the ballots of the long ago certified election and are not participating. Ken Bennett, a former Arizona secretary of state who is acting as GOP Senate President Karen Fann’s liaison overseeing the audit process, said security will be tight. The Senate will use the Veterans Memorial Coliseum, former home of Phoenix Suns NBA basketball team, to hold the election equipment and recount the 2.1 million 2020 ballots. Supporters of former President Donald Trump have cast doubt on the Maricopa County election results since Biden’s narrow win last year.

As Joe Biden prepared to take office, he announced an ambitious target to vaccinate 100 million Americans within his first 100 days. As part of that effort, on Wednesday, the president will call on businesses to give workers paid time off to get their COVID-19 shots. “The further we go into the vaccination process, the more passionate the hesitancy is,” Luntz said after the session. I’m still a zero,” said a woman identified as Tammy from Virginia about an hour into Sunday’s focus group. Disturbingly, the focus group revealed that many people refusing to get vaccinated would use a fake vaccination card claiming they had received their shots.

The top commander of US forces in the Middle East told lawmakers that he does not foresee a full US withdrawal from Iraq amid continued dialogue with officials in Baghdad. “I don’t see us withdrawing completely from Iraq in the future,” he said. All US and NATO forces, in addition to military contractors, have been ordered to leave Afghanistan by Sept. 11, 2021. Moreover, the expansion of NATO’s advisory mission in Iraq is likely to require additional US logistical and security support, according to the former official. Meanwhile, projectile attacks on coalition positions in Iraq have continued in recent months.

“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.

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.

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.

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.

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."

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.

"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.

"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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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!)

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?

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.

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.

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?

Pompeo huddled with members of the Republican Study Committee — led by RSC Chairman Jim Banks (R-Ind.) Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks to the media with members of the Republican Study Committee about Iran on April 21, 2021 in Washington, DC. During his tenure as Secretary of State, Pompeo played a significant role in the implementation of roughly 1,500 sanctions on Iran. Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stands with member of the Republican Study Committee before speaking about Iran on April 21, 2021 in Washington, DC. Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks to the media with members of the Republican Study Committee about Iran on April 21, 2021 in Washington, DC.

It says she told investigators Steiner invited her in to tour the house and offered her wine before he began touching her in a way that made her uncomfortable. Steiner told the woman he was going to kill her and said he had slain five women, according to the search warrant. The woman told investigators she noticed Steiner had a red laptop open on a bar that she thought might be recording. The woman told investigators Steiner eventually pinned her to a bed after she complained about his behavior. Story continues below advertisementIn 2013, Steiner applied for his medical license to be reinstated, according to medical board records.

But as polls have repeatedly shown, it’s Republicans, especially Republican men, who are the biggest problem. A new focus group conducted by GOP pollster Frank Luntz helps us understand what’s going on in some people’s heads:Stop talking about the possibility of coronavirus booster shots. But the people in Luntz’s focus group show an infuriating degree of self-awareness, as though they know perfectly well that they’re holding us all hostage and are just negotiating the terms. 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. The result was a string of safaris to Midwestern diners, producing endless “In Trump Country, Trump Supporters Support Trump” stories.

It cannot be said strongly enough: The covid-19 vaccines are safe and remarkably effective at preventing serious disease. Some 48,000 Marines have declined to be vaccinated among 123,000 offered shots, according to the website military.com. Republicans and White evangelical Christians were the most likely to say they will not get vaccinated, with almost 30 percent of each group saying they will “definitely not” be vaccinated. A January survey showed evangelical leaders overwhelmingly planned to get vaccinated; they should step up to persuade their congregations. AdvertisementStory continues below advertisementUltimately, vaccines are essential to put out the wildfire of infection around the globe and help prevent variants from spreading.

American Bridge 21st Century, a liberal super PAC, circulated video of Chase’s remarks on Twitter, drawing about 150,000 views. AdvertisementStory continues below advertisementBefore noon Wednesday, a least one of the five Democrats running for governor was trying to raise money off Chase’s remarks. Handcuffed and face down on the pavement, Floyd died after Chauvin knelt on his neck for more than nine minutes. All five Democratic candidates were quick to applaud the Chauvin verdict, as was third-party candidate Princess Blanding, whose brother, Marcus-David Peters, was killed by Richmond police while he was experiencing a mental health crisis in 2018. Chase was the only Republican gubernatorial candidate to volunteer a statement on the verdict.

“The jury in the Derek Chauvin trial came to a unanimous and unequivocal verdict this afternoon: Please don’t hurt us,” said the host on Tuesday evening. AdvertisementStory continues below advertisementThe more Carlson strained to provide an alternative take on the Chauvin verdict, the more he stumbled. The host’s reaction to the verdict was predictable, given how Carlson covered the Floyd murder last year. That’s because the truth of the Floyd murder threatens the fragile white-grievance ecosystem that Carlson has fashioned on Fox News’s airwaves. The Chauvin jury repudiated that nonsense; no wonder Carlson doesn’t want to talk about it.

Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas is heading to the first-in-the-nation caucus state of Iowa in late June to help support fellow Republicans running in the 2022 midterm elections. The trip by Cotton, who is considered a potential 2024 GOP presidential hopeful, will spark more speculation about his likely national ambitions in the next White House race. The state could be the site of competitive Senate, House and gubernatorial showdowns in 2022. Cotton will become the fourth potential 2024 GOP presidential contender to travel to Iowa so far this year. Rick Scott of Florida and Tim Scott of South Carolina headlined separate events for the Iowa GOP.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen attends an economic briefing with U.S. President Joe Biden in the Roosevelt Room at the White House in Washington, U.S., March 5, 2021. REUTERS/Tom BrennerU.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Wednesday pledged to aggressively tackle climate change using all the tools at her disposal, warning that a failure to do so effectively and promptly could undermine economic growth. "We are committed to directing public investment to areas that can facilitate our transition to net-zero and strengthen the functioning of our financial system so that workers, investors, and businesses can seize the opportunity that tackling climate change presents," Yellen said. Yellen said international cooperation was urgently needed, and the Biden administration's comprehensive approach to climate change would give financial institutions and international partners greater certainty about U.S. plans. Yellen said the Financial Stability Oversight Council would be the principal agency managing and assessing the financial risks associated with climate change, and if necessary, taking appropriate action to mitigate them.

The state Senate is expected to soon take up the House bill, as part of a package of proposals sought by Gov. The Republican governor is also seeking to redress concerns, particularly among conservatives, about how social media companies handle unpopular views. “We should be doing the important work to protect consumer privacy. DeSantis is also urging lawmakers to pass a measure aimed at social media companies who critics claim stifle conservative voices on their platforms. The proposals before Florida lawmakers would authorize hefty fines against social media companies that remove the accounts of those seeking public office.

The deal settles claims by the state and federal governments against formerly Brentwood-based Comprehensive Pain Specialists, four of its owners — former Republican Sen. Steve Dickerson, Peter Kroll, Gilberto Carrero and Richard Muench — and former company executive Russell Smith. ADVERTISEMENTGovernment authorities had been seeking more than $50 million in damages in the case, which stemmed from whistleblower complaints. To resolve the claims against them, Comprehensive Pain Specialists will release $2.2 million held by Medicare in a suspension account and contribute $750,000 in cash. The settlement doesn’t determine any of the parties were liable for the allegations against them, the U.S. attorney’s office said. Authorities said the settlement dismisses the governments’ lawsuit against everyone but John Davis, the former company CEO.

BERLIN (AP) — He mixed extreme paranoia about secret state surveillance with far-right conspiracy tropes, misogyny and racist vitriol. Germany’s federal prosecutor, Peter Frank, described the rant as stocked with “confused ideas and far-fetched conspiracy theories.” It was last modified on Jan. 22 and offered no indication he was planning an attack, according to Rita Katz of the SITE Intelligence Group. Despite his incoherence, the 43-year-old tapped into an increasingly widespread vein of conspiracy theories originating in the United States, including many by QAnon, and woven into other specifically German themes. There’s of course evidence of his obsessions, conspiracy theories,” Neumann said. An FBI bulletin warned last May about the potential for violence among American fringe political conspiracy theorists.

Fellow chip-gear giant ASML (ASML) beat views and raised guidance before Wednesday's open. ASML stock jumped 6.25% on Wednesday, also lifting Lam Research and other chip plays. Stock Market Rally WednesdayThe stock market rally had a solid, broad-based advance, closing near session highs after two days of selling. Market Rally AnalysisThe stock market rally had a solid day. Please follow Ed Carson on Twitter at @IBD_ECarson for stock market updates and more.

Big publicly traded companies from the defense and tech sectors were among the organizations that donated the maximum allowed amount of $1 million to President Joe Biden’s inauguration committee, according to a disclosure filed Tuesday. Boeing BA, +0.79% and Lockheed Martin LMT, -0.02% each gave that sum to the committee, as did Qualcomm QCOM, +2.09% and Uber Technologies UBER, +0.52% . Biden’s inaugural committee reported raising a total of $61.8 million, down from the $107 million that former President Donald Trump brought in. Trump’s inaugural committee set records with its fundraising haul, and its spending went on to draw considerable scrutiny, with the Washington, D.C., attorney general’s office filing a lawsuit alleging waste of the funds. About 50 groups, ranging from Demand Progress to the Revolving Door Project, had asked in a December letter for Biden’s inaugural committee to follow Obama’s example.

MOSCOW (AP) — Thousands of supporters of imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny marched in central Moscow on Wednesday as part of nationwide demonstrations calling for his freedom as his health reportedly is in severe decline while on a hunger strike. Many were seized before the protests even began, including two top Navalny associates in Moscow. Navalny’s team called for the unsanctioned demonstrations after weekend reports that his health is deteriorating. A participant in a demonstration in support of Russian opposition leader and blogger Alexei Navalny on Wednesday in the Czech capital Prague holds a handmade poster reading "Free Navalny." Navalny’s team called the nationwide protests for the same day that Putin gave his annual state-of-the-nation address.

Lindell is celebrating the launch of his new social-media platform, Frank, by launching a 48-hour livestream that he is calling the Frankathon. I watched 8 hours of Lindell's streaming bender, Frankathon, which kicked off at 9 a.m. CT Monday. MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell has launched his social-media platform, Frank, after being banned from Twitter in January for spreading conspiracy theories about voter fraud. Lindell rages against Jimmy KimmelAt around 1.30 a.m. on Tuesday, Lindell started ranting about late-night TV show host Jimmy Kimmel. "I'll sleep for a couple hours later," Lindell said at 3 a.m. "And it'll be quality sleep, on my MyPillow."

A normal response from a normal man in support of a normal president. We’re on Day Two of Mike Lindell’s livestream “launch” of Frank, the MAGA cultist MyPillow CEO’s new “free speech” “social media” “platform.” We feel compelled to use so many quotations because there are many addendums to that statement. At some point during the livestream, Lindell seems to genuinely believe the Frank staff got Donald Trump on the phone. “I don’t have to validate!” (He was talking about his research into Dominion voter fraud allegations, not livestream guest vetting). Mike Lindell’s Frankathon is going great, everyone.

In March, the New York Blood Center called Cohen to cancel his 12th appointment. The government’s bet did not result in a blockbuster treatment for COVID-19, or even a decent one. But it did give the country a real-time education in the pitfalls of testing a medical treatment in the middle of an emergency. Because the government gave plasma to so many patients outside of a controlled clinical trial, it took a long time to measure its effectiveness. A clinical trial in Argentina found that giving plasma early to older people reduced the progression of COVID-19.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The State Department on Monday urged Americans reconsider any international travel they may have planned and said it would issue specific warnings not to visit roughly 80% of the world's countries due to risks from the coronavirus pandemic. The United States hasn't had a global advisory warning against international travel since August, when guidance was revoked by the Trump administration. Instead, it says the State Department will start using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention standards as it prepares health and safety guidelines for individual countries. It says people with plans to visit those countries should reconsider before proceeding. In light of those risks, the Department of State strongly recommends U.S. citizens reconsider all travel abroad,” it said.

The Trump administration’s rollback of auto emission standards was one of the most overt examples of its anti-science agenda. The Trump administration also launched an effort to revoke California’s waiver. The Trump administration’s plan froze the auto mileage standard at the 2020 level, which is only 36.9 mpg. AdvertisementAfter the 2020 election, when it became clear that President Biden would move to revoke the Trump standards, some of those automakers had second thoughts. The White House says it is working to remove Trump’s thumb from the auto emission and mileage standards, but that process may take months.

Voter turnout in municipal elections is tiny compared to turnout in presidential elections. That’s a substantial change to the democratic process decided by a margin of votes that’s fewer than the number of students at W.T. The smaller the election, the more powerful the voterDallas County election turnout follows a pattern, with a few exceptions. This means your vote in a municipal election counts more than your vote in a presidential election, precisely because so few people show up. In many races, a small number of voters could have changed the outcome and, ultimately, the direction of the city.

The batch, reportedly enough to make about 15 million J&J vaccine doses, had to be thrown out. The nearly 8 million doses of J&J vaccine given in the U.S. came from Europe. The Biden administration now is working to move AstraZeneca vaccine manufacturing to another factory. At the moment, use of the J&J vaccine is on hold in the U.S. as government health officials investigate its possible connection to very rare blood clots. After the J&J vaccine batch was contaminated, FDA inspectors started checking the Emergent factory on April 12 and finished their investigation on Tuesday.

The batch, reportedly enough to make about 15 million J&J vaccine doses, had to be thrown out. The nearly 8 million doses of J&J vaccine given in the U.S. came from Europe. The Biden administration now is working to move AstraZeneca vaccine manufacturing to another factory. At the moment, use of the J&J vaccine is on hold in the U.S. as government health officials investigate its possible connection to very rare blood clots. After the J&J vaccine batch was contaminated, FDA inspectors started checking the Emergent factory on April 12 and finished their investigation on Tuesday.

An engineer by trade, Hoover tried to encourage cooperation between government and industry. Thus, it’s very normal throughout history for economic policy revolutions to start under presidents from the opposite party of the one who eventually gets the credit. In fact, Biden’s entire China policy essentially continues in the direction that Trump laid out. But on trade and industrial policy, he blazed a trail by neutering his own party’s opposition to change. And if Biden ultimately succeeds in reorienting American economic policy away from free trade in a systematic and effective manner, he’ll likely be the one who gets associated with that shift by future generations.

The film stars Liu Yifei as Mulan, Jet Li as the Emperor, Donnie Yen as Commander Tung, and more. The film features the story of Nian, a student who experiences bullying from her peers as she prepares for exams at her school. The film follows Sam's journey as he comes to understand that the deal he made isn't as easy as it originally seemed. The short film stars Joey Bada$$, Andrew Howard, and Zaria. "White Eye"Nominated for: Short Film (Live Action)Showing in theatersIsraeli short film "White Eye" details the story of a man who loses his bike and attempts to get it back in a stunning narrative by Tomer Shushan.

Portions of the US-Mexico border wall created under the Trump administration have been compromised by migrants using $5 ladders to climb over the structure, according to a new report in Texas Monthly. The United States Border Patrol reportedly often finds discarded ladders left alongside the wall when patrolling the area. Chris Cabrera, a McAllen-based Border Patrol agent and local spokesperson for the National Border Patrol Council, claimed the border wall still served its purpose because it gave officials time to react to those attempting to cross. They first popped up in the El Paso region of the border wall in 2019, according to the Border Patrol. Reports of migrants using ladders to climb the border wall come amid a fierce debate in the United States about immigration reform.

Canada will pledge to further reduce its carbon emissionsAdvertising Read moreOttawa (AFP)Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will announce stepped up efforts to reduce Canada's carbon footprint when he meets other world leaders at a virtual climate summit hosted by US President Joe Biden this week, a media report said Wednesday. Public broadcaster Radio-Canada cited unnamed sources saying Trudeau will pledge to reduce Canada's carbon emissions 40-45 percent by 2030 from 2005 levels. The Biden administration has reportedly also urged the leaders invited to the virtual Earth Day summit to line up big reductions in emissions. Radio-Canada said a minimum 40 percent target was the "price of entry" to the talks that will herald the United States's return to the climate table. Barack Obama, after negotiating the Paris Agreement, had promised that the United States would reduce emissions by 26-28 percent by 2025 compared with 2005 levels.

On the evening of Derek Chauvin’s convictions, Attorney General Merrick Garland reminded the public that the Justice Department’s criminal investigation into George Floyd’s murder remains ongoing. The Obama administration’s Justice Department reported opening 11 such probes and negotiated some 19 reform agreements from 2012 through the start of 2017. In a press release, the Justice Department indicated that the probe will look into questions of discriminatory policing and uses of force involving people with behavioral health disabilities and protesters. The Justice Department will review Minneapolis police policies, training and supervision and examine their internal systems of accountability. Update—April 21 at 1:47 p.m. Central Time: This story has been updated to include the statement of the Minneapolis Police Department and information about the scope of the Justice Department probe.

Neither J&J nor the FDA has said when they expect vaccine production to restart at the Baltimore plant owned by Emergent Biosolutions. He described some of the issues raised by the FDA as “quite significant.”No vaccine manufactured at the Emergent plant has been distributed for use in the United States. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine was put on a pause in the US over a potential link to a blood clotting condition. Emergent has been seeking regulatory authorization to make the J&J vaccine in the United States. It found a failure to train personnel to avoid cross-contamination of COVID-19 vaccines from Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca, which had also been produced at the site.

White House adviser Steve Ricchetti's brother has been lobbying President Biden's White House on behalf of health care giants, new disclosures reveal. Steve Ricchetti is a longtime adviser to the president currently serving as counselor for the White House. Jeff Ricchetti's lobbying of the White House occurred between Biden’s inauguration in January through this March. BIDEN ADVISER’S BROTHER LOBBYING FOR DRUGMAKER UNDER FEDERAL PROBEAccording to the disclosures, Jeff Ricchetti made a total of $220,000 lobbying the White House, executive agencies and Congress on health care matters. The White House did not immediately return Fox News’ questions on whether the White House knew of the Ricchettis’ familial ties when meeting with Jeff and if the White House saw any ethical concerns over Jeff’s lobbying.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen called Wednesday for an ambitious effort across the entire U.S. economy, from pollution-emitting businesses to big financial institutions, to tackle climate change. In a further elaboration on her office's involvement in the climate issue, Yellen cited the importance of the public and private sectors working together to cut emissions and move the world towards a greener future. "At Treasury, our goal is to take this 'whole-of-government' approach and turn it into a 'whole-of-economy' approach." However, Yellen said the administration is determined to tackle the issue and work with its global partners. "We are committed to working closely with our international partners — particularly other large emitters, such as Europe, India, and China — in our shared responsibility to implement ambitious emissions reduction measures," she said.

Mississippi has one of the lowest rates of COVID-19 vaccines administered in the country, and has some of the highest rates of vaccine hesitancy, according to the CDC. Partisan divides in vaccine hesitancy are stark, the pause on the Johnson & Johnson vaccine complicated delivery in rural areas, and many Americans are inherently skeptical of any messaging push from the federal government. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy holds weekly Zoom calls with these groups featuring different guests to discuss vaccine hesitancy. On April 13, the day the FDA and CDC paused the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, Murthy brought in Fauci, who answered questions from nearly 2,000 people on the call. Many of Waits’ patients in Alabama prefer the Johnson & Johnson shot because they view it as a familiar brand name, or believe false claims about the mRNA vaccines changing their DNA.

Then he’ll try to cajole other nations to ratchet up the pollution-cutting promises they made in 2015?s Paris climate agreement. After the United States helped negotiate the last two climate agreements — 1997’s Kyoto Protocol and 2015’s Paris accord — Presidents George W. Bush and Donald Trump backed out. “That is quite a welcome message after the four years we painfully witnessed,” said Christiana Figueres , the former United Nations climate chief, who helped forge the Paris accord. “The fact that the United States is back is very important.”WHY WATCHADVERTISEMENTHuman-caused climate change is getting worse around the globe. The United Nations is counting on nearly 200 nations to announce tougher emission cut targets before that meeting, which will hash out still lingering issues.

Recent editorials from South Carolina newspapers:___April 21The Times and Democrat on South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott’s police reform proposals:It’s not hard to believe that most Americans do not favor efforts to defund police departments. House Democrats, with only three GOP representatives voting with them, passed legislation that could not gain a foothold in the then-GOP Senate. Expanded absentee voting didn’t cause massive technical problems. South Carolinians clearly liked the idea, with half of all the votes cast before Election Day. The great absentee voting experiment of 2020 also demonstrated that making voting easier isn’t the gift to Democrats that some Republicans feared — at least not in South Carolina.

PHOENIX (AP) — Officials in Arizona’s most populous county started delivering equipment used in the November election won by President Joe Biden to the state fairgrounds on Wednesday. Senate Democrats oppose the effort to recount the ballots of the long ago certified election and are not participating. Ken Bennett, a former Arizona secretary of State who is acting as GOP Senate President Karen Fann’s liaison overseeing the audit process, said security will be tight. The Senate will use the Veterans Memorial Coliseum, former home of Phoenix Suns NBA basketball team, to hold the election equipment and recount the 2.1 million 2020 ballots. Supporters of former President Donald Trump have cast doubt on the Maricopa County election results since Biden’s narrow win last year.

Mark McCloskey — the gun-toting St. Louis attorney who drew headlines last year for brandishing an assault rifle at Black Lives Matter protesters — says he’s looking at running for Missouri’s open Senate seat. McCloskey, a wealthy personal-injury lawyer, said that he had no timeline for making a decision about whether to enter the race for the seat from which Republican Sen. Roy Blunt is retiring. Eric Greitens and state Attorney General Eric Schmitt, both of whom have announced their candidacies. In a pre-recorded, four-minute video, the couple warned that liberals wanted to “demolish” suburban areas and take away gun rights. The list of Democratic contenders includes former state Sen. Scott Sifton and attorney Lucas Kunce.

That batch, reportedly enough to make about 15 million J&J vaccine doses, had to be thrown out. The nearly 8 million doses of J&J vaccine given in the U.S. came from Europe. The Biden administration now is working to move AstraZeneca vaccine manufacturing to another factory. At the moment, use of the J&J vaccine is on hold in the U.S. as government health officials investigate its possible connection to very rare blood clots. FDA inspectors started checking the Emergent factory in Baltimore on April 12 and finished their investigation on Tuesday.

So far, the Biden administration hasn’t provided specifics about how the promised fight against tax havens and dirty money might shake out. Biden himself served 30 years representing Delaware — a state known as a secrecy haven — in the U.S. Senate. The Biden appointees who would play a role in financial crime enforcement include Attorney General Merrick Garland, a former federal appeals court judge. Those critical of a higher corporate tax say that an increase would hurt the United States global competitiveness. The change would go against an international trend in recent decades of countries lowering the amount of taxes corporations pay in order to attract new investment.

Sen. Bob Menendez Robert (Bob) MenendezBiden rebuffs Democrats, keeps refugee admissions at 15,000 Bottom line The Memo: Biden's five biggest foreign policy challenges MORE (D-N.J.) on Monday introduced a bill to outlaw gun suppressors, also known as silencers. The Help Empower Americans to Respond Act would ban the importation, sale, manufacture, transfer or possession of suppressors, according to a statement from Menendez's office. It was introduced in response to a mass shooting in Virginia Beach, Va., in which a gun suppressor was used. In an interview with "Good Morning Britain" earlier this month, the president said he doesn't like gun suppressors and would "think about" banning them. Twelve people were killed and four were injured in a shooting last month in Virginia Beach.

The state of Wisconsin has negotiated a dramatically scaled-back deal with Taiwanese contract manufacturer Foxconn. The original deal envisioned Foxconn spending as much as $10 billion to manufacture a state-of-the-art factory for manufacturing large liquid-crystal display panels. Foxconn was supposed to get $2.85 billion in state and local incentives under that original deal. Making panels that large requires a large factory—the original deal envisioned Foxconn hiring as many as 13,000 workers in Wisconsin by 2032. The deal asks Foxconn to spend only $672 million on a factory that will employ only 1,454 people by 2025.

(CNN) Andrew Giuliani, the son of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and a former public liaison official inside the Trump White House, will meet with the former President at Mar-a-Lago next week as he finalizes his plans to launch a campaign for New York governor. "I will be down there next week for a two to three-day swing where we'll be meeting with donors, interviewing potential staff and speaking to the former President," Giuliani, who has spoken with Trump three times since news of his gubernatorial ambitions first broke earlier this month, told CNN in an interview Tuesday. The former President met with Zeldin ahead of his April 8 campaign announcement and is said to be leaning toward supporting the four-term congressman should he need Trump's help in the primary, according to two people familiar with Trump's thinking. Zeldin, who raked in $1 million in the first 24 hours after he announced his campaign, was endorsed on Monday by four county Republican Party chairs who said they view him as the best candidate to take on Gov. Andrew Cuomo should the Democratic leader proceed with a bid for a fourth term.

Farnoush AmiriReport for America/Associated PressCOLUMBUS, Ohio — A GOP-backed bill introduced Monday would change the name of an Ohio state park to honor former President Donald Trump. The bill primarily sponsored by freshman state Rep. Mike Loychik to rename Mosquito Lake State Park to Donald J. Trump State Park is the latest attempt by Ohio Republicans to honor the former president. In Cortland in Trumbull County, where the Mosquito Lake State Park is located, Trump won nearly 55% of the vote in November. The state park has more than 7,000 acres and one of the largest lakes in the state. "Since then, Mosquito Lake State Park has become one of Ohio's best state parks, best fishing lakes, and has one of Ohio's most important wildlife refuges."

Cartels at the southern border are targeting American teenagers on social media to get them to do their dirty work of smuggling illegal immigrants into the US — the latest sign of the escalating chaos at the border. Images obtained by Fox News shows the ads cartels are using on social media apps like TikTok, where they offer more than $3,000 a ride for teens and young adults to come drive smuggled migrants into the US when they reach the border. Images show the ads that are targeting US teens on social media. But with authorities so overwhelmed, teens are often getting little more than a slap on the wrist. The cartels are offering teens more than $3,000 to drive smuggled migrants into the US.

WASHINGTON — The governors of a dozen US states including California, New York, Massachusetts and North Carolina called on President Biden on Wednesday to back ending sales of new gasoline-powered vehicles by 2035, a dramatic shift away from fossil fuels. Biden’s $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan calls for $174 billion in spending and tax credits to boost electric vehicles (EVs) and charging networks but does not call for phasing out gasoline-powered passenger vehicles. States and some lawmakers hope that Biden’s endorsement of a phase-out date will speed the transition to EVs by users and automakers. EVs currently make up just 2% of US vehicle sales. see also Biden reportedly plans to double down on greenhouse gas emissions The Biden administration is readying a plan to dramatically cut...A number of US lawmakers have urged Biden follow California’s lead, which in September said it planned to end sales of new gas-powered passenger vehicles by 2035.

Alley, who turned 70 in January, sold the West Coast property on April 12 for $7.8 million, property records show. A serene bathtub in the master bathroom surrounded by marble tiles. realtor.comThe intricate shower, located in the master bedroom, features sea creatures frolicking amongst aqua tiles. Realtor.comAnother view of the master bedroom. Realtor.comThe master bathroom.

— Global warming emissions are expected to spike this year as the world emerges from the coronavirus pandemic and economies begin to recover. That would be the second-largest annual increase in emissions since 2010 following the global financial crisis of 2008-2009, the IEA reported. Carbon dioxide emissions will increase 5 percent increase this year, to 33 billion metric tons, the IEA forecast. President Donald Trump pulled the US out of the Paris climate agreement, a commitment by nearly 200 nations to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. The desire to return to pre-pandemic levels of economic activity will drive energy demand in 2021.

Foxconn — the Taiwan-based manufacturing giant that cranks out Apple’s iPhones among other popular gadgets — is drastically scaling back a planned $10 billion factory in Wisconsin. Then President Donald Trump (center) with Foxconn CEO Terry Gou (right) and then Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker at the 2018 groundbreaking of a Foxconn plant in Wisconsin. A shovel set in place before the 2018 groundbreaking ceremony of a Foxconn plant in Wisconsin. =Foxconn chairman Liu Young-way says that electric vehicles have a ‘promising future’ at the facility.

In winning the contract, SpaceX beat out Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin, which is based in Seattle in Cantwell’s home state, and Dynetics, an Alabama-based defense contractor. Blue Origin was the biggest recipient of money under the initial phase of the contract, awarded last year, winning $579 million. It has not said whether it would attempt to challenge the contract awarded to SpaceX last week. Story continues below advertisementNASA has said it awarded a single contract in part to move quickly. But top officials in the agency have said privately it is not feasible and publicly that it is highly unlikely.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday called for more equitable management of global affairs and, in an implicit rejection of U.S. dominance, said governments shouldn’t impose rules on others. Xi’s speech at an economic forum comes amid rising tension with China’s neighbors and Washington over its strategic ambitions and demands for a bigger role in making trade and other rules. Xi called for stronger cooperation in research on coronavirus vaccines and steps to make them available to developing countries. "No matter how far it develops, China will never seek hegemony, expand, seek spheres of influence or engage in an arms race," Xi said. "Building walls and decoupling violate economic and market rules, harming others," Xi said.

This Week:President Biden announced the U.S. will withdraw all of its troops from Afghanistan by September 11th 2021, saying it’s time to end America’s longest war. Jared and FOX News Sunday Anchor Chris Wallace discuss the President’s decision and the risk involved. This week, the FDA and CDC recommended a pause in the distribution of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine. The president invited bipartisan groups of lawmakers to the White House to discuss the bill and to hear alternatives. Rachel speaks with FOX Business Anchor David Asman about Chairman Powell’s optimism and this week’s job’s report.

General HR McMaster (Ret), former National Security Adviser to President Trump and author of the book “BATTLEGROUNDS: The Fight to Defend the Free World“, tells Brian Kilmeade President Biden withdrawing all troops from Afghanistan is repeating the mistake that was made with the complete withdrawal from Iraq in December 2011. McMaster says it is a complete fantasy to think we are gaoing to be able to partner with the Taliban against terrorist because al-Qaeda and the Taliban are completely intertwined.

Howie Kurtz on conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh’s legacy, former President Trump breaking his post-election silence over Limbaugh’s passing and U.S. attorney, FBI investigation into New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s handling of nursing home deaths.

This week:While House Democrats were conducting a closed-door deposition with a senior Defense Department official, about two-dozen Republicans stormed in. Republicans say the reason they took this dramatic step is because they feel the impeachment inquiry conducted by Democrats lacks transparency. Jared and FOX’s Senior Capitol Hill producer Chad Pergram break down all the drama from this week. Senate Republicans are stepping up their attacks on the Democratic held House’s impeachment probe, as the prospect of a trial in the Senate grows more likely by the day. FOX‘s Washington Correspondent Rachel Sutherland spoke with FOX’s National Security Correspondent Jennifer Griffin about the ongoing tensions in the Middle East.

They heard the remarks of House Financial Services Committee Chairwoman Maxine Waters, D-Calif. MAXINE WATERS' CORPORATE DONORS SILENT AFTER 'GET CONFRONTATIONAL' CONTROVERSYThat disgust metastasized further after Hennepin, MN County Judge Peter Cahill criticized Waters from the bench on Monday, describing her comments as "disrespectful to the rule of law." "It rises to that level because Maxine Waters believes there's that value in violence," said McCarthy on Fox about censure. "I'd like to see Maxine Waters, apologize for the inflammatory comments that she's made inciting violence," said House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La. TAMMY BRUCE TORCHES MAXINE WATERS FOR VIOLENT MESSAGING TO PROTESTERS: THIS IS 'FRAUD OF THE LEFTHoyer defended Waters.

Attorney General Merrick Garland announced the investigation on Wednesday in the aftermath of Derek Chauvin's murder conviction for George Floyd's death. He mentioned possible remedies that have been used in previous cases involving Baltimore and Ferguson, Missouri. In November 2014 a grand jury decided not to indict Wilson, and a March 2015 Justice Department report stated "that the evidence does not support charging a violation of federal law." A Chicago consent decree was entered into in January 2019, following allegations that the city's police had a pattern of excessive force against Black and Latino people. It too focused on improvements including those related to community policing, use of force, and body cameras.

Such a move would represent a turnaround for Republicans after they supported debt limit extensions under former President Donald Trump without strings attached. “The last time Republicans held the debt ceiling hostage they nearly crashed the global economy. In 2011, the Republican-controlled House strong-armed Democrats into accepting legislation aimed at cutting spending by about $2 trillion as the price of raising the debt ceiling. Scott's crusade would require at least 41 senators to oppose a "clean" debt limit extension, or one without cuts. The debt limit is a self-imposed mechanism by Congress that restricts the ability of the U.S. government to borrow money to fulfill its obligations.

Among the issues Murkowski discussed with Gupta was domestic violence and sexual assault, particularly against Native women — a major priority for the Alaska Republican. Earlier in the day, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer had warned that Gupta could be the first Biden nominee whose confirmation could fall along party lines. Gupta’s bipartisan confirmation comes after Senate Republicans, including Murkowski, unanimously voted against discharging Gupta from the Judiciary Committee, which deadlocked 11-11. During her floor remarks, Murkowski said that when meeting with Gupta, the nominee spoke about the pressures associated with her confirmation. Previously, she was head of the civil rights division under former President Barack Obama.

On Thursday, President JOE BIDEN will host dozens of world leaders for the two-day, virtual Climate Leaders Summit. All eyes are on Biden, as he is expected to announce his new greenhouse gas emissions goal, in an effort to reestablish the United States as a leader in curbing climate change. This week RYAN breaks down the politics of Biden's climate agenda, including the state of climate policy that he inherited from his predecessor, DONALD TRUMP and how Biden's infrastructure plan plays a key role in achieving his climate-related policies.

POLITICO Playbook PM: Chauvin aftermath: Progress on police reform talks Presented bySen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) sounded optimistic that a deal could be struck. | Joshua Roberts-Pool/Getty ImagesZACK COLMAN, a stalwart of our energy and environment team, dialed into an administration briefing this morning on the upcoming climate summit. Governors say they need more help from the Biden administration to reach the vaccine hesitant. He also did not provide details on his recent efforts engaging with the Biden administration.”— “Rep. She most recently was director of external affairs for the Trump Victory Finance Committee and is a Trump White House alum.

(Remember Colin Kaepernick, the guy that was kicked out of the league for bringing attention to police killings just like George Floyd's?) To your credit, Mark, you answered the calls and text messages of reporters who wanted to know who green-lit such a tone-deaf post. Your heart is in the right place with regard to civil rights allyship, Mark Davis. My point, Mark, is that I need you to read a little more. You're trying, Mark, and relative to some of your fellow NFL team owners, that's significant.

The Department of Homeland Security said the U.S. would approve an additional 22,000 H2-B seasonal, non-agricultural worker visas on top of the annual limit of 66,000 set by Congress. Employers must show they tried to recruit U.S. workers and then certify that they will suffer “irreparable harm” without a foreign, seasonal worker in order to qualify for the program, DHS said in a statement announcing the supplemental increase. President Donald Trump last year authorized an additional 35,000 H-2B visas above the annual cap. But then three months later he halted foreign worker programs to preserve U.S. jobs during the pandemic under an executive order. People from the Northern Triangle countries of Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala made up nearly half of the migrants apprehended at the U.S. southwest border last month, part of an increase that has turned into an early test for Biden.

The governors of a dozen U.S. states have sent a letter to President Biden urging him to pass a ban on the sale of internal combustion engine vehicles by 2035. New York, New Jersey and North Carolina are among the signatories to the letter sent to The White House. Tesla is the only all-electric mass-market automaker that sells cars in the U.S. today. In some cases, people want electric vehicles, but in a lot of cases, they're going to demand an ICE engine. The governors have also asked for heavy-duty truck sales to be all-electric by 2045.

“I hope that no one dares to cross the red line in respect to Russia, and we will determine where it is in each specific case,” Putin said. “Russia has its own interests, which we will defend in line with the international law,” Putin said during Wednesday’s address. “Some countries have developed a nasty habit of bullying Russia for any reason or without any reason at all. Belarusian and Russian security agencies arrested the alleged coup plotters in Moscow earlier this month. Russia responded to Yanukovych’s ouster by annexing Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula and throwing its support to the separatists in the country’s east.

It turns out Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner aren’t the only ones moving to the ultraexclusive “Billionaires Bunker” near Miami. According to Page Six, Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen are the latest couple to have purchased a slice of Indian Creek Island, for a cool $17 million.

Assange was eventually in Britain when the US asked for his extradition to face federal charges in a US court. When the bail charges were mooted and a judge rejected the US extradition request, the Trump administration appealed the decision. President has rejected calls from many prominent civil liberties attorneys and human rights activists to drop the case against him. Other prisoners in the US whose lengthy prison sentences are clearly the result of political persecution should also be freed. Otherwise our political leaders are just power-tripping autocrats in glass houses tossing stones at other autocrats.

The company logo for Johnson & Johnson is displayed on a screen to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the company's listing at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, U.S., September 17, 2019. Neither J&J nor the FDA has said when they expect vaccine production to restart at the Baltimore plant owned by Emergent Biosolutions Inc (EBS.N). Emergent has been seeking regulatory authorization to make the J&J vaccine in the United States. It found failure to train personnel to avoid cross contamination of COVID-19 vaccines from Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N) and AstraZeneca (AZN.L), which had also been produced at the site. No vaccine manufactured at this plant has been distributed for use in the United States.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a news conference at NATO's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium April 14, 2021. Kenzo Tribouillard/Pool via REUTERS/File PhotoThe Biden administration is working with Congress to provide nearly $300 million in civilian aid to Afghanistan, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday, funds the Trump administration conditioned on progress in peace talks. Blinken said the new assistance from the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development was intended to "demonstrate our enduring support for the Afghan people." The nearly $300 million was part of a $600 million aid pledge made by the Trump administration at an international aid conference in November. A U.S.-backed international conference that was to be held this week in Istanbul to kickstart the negotiations has been postponed because of the Taliban's refusal to attend.

In that role, he was the Postal Service’s liaison to Congress and the White House, and its point person on voting by mail. Story continues below advertisementHe was widely considered to be among Biden’s first nominees for the governing board given his postal experience and years working for Democratic presidents and House committees. But of the six sitting governors, only Bloom has postal experience: as a consultant in 2011 for the National Association of Letter Carriers. None of the other governors had mail industry experience before joining the Postal Service. Anton HajjarThe Democrat is the former general counsel to the American Postal Workers Union, which represents more than 200,000 agency employees and retirees and is the most left-leaning of all of the Postal Service’s labor groups.

There are 11 members of the Postal Service board of governors. The remaining two are the postmaster general and deputy postmaster general, who are selected by the governors. The postmaster general and deputy postmaster general are voting members of the board, but cannot vote on certain issues, including the hiring and removal of the postmaster general, and his or her salary. DeJoy is a former supply-chain logistics executive and had no previous experience with the Postal Service or the mailing business. Slow delivery: Since DeJoy took over, the Postal Service has experienced its worst delivery service in generations.

Story continues below advertisementGreene and Gosar both quickly disavowed any knowledge of the document, which includes explicitly nativist and white nationalist ideas. With the “Anglo Saxon traditions” controversy drawing more attention, we are also seeing versions of Carlson’s viewpoint edging into the realm of Republican respectability. Story continues below advertisementThe explosive “America First Caucus” document noted that American political culture derives strength from “uniquely Anglo-Saxon political traditions,” and that it is “threatened when foreign citizens are imported en masse.” Neither Perry nor Johnson referred explicitly to Anglo Saxon traditions. Now we’re in the middle of a big controversy over the idea of a House caucus expressly organized around nativist ideals. But two prominent Republicans have voiced support for a position that’s not far from its underlying ideology, and it isn’t seen as particularly controversial.

But one apparent patch of common ground for dialogue — albeit while thousands of miles apart via video link — is the threat of climate change. Putin has agreed to take part in a Biden-hosted virtual Leaders Summit on Climate on Thursday with others from around the world, including China’s Xi Jinping. The conference is viewed as Biden putting his personal stamp on the U.S. return to global climate initiatives after the Trump administration’s withdrawal. Story continues below advertisementThe event will provide a low-risk arena for cooperation — and a common foe — for the White House and the Kremlin. “But unfortunately, the real world is a little bit messier.”Story continues below advertisementMeanwhile, the Kremlin has played down the significance of Putin taking part in the summit.

It is the challenge of our time.”That challenge has become more daunting since Kerry helped forge the Paris climate accord six years ago. A former chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Kerry was once derided as “Live Shot” for his tendency to seek television coverage. Antony Blinken, who once served under Kerry, is now secretary of state, and Kerry has tried to remain deferential, even if his early enthusiasm has caused some administrative quandaries. As secretary of state, he directed that all high-level meetings between American diplomats and foreign officials had to include a discussion about climate change. But as wildfires, hurricanes and other effects of climate change intensify, the urgency is growing for nations to outline even more aggressive action, and to do so quickly.

Loudoun County, Virginia, is planning to spend more than $6 million on equity and "equity training" as part of its fiscal year 2022 budget, raising questions about how the county is responding to parents' concerns on the issue. The county is also spending $339,516 on "Instruction Facilitator, Equity and Culturally Responsive" and has allocated $565,983 for "School Counselor." As Fox News previously reported, the county has descended into infighting as residents feud over equity trainings that employ concepts surrounding critical race theory (CRT). It is becoming clearer every day that someone is making a fortune on the backs of Loudoun County taxpayers and it is time for LCPS [Loudoun County Public Schools] to start communicating with parents and explain itself with more than misleading press releases from the Interim Superintendent." The county has maintained that it doesn't utilize critical race theory (CRT).

Big Tech received a failing grade from the Media Research Center after the conservative watchdog issued a report card examining online freedom at the top companies in America. "That consistent assault on free speech makes 2021 an ideal time to track the biases and failures of Big Tech." The MRC plans to grade the top Big Tech companies once per quarter, and the inaugural report card was published on Wednesday morning. The grading system includes grades in five categories: Free Speech, User Transparency, Bias, Responsiveness to User Complaints and Fact-Checking. Facebook was given failing grades for free speech and fact-checking, a "D" in freedom, bias, and responsiveness, and a "C" in transparency.

New York (CNN Business) Progressive activists are calling on Ford, Target, Google, Bank of America and other major companies that have pledged to support voting rights to cut ties with the US Chamber of Commerce, CNN Business has learned. The campaign from activists underscores the enormous pressure companies are under to follow up their verbal support for voting rights with concrete action. "When it comes to voting rights, Ford's position is clear: We believe that equitable access to voting rights for all people is the bedrock of a democratic society." Google recently threw its weight behind the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, a separate bill backed by Democrats that would restore a key part of the historic Voting Rights Act that was struck down by the Supreme Court in 2013. At the same time, companies that have taken a more cautious approach towards speaking out about voting rights are under pressure.

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks in the Cross Hall at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 20, 2021. Before the summit begins on Thursday, the White House is expected to announce a target to cut emissions roughly 50% by 2030 compared with 2005 levels. The United States has been the largest historic emitter of greenhouse gasses and currently ranks second only to China. Its target will be watched closely as a signal of how seriously Biden takes climate change. Leaders from across the globe are participating in the summit, which will be held virtually because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks after a jury reached guilty verdicts in the murder trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin stemming from George Floyd's deadly arrest, in the Cross Hall at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 20, 2021. REUTERS/Tom BrennerU.S. President Joe Biden raised $61.8 million for his inauguration events, receiving large contributions from corporations, labor unions and wealthy individuals, according to a financial disclosure. The committee also received $1 million from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, a major labor union. About a dozen individuals donated $500,000 each, according to the filing. The money raised by Biden's committee was well below the $106 million raised by Donald Trump for his 2017 inauguration, but exceeded the $53 million raised by Barack Obama for his first inauguration in 2009.

The problem goes beyond vaccine hesitancy and extends to Americans who have neither easy access to the shot nor the motivation to get vaccinated. It just means it needs to be more convenient for them.”Before he took office, Biden pledged in December to administer 100 million vaccinations in his first 100 days, along with an objective of opening most schools nationwide. By March, Biden had easily surpassed his goal of 100 million vaccinations in 100 days, and he later announced a new mission to double the target in the same time period. In recent weeks, the administration has had to contend with unexpected challenges in its vaccination campaign — chiefly, federal health agencies’ recommendation to pause the Johnson & Johnson vaccine as they investigate rare incidents of blood clots in recipients. Administration officials are also grappling with the stubborn issue of vaccine hesitancy, particularly among Republicans and younger, white Americans who live in rural communities.

The FBI never publicly disclosed its final conclusions about the June 14, 2017, shooting. Wenstrup's comments are the first public references that the FBI concluded the shooting was a "suicide by cop." That day, a lone gunman, James Hodgkinson, unloaded dozens of rounds at GOP lawmakers practicing on an Alexandria, Va., field for the annual congressional baseball game. Wenstrup said the confirmation came in a private briefing that members of the GOP baseball team received in November 2017. Despite subsequent notes of agreement from committee Democrats, Wenstrup accused Democrats of being unconcerned about the attack.

"Be on the look out," the right-wing congresswoman's office said, "for a public release for the America First Caucus platform when it's released publicly very soon." This was the first sign that at least one House Republican was involved with the creation of an America First Caucus -- apparently predicated on the idea that the Republican Study Group and the House Freedom Caucus weren't quite radical enough. Not only was Greene's office involved in creating the "Anglo-Saxon" focused America First Caucus, but Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) told reporters late last week, "There is an America First Caucus." But as the dust settles, I'd love to hear more from leading Republicans about what, specifically, they didn't like about the America First Caucus' "platform." Slate's Ben Mathis-Lilley argued along the same lines, noting that America First Caucus' platform "reads like the latest installment of the five-years-and-counting project by conservative intellectuals to create a coherent Trump doctrine."

End detention of migrant families by Immigration and Customs Enforcement: During his presidential campaign, Biden tweeted "Children should be released from ICE detention with their parents immediately." Once in office, the Biden administration said that goal would be realized in the 2022 fiscal year, which begins in October, and it would admit 62,500 this fiscal year. Matt York / APStop border wall construction: At the beginning of his presidency, Biden paused border wall construction and land acquisition until a a 60-day review of Trump’s border wall could be completed. The case is one of more than 200 eminent domain cases started under the Trump administration that still continue today. Joe Raedle / Getty Images fileHold the Trump administration accountable for family separation: As a candidate, Biden called the Trump administration's practice of separating migrant families "criminal."

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is renewing her push for a bipartisan commission to investigate the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection, floating a new proposal to Republicans that would evenly split the panel’s membership between the two parties. Pelosi and House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy haven’t even been able to agree on whether the Republicans have been sent the proposal. Pelosi said in her letter Friday that “ we have once again sent a proposal for such a Commission to the Republicans,” but a spokesman for McCarthy said Wednesday that neither the Republican leader nor his staff have received Pelosi’s latest proposal. Pelosi has said repeatedly that she will not concede to the Republican demands on the scope. “It’s not about examining Black Lives Matter,” Pelosi said last week.

Governors Urge Biden To Order 100% Zero-Emission Car Sales By 2035Enlarge this image toggle caption David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesGovernors from a dozen states are asking President Biden to ban the sale of cars and light trucks that emit greenhouse gases by 2035. Between now and the target date, the governors called for "significant milestones along the way to monitor progress." The 12 governors also called on the Biden administration to set standards and adopt incentives to ensure 100% zero-emission sales of medium-duty and heavy-duty vehicles by 2045. While the letter urges a transition to entirely zero-emission vehicles by that date, it does not specifically call for the elimination of gasoline-powered vehicles. Last month, Biden invited the leaders of 40 countries to participate in a virtual White House summit to "underscore the urgency – and the economic benefits – of stronger climate action."

Meanwhile, competition with China is coming into focus as a key piece of the Biden administration's response to climate change. Former President Trump effectively sidelined the U.S. from the climate discussion — reversing dozens of environmental regulations, calling climate change a hoax and withdrawing the United States from the Paris accord. Competition between China and the U.S. in green sectors appears poised to heat up — and according to Hsu, could create a "race to the top." "Particularly the developing world could benefit greatly by some form of increased guided competition on sustainable infrastructure," he says. "When you peel the onion back and you talk a lot about competition, whether it's clean tech competition or whether it's competition in infrastructure," he says, "I think there are some aspects that can be positive if it's managed well."

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) outlined a plan on Tuesday to extend the free school-lunch program for every K-12 student to the spring of 2022. The program being extended is the USDA’s National School Lunch Program Seamless Summer Option (SSO) which traditionally was only available during summer months. “It’s critical that our efforts to reopen schools quickly and safely include programs that provide access to free, healthy meals for our most vulnerable students, particularly those whose communities have been hardest hit by the pandemic. “This action also increases the reimbursement rate to school meal operators so they can serve healthy foods to our kids. It’s a win-win for kids, parents and schools.”

The jury has reached a verdict in the weekslong trial of Derek Chauvin, the former police officer charged with murdering George Floyd last year. The jury deliberated for about 10 hours, capping a trial that has become the latest bellwether on efforts to address police brutality and systemic racism in America. Chauvin, a white former Minneapolis police officer, was charged with murdering Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, by kneeling on his neck for nine and a half minutes last May. The verdict will be read Tuesday between 3:30 and 4 p.m. Central time, the court announced. “The truth of the matter is that the reason George Floyd is dead is because Mr. Chauvin’s heart was too small.”Chauvin faces three charges: second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

WASHINGTON — The White House is trying to overcome diminishing demand for COVID-19 shots by offering businesses a tax incentive to give employees paid leave to get vaccinated. Roughly 130 million Americans have yet to receive one dose. According to the White House, just 43% of working adults have received at least one shot. Biden set his goal of 200 million shots last month after meeting his 100 million-in-100 days goal just over a month ago. At the time the U.S. was well on pace to meet the higher target, and the pace of vaccinations has only accelerated, to about 3 million shots per day.

WASHINGTON — The White House is trying to overcome diminishing demand for COVID-19 shots by offering businesses a tax incentive to give employees paid leave to get vaccinated. Roughly 130 million Americans have yet to receive one dose. According to the White House, just 43% of working adults have received at least one shot. Biden set his goal of 200 million shots last month after meeting his 100 million-in-100 days goal just over a month ago. At the time the U.S. was well on pace to meet the higher target, and the pace of vaccinations has only accelerated, to about 3 million shots per day.

The blaring, all-caps headline at the top of the Fox News website Tuesday morning said it all: “DISRESPECT FOR JUSTICE: Rep. You’ve got to make sure that they know that we mean business.”Fox devoted no fewer than eight more top stories to the topic. If you didn’t know better, you’d think it was Waters on trial in Minnesota, given how prominently she figures into Fox’s coverage of the case. The online ink spilled over at Fox was matched by equal outrage and attention in Republican political corners. In addition to defending Trump’s incitement, the right has preemptively staked out its own ground in the Chauvin case.

(Chitose Suzuki/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @chitosephotoWalgreens is seen at 2427 Las Vegas Blvd., South in Las Vegas, Tuesday, April 20, 2021. (Chitose Suzuki/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @chitosephotoWalgreens is seen at 2427 Las Vegas Blvd., South in Las Vegas, Tuesday, April 20, 2021. (Chitose Suzuki/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @chitosephotoWalgreens is seen at 2427 Las Vegas Blvd., South in Las Vegas, Tuesday, April 20, 2021. (Chitose Suzuki/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @chitosephotoA retail center anchored by Walgreens on the north end of the Strip is up for grabs. The building is for sale with additional retail space available for lease, according to listing brokerage Colliers Las Vegas.

Radio communication between federal agents from different agencies present was poor, and different federal officers had inconsistent annual certification training for their use of less-lethal weapons. Under use of force policies governing ICE, Customs and Border Protection and the Federal Protective Service, officers are required to complete an initial certification for each less-lethal device used. As of Aug 31, 2020, 755 federal officers had been sent to Portland to help defend the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. The Federal Protective Service reported a lack of appropriate riot control equipment and inter-agency communication problems. The Federal Protective Service also agreed to develop a plan for responding to civil disturbances at federal buildings, and estimated it would be completed by March 31, 2022.

Ms Demings went after her Republican colleagues for introducing an amendment to the bill that would prevent attempts to defund the police. Ms Demings banged the table with her hand as she said: “I have the floor, Mr Jordan! “I agree,” Mr Jordan told Mr Nadler. Ms Demings, a veteran of the Orlando police department, pounced, saying: “Mr Jordan you don’t know what the heck you’re talking about.”“I know about my motive,” Mr Jordan replied. The Independent has reached out to the offices of Mr Jordan and Ms Demings for comment.

Chris Christie is seriously considering launching a 2024 bid to try his hand at winning the White House again, at least three sources familiar with his thinking told Axios. The former Republican New Jersey governor toasted to friends, according to the Wednesday report, that so far he would be the only Republican in the 2024 primary field with executive experience. Christie, 58, has also revealed to confidants that whether former President Donald Trump runs or not will not affect his own decision on the matter. Also rumored to be considering a run is Trump's former Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley. The former South Carolina governor was spotted meeting with Mayor Francis Suarez in Miami's City Hall, which Politico reported was set up to allow Haley to gauge her as a potential 2024 running mate.

Politico reported Tuesday that Attorney General Bill Barr threatened U.S. Attorney Larry Keefe after Keefe told Gaetz about a legal theory that would green-light such a probe - and then Gaetz repeated it to Trump. We were having a broad discussion about legal doctrine related to jurisdiction and venue,' Gaetz told Politico in an interview. After the conversation between Gaetz and Keefe, Gaetz met with Trump in the Oval Office, where the then-president was telling the Florida congressman his concerns about mail-in voting. Upon hearing Trump's concerns, Gaetz told the president Keefe's legal theory. 'I said to him that an appreciation for the Keefe position on venue would give good U.S. attorneys in every capital city the necessary jurisdiction to root out fraud,' Gaetz told Politico.

“These are truly unprecedented investments in education,” said Sarah Abernathy, executive director of the Committee for Education Funding. It includes additional money for community schools, students with disabilities and school counselors. A $200 billion pre-K plan, along with tuition-free community college and $225 billion for child care, is expected this month as part of a package the White House calls the American Families Plan. GOP governors in Tennessee and Maryland, for instance, have backed programs to make community college more accessible. Murray, of the United Negro College Fund, said the education proposals show Biden’s commitment to communities that helped usher him into the White House.

President Biden on Wednesday will hail the US passing 200 million COVID-19 vaccine doses administered — as the nation expands eligibility to all Americans over age 16. Last week, the Biden administration unexpectedly paused distribution of the only one-shot COVID-19 vaccine, from Johnson & Johnson, after seven reports of blood clots — including one fatality — out of nearly 7 million shots administered. Biden will address expanding access to reach herd immunity and end the COVID-19 pandemic. The US will expand COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to all Americans over age 16. United States Forces Korea via Getty ImagesAs president, Biden has pursued a cautious approach to the virus.

Amnesty International’s annual review shows general decrease in number of global executions in 2020, but 18 countries continued the practice. After China, four Middle Eastern countries – Iran, Egypt, Iraq and Saudi Arabia – accounted for 88 percent of all known executions in 2020, said the report. That total was still less than half the number of executions carried out by the Iraqi authorities in 2019, said the report. With at least 27 executions, Saudi Arabia was considered the fifth top global executioner in 2020, according to the report. “Despite the continued pursuit of the death penalty by some governments, the overall picture in 2020 was positive,” said Callamard.

Chris Christie is reportedly thinking about another run for president in 2024. But the outlet noted that if Trump doesn’t seek election in 2024, the candidate field would be wide open. Trump told Fox News’ Sean Hannity in an interview Monday that he’s still thinking about it. I had a great life, great company, great business, no problems and now all I do is, people go after you. He dropped out of the presidential race in February 2016.??As governor of New Jersey, Chris Christie ran for president in 2016.

Official D.C. is loathed by most of America for being home to the non-D.C. people who come and posture on Capitol Hill. Unofficial D.C. is largely ignored, except when it can be used as a stereotype of a heavily Democratic urban area. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) understands the opportunity that this affords. Greene was trying to argue that D.C. was some bizarro world of leftism where the government was forcing every business to close. AdvertisementStory continues below advertisementMaybe that deceptive tweet about the gym was somehow born of her being new to the area.

EXCLUSIVE: Cartels at the southern border are targeting American teenagers on social media to get them to do their dirty work of smuggling illegal immigrants into the U.S. — the latest sign of the escalating chaos at the border. DUCEY DEPLOYS NATIONAL GUARD TO SOUTHERN BORDER AMID MIGRANT CRISIS"Need 2 or 3 drivers to go through a checkpoint," one says. But with authorities so overwhelmed, teens are often getting little more than a slap on the wrist. It is the latest shocking detail in the monthslong crisis at the southern border. Doug Ducey issued a declaration of emergency and announced he is sending the National Guard to the border to help overwhelmed officials.

"We believe Mr. Navalny's life is in serious danger," the group wrote in a statement Wednesday. "We urge the Russian authorities to ensure Mr. Navalny has access to his own doctors and to allow him to be evacuated for urgent medical treatment abroad, as they did in August 2020. We reiterate that the Russian Government is accountable for Mr. Navalny's life and health while he is in detention," the group added. Russian authorities had previously said that they offered Navalny medical care but that he continued to refuse it. "We have communicated that there will be consequences if Mr. Navalny dies," he added.

“I know such wounds have deep roots and that too many communities have experienced those wounds first-hand.”Under President Donald Trump, the Justice Department announced only one pattern-and-practice probe of a police department: an inquiry into policing in Springfield, Mass. Under the Obama administration, the Justice Department opened about two dozen pattern-or-practice investigations. The Department of Justice will be unwavering in its pursuit of equal justice under law,” Garland added. “We undertake this task with determination and urgency, knowing that change cannot wait.”The pattern-or-practice probe will be separate from a criminal investigation into Floyd’s death that the Justice Department launched last year, Garland said. Garland’s announcement indicated that Justice Department officials have done some preliminary work to assess potential deficiencies with Minneapolis police.

* House Republicans will be attending a retreat in Orlando next week, and according to House Republican Conference Chair Liz Cheney (R-Wyo. * Following a tense committee exchange with Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) yesterday, Rep. Val Demings (D-Fla.) was pressed on MSNBC today about a possible U.S. Senate campaign in Florida next year. Pat McCrory former Rep. Mark Walker are the top Republicans in the open-seat contest. * An unspecified number of employees at Simon & Schuster, one of the nation's largest publishers, circulated a petition in the hopes that the company would not proceed with a book deal for former Vice President Mike Pence. Simon & Schuster Chief Executive Jonathan Karp announced yesterday that the project is moving forward, employees' objections notwithstanding.

WASHINGTON — After Republicans spent recent years raising the debt limit without conditions, Sen. Rick Scott is pushing the GOP to insist on dollar-for-dollar spending cuts as part of a debt ceiling increase ahead of a July 31 deadline. Such a move would represent a turnaround for Republicans after they supported debt limit extensions under former President Donald Trump without strings attached. In 2011, the Republican-controlled House strong-armed Democrats into accepting legislation aimed at cutting spending by about $2 trillion as the price of raising the debt ceiling. Scott's crusade would require at least 41 senators to oppose a "clean" debt limit extension, or one without cuts. The debt limit is a self-imposed mechanism by Congress that restricts the ability of the U.S. government to borrow money to fulfill its obligations.

NEW YORK (AP) — Greta Thunberg turned 18 in January, but she’s already made peace with her future: While most college students will change their concentrations multiple times, the Swedish high school student says climate change activism will be her life’s mission. Thunberg, a 2020 Nobel Peace Prize nominee, said while she grew even more knowledgeable about climate change, there were moments that surprised her, like meeting with Polish coal miners. “I had expected them to not be willing to change, but they were willing to change. They wanted to live in a more sustainable world… as long as they were not left behind,” said Thunberg. ADVERTISEMENT“When people like that do these kinds of things and say these kinds of things, of course, it’s very hilarious,” said Thunberg.

Roughly 130 million Americans have yet to receive one dose. In a White House speech on Wednesday, Biden will discuss efforts to expand vaccine distribution and access in his first three months in office, and outline his administration’s latest plans to motivate more Americans to get shots. The White House is calling on larger employers, which have more resources, to provide the same benefits to their employees, and to institute vaccine education and encouragement campaigns so that their workers get shots. According to the White House, just 43% of working adults have received at least one shot. Biden set his goal of 200 million shots last month after meeting his 100 million-in-100 days goal just over a month ago.

Also see: Dollar bears cheer as rate-sensitive traders track Fed expectationsThis year will see “gangbusters growth,” says Lavorgna, the chief economist for the White House National Economic Council in the latter days of the Trump administration. The White House didn’t reply to a question about S corporation tax policy. Lavorgna isn’t fearful of goods and services inflation, and, as a result, says the Fed won’t begin to taper its bond purchases before 2023 — and won’t lift interest rates before the next presidential election. “How in the world can the Fed possibly step back from bond buying, it seems very difficult to me.”Lavorgna says the Trump White House had expected the Biden administration to continue with its China tariffs. The second difference is the corporate tax rate, which the Trump administration lowered and the Biden administration wants to increase; and the third is the regulatory framework.

The commitment, known as a Nationally Determined Contributions or NDC, is a key part of the Paris Agreement. And we have to start looking at how we move forward, not just as countries, separate countries, but as the world to address the challenge of climate change,” McCarthy said. Story continuesNational Climate Adviser Gina McCarthy speaks during a press briefing at the White House, Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021, in Washington. “I'm always for additional research to make our transportation structure more efficient and more climate friendly," Collins said. “The idea is not to deny it, but to embrace that challenge and begin to invest in it,” she said.

“In a perfect world, there wouldn’t need to be a climate activist, but unfortunately, there will probably still be a need for climate activists for quite some time,” she said. Thunberg, a 2020 Nobel Peace Prize nominee, said while she grew even more knowledgeable about climate change, there were moments that surprised her, like meeting with Polish coal miners. “I had expected them to not be willing to change, but they were willing to change. They wanted to live in a more sustainable world… as long as they were not left behind,” said Thunberg. “When people like that do these kinds of things and say these kinds of things, of course, it’s very hilarious,” said Thunberg.

Should a group of politicians be considered racists or bigots if the policies they push and the actions they take make avowed racists and bigot really, really happy? In the meantime, know this:The policies being pushed and the actions being taken by the Republican-controlled Arizona Legislature and Gov. Doug Ducey would have racists dancing in their white robes and pointy little party hats. The bottom line is that political maneuvering like this plays right into the hands of those promoting the irrationally hateful and anti-American white “replacement theory.”Does that make Arizona’s GOP racist? Besides, shouldn’t it be bad enough to know that racists really love what Republicans are doing?

The 50% target would nearly double America’s previous commitment and help the Biden administration prod other countries for ambitious emissions cuts as well. The U.S. emissions target has been eagerly awaited by all sides of the climate debate. The climate target is a key requirement of the 2015 Paris climate agreement, which Biden rejoined on his first day in office. The climate summit that Biden is hosting is among his first international actions since the United States officially returned to the Paris accord. Former Secretary of State John Kerry, Biden’s top climate envoy, has been pressing global leaders, including his counterpart in China, for commitments and alliances on climate efforts.

With more than 50% of adults at least partially vaccinated, Biden will reflect on his efforts to expand vaccine distribution and access in his first three months in office. With roughly 28 million vaccine doses being delivered each week, demand has eclipsed supply as the constraining factor to vaccinations in much of the country. Biden set his goal of 200 million shots last month after meeting his 100 million-in-100 days goal just over a month ago. At the time the U.S. was well on pace to meet the higher target, and the pace of vaccinations has only accelerated, to about 3 million shots per day. It was a deliberate effort by Biden to set clear — and achievable — metrics for success as part of a strategy of underpromising, then overdelivering.

The climate summit that Biden is hosting is among his first international actions since the United States officially returned to the Paris accord. The U.S. withdrawal from the global pact under former President Donald Trump was part of Trump’s effort to step away from global allegiances in general and his oft-stated but false view that global warming was a hoax or at least an overstated claim by the world’s scientists.

The 50% target would nearly double America’s previous commitment and help the Biden administration prod other countries for ambitious emissions cuts as well. The U.S. emissions target has been eagerly awaited by all sides of the climate debate. The agreement commits the EU to an intermediate target of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 compared with 1990 levels. The climate target is a key requirement of the 2015 Paris climate agreement, which Biden rejoined on his first day in office. The climate summit that Biden is hosting is among his first international actions since the United States officially returned to the Paris accord.

Fish and Wildlife Service announced the final habitat designation for the western yellow-billed cuckoo on Tuesday. It covers about 467 square miles (1,210 square kilometers) along hundreds of miles of rivers and streams in the western states. Most breeding in the U.S. occurs in Arizona and New Mexico, but the habitat designation also includes areas in California, Colorado, Utah, Texas and Idaho. Wildlife managers opted to exclude more than 300 square miles (777 square kilometers) of potential habitat after considering updated information about ongoing conservation activities, the lack of suitable habitat in some areas and potential interference with critical infrastructure. A habitat plan that spanned more than 850 square miles (2,200 square kilometers) was first floated in 2014 but never approved.

“After 10 hours of deliberation, a jury in Minneapolis decided that it’s illegal for the police to murder people, that Black Lives Matter,” Colbert said. “But at least in this case, this man faces accountability.”Still, “justice is a far more difficult goal,” the Late Show host continued. There is more work to be done.”Jimmy KimmelIn Los Angeles, Jimmy Kimmel also started his monologue with a mention of Derek Chauvin’s landmark guilty verdict. Seth MeyersLate Night taped before the announcement of the Chauvin verdict, “so if it seems conspicuous in its absence, that is the reason why”, Seth Meyers said. And “according to polls, Americans are more interested in trying edibles than any other type of cannabis product,” Meyers explained.

Representative Val Demings slammed Republicans on Wednesday for using law enforcement officials as pawns to advance their political agenda. Law enforcement officers risk their lives every day. 'Law enforcement officers deserve better than to be utilized as pawns. You know nothing about what law enforcement officers are.' 'The verdict was a great step in the right direction,' Demings told MSNBC on Wednesday.

Longtime Republican Caitlyn Jenner will “decide soon” whether she will run for California governor, she said in tweets Sunday in which she also appeared to deny connections with GOP fundraisers. I am with Californians and will decide soon. Her comments Sunday come less than two weeks before the April 29 deadline to verify signatures in the campaign to recall Newsom. Recall organizers submitted more than 2.1 million signatures last month; they need about 1.5 million signatures verified to put the recall question before California voters. Two polls — including one from KTLA and five other Nexstar-owned California television stations — have in recent weeks shown the recall lacks enough support to succeed.

Jeff Ricchetti started working for the health care companies before Election Day in November. In a rare statement, Jeff Ricchetti told CNBC that he has not lobbied his brother. It's concerning," Shaub told CNBC, referring to former Trump White House communications strategist Mercedes Schlapp. Despite what the filing says, the company denied that Jeff Ricchetti is lobbying the White House on its behalf. He does not lobby the White House on our behalf," Marc Palazzo, TC Energy vice president of U.S. stakeholder relations, said in a statement.

A State Department review during the final weeks of the Trump administration of China’s conduct in Xinjiang pitted the department’s lawyers against advocates of a genocide determination. Critics of the State Department’s legal stance have argued that it has focused too heavily on the first category, mass killing, and not enough on the other categories. Since the Cold War, the State Department has claimed genocide occurred in at least five cases. The Biden team during the campaign reached the conclusion that China had carried out genocide several months before Pompeo’s declaration. “I know the State Department is reviewing that as we speak,” she said, before later aligning her position with Blinken’s.

Roughly 130 million Americans have yet to receive one dose. In a White House speech on Wednesday, Biden will discuss efforts to expand vaccine distribution and access in his first three months in office, and outline his administration’s latest plans to motivate more Americans to get shots. The White House is calling on larger employers, which have more resources, to provide the same benefits to their employees, and to institute vaccine education and encouragement campaigns so that their workers get shots. According to the White House, just 43% of working adults have received at least one shot. Biden set his goal of 200 million shots last month after meeting his 100 million-in-100 days goal just over a month ago.

Taiwan formally introduced a new naval warship Tuesday as China’s military increases its presence near the self-ruled island. President Tsai Ing-wen was on hand in the southern port city of Kaohsiung for the launching of the new 10,000-ton amphibious transport ship, the first from Taiwan’s new domestic naval shipbuilding program. President Tsai said the new vessel represented a “milestone” for the program, and that it will bolster Taiwan’s national defense. Earlier Monday, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said 25 Chinese warplanes entered the island’s air defense zone along its southern border, including 15 fighter jets, four bombers, two anti-submarine warfare planes and an airborne early warning plane. China has vowed to bring the island under its control by any means necessary, including a military takeover.

Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin began his first full day in state prison Wednesday after he was found guilty of murdering George Floyd in a landmark trial. Under the Trump administration, Justice Department intervention in local policing matters was largely stalled. He also pushed for the Senate's passage of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. The House passed the the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act – named in Floyd's honor – in March. What happened to the other officers involved in George Floyd's death?

Simon & Schuster says it will publish former Vice President Mike Pence’s memoir despite objections from employees who signed petitions demanding the company not sign book deals with former Trump administration officials, according to a report. The book publisher’s CEO, Jonathan Karp, said in a letter to staffers on Tuesday that he wants to ensure that different “voices and perspectives” can be heard, Fox Business reported. “As a publisher in this polarized era, we have experienced outrage from both sides of the political divide and from different constituencies and groups. Simon & Schuster CEO Jonathan Karp said that “we come to work each day to publish, not cancel.” Monica Schipper“That decision was immediate, unprecedented, and responsive to the concerns we heard from you and our authors,” Karp said in the letter. The petition reads that Simon & Schuster ?”has chosen complicity in perpetuating white supremacy by publishing Mike Pence.” Alamy Stock PhotoThe ex-veep, who recently had a pacemaker installed, announced he was launching a conservative advocacy group, Advancing American Freedom, the same day as the book deal.

The 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund, which originally operated between 2001 and 2004, was created by Congress after the attack on the twin towers. To claim any money from the fund, individuals had to work with an attorney and have the attorney submit claims and receive awards on their behalf. AdvertisementStory continues below advertisementVila told Ferreyra repeatedly between October 2016 and February 2020 that the fund had not yet released all of the money, court records state. He said he broke his “own moral compass” when he stole money from Ferreyra, and he vowed to work multiple jobs to pay what he owes. Ferreyra said he is fine with Vila’s sentencing and has chosen to accept the apology he received from Vila in the courtroom.

Big Tech went to war with conservatives in a place that was once one of the most free places on earth – the internet. Big Tech didn’t just fail overall. Once Big Tech companies got away with that, they figured they could do anything to anybody. Conservatives have been battling Big Tech censorship for several years. He and the other Big Tech CEOs have handled the mistreatment of conservatives with the same seriousness.

"We've got to stay on the street and we've got to get more active, we've got to get more confrontational. We've got to make sure that they know that we mean business," Waters said Saturday, adding she was "hopeful" Chauvin would be convicted of murder. Cahill was asked by Eric Nelson, Chauvin's defense attorney, to declare a mistrial due to prosecutorial misconduct and Waters’ comments at a Brooklyn Center protest Saturday night. Nelson told the court there is a "high probability" that jurors will see Waters’ comments. Cahill called it "disrespectful to the rule of law and to the judicial branch" for elected officials to comment on the outcome of the case.

And in its pursuit, the GOP has come to rely increasingly on the United States Supreme Court to do its dirty work. This Supreme Court has the ability to repeal our reproductive and marriage rights . Our legislation is simple: it adds four justices to the Supreme Court. Join us on Twitter and FacebookExpanding to 13 justices would undo the Republican court packing of the last five years. Unless we expand the Supreme Court and end minority rule, that democracy will remain out of reach.

The President is making plain those Russian actions that the US sees as unacceptable. If well handled, it would help Biden make clear to Putin what behavior will carry the most severe consequences and let him gauge the Russian leader's responses. Biden has spoken up for Navalny , the Putin critic languishing in a Russian jail. On Afghanistan, Biden has just announced a US troop withdrawal, and Putin is undoubtedly happy with the decision. Biden had vowed that Putin would "pay a price," for his actions and is following through.

On Friday, we learned of the first publicly entered guilty plea from among the over 400 people charged in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. A guilty plea in such a sweeping and high-profile investigation is significant on its own. Shaffer could also potentially disclose how the Oath Keepers group is funded or directed by current or former political leaders, advisors or government officials. At least two Oath Keepers members who have already been charged for breaching the Capitol are known to have provided security to longtime Trump adviser Roger Stone. Ted Cruz, who wants to label people who oppose fascism "terrorists," seen here at a rally with far-Right Oath Keepers militia.

And while that would appear to resolve a key sticking point, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) told reporters yesterday that he's still focused on another concern. Or put another way, according to the Republicans' Senate leader, the commission designed to scrutinize the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol should not focus entirely on the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. When Congress created the 9/11 Commission, no one in positions of authority asked, "But what about other terrorist attacks?" When Congress created a commission to examine the JFK assassination, few thought to ask, "Why focus on just one murder?" A few weeks later, McConnell added, "There is no question -- none -- that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of [Jan. 6].

DOJ To Investigate Minneapolis Police For Possible Patterns Of Excessive ForceEnlarge this image toggle caption Alex Wong/Getty Images Alex Wong/Getty ImagesOne day after a jury convicted former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin on murder charges, the U.S. Justice Department launched an investigation into possible patterns of discrimination and excessive force among the police department there. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced the new civil inquiry on Wednesday, the first such "pattern or practice" investigation in the Biden administration, which has pledged to build trust between police and communities. "Yesterday's verdict in the state criminal trial does not address potentially systemic policing issues in Minneapolis," Garland said. He said the investigation will look at the use of excessive force, including during protests, and examine the MPD's accountability systems. By contrast, during the Obama years, the Justice Department conducted more than two dozen pattern or practice investigations.

FILE - In this April 15, 2021, file photo, President Joe Biden speaks in the East Room of the Whi... The 50% target would nearly double America’s previous commitment and help the Biden administration prod other countries for ambitious emissions cuts as well. The U.S. emissions target has been eagerly awaited by all sides of the climate debate. The climate target is a key requirement of the 2015 Paris climate agreement, which Biden rejoined on his first day in office. The climate summit that Biden is hosting is among his first international actions since the United States officially returned to the Paris accord.

2021 will be an incredible year of economic growth. But next year won't, says a former Trump administration economist and longtime Wall Street veteran. See full story. There is a new normal for Netflix, and that is not necessarily a bad thingNetflix Inc. investors may need to change how they evaluate the streaming media giant. See full story.

There are also signs of backlash: Legislation that would reduce voting access, protect the police and effectively criminalize public protests has sprung up in Republican-controlled state legislatures. Floyd’s death, most Americans agreed early last summer, was part of a broader pattern — not an isolated episode. Even as the outcry over Floyd’s death has raised awareness of it, other trends tied to the pandemic have only exacerbated that inequality. White Americans unfamiliar with the concept of structural racism drove books on the topic to the top of bestseller lists. George Floyd’s death created a new energy around making changes, though it’s not clear how lasting they will be,” said Rashad Robinson, president of Color of Change.

A Republican proposal in Indiana would bar anyone convicted of unlawful assembly from holding state employment, including elected office. The Minneapolis police officer who killed Floyd, Derek Chauvin, was convicted on Tuesday on murder and manslaughter charges, a cathartic end to weeks of tension. The Iowa bills, part of a law enforcement package proposed by Gov. Kim Reynolds, would strip local governments of state funding if cities and counties defund their own law enforcement budgets — something that no Iowa jurisdiction has sought to do. Carroll said the bill was needed to ensure community safety and protect law enforcement personnel.

Mark and Patricia McCloskey brandishing their guns as Black Lives Matter protesters passed through their gated community in St. Louis, Missouri. Daniel Shular/TwitterMark McCloskey and his wife Patricia displayed their guns as BLM protesters passed their house last year. McCloskey told Politico on Tuesday he's considering running for Senate in 2022. The lawyer who pointed his gun at Black Lives Matter protesters as they passed through his St. Louis, Missouri, gated community has said he is considering a run for Senate. The protesters had been trying to march toward the home of Mayor Lyda Krewson of St. Louis.

People hug at George Floyd Square in Minneapolis on Tuesday, April 20, 2021, after the jury found Derek Chauvin guilty of murdering George Floyd. Floyd’s death, most Americans agreed early last summer, was part of a broader pattern — not an isolated episode. Even as the outcry over Floyd’s death has raised awareness of it, other trends tied to the pandemic have only exacerbated that inequality. White Americans unfamiliar with the concept of structural racism drove books on the topic to the top of bestseller lists. George Floyd’s death created a new energy around making changes, though it’s not clear how lasting they will be,” said Rashad Robinson, president of Color of Change.

An upcoming international peace conference that was meant to push Afghanistan’s warring sides toward a power-sharing deal and ensure an orderly U.S. exit from the country has been postponed, its sponsors said Wednesday, citing a lack of prospects for meaningful progress. AdvertisementThe decision came several days after Taliban insurgents, who are key to peace efforts, dismissed the U.S.-backed conference in Istanbul, Turkey, as a political spectacle in service of American interests. Recent months have also seen an increase in government bombing raids on suspected Taliban positions and increased raids by Afghan special forces. Kabul residents fear the attack could be a harbinger of what’s to come as foreign troops prepare their final withdrawal from Afghanistan. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said the peace conference was postponed because of “lack of clarity” by the participants, but he did not elaborate.

His status as an outsider, detached from current border controversies, gives him — and us — fresh perspectives. Liu Xiaodong, Tom, his Family, and his Friends, 2020, Oil on canvas at the exhibition Liu Xiaodong: Borders at Dallas Contemporary. But what mostly grabs our attention are faces — faces lined, frowning and sweat-drenched from hard work. “Arely Morales: Paintings” runs through May 8. Scott Cantrell was staff classical music critic of The News for 16 years, sometimes also writing about art and architecture.

Small business owner and retired U.S. Air Force officer Sam Peters will once again seek the Republican nomination in Nevada’s 4th Congressional District, he formally announced Wednesday. Sam Peters (Special to the Pahrump Valley Times)Small business owner and retired U.S. Air Force officer Sam Peters will once again seek the Republican nomination in Nevada’s 4th Congressional District, he formally announced Wednesday. Peters finished second in the 2020 primary to former state Assemblyman Jim Marchant, who won about 35 percent of Republican voters to Peters’ 28 percent. Marchant was defeated by incumbent Rep. Steven Horsford, a Democrat, by about 5 percentage points in the general election. Peters said Horsford has not lived in the district since he was elected in 2018 and has thus lost touch with the largely rural area.

The Justice Department is launching a federal civil rights inquiry into Minneapolis police operations, a day after former officer Derek Chauvin was convicted in the murder of George Floyd. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced the review Wednesday, reviving a Justice strategy used to hold local police agencies to account for engaging in a pattern of troubling conduct. "Yesterday's verdict does not address potentially systemic police issues in Minneapolis," Garland said. Justice Department intervention in local policing matters was largely stalled during the Trump administration, but Garland reversed that policy last week signaling that the Biden administration intends to more aggressively investigate police departments accused of civil rights violations amid deepening distrust of law enforcement. The move came in the final days of Chauvin’s trial in Minneapolis and following multiple fatal shootings involving police.

An open letter circulated by staff at S&S said that the publisher had “chosen complicity in perpetuating white supremacy by publishing Pence”, in a two-book deal struck earlier this month and reported to be worth $3-4m (£2.1-2.8m). “As a publisher in this polarised era, we have experienced outrage from both sides of the political divide and from different constituencies and groups. While S&S subsequently announced it would not distribute Mattingly’s book, staff at S&S pointed to Post Hill titles which S&S still distributes, including embattled Republican congressman Matt Gaetz’s Firebrand. “We impart to you the sad and unfortunate truth that we are actively making history right now,” says the open letter. Post Hill confirmed last week that it would go ahead with publishing Mattingly’s book without S&S, and declined to comment further.

Garland said Tuesday's verdict in the Chauvin case 'does not address potentially systemic policing issues in Minneapolis.' The probe is a civil investigation 'to determine whether the Minneapolis Police Department engages in a pattern or practice of unconstitutional or unlawful policing,' Garland said in a brief statement at the Justice Department. Former Minneapolis police officer Derek ChauvinBiden called systemic racism 'the knee on the neck of justice for black Americans,' in remarks to the nation after the Chauvin verdict. The Justice Department is already investigating whether the officers involved in Floyd's death violated Floyd's civil rights. The Justice Department had no comment.

The White House confirmed Wednesday that all 40 world leaders invited to President Joe Biden's climate summit this week will attend, a list that includes Russian leader Vladimir Putin and China's Xi Jinping. The White House argues any domestic interference or interference with foreign allies is a threat to the US. Chinese state media said Wednesday that Xi will give a speech on Thursday via video conference at Biden's global leaders climate summit. In addition to the president and world leaders, several Cabinet secretaries and business leaders will attend the summit. The virtual Leaders Summit will be live streamed for public viewing, the White House noted in its announcement of the event.

She added: “I think it’s the role of the president of the United States to stay back, not inflame the tensions. I like that he called the family of George Floyd, President Trump did too, but it’s such a tinder box moment. “Does she not know who her boss was?” on Twitter user wrote. Just a reminder that Kayleigh McEnany was actively pushing the Big Lie for months and continued to work for Donald Trump after he incited a violent insurrection. https://t.co/VcGWzIVQG4 — Citizens for Ethics (@CREWcrew) April 20, 2021Kayleigh McEnany said "And I think it's the role of the president of the United States to stay back, to not inflame the tensions."

1:31‘Today’s Verdict Is a Step Forward,’ Biden SaysNOW PLAYINGMinnesota Attorney General Thanks Floyd Family After Trial1:03Person of Interest Identified in Long Island Grocery Store Shooting1:41Voting Rights Hearing Features Georgia Leaders1:13‘Praying the Verdict Is the Right Verdict,’ Biden Tells Floyd Family1:17Psaki Defends Cap on Immigration Set by Trump Administration1:07Biden Says He’s Prepared to Compromise’ on Infrastructure Plan1:13Merrick Garland Honors Victims of the Oklahoma City Bombing1:31Harris Says Biden’s Infrastructure Plan Will Create ‘Good Jobs’1:28Police Search for Gunman in Austin Shooting0:50Gunman in Indianapolis Shooting Was Former Employee, Police Say0:45

Live Live Updates: Biden to Announce Major Pledge to Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions President Biden’s plan to cut emissions almost in half by 2030 would require Americans to transform the way they drive, heat their homes and manufacture goods. President Biden hopes the new targets convince other nations to do more to combat global warming. It will not include detailed modeling showing how the United States proposes to meet its pledge, one administration official said. Advertisement Continue reading the main story‘It was a murder in full light of day,’ President Biden says of George Floyd’s death. “We’re all so relieved,” Mr. Biden said to a group of people who included Ben Crump, the Floyd family’s attorney.

Mark McCloskey, who made national headlines with his wife when they pointed guns at Black Lives Matter protesters outside their St. Louis mansion, is reportedly mulling a Senate run in Missouri. McCloskey spoke this weekend at a Jackson County Republican dinner, which also drew former Gov. Armed homeowners Mark and Patricia McCloskey, confront protesters marching to St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson’s house in the Central West End of St. Louis on June 28, 2020. Patricia McCloskey and her husband Mark McCloskey draw their firearms at protesters on June 28, 2020. Mark and Patricia McCloskey made a stop at the Luzerne County Republican headquarters during a McCloskey Team Trump bus stop in Kingston, Pennsylvania on Sept. 30, 2020.

3, the drug pricing bill House Democrats passed at the end of 2019. 3 would have gotten in the way of drug companies developing treatments and vaccines for the coronavirus, Reps. Kevin Brady (Tex. The Congressional Budget Office estimates around 38 fewer new drugs over the next two decades, due to reduced revenue for drug makers. The Health and Human Services secretary would negotiate prices with drug maker in between those limits. They warn it could hurt research and development incentives for U.S. drug makers, who lead the world in developing new products.

That earned her the second-highest fundraising haul among House Republicans, behind only Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La. AdvertisementIn total, a dozen GOP election objectors raised at least $1 million each. House Republican Conference Chair Liz Cheney (R-Wy. AdvertisementRep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), who has launched a super PAC to support anti-Trump Republicans, raised $1.1 million, his highest-ever quarterly total. They argue Republicans can burnish their populist credentials by shunning corporate support.

Whenever we visit, grizz always gives me a kiss first and then proceeds to hound Andrew non-stop to play.”The whole affair left Yang “mystified,” he said. AdvertisementIt’s the natural result of his social media presence. If you somehow weren’t familiar with Yang, you’d be forgiven for thinking much of his Twitter account serves to promote an amateur New York City travel blog. Story continues below advertisement“A lot of social media channels for political figures tend to be quite corporate feeling and a little bit dull and very, very risk-averse. Story continues below advertisement“Remember that people on the other sides of social media avatars are real-life flesh-and-blood human beings with thoughts, feelings, humanity,” Yang said.

Story continues below advertisementThe Floyd family attorney, Ben Crump, cast the verdict as a critical moment in America’s troubled history of race, policing and criminal justice. In a statement sending support to the Floyd family, Obama stated frankly that the country needed to “come to terms” with the prevalence of racism in its various systems, from policing to the economy. Before the verdict was announced, Floyd’s family members gathered in a hotel conference room in downtown Minneapolis and braced themselves for what was to come. The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act has passed the House but remains stalled in the Senate. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison (D) was among several top officials who acknowledged Floyd’s family in the aftermath of the verdict.

"Montana has a long history of secure, transparent elections, setting a standard for the nation," Gianforte said in a statement. The integrity of the state's system of elections was never called into question. Indeed, unlike in Georgia, Republicans in Montana had a perfectly good year in 2020. But as was the case in Iowa, where Republicans also had a good year, the party decided that success wasn't good enough. "The goal of the lawsuit is to stop Republicans from silencing voters, to protect fair elections, and the freedom to vote for everyone in Montana."

Former President Donald Trump and former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, left, and former Foxconn Chairman Terry Gou, right, participate in a groundbreaking event for the new Foxconn facility in Mt. Foxconn is eligible to receive up to $80 million in performance-based tax credits over six years. The original Wisconsin package also included local tax incentives and road and highway investments by state and local governments, which brought total taxpayer-funded subsidies to more than $4 billion. Foxconn noted that since 2017, it has invested $900 million in Wisconsin, including several different facilities in the state.

But while the trial’s outcome resolved the individual case into George Floyd’s death, the larger challenge on policing and race remains. The case into George Floyd’s murder is finally over. 37 percent: The share who said a guilty verdict would have a positive effect. 216-210: The party-line House vote yesterday to table a resolution censuring Maxine Waters for her comments before the Chauvin verdict. ICYMI: What else is happening in the worldHere’s what U.S. lawmakers are saying about the Chauvin verdict.

With more than 50% of adults at least partially vaccinated , Biden will reflect on his efforts to expand vaccine distribution and access in his first three months in office. ADVERTISEMENTWith roughly 28 million vaccine doses being delivered each week, demand has eclipsed supply as the constraining factor to vaccinations in much of the country. Biden set his goal of 200 million shots last month after meeting his 100 million-in-100 days goal just over a month ago. At the time the U.S. was well on pace to meet the higher target, and the pace of vaccinations has only accelerated, to about 3 million shots per day. It was a deliberate effort by Biden to set clear — and achievable — metrics for success as part of a strategy of underpromising, then overdelivering.

Biden's national climate adviser, Gina McCarthy, wouldn't disclose the White House's specific goal during an interview with the NPR Politics Podcast. Here are excerpts from McCarthy's interview with NPR Politics Podcast co-host Scott Detrow, edited for length and clarity:A lot of climate news this week. Connect:Subscribe to the NPR Politics Podcast here. Email the show at nprpolitics@npr.orgJoin the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group. Listen to our playlist The NPR Politics Daily Workout.

With this latest increase, we could end up spending several times as much to make all those problems worse. Through the Trump years, the annual military budget expanded by more than $60 billion after adjusting for inflation. We’re spending more on the military now (in inflation-adjusted terms) than we were at the height of the Korean War, Vietnam War, or Cold War. In one case last year, the Pentagon nearly spent $1 billion budgeted for COVID-19 protective equipment on jet parts and body armor instead. Increasing the budget for the polluting, destabilizing, and profligate Pentagon undermines our ability to create true security by creating jobs, rebuilding infrastructure, ending racism and stopping climate change.

State health officials, business leaders, policymakers and politicians are struggling to figure out how to tailor their messages, and their tactics, to persuade not only the vaccine hesitant but also the indifferent. Dr. Scott Harris, the state health officer, is trying to reach out to rural white residents, who demonstrate high rates of vaccine hesitancy. “Please email them to your patients, saying, ‘This is why I think you ought to take the vaccine,’” he has pleaded. “There are states where they feel they have hit the wall,” said Mike Fraser, the executive director of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. It also does not help that in a highly polarized nation, vaccination is still a topic of political debate.

The GuardianCongresswoman defiant as Republicans condemn her comments in support of protesters Maxine Waters during a protest in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, over the weekend. “I am not worried that they’re going to continue to distort what I say,” Waters, 82, told the Grio. House Democrats on Tuesday voted down a resolution from the Republican minority leader, Kevin McCarthy, to censure Waters over her comments, just hours before Chauvin was convicted of George Floyd’s murder. If Chauvin was acquitted, she said, “we’ve got to stay on the street, and we’ve got to get more active. “This weekend in Minnesota, Maxine Waters broke the law by violating curfew and then incited violence,” McCarthy tweeted.

Still, as they embraced the bill that DeSantis signed into law, Republican leaders expressed scorn for cities that trim police budgets and tolerate protesters who disrupt business and traffic. “We were not going to allow Florida to become Portland.”The Florida law imposes harsher penalties for existing public disorder crimes, turning misdemeanor offenses into felonies, creating new felony offenses and preventing defendants from being released on bail until they have appeared before a judge. That was evidence, he said, that bills aimed at punishing protesters were disproportionately targeting people of color. The Iowa bills, part of a law enforcement package proposed by Gov. Carroll said the bill was needed to ensure community safety and protect law enforcement personnel.

President Biden inherited it from President Trump, who inherited it from President Obama, who took it from President George W. Bush. Newsletter Get our Essential Politics newsletter The latest news, analysis and insights from our politics teams from Sacramento to D.C. Even as conflict continued between the Taliban and the Afghan government into May, the Trump administration remained committed to removing troops. Advertisement— Solar panels, wind turbines and electric cars will go far in helping California and the Biden administration meet their aggressive climate goals — but not far enough. — The Supreme Court is weighing whether immigrants granted temporary protected status can get green cards — and if the Biden administration will make that decision, David G. Savage reports.

State health officials, business leaders, policymakers and politicians are struggling to figure out how to tailor their messages, and their tactics, to persuade not only the vaccine hesitant but also the indifferent. Dr. Scott Harris, the state health officer, is trying to reach out to rural white residents, who demonstrate high rates of vaccine hesitancy. But as the economy swings into gear, they are reluctant to mandate vaccination for their employees, fearing too many would seek work elsewhere. “There are states where they feel they have hit the wall,” said Mike Fraser, the executive director of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. It also does not help that in a highly polarized nation, vaccination is still a topic of political debate.

President Joe Biden said before the verdict was read in the trial of Derrick Chauvin that he was "praying for the right verdict." Juries always deliver the "right" verdict. The guilty verdicts in the Chauvin case aren't proof the American justice system worked. The system worked because Chauvin received the due process guaranteed him by the Constitution in a fair trial before a jury that took it's job seriously. Sign up for the Nolan Out Loud morning report at detroitnews.com/newsletter

With more than 50% of adults at least partially vaccinated, Biden will reflect on his efforts to expand vaccine distribution and access in his first three months in office. With roughly 28 million vaccine doses being delivered each week, demand has eclipsed supply as the constraining factor to vaccinations in much of the country. Biden set his goal of 200 million shots last month after meeting his 100 million-in-100 days goal just over a month ago. At the time the U.S. was well on pace to meet the higher target, and the pace of vaccinations has only accelerated, to about 3 million shots per day. It was a deliberate effort by Biden to set clear — and achievable — metrics for success as part of a strategy of underpromising, then overdelivering.

New research from the American Lung Association find that more than four in 10 people – a whopping 135 million in the US – live in counties with unhealthy levels of particle or ozone pollution. The annual air quality “report card” identifies the parts of the country with the more polluted air, and gives them a letter grade (from A to F). The most widespread outdoor air pollutants, ozone pollution and particle pollution, were analyzed. Cities with the worst, year-round particle pollution include Fairbanks, Alaska, and a slew of cities in California, including Los Angeles and Bakersfield. She adds that a key reason for the increase in air pollution was climate-change-fueled wildfires.

Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie is ‘seriously considering’ a 2024 presidential run, according to a report by Axios. While Mr Trump still mulling his plans for a 2024 bid, the path for the nomination remains wide open. Mr Christie has reportedly told associates that the former president’s plans won’t affect his own decision-making. “But if President Trump does decide to run in 2024, the nomination will be his if you’re paying any attention to public polling of Republican voters”, Mr Miller added. Polling does show that Mr Trump remains a commanding figure among GOP voters, despite his loss in November to Democrat Joe Biden.

However, looked at another way, Nomadland is what a U.S. travel magazine hailed as a 'love letter to America's wide open spaces'. It was shot across five states — South Dakota, Nebraska, Arizona, Nevada and California — but it's South Dakota that provides the film with its most memorable backdrops. Some of them certainly are — last summer we managed to flee the city and drove to the eastern side of the Midwest in the Great Lakes region. Take to the water by canoeing in Michigan’s Great Lakes. Global-warming forecasts project that the Great Lakes region will eventually have the best year-round climate in America.

Chris Christie is seriously considering launching a 2024 bid to try his hand at winning the White House again, at least three sources familiar with his thinking told Axios. The former Republican New Jersey governor toasted to friends, according to the Wednesday report, that so far he would be the only Republican in the 2024 primary field with executive experience. Christie, 58, has also revealed to confidants that whether former President Donald Trump runs or not will not affect his own decision on the matter. Not many Republicans have waded into the 2024 waters, as it appears they are waiting to see what Trump will do. Also rumored to be considering a run is Trump's former Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley.

Mark McCloskey — the gun-toting St. Louis attorney who drew headlines last year for brandishing an assault rifle at Black Lives Matter protesters — says he’s looking at running for Missouri’s open Senate seat. AdvertisementMcCloskey, a wealthy personal-injury lawyer, said that he had no timeline for making a decision about whether to enter the race for the seat from which Republican Sen. Roy Blunt is retiring. Eric Greitens and state Attorney General Eric Schmitt, both of whom have announced their candidacies. In a pre-recorded, four-minute video, the couple warned that liberals wanted to “demolish” suburban areas and take away gun rights. The list of Democratic contenders includes former state Sen. Scott Sifton and attorney Lucas Kunce.

Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie is ‘seriously considering’ a 2024 presidential run, according to a report by Axios. The outlet that friends of the 58-year-old have said he believes he’d be the only person in the 2024 field with executive experience who has run a presidential race before. The former governor previously dropped out of the 2016 contest for the Republican nomination and endorsed former president Donald Trump. With Mr Trump still mulling his plans for a 2024 bid, the path for the nomination remains wide open.

The move makes Arizona the first state to declare an emergency as the Biden administration seeks to control the influx of migrants at the border. ADVERTISEMENT“I said last month that the Biden administration is totally divorced from reality,” Ducey said. Arizona isn’t the first state to send the National Guard to the border. Greg Abbott (R) sent troops to the border in early March, though he didn’t declare a state of emergency. Biden ended that emergency order but has kept the Guard presence at the border.

(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Former President Donald Trump said he was "beyond seriously" looking at running for president in 2024. Former President Donald Trump said he was looking “beyond seriously” at running for president again in 2024. Beyond seriously,” Trump told Fox News host Sean Hannity in an interview broadcast Monday evening. Trump lost the national popular vote twice. Trump carried Utah twice (in 2016 and 2020) but he severely underperformed in doing so.

Greitens announced on Monday that Kimberly Guilfoyle, a former Trump campaign adviser and Donald Trump Jr.’s girlfriend, joined his campaign as national chair. State Sen. Scott Sifton is also running and has raised around $302,000. According to Politico, some GOP leaders are considering carrying out an advertising campaign against Greitens to thwart him. The investigation did not find sufficient evidence on other allegations, including that Greitens’ campaign received and hid “potentially problematic” contributions from SEALS for Truth, which received all of its donations from American Policy Coalition. In April 2018, Greitens’ former hairdresser testified to a Missouri legislative committee that he assaulted and blackmailed her in 2015.

Trump and Kim also met briefly later in 2019 along the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea. At that meeting, the then-U.S. president actually stepped across the concrete barrier marking the border between the two nations, making him the first president to set foot in North Korea. As recently as Monday, Trump told Fox News’ Sean Hannity in an interview that “I have a great relationship with a certain man that’s got great power over North Korea,” touting the “relationship that I developed” with Kim. But even former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, an ardent defender of Trump, acknowledged in an interview earlier this month on the conservative “Ruthless” podcast that he regretted “that we didn't make more progress” with North Korea. While Trump’s foreign policy toward the Korean Peninsula was marked by praise for Kim, it also saw the former president step away from annual joint military exercises with South Korea and order Moon’s government to share more of the costs for the thousands of American troops stationed there.

A $765 million loan to Eastman Kodak stalled in August after it was announced prematurely. The Trump administration also approved a Defense Production Act loan for ApiJect of up to $590 million. In all, the administration awarded the company nearly $1.3 billion in loans and contracts last year. Meanwhile, ApiJect needs to raise about $197 million to help secure the additional $590 million federal loan. And ApiJect syringes could still play a key role in getting vaccines to Americans, especially if booster shots are needed.

Nugent continued to share anti-vaccine conspiracies and racist behavior toward the AAPI community, as he announced his COVID diagnosis Monday on Facebook Live. Ted Nugent has tested positive for COVID-19, after referring to the pandemic as a "hoax" on several occasions. "My God, what a pain in the ass," Nugent continued. Nugent also repeatedly referred to the pandemic as the "Chinese virus attack," another Trump talking point that has been perpetuated by COVID deniers. As of Tuesday, more than half of U.S. adults had received at least one dose of the COVID vaccine, according to NPR.

In the last several months, Republicans in dozens of states have engaged in a Machiavellian effort to curtail voting access. Voter behavior, at least since the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, has proven notoriously hard to game. Much of the Republican effort has been focused on restricting absentee or mail-in voting, which broke sharply for Democrats in 2020. The 2020 tilt was almost certainly an artifact of the pandemic and of disparate voter-turnout strategies, where Democrats urged mail-in voting and Republicans—especially Donald Trump—pushed in-person. A Stanford University study on the effect absentee voting had on last year’s election suggests that greater adoption of mail-in voting affected how you vote, but not whether you vote.

McCarthy is leading the censure charge over remarks Waters, a Democrat, made over the weekend while speaking to demonstrators in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, where protests have erupted in response to the police killing of Daunte Wright. “Maxine talked about confrontation in the manner of the civil rights movement,” Pelosi said Monday. McCarthy was also among the 147 Republican lawmakers who still voted to overturn the election results on Trump’s behalf mere hours after his supporters stormed and occupied the Capitol. Along with McCarthy, pro-Trump Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell suggested Waters was attempting to intimidate the jury. (McConnell, too, refused to hold Trump accountable for inciting the insurrection.)

Last June, Donald Trump Jr. released an episode of his Triggered podcast that was up there with some of the most cringeworthy content to ever make its way to the internet. “I have a couple questions that I think are on all of the minds of our viewers,” he told the president, who was sitting across from him. Clearly wanting to respond, “This is why it’s not you, you little shit,” the elder Trump scoffed and told someone off camera, “Wise guy over here. “You can’t do that!” she quotes Trump saying in her book, Raising Trump. And while it’s not clear where he stands to date re the ranking of Trump children the 45th president actually likes, Junior has apparently received something of an internal promotion!

Ted Nugent has changed his tune. Because Ted Nugent also spent the past several months scoffiing at the severity of the pandemic. “I thought I was dying,” Nugent said in his Facebook live video posted Monday. So I was officially tested positive for COVID-19 today.”This is still Ted Nugent, of course. Just a clusterf--k,” Nugent added Facebook Live.

At first, it was released in “Bondi Blue.” Then sales rose by 24% when the company offered the iMac in more colors. Now, for the first time in roughly 20 years, Apple is bringing color back to its iMacs. Alongside the iMacs, Apple is launching a matching Magic Mouse and Magic Keyboard, too. But it also makes sense that Apple made this decision now, because what we consider “good design” in electronics is a moving target. This is how Apple is maximalistAnother trend afoot is maximalism, which we’ve seen in interior design for years now.

In that way, it’s a microcosm of the climate change fight itself. Because climate change was a sharply partisan issue, though, the Obama administration’s efforts to bolster the industry were met with acute opposition. The overlap between climate change and economic considerations was secondary to the points that could be scored in political campaigns and on cable news. unveiled the Green New Deal, a proposal that centered the economy in discussions about climate change. It recognized ways in which climate change and the need to tamp down on emissions would reshape the economy and offered guidelines for protecting vulnerable populations as that reshaping took place.

Gwen Levi, 75, is one of the inmates trying to stay out of federal prison. Story continues below advertisementLevi bounced around the federal prison system through three presidential administrations, serving time in facilities from Maryland to Texas to Alabama. That leaves the federal prison population at its lowest level in two decades. Other inmates, however, may have a substantial time to go before becoming eligible” and have to go back to prison. The official said Kushner, who had pushed for changes in the criminal justice system, argued that the Biden administration should decide their fate.

In 2020, the Trump administration finalized a rule compelling car companies to improve the average fuel economy of their fleets by only 1.5 percent a year — a step back from the 5 percent annual increase set under Obama. Story continues below advertisementOn paper, the lower emissions standards were signed jointly by the EPA and the Transportation Department’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. AdvertisementEnvironmental groups cheered the report’s release, as did Democrats in Congress who previously raised concerns about how the Trump administration watered down auto standards. Before the end of the month, the agency is expected to restore California’s authority to set its own car pollution rules, which was revoked under Trump. And Biden’s EPA chief, Michael Regan, has said the administration is aiming to propose new nationwide limits on greenhouse gas emissions from cars by July.

"We have to decide right now if we’re going to be knocked down or knocked out," the GOP Senate candidate in Georgia told Fox News in an interview. WARNOCK EMAIL OVER NEW GEORGIA VOTING LAW SPARKS CONTROVERSYWhile Ossoff won a full six-year Senate term, Warnock is serving the final two years of retired GOP Sen. Johnny Isakson’s term. Asked about Warnock, King said in his interview Tuesday with Fox News, "I think what Georgia is looking for is someone who is not to the extreme." And there’s nothing that comes out of Sen. Warnock that speaks towards that….he’s not really in lockstep with Georgia," King said as he tied the incumbent senator to President Biden and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. The Senate race in Georgia is likely to be one of the most competitive and expensive showdowns in the 2022 midterms.

CIUDAD JUÁREZ — For Deivis Nahum Espina, a tragedy fell from the sky — severe floods inundated his village in Honduras, destroying crops, homes and causing landslides. Espina and his family were taken to the State Council for Population and Attention to Migrants, known by its Spanish acronym COESPO, in the Mexican state of Chihuahua in Ciudad Juárez. A group of migrants outside the State Population Council in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, on March 18, 2021. Pineda spent five days in a U.S. immigration facility before being sent to Ciudad Juárez. So, she left Guatemala a few months ago, walking and hitchhiking until she reached Ciudad Juárez.

The CBC reacts to Derek Chauvin's guilty verdict Presented byWith Nicholas Wu and Andrew Desiderio. THE VERDICT: News of the jury finding Derek Chauvin guilty on three counts ushered in an incredibly emotional moment at the Capitol yesterday. The Blue Dogs had their own White House meeting on Tuesday, also with Klain, Ricchetti, and Terrell. The briefings, given to both House members and senators, didn’t appear to change anyone’s mind, but we wanted to highlight this interesting reaction from Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.). Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), and others will hold a press conference ahead of the House vote on the D.C.

Plus, for 2021 only, it bumps up the Child Tax Credit to $3,000—$3,600 for children under 6—from $2,000 and makes it “refundable”—parents don’t have to work to get it. And that appears to push down birthrates more than child benefits do to boost it. While guaranteed incomes for most children are not quite the same thing as guaranteed incomes for all Americans, it is very tough to separate such generous benefits for children from the realized income of their custodial adults. Effect on workProgressives are busy rolling out studies that purport to show guaranteed incomes have little significant effect on people working. Instead, it would make sense to replace the personal and corporate income tax with a 14% value-added tax and offer every child $4,000 a year.

WASHINGTON — A year after a Connecticut company was awarded almost $1.3 billion in federal loans and contracts to supply an essential syringe for the Covid-19 vaccine rollout, no syringes have been made. A $765 million loan to Eastman Kodak stalled in August after it was announced prematurely. Image: ApiJect syringe (NBC)The Defense Department also touted its pandemic relief work with a timeline that gave the same time frame and volume for ApiJect's syringe production. Meanwhile, ApiJect needs to raise about $197 million to help secure the additional $590 million federal loan. And ApiJect syringes could still play a key role in getting vaccines to Americans, especially if booster shots are needed.

Taken literally, it excludes not only Black, Latino and Asian Americans, but Irish Americans, Italian Americans and Jewish Americans as well — at least 63% of the population. No wonder McCarthy felt compelled to denounce it; the GOP is small enough without expelling Irish Americans like him. AdvertisementIn fact, Carlson’s “replacement theory” is more dangerous than Greene and Gosar’s loopy Anglo-Saxon manifesto. AdvertisementThat’s presumably why McCarthy’s rebuke to the Anglo-Saxon screed was milder than it might have been. One reason Trump lost his campaign for reelection was that his nativist rhetoric drove college-educated white voters away.

Birthdays: Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II is 95. Today is Wednesday, April 21, the 111th day of 2021. AdvertisementIn 1649, the Maryland Toleration Act, providing for freedom of worship for all Christians, was passed by the Maryland assembly. In 1926, Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II was born in Mayfair, London; she was the first child of The Duke and Duchess of York, who later became King George VI and the Queen Mother. Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s oldest and longest-reigning monarch, drew crowds of well-wishers and floods of tributes on the occasion of her 90th birthday.

The U.S. is meeting President Joe Biden’s latest vaccine goal of administering 200 million COVID-19 shots in his first 100 days in office, as the White House steps up its efforts to inoculate the rest of the public. With roughly 28 million vaccine doses being delivered each week, demand has eclipsed supply as the constraining factor to vaccinations in much of the country. Biden set his goal of 200 million shots last month after meeting his 100 million-in-100 days goal just over a month ago. At the time the U.S. was well on pace to meet the higher target, and the pace of vaccinations has only accelerated, to about 3 million shots per day. It was a deliberate effort by Biden to set clear — and achievable — metrics for success as part of a strategy of underpromising, then overdelivering.

The number of death sentence executions recorded around the world by Amnesty International during 2020 fell by a quarter compared to 2019, the human rights organisation has reported. In a 63-page report on death sentences and executions in 2020, Amnesty said it recorded 483 executions across 18 countries over the course of last year, representing a record low. "Between them, Iran, Egypt, Iraq and Saudi Arabia accounted for the vast majority (88%) of all known executions during 2020," the organisation said. In the USA, the only country in America to carry out known executions in 2020, federal executions were resumed under former President Donald Trump after a 17-year-long gap. Until then, she said Amnesty would "continue to campaign until the death penalty is abolished everywhere, once and for all".

The United States is the only Western country to use the death penalty, although 22 states have abolished it for state-level crimes. 'The death penalty is an abhorrent punishment and pursuing executions in the middle of a pandemic further highlights its inherent cruelty.' 'The use of the death penalty under these conditions is a particularly egregious assault on human rights. 'Despite the continued pursuit of the death penalty by some governments, the overall picture in 2020 was positive. We will continue to campaign until the death penalty is abolished everywhere, once and for all.'

And that, perhaps, is the single most shocking thing about the George Floyd verdict. So, when the unanimous jury verdicts came in of 'GUILTY', 'GUILTY', and 'GUILTY' I felt the same wave of relief that ricocheted around the world. Biden is pictured above on TuesdayIt was Chauvin's knee that caused the 'medical distress' and it was Chauvin's knee that killed George Floyd. The truth of the matter is that the reason George Floyd is dead is because Mr Chauvin's heart was too small'. I hope we're going to get a verdict that will say guilty, guilty, guilty.

Excluding China, its report found that 88 percent of all recorded executions took place in just four countries in the Middle East –- Iran, Egypt, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. The number of executions recorded in the Middle East fell 25 percent, driven by a 85 percent drop in recorded executions in Saudi Arabia and a reduction in executions by more than half in Iraq. However the report noted "a significant spike" in recorded executions in Egypt, which saw a more than threefold rise to 107 last year from 32 in 2019. Amnesty said that in Iran "the death penalty was increasingly used as a weapon of political repression against dissidents, protesters and members of ethnic minority groups." Meanwhile, Iranian courts continued to order the death penalty for people who were below the age of 18 at the time of the crime in defiance of international law, it said, recording three such cases.

ADVERTISEMENTThis book deal is reminiscent of the Trump presidency, when a president’s business became intertwined with his presidency, as Justice Barrett’s business now becomes intertwined with her tenure on the Supreme Court. It should inaugurate a thoughtful discussion about whether she should recuse herself from cases, including Roe v. Wade, where the link between her book content and judicial decisions would be greatest. And in fairness to the Supreme Court, all conservative and liberal justices, including Barrett, conducted themselves honorably in cases involving the 2020 presidential election. The problem with extravagantly compensated books by Supreme Court justices is that all publishers have financial interests in matters that will be considered by the court. I do not suggest at this time that Barrett recuse herself from Roe v. Wade or other cases involving the matters directly or indirectly discussed in her book.

A California Democrat is renewing his push to expel Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene Marjorie Taylor GreeneRep. Marjorie Taylor Greene says she's meeting with Trump 'soon' in Florida QAnon site shutters after reports identifying developer Republicans head to runoff in GA-14 MORE (R-Ga.) over her reported support for a so-called "America First Caucus." Rep. Jimmy Gomez Jimmy GomezMarjorie Taylor Greene to introduce resolution to expel Maxine Waters Democrats have a growing tax problem with SALT Hillicon Valley: Twitter says Greene account suspended in error | Justice Dept. Greene has publicly derided reports that she planned to launch a new caucus, calling herself a proud member of the House Freedom Caucus. Just 11 Republicans voted to strip Greene of her assignments earlier this year.

sarah (Sarah Frostenson, politics editor): We’re closing in on the first 100 days of Joe Biden’s presidency (Wednesday marks Day 92). What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned so far from Biden’s first 100 days? One question I have tangentially related to the COVID-19 relief bill is, How many other laws have been signed into law during Biden’s first 100 days? sarah: What are some of the setbacks Biden’s administration has faced so far or potential roadblocks moving forward? We did see Trump’s approval slide more than it ever had before in response to the insurrection at the Capitol, for instance.

House Democrats are calling on the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) and GOP leaders to return funds raised by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene Marjorie Taylor GreeneRep. Marjorie Taylor Greene says she's meeting with Trump 'soon' in Florida QAnon site shutters after reports identifying developer Republicans head to runoff in GA-14 MORE (R-Ga.) following a reported attempt by her office to begin an "America First Caucus" that would focus on "Anglo-Saxon" political values. The Hill reported this week Greene's since-scrapped plan for an "America First Caucus" has caused headaches for Republican House leadership. ADVERTISEMENT“This is a modern, decaf version of the KKK — a group designed to elevate one race and ethnicity by diminishing all others. Greene has emerged this year as among the most prolific fundraisers for House Republicans, raking in $3.2 million in the first quarter, despite being stripped of her committee seats, the Hill reported.

Biden's $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan calls for $174 billion in spending and tax credits to boost electric vehicles (EVs) and charging networks but does not call for phasing out gasoline-powered passenger vehicles. The governors also want Biden to set standards and adopt incentives aimed at ensuring 100% zero-emission sales of medium-duty and heavy-duty vehicles by 2045. States and some lawmakers hope that Biden's endorsement of a phase-out date will speed the transition to EVs by users and automakers. A number of U.S. lawmakers have urged Biden follow California's lead, which in September said it planned to end sales of new gas-powered passenger vehicles by 2035. General Motors GM.N said in January it was setting a goal to end all gasoline passenger car and truck sales by 2035.

?? — Adar Poonawalla (@adarpoonawalla) April 16, 2021The SII is the world's largest producer of the COVID-19 vaccine. In recent weeks, India's Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu has been taking up the matter with the Biden administration officials. During his meetings with the US interlocutors, the top Indian diplomat has sought a smooth supply of certain inputs for production of COVID-19 vaccines in India. Informed sources said that the Biden administration has conveyed to India that they understand India's requirements and has promised to give the matter a due consideration. Earlier in the day, the White House refrained from answering questions on the export ban on COVID-19 raw materials.

It was supposed to build cutting-edge flat-panel display screens for TVs and other devices and instantly establish Wisconsin as a destination for tech firms. Hon Hai shares fell as much as 1.6% on Wednesday morning, underperforming the broader Taiwan market which was down 0.7%. The state will reduce the tax credits authorized for the project to $80 million from $2.85 billion. The original Wisconsin package also included local tax incentives and road and highway investments by state and local governments, which brought total taxpayer-funded subsidies to more than $4 billion. Foxconn noted that since 2017, it has invested $900 million in Wisconsin, including several different facilities in the state.

WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)—In a chorus of outrage directed at the President, Republicans accused Joe Biden of making millions of Americans’ arms hurt in his first hundred days in office. Leading the attack was Senator Ron Johnson, who claimed that Biden was hurting “between three and four million arms a day.”“Once your arm stops hurting, don’t get too comfortable,” he said. “In a few weeks, Joe Biden will make your arm hurt for a second time.”Johnson did not speculate about why the President wanted Americans’ arms to hurt, but said that Biden bears “full responsibility” for the nation’s epidemic of sore arms. “None of this would be happening if Donald Trump was President,” he charged.

In 2015, a white officer shot and killed a twenty-four-year-old unarmed African-American man, Jamar Clark, in North Minneapolis. One night, a white man opened fire on them, wounding five. The county prosecutor found “no basis to issue criminal charges against either officer.”Thirty-eighth and Chicago is on the Southside of Minneapolis. In 2007, five high-ranking black officers sued the department, alleging pervasive institutional racism, including death threats, signed “KKK,” that were sent to every black officer, through the departmental mail system. The only Minneapolis officer in recent memory to have been sentenced to jail for killing someone is Mohamed Noor, a black man, who shot Justine Damond, a white woman.

To maximize his chances, Netanyahu needs a manifestly loyal Likud base to believe or, at least, to abide the lie, and needs to make potential coalition partners believe that the base at least abides it. So Netanyahu is counting on any new coalition to provide him some form of immunity from further prosecution. The hard-right leader of the Yamina Party, Naftali Bennett, is refusing to pledge his seven seats to either bloc. To keep Bennett, especially, in tow, Netanyahu needs to prove that failing to stand with him would mean courting discredit with future supporters. With the Knesset so evenly split, moreover, Netanyahu needs to deter new defections from among the leaders of his own party.

Live Covid-19 Live Updates: Nearly a Quarter of New Yorkers Were Infected Last Spring, Officials Say Black and Hispanic people were twice as likely as white people to have antibodies to the coronavirus. Military officials declined to say whether the other eight detainees were offered the first shot of the two-shot Moderna Covid-19 vaccine but refused. Multiple climbers tested positive at CIWEC Hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal’s capital, after being flown there in recent days from Everest Base Camp, the hospital’s medical director said on Wednesday. Journeys to the summit, 5.5 miles above sea level, begin at Everest Base Camp, where climbers stay for roughly two months to acclimate to the altitude. A government doctor at the base camp said that three foreign climbers from his clinic were flown to Kathmandu this month after complaining of Covid-like symptoms.

A law professor told PEOPLE last year that if the DOJ was allowed to represent the former president, the situation would be a "win-win" for himColumnist E. Jean Carroll’s Lawyers Say It Was ‘Wrong and Dangerous’ for Trump DOJ to Ask to Defend HimLawyers for ex-Elle columnist E. Jean Carroll say it was "wrong and dangerous" for the Justice Department under Donald Trump to ask to defend him in her case against the former president. The Associated Press reports a federal judge denied that request, but the DOJ appealed the ruling days before Trump left office in January. "That rule is both wrong and dangerous, and this Court should reject Appellants' effort to avoid answering for Trump's conduct," Carroll's lawyers write in a new filing reviewed by PEOPLE. On Twitter, Carroll wrote that the DOJ's attempts to represent Trump in the case "dishonors the Office of the Presidency." Georgetown University Law Center professor Heidi Li Feldman told PEOPLE last year that if the DOJ was allowed to represent Trump, the situation would be a "win-win" for him.

Nugent continued to share anti-vaccine conspiracies and racist behavior toward the AAPI community, as he announced his COVID diagnosis Monday on Facebook LiveTed Nugent has tested positive for COVID-19, after referring to the pandemic as a "hoax" on several occasions. "My God, what a pain in the ass," Nugent continued. Ted Nugent Credit: Gary Miller/GettyNugent has been known to spread false information about the pandemic, referring to the virus as a "leftist scam to destroy" Trump. RELATED VIDEO: Donald and Melania Trump Test Positive for Coronavirus: 'We Will Get Through This TOGETHER!' Nugent also repeatedly referred to the pandemic as the "Chinese virus attack," another Trump talking point that has been perpetuated by COVID deniers.

The Trump admin awarded a firm $1.3 billion to make Covid vaccine syringes. Where are the syringes? Added: 21.04.2021 9:31 | 14 views | 0 commentsThe Covid vaccines are here, but the ApiJect syringe is not yet approved by federal regulators and a new factory in North Carolina is not yet built.

Added: 20.04.2021 18:16 | 11 views | 0 commentsThe nation's top military officer said Tuesday that his advice to President Donald Trump has been to allow transgender troops to continue serving in the U.S. military. Marine Corps Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the Senate Armed Services...

www.theguardian.com: California wildfires: more storms feared as huge blazes burn onAdded: 23.08.2020 22:22 | 17 views | 0 commentsSource: politics.ieDonald Trump approves federal disaster declarationFire chief: ‘There’s potential for things to go crazy out there’Firefighters in California prepared on Sunday for high winds and thunderstorms that threatened to spark new blazes and further spread existing fires, as officials warned capacity was stretched to levels “not seen in recent history”. Progress was made against three massive and destructive wildfires during a calm stretch overnight on Saturday. However the The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a “red flag” warning through Monday afternoon for the drought-stricken area, meaning extreme fire conditions including high temperatures, low humidity and wind gusts up to 65mph could result in “dangerous and unpredictable fire behavior”. Maanvi Singh and agencies contributed reporting Firefighters in California prepared on Sunday for high winds and thunderstorms that threatened to spark new blazes and further spread existing fires, as officials warned capacity was stretched to levels “not seen in recent history”.Progress was made against three massive and destructive wildfires during a calm stretch overnight on Saturday. However the The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a “red flag” warning through Monday afternoon for the drought-stricken area, meaning extreme fire conditions including high temperatures, low humidity and wind gusts up to 65mph could result in “dangerous and unpredictable fire behavior”.Maanvi Singh and agencies contributed reporting More in www.theguardian.com » Donald Trump, Fire, Wildfires, California, Temperatures, SPA Tags: FED

www.theguardian.com: California wildfires: Trump declares major disaster as state braces for worsening conditionsAdded: 23.08.2020 7:29 | 14 views | 0 commentsSource: caymaneco.orgDonald Trump unlocks federal aid with declarationForecasters issued a warning for Sunday morning through Monday nightBlazes have burned more than 900,000 acres over seven daysDonald Trump has issued a major disaster declaration as deteriorating weather conditions threaten to spark new wildfires in California, where firefighters have been battling some of the largest wildfires on record for the past week. Trump’s declaration will release federal assistance for the state, with governor Gavin Newsom saying it will also help people in counties affected by the fires with crisis counselling, housing and other social services. Donald Trump has issued a major disaster declaration as deteriorating weather conditions threaten to spark new wildfires in California, where firefighters have been battling some of the largest wildfires on record for the past week.Trump’s declaration will release federal assistance for the state, with governor Gavin Newsom saying it will also help people in counties affected by the fires with crisis counselling, housing and other social services. More in www.theguardian.com » Donald Trump, Fire, Wildfires, California, ISIS, SPA Tags: FED

Former White House aide Bolton says Trump not 'fit' to be presidentAdded: 18.06.2020 19:47 | 7 views | 0 commentsFormer top White House aide John Bolton delivered a damning indictment of his former boss, saying Donald Trump's behavior in office and dealings with foreign leaders showed he was unfit to be president of the United States.

Added: 18.06.2020 19:47 | 18 views | 0 commentsU.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Thursday revelations in a book by a former top White House aide show President Donald Trump is unfit and unprepared to be president and Democrats will continue oversight of the Republican president's behavior.

Added: 18.06.2020 19:30 | 18 views | 0 commentsThe U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday dealt President Donald Trump a major setback on his hardline immigration policies, blocking his bid to end a program that protects from deportation hundreds of thousands of immigrants - often called "Dreamers" - who entered the United States illegally as children.

Drug Pitched to Trump for Covid-19 Comes From a Deadly PlantAdded: 20.08.2020 20:10 | 19 views | 0 commentsSource: www.nickiswift.comThe chief executive of My Pillow, a Trump donor, claims oleandrin is a miracle cure for Covid-19. But no studies have shown that it is safe or effective, and the shrub it’s derived from is poisonous. More in www.nytimes.com »

A famous Silicon Valley tech company, a female COO under extra scrutiny, a Russian spy ring threatening to close in on the U.S. — Kathy Wang's sophomore novel has all the trappings for a summer page-turner. To kick things off, Wang spoke to EW about creating the fictional world of Tangerine, how she learned about spycraft, and what she wants readers to know about being AAPI in Silicon Valley. Your first book, Family Trust, also took place in Silicon Valley — what is it about the place that drew you back? Originally, I had said that I didn't want to do another Silicon Valley book, but the idea came to me, and I just couldn't let go of it. It's really easy to lampoon Silicon Valley — the personalities are outsized, and there's a lot of lack of self-awareness here.

In an exclusive, hour-long interview, former President Donald Trump told "Hannity" Monday that he will "very seriously" consider running again in 2024 if the Republican Party can "get the right people" on Capitol Hill. That means in the Senate, that means in the House," Trump told host Sean Hannity. "If they need a rally, we'll do a rally, we'll do calls, we'll do all sorts of things," Trump said before adding: "Almost everybody I endorse wins." "I miss the most, helping people," Trump responded. I had a great life, great company, great business, no problems and now all I do is, people go after you.

Maxine Waters, unbowed. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty ImagesAfter an attempted House Republican effort to turn the national focus on the Derek Chauvin trial into an inquisition of Democratic politicians hoping avidly for justice for George Floyd, House Democrats pulled together to defeat a censure resolution aimed a veteran Congresswoman Maxine Waters of California for remarks she made about the verdict and its consequences. Addressing a crowd in Minneapolis over the weekend, Waters said that protestors needed to “stay in the street” and “get more confrontational” if Chauvin were to be acquitted. After Marjorie Taylor Greene called for Waters’s expulsion, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy dialed it back to a censure resolution. Waters’s self-identification with the tradition of non-violent protest as a Congressional Black Caucus leader was also probably a factor.

pic.twitter.com/6vPfgPqcoo — Katie Mettler (@kemettler) April 20, 2021A Central Ohio Transit Authority bus operator reacts to Tuesday's Derek Chauvin verdict. the moment when Derek Chauvin is found guilty of murdering George Floyd. pic.twitter.com/xRtoOGoyvb — Jesse Washington (@jessewashington) April 20, 2021Tears of celebration at George Floyd Square as the verdict on Derek Chauvin was read, guilty on all charges. After the 12 jurors reaffirmed their verdict, Chauvin was handcuffed and remanded into custody ahead of a sentencing hearing scheduled in eight weeks. "I am convinced that there is going to be a guilty verdict coming," Courteney Ross says.

Trump rambles all over the place for the benefit of Sean Hannity. But don’t mention it to Trump himself, who told Sean Hannity the new law is namby-pamby when it comes to voter suppression. early in-person voting, scrapping no-excuse mail voting, and apparently end weekend voting pic.twitter.com/ckfTb5jZPO — Zach Montellaro (@ZachMontellaro) April 6, 2021(The crossed-out words are the name of a poll worker Trump and his allies have maligned; Montellaro didn’t want to contribute to the smear.) But he’s pretty clear that he thinks only a RINO would retain no-excuse voting by mail — which, in fact, Georgia Republicans created back in 2005, when Trump himself was still a registered Democrat. But more to the point, he wants it firmly established that Brian Kemp is a piker when it comes to aggressively using election laws to screw over the opposition.

“Let’s be clear: this is not an anti-riot bill,” said Micah Kubic, executive director of the ACLU of Florida. “It is a bill that criminalizes peaceful protest,” he said, adding that the law is a blast from the state’s segregationist past: “Each and every provision harkens back to Jim Crow.”The Florida law gives police broad new powers to impose collective punishment on those engaged in protest. A broad coalition of progressives has been quick to blast the power grab in Tallahassee. DeSantis’ championing of and signature on this law degrades, debases, and disgraces Florida and our democracy.”For his part DeSantis mugged for the cameras and played to a national audience of FoxNews watchers. “If you riot, loot, harm others, particularly law enforcement, you’re going to jail,” he said.

Experts have had difficulty estimating how many laborers may have been coerced into working in Chinese solar facilities given restrictions on travel and reporting in Xinjiang. Many multinational companies have also struggled to gain access to the region’s factories to rule out the risk of forced labor in their supply chains. Under the Trump administration, American customs agents took a harder line against products reportedly made with forced labor in Xinjiang, including a sweeping ban on cotton and tomatoes from the region. But both Mr. Biden and his advisers have insisted that the United States plans to confront China on human rights abuses in Xinjiang. A spokeswoman for the National Security Council said that the draconian treatment of Uyghurs “cannot be ignored,” and that the administration was “studying ways to effectively ensure that we are not importing products made from forced labor,” including solar products.

That was evidence, he said, that bills aimed at punishing protesters were disproportionately targeting people of color. The bill’s author, State Senator Rob Standridge, said the Tulsa incident had prompted him to seek immunity for drivers who strike protesters. He said Tuesday he wasn’t aware of any drivers who had been charged after striking protesters in Oklahoma. Carly Atchison, a spokeswoman for Mr. Stitt, declined to say whether he would sign the bill, which passed with veto-proof majorities. Dr. Crutcher said she was convinced that if Mr. Stitt signed the legislation, it would be applied in harsher terms against those protesting racial injustice than for white protesters demonstrating for gun rights or against abortion.

Demings, who spent 27 years with the Orlando Police Department, heatedly accused Jordan of ignorance about law enforcement, sparking a shouting match with the Republican. Demings called the amendment “completely irrelevant” because the bill makes no mention of defunding law enforcement. Story continues below advertisement“I served as a law enforcement officer for 27 years,” she said. “Law enforcement officers risk their lives every day. Jordan you don’t know what the heck you’re talking about.”“I know about my motive,” Jordan said.

The plan was for her to receive a COVID vaccine on the way out the door. But this hospital only had the Johnson & Johnson shot and because of the FDA's pause of this vaccine, my mother-in-law was discharged still unvaccinated. This was a far greater omission than any risk from a one in a million side effect had the vaccine been given. That extremely important, effective, easy-to-administer vaccines will encounter growing distrust and hesitancy, which could easily spill over irrationally to all the COVID vaccines. This was a big mistake because it helped extend the focus on the extremely rare problem rather than getting millions of doses of a lifesaving vaccine back on track.

POLITICO Playbook: The verdict: A rush of relief as eyes turn to Congress Presented byPresident Joe Biden and VP Kamala Harris promised the Floyd family and the nation that the verdict was just a first step. President JOE BIDEN and VP KAMALA HARRIS promised the Floyd family and the nation that the verdict was just a first step. More Chauvin verdict reads …— Two good look-aheads: “Chauvin is guilty. She most recently was senior director at Acreage Holdings and VP at the Cannabis Trade Federation. …… Erica Borghard is now senior fellow for technology and international affairs at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and is still a senior director on the Cyberspace Solarium Commission.

With more than 50% of adults at least partially vaccinated , Biden on Wednesday will reflect on his efforts to expand vaccine distribution and access in his first three months in the White House. With roughly 28 million vaccine doses being delivered each week, demand has eclipsed supply as the constraining factor to vaccinations in much of the country. Biden set his goal of 200 million shots last month after meeting his 100 million-in-100 days goal just over a month ago. At the time the U.S. was well on pace to meet the higher target, and the pace of vaccinations has only accelerated, to about 3 million shots per day. It was a deliberate effort by Biden to set clear — and achievable — metrics for success as part of a strategy of underpromising, then overdelivering.

This year will see “gangbusters growth,” says Lavorgna, the chief economist for the White House National Economic Council in the latter days of the Trump administration. The White House didn’t reply to a question about S corporation tax policy. Lavorgna isn’t fearful of goods and services inflation, and, as a result, says the Fed won’t begin to taper its bond purchases before 2023 — and won’t lift interest rates before the next presidential election. “How in the world can the Fed possibly step back from bond buying, it seems very difficult to me.”Lavorgna says the Trump White House had expected the Biden administration to continue with its China tariffs. The second difference is the corporate tax rate, which the Trump administration lowered and the Biden administration wants to increase; and the third is the regulatory framework.

This year will see “gangbusters growth,” says Lavorgna, the chief economist for the White House National Economic Council in the latter days of the Trump administration. The White House didn’t reply to a question about S corporation tax policy. Lavorgna isn’t fearful of goods and services inflation, and, as a result, says the Fed won’t begin to taper its bond purchases before 2023 — and won’t lift interest rates before the next presidential election. “How in the world can the Fed possibly step back from bond buying, it seems very difficult to me.”Lavorgna says the Trump White House had expected the Biden administration to continue with its China tariffs. The second difference is the corporate tax rate, which the Trump administration lowered and the Biden administration wants to increase; and the third is the regulatory framework.

To the editor: Columnist Nicholas Goldberg is spot on with his justifiably cynical reaction to the very notion of Caitlyn Jenner overseeing the government of the world’s fifth-largest economy. Two thoughts come to mind thinking about Jenner running for governor in the Gavin Newsom recall election. The first is whether she would have any interest whatsoever if the office in question were lieutenant governor as opposed to governor. The answer can be found in the lack of any evidence that she has ever been interested in public service before now. Those are some of the reasons Bradley was elected as a senator from New Jersey three times.

With more than 50% of adults at least partially vaccinated, Biden on Wednesday will reflect on his efforts to expand vaccine distribution and access in his first three months in the White House. With roughly 28 million vaccine doses being delivered each week, demand has eclipsed supply as the constraining factor to vaccinations in much of the country. Biden set his goal of 200 million shots last month after meeting his 100 million-in-100 days goal just over a month ago. At the time the U.S. was well on pace to meet the higher target, and the pace of vaccinations has only accelerated, to about 3 million shots per day. It was a deliberate effort by Biden to set clear — and achievable — metrics for success as part of a strategy of underpromising, then overdelivering.

Dazed and dejected, Mimi was sitting on park bench in the Mexican city of Reynosa, Mexico, not far from the border with Texas. Migrant families that were sent back from the US under Title 42 in Reynosa, Mexico, on 24 March. And the contrasting application of the code for families with children on either side of the six-year cutoff is forcing life-altering decisions at the border. Mexican asylum-seeking girls, who are cousins, rest under a gazebo in a plaza where they have been living for a week in Reynosa, Mexico. “They said they were crossing with children,” Cortéz said.

The derecho hit with a fury, winds whipping up sand and snapping limbs overhead. It’s an immutable truth of the climate crisis that the most vulnerable are hit first and hardest. Climate change didn’t directly cause the midwest derecho last year or any of those other disasters. Only one-quarter of the homeless population is considered “chronically homeless,” meaning homeless for more than a year or experiencing repeat bouts of homelessness. When the storm hit, Fisher had been home-schooling, a new responsibility due to the pandemic but one she enjoyed.

A jury swiftly and unanimously convicted former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin of the murder of George Floyd yesterday, as the world watched on. You can look back on key moments in the trial here, and read more about the life of “gentle giant” George Floyd, the human behind the headlines. Jubilant scenes in Minneapolis yesterday after the guilty verdict was delivered in the trial of George Floyd. So what’s next for the George Floyd case? Here are tips from Oprah’s life coachMatha Beck is a life coach who regularly works with Oprah Winfrey.

More often than anyone might think, ample grounds exist for wondering why anyone would want to be president of the United States. President.” One presides over elegant state dinners. Biden’s opening acts, which included reversing Trump’s withdrawal from multinational organizations as well as implementing environmental and equal rights policies, went further than any other modern president in undoing his predecessor’s policies. His appointment of Vice President Kamala Harris to head the effort to reduce immigration numbers was a mixed honor. The Biden administration also hadn’t anticipated the reappearance of yet another stubborn problem, the easy availability of guns.

Those aren’t the only scarce metals that can be found in phosphate tailings, however. As we’ve argued, concerns about China’s control over rare earths are probably overblown given how abundant they are. That would separate out the rare earths and heavy metals and reduce the radioactivity of the remaining phosphogypsum to permissible levels. Prices for phosphate, rare earths, and uranium have all mostly languished in recent years, limiting the commercial appeal of reprocessing the world’s phosphogypsum. As current events are demonstrating, ignoring a radioactive waste problem doesn’t make it go away.

Share this Story: Clint Eastwood to Harrison Ford: Old action stars never die, they just keep making moviesClint Eastwood to Harrison Ford: Old action stars never die, they just keep making movies If Indiana Jones V opens as planned, its star, Harrison Ford, will have just turned 80. Try refreshing your browser, or Clint Eastwood to Harrison Ford: Old action stars never die, they just keep making movies Back to video But the following year, Disney bought Lucasfilm lock, stock and boulder. Then in March of 2016 it was announced that Indiana Jones would be returning to the screen on July 19, 2019. After all, Sean Connery had been just 59 when he played Indy’s doddery dad in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Shopping essentials Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Former President Donald Trump joined Fox News host Sean Hannity on Monday night, to complain one more time about how tough he had it as the nation's commander in chief. Hannity kicks off his interview with Trump with this hard-hitting question: "You are working as hard as you did when you were in the White House. pic.twitter.com/0fH9YQ8PhS — Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) April 20, 2021Advertisement:In one portion of the conversation, Hannity asked Trump what he missed most about being president, to which No. "I had a great life, great company, great business, no problems, and now all I do is, people go after you. Your energy independence is going to be gone," Trump stated.

Hong Kong (CNN) As much as China may want to promote its domestically-produced Covid-19 vaccines, it has to face reality. There was also a practical problem: in many countries, including the United States, it is impossible to get a Chinese vaccine because they have not been approved for use by regulators. Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a speech by video link during the Boao Forum for Asia in south China's Hainan province on April 20. Fans cheer during the Guangzhou derby, the opening match of the new Chinese Super League season, on April 20 in Guangzhou, China. Chen Junle (left) of Guangzhou City fights for the ball with Huang Bowen of Guangzhou FC during the opening match of the new Chinese Super League season.

Egocentric victimhood, on the other hand, is less outwardly focused. There were substantial differences between the way these two groups voted, according to Armaly and Enders:Those exhibiting higher levels of egocentric victimhood are more likely to have voted for, and continue to support, Donald Trump. However, those who exhibit systemic victimhood are less supportive and were less likely to vote for Trump. Stuart Stevens, a Republican media consultant who is a harsh critic of Trump, emailed me to say that “Trump is the Republican Party” that and as a result:We are in uncharted waters. What is driving the Republican Party?

Taiwan electronics manufacturer Foxconn is drastically scaling back a planned $10 billion factory in Wisconsin, confirming its retreat from a project that former U.S. President Donald Trump once called "the eighth wonder of the world." Under a deal with the state of Wisconsin announced on Tuesday, Foxconn will reduce its planned investment to $672 million from $10 billion and cut the number of new jobs to 1,454 from 13,000. It was supposed to build cutting-edge flat-panel display screens for TVs and other devices and instantly establish Wisconsin as a destination for tech firms. After abandoning its plans for advanced displays, Foxconn later said it would build smaller, earlier-generation displays in Wisconsin, but that plan never came to fruition either. Hon Hai shares fell as much as 1.6% on Wednesday morning, underperforming the broader Taiwan market which was down 0.7%.

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks about jobs and the economy at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 7, 2021. Biden's $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan calls for $174 billion in spending and tax credits to boost electric vehicles (EVs) and charging networks but does not call for phasing out gasoline-powered passenger vehicles. The governors also want Biden to set standards and adopt incentives aimed at ensuring 100% zero-emission sales of medium-duty and heavy-duty vehicles by 2045. A number of U.S. lawmakers have urged Biden follow California's lead, which in September said it planned to end sales of new gas-powered passenger vehicles by 2035. General Motors GM.N said in January it was setting a goal to end all gasoline passenger car and truck sales by 2035.

Biden’s most senior White House climate aides are all former managers of large agencies who are now content just to have the president’s ear. “There’s definitely an all-in ethos on this team.”There just isn’t much subtlety about the Biden team’s enthusiasm for climate action. They say his massive infrastructure plan reflects the dominance of environmental utopians inside his White House. “This administration has attracted the advocates, and they’re not just advocates for the sake of advocacy — they’re doers.”Some Biden climate officials came directly from the advocacy world. Shah says he asked tough questions in his job interviews to make sure the Biden team wouldn’t still be gun-shy about using it, and Granholm assured him the new clean-energy strategy would be: Deploy, deploy, deploy.

A handful of House Democrats and Republicans cleared $1 million, while some senators banked several million dollars.Seemingly every recent election cycle has yielded bigger fundraising numbers than the last. Liz Cheney (R-WY), the most high profile House lawmaker to impeach Trump, raised over $1.5 million—five times more than she raised in the first three months of 2020, an election year. Increasingly, campaign season has become constant, owing to the forces of polarization and the decline in fundraising regulations. And the growth of online, small-dollar fundraising through platforms like Democrats’ ActBlue and the GOP’s WinRed. “Campaign fundraising and online fundraising has been exponentially growing cycle after cycle, but these first quarter numbers look like a natural growth, plus a supercharge,” said Ferguson, speaking about trends on the Democratic side.

Hong Kong’s leader can’t access a bank account and a top executive at Huawei Technologies Co. is detained in Canada. Even China’s state-run banks are complying with U.S. sanctions.That’s one reason the Biden administration is starting to study whether China’s development of a digital currency will make it harder for the U.S. to enforce sanctions, Bloomberg reported earlier this month. “China’s digital currency is as much about data as it is about money,” he added. “The dollar is the dominant reserve currency because the Chinese, the Europeans, the Japanese, the South Koreans etc. “There is a serious first mover advantage not because of what China will do, but what other countries are doing.

'Our work is cut out for us':Advocates excited, patient to rebuild refugee program Trump decimatedFirst, the Trump administration's travel bans on Muslim-majority countries, including Syria, kept them out. For local refugee resettlement agencies and their clients, the situation is creating whiplash, said Angie Plummer, executive director of Community Refugee and Immigration Services (CRIS), one of two refugee resettlement agencies in Columbus. Rebuilding a complex process of getting refugees resettled and helping them become part of a community can take time, both Kasvin and Plummer said. "We need to start repairing our refugee program now — and the sooner the better," she said. There are refugees who were approved to travel to the United States in 2016 and are still waiting, Plummer said.

Republicans caught a major break when it was announced that Sen. Eddie Markey would lead the effort to pack the U.S. Supreme Court. Markey would rather work the crowd than work Republicans. And, as far as the woke mob goes, attacking the Supreme Court is just another established institution to be wrecked. Not a single bill Markey filed became law. Markey, in the previous session of Congress (Jan. 3, 2017 to Jan.3, 2019) filed a total of 66 bills.

Football fans have joked that the apparent collapse of the planned European Super League was “predicted” by The Simpsons. On Tuesday (20 April), the “big six” Premier League clubs announced they were abandoning the league, which is now not expected to go ahead. Fans poked fun at the almost-immediate U-turn on social media, with many sharing the same moment from The Simpsons’ season eight episode “Bart After Dark”. The clip was shared countless times on social media, with one account writing: “Can’t believe The Simpsons even predicted how the Super League would turn out.”“Oh my god I can’t believe The Simpsons even predicted the European Super League,” joked someone else. You can keep up to date with the latest European Super League developments here.

The program, co-led by international agencies and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), is a bulk-buying platform to share doses worldwide. Brussels, which is coordinating vaccine deals with its members, has reserved a huge surplus — 2.6 billion doses for a population of 450 million so far. Like other rich countries, EU nations decided not to buy their own vaccines through COVAX and competed with it to buy shots when supplies were tight. More than this, Europe promoted a parallel vaccine donation system that it would run itself, to raise the EU’s profile. Other EU countries are also far below expected contributions; some have given zero.

America'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, because they wrap themselves in high ideals, are responsible for numerous military and foreign policy debacles. For example, the United States routinely kidnapped Islamic jihadists fighting in the Balkans between 1995 and 1998. The loss of the dollar as the global reserve currency will probably mark the final chapter of the American empire.

The largest corporate outlets drew no connection between Waters’ rhetoric and the ensuing violence. By Democrats’ own standards, Waters’ rhetoric would warrant expulsion as a minimum. Business Insider has a big scoop everyone… "Sen. Ted Cruz accused Rep. Maxine Waters of 'actively encouraging riots and violence' … See, the takeaway isn't that Waters incited violence- it's that a Republican called her out for inciting violence. “In his first public appearance since the Capitol siege, Trump expresses no contrition for inciting the mob,” the New York Times headlined days later. “After President Trump Incited a Riotous Mob, Will He Face Any Consequences?” pondered Time Magazine in a piece promoted as news.

For years, Democratic lawmakers fought the GOP lie that cast estate tax cuts for billionaires as efforts to rescue family farms. At issue is the $10,000 cap on state and local tax (SALT) deductions that was included in President Donald Trump’s 2017 tax bill. Now Democrats are using the same tactic to try to morally justify giant tax deductions that primarily benefit the wealthy. It almost certainly has something to do with beneficiaries of the SALT cap repeal being the type of people who tend to bankroll political campaigns. Instead, they reserved the real power moves to demand tax deductions that are absurdly regressive.

For more from The Nation, check out our latest issueSubscribe to The Nation Subscribe now for as little as $2 a month! The Nation is reader supported: Chip in $10 or more to help us continue to write about the issues that matter. We may be ending the era of “forever wars,” as suggested by President Biden in a televised address on April 15, but that does not mean an end to US involvement in foreign wars. By announcing the deployment of additional US forces to Germany, Austin was signaling that the United States was prepared to counter future Russian aggression. If we are to avoid a new era of nuclear brinkmanship, however, we must not be so complacent.

Together, these experiences constitute a grim warning that the climate emergency is here already, draining resources and devastating lives. For the homeless, natural disasters prove torturous for more than the obvious fact that it’s worse to be outside than inside during a storm. Only one-quarter of the homeless population is considered “chronically homeless,” meaning homeless for more than a year or experiencing repeat bouts of homelessness. At any given time, then, the vast majority of homeless people, including some who are chronically homeless, are scraping their way back toward stability. Indeed, after the derecho, several members of the Cedar Rapids homeless community found work helping with the cleanup effort.

This article is published as part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. Extreme weather is already the leading cause of forced displacement worldwide, and as climate change accelerates, environmental catastrophes will increasingly drive migration. Research from Duke University and the University of Virginia recently found that climate change and violence together are driving increased migration from Honduras. The Biden administration has a four-year, $4 billion aid plan for Central America, which could alleviate real suffering. But systemic change takes time, and climate change will cause some degree of devastation and displacement regardless of how aggressively policy-makers respond now.

M inneapolis, M inn.—When the verdict is announced in the Derek Chauvin trial, George Floyd Square is full. George Floyd Square is not just an intersection. For 10 months now, George Floyd Square has stood as an example of what divesting from police to invest in community could look like. Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd, but for now, George Floyd Square lives on. Immediately after the verdict is announced, George Floyd Square is filled with news cameras and celebratory shouts.

Free speech law has evolved a ton over the years, especially in the aftermath of revolutions in media technology. The conventional response is no: Facebook and Twitter are private companies, free to do whatever they want with their platforms. Lakier believes our current debate about deplatforming — and free speech more generally — is too hollow. Sean IllingWhat does the law actually say about the right of private companies like Twitter or Facebook to censor or ban users at will? People love to talk about free speech as an unadulterated good, but the truth is that the commitment to free speech has always meant a commitment to allowing harmful speech to circulate.

Related Nomadland turns American iconography inside outEmily VanDerWerff: Evidently, this is my year of disagreeing with everybody about every movie. I spent most of it being profoundly moved and wishing I was watching Andrea Arnold’s similar (much, much better) 2016 film American Honey. Early in Nomadland, Fern works as part of Amazon’s “CamperForce” temporary workforce during the holiday season, and the film clearly received permission to shoot at an Amazon warehouse. In other words, I don’t know that Nomadland needs to tell me Amazon is bad. Judging Nomadland by its seeming refusal to take a stance on Amazon is a bit of a false front, I think.

What Waters actually saidWhile attending a Black Lives Matter protest in Minneapolis on Saturday night, Waters responded to questions about the unfolding trial. Video of her remarks went viral, particularly among conservatives, who asserted Waters was urging protesters to riot if Chauvin was not convicted of murder. “Maxine Waters is inciting violence in Minneapolis,” House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy tweeted. To argue such language was common in politics, Trump’s defense attorneys pointed to examples of many Democrats, including Waters, making similar comments. Beyond the point about unrest, others have objected to Waters’s insistence that only one outcome in the trial — a guilty verdict of murder for Chauvin — is acceptable, saying that government officials should consider Chauvin innocent until proven guilty.

The tallies generated favorable press coverage for Hawley and Greene, and they both seized on the numbers to claim a popular mandate. The Hawley and Greene campaigns did not respond to requests for comment. At the same time, the rise of email fundraising has spawned some aggressive or even deceptive marketing tactics and made plenty of room for consultants and vendors to profit. In some long-shot congressional races, consultants could walk away with almost half of all the money raised, The Washington Post reported. In a second email using the Rudnick-linked domain, Hawley explicitly laid out his goal of posting an impressive fundraising number.

This past weekend, negotiators from the U.S. and China—including John Kerry, America’s special climate envoy and former secretary of state—hammered out a brief statement committing to further climate action. This might be one of the most important weeks in U.S. climate policy this year. They feel not just unsurprising, but out of step with the rest of his climate policy. In essence, climate policy restructures the economy, creating new economic winners and losers. Instead, revulsion at Trump himself—and his climate views by proxy—strengthened political support in those countries for continuing climate action.

Atlético Madrid had, quietly, been the first to blink, contacting UEFA on Tuesday morning to start to pick a way back. A few hours later, Chelsea followed, then Manchester City became the first to say so publicly. Pérez was supposed to be making a television appearance by then; he pulled out, reportedly because he was holding meetings with his fellow rebels. Pérez, on Spanish television Monday night, had fretted that young people did not have the attention span for soccer anymore. The prospect of a Super League has been the great Damoclean threat hanging over European soccer for the better part of two decades.

A $765 million loan to Eastman Kodak stalled in August after it was announced prematurely. The Trump administration also approved a Defense Production Act loan for ApiJect of up to $590 million. In all, the administration awarded the company nearly $1.3 billion in loans and contracts last year. Meanwhile, ApiJect needs to raise about $197 million to help secure the additional $590 million federal loan. And ApiJect syringes could still play a key role in getting vaccines to Americans, especially if booster shots are needed.

A hearing is scheduled for May 20 at the Minnesota Court of Appeals, with the state attorney general's office seeking to add a third-degree murder charge against Kueng, Lane, and Thao. Lane asked at one point if they should roll Floyd over, and Chauvin responded, "No, staying put where we got him." Thao, who rejoined the force in 2012 after being laid off, arrived at Cup Foods with Chauvin, after Floyd had already been handcuffed. All of the officers were fired and arrested following Floyd's death. Kueng, Lane, and Thao are now out on $750,000 bail.

Hong Kong’s leader can’t access a bank account and a top executive at Huawei Technologies Co. is detained in Canada. In a Weibo post last month, the Communist Party Youth League declared: “Want to make money in China while spreading false rumors and boycotting Xinjiang cotton? “China’s digital currency is as much about data as it is about money,” he added. “The dollar is the dominant reserve currency because the Chinese, the Europeans, the Japanese, the South Koreans etc. It has begun technical testing with Hong Kong for cross-border payments, and is working with Thailand and the United Arab Emirates on real-time foreign exchange settlements.

NATIONALPresident Moon Jae-in greets Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon (right) and Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon (left) at the Sangchunjae guesthouse of the presidential compound on Wednesday, prior to their luncheon meeting. (Yonhap)President Moon Jae-in is not ruling out the possibility of North Korea participating in the upcoming Tokyo Olympics, which he said could pave the way for the two Koreas to co-host the 2032 Olympics, according to a senior Cheong Wa Dae official on Wednesday.“It remains to be seen whether North Korea will participate in the Tokyo Olympics. North Korea tends to make a big decision at the last minute,” the president reportedly said during a luncheon with the new mayors of Seoul and Busan earlier in the day.“If North Korea will end up joining this year’s event, there is a possibility for the co-hosting of the 2032 Olympics.”Moon was responding to Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, who asked if the city should continue its efforts toward co-hosting the 2032 Olympics despite soured inter-Korean relations.At their summit in Pyongyang in late 2018, Moon and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un agreed to pursue the joint Olympics bid. But IOC President Thomas Bach said the committee had not yet received an official statement from Pyongyang.On Wednesday, Moon reportedly told Oh that Seoul could place a solo bid until North Korea’s participation is confirmed, saying, “It is too early to give up for now.”The lunch meeting was arranged at the request of the president, possibly in a move to reach out to the opposition conservative bloc following the crushing defeat of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea in the April 7 mayoral by-elections. Both the Seoul and Busan mayors are affiliated with the main opposition People Power Party.Along with the Olympics, the meeting touched on a range of topics, including COVID-19 vaccines, possible presidential pardons for the country’s two imprisoned former presidents -- Moon’s direct predecessors -- and easing regulations for the housing marke

President Moon Jae-in is not ruling out the possibility of North Korea participating in the upcoming Tokyo Olympics, which he said could pave the way for the two Koreas to co-host the 2032 Olympics, according to a senior Cheong Wa Dae official on Wednesday.“It remains to be seen whether North Korea will participate in the Tokyo Olympics. North Korea tends to make a big decision at the last minute,” the president reportedly said during a luncheon with the new mayors of Seoul and Busan earlier in the day.“If North Korea will end up joining this year’s event, there is a possibility for the co-hosting of the 2032 Olympics.”Moon was responding to Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, who asked if the city should continue its efforts toward co-hosting the 2032 Olympics despite soured inter-Korean relations.At their summit in Pyongyang in late 2018, Moon and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un agreed to pursue the joint Olympics bid. But talks have been stalled in the aftermath of the breakdown of the second summit between Kim and former US President Donald Trump in early 2019.On April 1, the Seoul city government sent a proposal to the International Olympics Committee to co-host the 2032 Olympics with Pyongyang in a bid to keep its hopes alive, despite Brisbane, Australia, being the preferred bidder.But a few days later, North Korea hinted at its withdrawal from the Tokyo Olympics through the website of its sports committee, citing COVID-19 concerns as the key factor.The decision dealt a blow to Moon’s hopes of using the sports event in the neighboring country as an occasion to reengage with North Korea. But IOC President Thomas Bach said the committee had not yet received an official statement from Pyongyang.On Wednesday, Moon reportedly told Oh that Seoul could place a solo bid until North Korea’s participation is confirmed, saying, “It is too early to give up for now.”The lunch meeting was arranged at the request of the president, possibly in a move to reach out to the opposition conser

Mark McCloskey, a St. Louis attorney who, along with his wife, armed himself and confronted Black Lives Matter protesters outside their home last summer, said he is considering a run for a U.S. Senate seat. "I can confirm that it’s a consideration, yes," McCloskey told Politico on Tuesday. U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., previously announced he is retiring after serving in the Senate since 2011. Mark McCloskey told Politico he didn't have a timetable for making his decision about running. Several others have eyed the forthcoming U.S. Senate vacancy in Missouri, including former Republican Missouri Gov.

President Joe Biden's plans to bolster the U.S. economy will help the country compete with China's massive Belt and Road Initiative, former Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew said on Wednesday. The Belt and Road Initiative is China's ambitious program to build physical and digital infrastructure that connects hundreds of countries from Asia to the Middle East, Africa and Europe. Lew, who was Treasury secretary from 2013 to 2017 under former President Barack Obama, pointed out that China's Belt and Road Initiative has gained traction in the last few years. Despite their differences, Lew said there are many areas where the U.S. and China can work together. Those areas include climate change, health care and challenges with Iran and North Korea, said the former Treasury secretary.

The programme, co-led by international agencies and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), is a bulk-buying platform to share doses worldwide. Like other rich countries, EU nations decided not to buy their own vaccines through COVAX, and competed with it to buy shots when supplies were tight. An EU Commission spokesman told Reuters COVAX had been very successful in structuring global collaboration and securing millions of doses. He called the programme "our best vehicle to deliver on international vaccines solidarity" and the EU's "key channel for sharing vaccines." Other EU countries are also far below expected contributions; some have given zero.

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran said on Tuesday it welcomes Iraqi mediation to help mend its ties with Gulf Arab states, following reports that Saudi and Iranian officials had held discussions in Iraq. The remarks by the Iranian ambassador to Baghdad came a day after Iran's foreign ministry said that Tehran always welcomed dialogue with its arch-rival Saudi Arabia, without confirming that talks had been held. Iran and Saudi Arabia severed diplomatic ties in 2016 and have been engaged in several proxy wars in the region as they vie for influence. Asked about any progress in talks, Masjedi said: "We have not yet reached clear results and significant progress. Sunni power Saudi Arabia had opposed the international nuclear accord with Shi'ite Iran for not tackling Tehran's missiles programme and regional behaviour.

Saudi Arabia is recalibrating its regional position after losing an unflinching supporter in President Joe Biden's predecessor, Donald Trump. Saudi Arabia has sought talks with Iran as the kingdom tries to end its years-long war in Yemen against Iran-backed Houthi rebels. Both the diplomat and Iraqi official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the secretive contacts with the media. This change of guard was key in bringing Iranians to the table in Baghdad, Iraqi officials said. “They have a new view, a new discourse, they want a stronger Iraq,” one Iraqi official said of the Intelligence Ministry officials.

A police officer in Columbus, Ohio, shot a teenage girl Tuesday evening while responding to reports of an attempted stabbing. The girl, identified by family members and Franklin County Children's Services as Ma’Khia Bryant, 16, was taken to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 5:21 p.m. The aunt said her niece had a knife, but maintained she dropped it before the officer shot her. Columbus officials Tuesday night released body-camera footage from the officer who shot Bryant. It shows the officer firing four shots as Ma’Khia Bryant as she appeared to swing the knife at another woman.

If the battle within the Republican Party were a movie franchise, the latest episode would be “The Establishment Strikes Back.”Former president George W. Bush is urging not just a gentler tone on immigrants, but a more generous policy as well; former House speaker John Boehner advocates reembracing traditional Republican themes; and a wide array of business leaders have rejected the GOP efforts at voter suppression. AdvertisementAll of which has added another dimension to what’s already one of the most fascinating stories in US politics: Whither the GOP? In broad strokes, this is the story of the continuing tug of war between the governing and populist wings of the GOP. Pat Buchanan’s conservative-populist 1992 campaign prefigured Trump, as did the more recent Tea Party battle with the Republican establishment. The big difference, notes Republican pollster Whit Ayres, is that the GOP’s populist wing had not elected a president until Trump’s 2016 victory.

The ongoing fight pits conservationists and Native Americans against local officials and residents who support its economic benefits. “Save Oak Flat” is seen on a water tower in San Carlos, Arizona. Religious ceremonies are held at the site, near the San Carlos Apache Reservation, to celebrate teenage girls coming of age. Mine workers do maintenance work 2066 meters underground in Resolution Copper exploratory mine shaft 10 in Superior, Arizona, in March. Sandra Rambler, a San Carlos Apache tribal elder, holds a photo of her mother talking with former Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar during his visit to Oak Flat in 2009, in San Carlos, Arizona.

A key two-day climate climate summit starting Thursday, hosted by U.S. President Joe Biden, aims to show that America is once again ready to take a leading role on enacting climate change policies and cutting greenhouse gas emissions to prevent catastrophic global warming. It’s also a chance for Suga to show international climate leadership. “The climate summit is the first real test of U.S. international climate leadership 2.0. Nor was there any concrete pledge for a strong 2030 reduction target. That pressure will likely increase further if, before the summit, Biden were to pledge a 50% reduction.

Arizona Gov Doug Ducey said Tuesday he is sending 250 National Guard troops to the state's southern border with Mexico amid the increased arrivals of migrants. The announcement came the day Customs and Border Protection held an open house at a new tent-like migrant processing center in the border community of Yuma. It is the first of two planned in Arizona to help agents process and temporarily shelter a growing number of asylum seekers arriving at the border. The American Civil Liberties Union in Arizona said Ducey's actions 'do nothing more than further militarize our border communities and stoke unnecessary and unjustified fear'. US Rep Raul Grijalva, a Democrat whose district includes Arizona's southern border, said the deployment was purely political and will do nothing to resolve backlogs, improve care of unaccompanied minors, or help border communities.

The 50% target would nearly double the nation’s previous commitment and help the Biden administration prod other countries for ambitious emissions cuts as well. The emissions target has been eagerly awaited by all sides of the climate debate. The climate target is a key requirement of the 2015 Paris climate agreement, which Biden rejoined on his first day in office. The climate summit that Biden is hosting is among his first international actions since the United States officially returned to the Paris accord. The 50% pledge was first reported by The Washington Post.

Now the CIA is the media. Nowadays, there is no meaningful separation between the news media and the CIA at all. What we are seeing now is the CIA openly acting as the media. Any separation between the CIA and the news media, indeed even any pretence of separation, has been dropped. The CIA should not exist at all, let alone control the news media, much less the movements of the US empire.

A leader knows when to be quiet and listenOur Country is at a crossroads in history. Our Elected Officials are too involved in their own agendas and special interests. The problem is that a good majority of these elected Officials are just looking out for themselves and those who “buy” into their cause. A leader knows when to speak and knows when to listen. I want to be a LEADER.” Allen is a community leader, a small business owner, and a family man.

“Depraved indifference to human life” doesn’t begin to describe it. To Floyd, that wasn’t a human life he was slowly, even casually, snuffing out; it was just a nuisance, a thing. And, yes, a jury found him guilty. So the verdict, including its swiftness, is cause for relief, but not celebration. But overcome we must.

During a segment on Fox's "Outnumbered," their newest co-host, Kayleigh McEnany (Donald Trump's former press secretary) took the lead in the Biden bashing. "I’m praying the verdict is the right verdict," Biden said, "which is — I think it’s overwhelming, in my view." And I think it's the role of the President of the United States to stay back, to not inflame the tensions." x "I think it's the role of the president of the United States to stay back, to not inflame the tensions," said Kayleigh McEnany... the press secretary for DONALD TRUMP. But now she's appalled by Biden's compassionate comments about his conversation with the Floyd family.

Six year old Giana Floyd said that her daddy changed the world. Here is the video of her saying that “Daddy changed the world. Giana Floyd said, “Daddy changed the world.” And he did. “My daddy changed the world.” She needs to see that change to be able to move through the world with confidence. We need to see that change to know that we can change the world too.

Tweet ‘n’ transcript below:x "I think it's the role of the president of the United States to stay back, to not inflame the tensions," said Kayleigh McEnany... the press secretary for DONALD TRUMP. Look, I’m glad he at least waited until the jury was sequestered, but I think that the country is such a tinderbox right now, especially in Minneapolis. There’s so much hurt, so much pain, and I think it’s the role of the president of the United States to stay back, to not inflame the tensions. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have feckless flacks like McEnany around anymore to explain to the consensus reality community what he “really” meant. 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.

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.

It's the lack of investigation into the Lafayette Square gassing and forcible seizure of a nearby church to provide the Trump Team’s photo-op, however, that is especially galling. To this day, all of the relevant details about how the attack on protesters came about remain intentionally obscured. A multitude of things still remain secret from those times, and we have been getting new hints only in a trickle. This smoking gun managed to evade Trump-era investigators for four years, only to reappear now, after pardons have been dispensed. There is no possible way these acts were not initiated by the toad always quick to offer praise for authoritarian leaders elsewhere.

A bloody counter-insurgency campaign financed and backed by American imperialism has already led to hundreds of thousands of deaths. In Valley of Souls, a wizened fisherman, José (José Arley de Jesús Carvallido Lobo), returns home to find that his two sons have fallen victim to the AUC. José must now fish for the bodies of his sons in the tangled brush of the river bank. Unlike the makers of I’m Fine (Thanks for Asking), he or she can adopt a broader, more informed and more intensely insightful view. The US, with one-fourth the population, ranks number one in total deaths, with nearly 600,000, thanks to the homicidal government policy.

The announcement by China earlier this month that it is currently testing the use of a digital yuan in various pilot programs has brought a reaction from the Bank of England. The Treasury and the BoE announced on Monday that they had established a joint task force to evaluate the creation of a central bank digital currency (CBDC). But they are clearly concerned that if Britain falls behind in the development of new methods of international monetary transactions, then the position of the City of London as a major global financial centre could be weakened. China’s efforts to create a digital yuan had yet to prove that they would be more efficient or convenient than the existing international and domestic payments system. Last month China began discussions with the Belgium-based SWIFT messaging service for international financial transactions to explore the means by which it could operate a digital yuan and has begun collaboration with Thailand and the United Arab Emirates on digital currency usage.

According to a statement issued by the union Tuesday evening, Allegheny Technologies has continued to demand cuts to health care, pensions and jobs. Hoping to avoid a strike, the union kept workers on the job for another month without a contract. Striking workers are yet to receive any payment from the USW strike fund, which currently stands above $150 million. “They will say they are giving us a raise but then want to take it away on health care. Don’t touch our health care, and don’t cut the pensions.”John Rua has been a bricklayer for 29 years.

On Monday, Facebook announced it would “limit content that could lead to civil unrest or violence” in advance of the jury verdict in the trial of Derrick Chauvin, the Minneapolis police officer who was found guilty Tuesday on all three counts for the murder of George Floyd last year. Waters’s statement was also used in the courtroom by Chauvin’s attorney Eric Nelson to argue for a mistrial on the grounds that jury had been prejudiced by media coverage of Waters’s statement and protests demanding a guilty verdict over the weekend. Throughout the protests against police violence over the summer, which involved approximately 20 million people in the US, the Democrats supported the false characterization of the demonstrations as violent and compared them to the fascist mobs organized by the Republican Party. For example, then the Democratic Party’s candidate for the White House, President Joe Biden, said in August, “I condemn violence of every kind by anyone, whether on the left or the right. In a significant example of the political character of Facebook’s content policy, platform moderators blocked the sharing of a New York Post article on Thursday that exposed the $3.2 million in real estate purchases of Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors.

The hearts of political leaders in the United States and its imperialist allies are bleeding for imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Those most passionately invoking his democratic rights are the architects of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s continuing and vastly more severe persecution. Navalny is a right-wing, nationalist politician, who has referred to migrants from the Caucasus as “cockroaches” that should be killed. The same interests mandate support for Navalny, who offers himself up as a tool for realising their designs on Russia. Assange has had his democratic rights eviscerated with the consent of all the major powers to suppress opposition to this imperialist war drive.

The hue and cry about Uyghur “genocide” is aimed at stampeding public opinion behind the Biden administration’s escalating confrontation with China and its military build-up for war. Last year, as the Trump administration ramped up its propaganda on “Uyghur rights,” the State Department quietly removed the ETIM from its terrorist list. She is intimately connected to Uyghur exile groups, including the World Uyghur Congress and the American Uyghur Association, which call for the formation of an independent East Turkestan. The rapidly escalating US-led campaign on “Uyghur genocide” recalls the “big lie” exploited by the US and its NATO allies to initiate the murderous bombing of Serbia in 1999. On a far broader scale, the US campaign on “Uyghur genocide” is aimed at weakening and breaking up China along ethnic lines as part of the determined efforts by American imperialism to prevent China from challenging US global dominion.

AdvertisementStory continues below advertisement“Success on climate change requires transforming the entire global economy,” said Nigel Purvis, the chief executive of Climate Advisers, a nonprofit firm involved in marshaling private capital to combat the problem. AdvertisementStory continues below advertisement“The fact is we’re long past debating whether climate change is real. This week’s summit will also offer a forum for lower-income countries to try to change the flow of private capital. “The United States has consistently failed to deliver on its promises of climate finance to support action in poorer countries,” Wu said in an email Sunday. The Treasury Department just announced that its first climate counselor would be John E. Morton, a former partner at the climate change advisory and investment firm Pollination.

China’s President Xi Jinping will attend a U.S.-led climate change summit on Thursday at the invitation of President Joe Biden, in the first meeting between the two leaders since the advent of the new U.S. administration. Xi will attend the summit via video and will deliver an “important” speech, Hua Chunying, a spokeswoman at the Chinese foreign ministry, said in a statement on Wednesday. In Alaska last month, U.S. and Chinese officials held the first high-level in-person talks that bristled with rancor and yielded no diplomatic breakthroughs. But the two countries, the world’s two biggest greenhouse gas emitters, have rediscovered a common interest in battling climate change. The talks also marked a resumption of climate dialogue halted during the Donald Trump administration, who withdrew from the Paris agreement.

Saudi Arabia is recalibrating its regional position after losing an unflinching supporter in President Joe Biden’s predecessor, Donald Trump. Saudi Arabia has sought talks with Iran as the kingdom tries to end its years-long war in Yemen against Iran-backed Houthi rebels. Both the diplomat and Iraqi official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the secretive contacts with the media. ADVERTISEMENTThe Iranian ambassador to Iraq on Tuesday praised Baghdad’s recent diplomatic efforts, hinting at the Saudi-Iran talks without mentioning the kingdom. “They have a new view, a new discourse, they want a stronger Iraq,” one Iraqi official said of the Intelligence Ministry officials.

Like other rich countries, EU nations decided not to buy their own vaccines through COVAX, and competed with it to buy shots when supplies were tight. An EU Commission spokesman told Reuters COVAX had been very successful in structuring global collaboration and securing millions of doses. He called the programme "our best vehicle to deliver on international vaccines solidarity" and the EU's "key channel for sharing vaccines." Other EU countries are also far below expected contributions; some have given zero. On Tuesday, the EU Commission said the EU would share over half a million doses with Balkan countries from May through the EU scheme.

Trump on Putin: "I liked him, he liked me." GettyTrump praises Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. "I got along great with President Putin. I liked him, he liked me," Trump told Fox News. Of his warm personal relationship with the Russian leader, he told Hannity that: "I got along great with President Putin.

With more than 50% of adults at least partially vaccinated, Biden on Wednesday will reflect on his efforts to expand vaccine distribution and access in his first three months in the White House. With roughly 28 million vaccine doses being delivered each week, demand has eclipsed supply as the constraining factor to vaccinations in much of the country. While surveys have shown that vaccine hesitancy has declined since the rollout of the shots, administration officials believe they have to make getting vaccinated easier and more appealing. Biden set his 200 million shot goal last month after meeting his 100 million-in-100 days goal just over a month ago. At the time the U.S. was well on pace to meet the higher target, and the pace of vaccinations has only accelerated, to about 3 million shots per day.

An online petition says Simon & Schuster "has chosen complicity in perpetuating white supremacy by publishing Mike Pence and continuing to distribute books for Post Hill Press." The petition accused Mr. Pence of advocating for policies that were racist, sexist and discriminatory toward LGBTQ+ people, among other criticisms of his tenure as a public official. Anthony Ziccardi, publisher of Post Hill Press, didn’t respond to a request for comment. Some Simon & Schuster employees wanted the company to go further and cut off any distribution ties with Post Hill Press. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESSBertelsmann SE has agreed to acquire Simon & Schuster for almost $2.18 billion.

It would enhance openness, transparency, global markets, and reinforce the certainty and predictability provided by the multilateral trading system." China joined the WTO in December 2001, with Okonjo-Iweala acknowledging the "monumental moment that happened 20 years ago". "In 2001, China joined the WTO, and 20 years later, China has significantly transformed itself whilst the world has also changed," she added. "China is indeed central to WTO reform and in making sure that the WTO works. By helping WTO members deliver results, China can contribute to bolstering global trade and improving growth prospects for all, particularly the poorer developing countries," said Okonjo-Iweala.

A view of the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) office building on Beijing's Financial Street on December 18, 2019. China's refusal to let the board examine audits of the US-listed Chinese companies has long been a point of contention. The audit papers of 14 US-listed Chinese companies - three last year alone - have been submitted to the SEC and the PCAOB in recent years, the regulator said last June. The risk of being delisted is widely believed to be a significant reason US-listed Chinese companies are increasingly seeking secondary listings in Hong Kong. More from South China Morning Post:Read the original article on South China Morning Post.

A politician whose own seemingly charmed life was turned upside down by searing family tragedies, Biden has long been a master at showing compassion. And the Democrat's well of emotional strength runs especially deep when it comes to the traumas -- historic and current -- facing Black Americans. Biden may be white, but as former vice president to Barack Obama, the first African American president, he has unique credentials with the community. Entering the White House, Biden brought Kamala Harris as his vice president -- the first person of mixed race and the first woman to hold the office. "I think of Gianna's comment: 'My daddy's going to change the world,'" Biden said.

Now, millions of Americans wait to see whether a moment of rare hope will spur political leaders to deliver similar justice by reforming policing and eradicating systemic racism. The method for making the most fundamental set of changes to policing in a generation, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, is already sitting in the Senate. His extremism is in line with what ex-Republican President George W. Bush Tuesday branded "nativist" sentiment in the party. Even more moderate Republicans may take the position that the justice system worked in convicting Chauvin and that further changes may be unnecessary. Ellison, who headed up the team that prosecuted Chauvin, said he could not call the verdict justice, because that would imply "true restoration.

Mark McCloskey, who rose to national prominence after he was seen pointing an assault rifle at Black Lives Matter protesters in St. Louis last year, is looking at a possible Senate run in Missouri. McCloskey, a wealthy personal-injury lawyer, said in an interview with Politico that a Senate run is a “consideration.”McCloskey and his wife, Patricia, garnered attention in 2020 after they were seen waving guns at protesters outside their St. Louis mansion. The GOP is already grappling with the candidacy of former Gov. Eric Greitens, who resigned in disgrace in 2018 over allegations he had an affair with his hairdresser and blackmailed and sexually assaulted her. Former state Sen. Scott Sifton and attorney Lucas Kunce are among those running for the Democrats.

BEIJING (Reuters) -China’s President Xi Jinping will attend a U.S.-led climate change summit on Thursday at the invitation of President Joe Biden, in the first meeting between the two leaders since the advent of the new U.S. administration. Xi will attend the summit via video and will deliver an “important” speech, Hua Chunying, spokeswoman at the Chinese foreign ministry, said in a statement on Wednesday. In Alaska last month, U.S. and Chinese officials held the first high-level in-person talks that bristled with rancor and yielded no diplomatic breakthroughs. But the two countries, the world’s two biggest greenhouse gas emitters, have rediscovered a common interest in battling climate change. The talks also marked a resumption of climate dialogue halted during the Donald Trump administration, who withdrew from the Paris agreement.

REUTERS/Murad SezerViolations of religious freedom are increasing and persecution takes place in more than 25 countries, with China and Myanmar among those that have the worst records, according to a report by a Vatican-backed charity. The latest report put 26 countries in a "red" category denoting the existence of persecution, compared to 21 countries at the time of the last report two years ago. "There has been a significant increase in the severity of religiously-motivated persecution and oppression," the report said. In Myanmar, the report said Rohingya Muslims "have been the victims of the most egregious violations of human rights in recent memory". The ACN report said the military coup on Feb. 1 was "likely to make things worse for all religious minorities" in Myanmar, where about 8% of the population is Christian.

BEIJING - China's President Xi Jinping will attend a U.S.-led climate change summit on Thursday at the invitation of President Joe Biden, in the first meeting between the two leaders since the advent of the new U.S. administration. Xi will attend the summit via video and will deliver an "important" speech, Hua Chunying, spokeswoman at the Chinese foreign ministry, said in a statement Wednesday. In Alaska last month, U.S. and Chinese officials held the first high-level in-person talks, which bristled with rancor and yielded no diplomatic breakthroughs. But the two countries, the world's two biggest greenhouse gas emitters, have rediscovered a common interest in battling climate change. The talks also marked a resumption of climate dialog halted during the Donald Trump administration, who withdrew from the Paris agreement.

FILE - In this April 15, 2021, file photo, President Joe Biden speaks in the East Room of the White House in Washington. The 50% target would nearly double the nation’s previous commitment and help the Biden administration prod other countries for ambitious emissions cuts as well. The emissions target has been eagerly awaited by all sides of the climate debate. The climate target is a key requirement of the 2015 Paris climate agreement, which Biden rejoined on his first day in office. The 50% pledge was first reported by The Washington Post.

The family of a child shot dead by police in 2014 have also recently asked the Justice Department to reopen that case. The Justice Department hasn’t said yet whether it will look into any of the recent cases. To bring federal civil rights charges, federal prosecutors must prove that an officer’s actions willfully broke the law and were not simply the result of a mistake, negligence or bad judgment. It has been a consistently tough burden for federal prosecutors to meet across both Democratic and Republican administrations. In Chicago, attorney Jáuregui said the community doesn’t trust the police but believes the Justice Department will see the case through.

Today in HistoryToday is Wednesday, April 21, the 111th day of 2021. In 1910, author Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, died in Redding, Connecticut, at age 74. ADVERTISEMENTIn 1926, Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II was born in Mayfair, London; she was the first child of The Duke and Duchess of York, who later became King George VI and the Queen Mother. Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s oldest and longest-reigning monarch, drew crowds of well-wishers and floods of tributes on the occasion of her 90th birthday. Today’s Birthdays: Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II is 95.

With more than 50% of adults at least partially vaccinated, Biden on Wednesday will reflect on his efforts to expand vaccine distribution and access in his first three months in the White House. With roughly 28 million vaccine doses being delivered each week, demand has eclipsed supply as the constraining factor to vaccinations in much of the country. Biden set his 200 million shot goal last month after meeting his 100 million-in-100 days goal just over a month ago. At the time the U.S. was well on pace to meet the higher target, and the pace of vaccinations has only accelerated, to about 3 million shots per day. It a deliberate effort by Biden to set clear — and achievable — metrics for success as part of a strategy of underpromising, then overdelivering.

"Progress made over the last two weeks," European External Action Service Deputy Secretary General Enrique Mora said on Twitter. The talks, aimed at bringing Iran and the United States back into compliance with the nuclear deal will pick up again next week based on progress achieved so far, Russian and Chinese officials said earlier on Tuesday. "Today the Joint Commission of #JCPOA took note with satisfaction of the progress made in negotiations to restore the nuclear deal," said Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia's ambassador to the U.N. nuclear watchdog (IAEA), referring to the nuclear deal. In Washington, the State Department described the talks in positive terms but said there was a long way to go. Iran's chief nuclear negotiator said the talks were moving forward despite difficulties but warned Tehran would halt the negotiations if faced with "unreasonable demands" or time wasting.

With more than 50% of adults at least partially vaccinated, Biden on Wednesday will reflect on his efforts to expand vaccine distribution and access in his first three months in the White House. AdvertisementWith roughly 28 million vaccine doses being delivered each week, demand has eclipsed supply as the constraining factor to vaccinations in much of the country. While surveys have shown that vaccine hesitancy has declined since the rollout of the shots, administration officials believe they have to make getting vaccinated easier and more appealing. AdvertisementBiden set his 200 million shot goal last month after meeting his 100 million-in-100 days goal just over a month ago. At the time the U.S. was well on pace to meet the higher target, and the pace of vaccinations has only accelerated, to about 3 million shots per day.

One year ago: The coroner’s office in California’s Santa Clara County received autopsy results showing that a woman who died there on Feb. 6 and a man who died on Feb. 17 had the coronavirus. (It wasn’t until Feb. 29 that the first known U.S. death from the virus was reported in Kirkland, Washington; officials later attributed two Feb. 26 deaths to the virus.) Researchers reported that a malaria drug that had been widely touted by President Donald Trump for treating the coronavirus showed no benefit in large study of its use in U.S. veterans hospitals. In its first-quarter earnings report, Netflix revealed that it had added nearly 16 million global subscribers during the first three months of the year, as stay-at-home orders went into effect.

.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........SANTA FE – Cowboys for Trump founder Couy Griffin has filed an appeal with the state Supreme Court as he seeks to fend off an effort to recall him from office as a county commissioner in southern New Mexico. They say Griffin used his office to solicit contributions to Cowboys for Trump that covered his personal expenses. Cowboys for Trump has held horseback parades across the country in support of President Donald Trump. It was unclear how soon the state Supreme Court will decide whether to intervene. If allowed, a recall petition against Griffin with a sufficient number of signatures could trigger a special election within months.

Violations of religious freedom are increasing and persecution takes place in more than 25 countries, with China and Myanmar among those that have the worst records, according to a report by a Vatican-backed charity. The latest report put 26 countries in a “red” category denoting the existence of persecution, compared to 21 countries at the time of the last report two years ago. “There has been a significant increase in the severity of religiously-motivated persecution and oppression,” the report said. It was particularly scathing about China and Myanmar. The ACN report said the military coup on Feb. 1 was “likely to make things worse for all religious minorities” in Myanmar, where about 8% of the population is Christian.

Based on a law on foreign investment, the Japanese government is expected to conduct interviews regularly with Rakuten, and share the information with the U.S. government, the sources said. Rakuten said that the Tencent group company’s acquisition of the stake is purely for investment purposes and rejected the possibility that shareholders would gain access to customer data. Such prior approval is not necessary if taking a stake is solely intended to seek investment returns, not to influence management. The Tencent group company, Image Frame Investment (HK) Ltd., needs to show to Japanese authorities by mid-May that it has no plan to send anyone representing the Hong Kong-based firm to Rakuten’s board and meet other requirements. To bolster its financial base following massive investments in mobile phone infrastructure, Rakuten last month received a combined ¥242.35 billion in investment from Image Frame Investment, Japan Post Holdings Co. and Walmart Inc. of the United States.

In the months after Floyd’s death, some change has been concrete. Floyd’s death, most Americans agreed early last summer, was part of a broader pattern — not an isolated incident. Even as the outcry over Floyd’s death has raised awareness of it, other trends tied to the pandemic have only exacerbated that inequality. White Americans unfamiliar with the concept of structural racism drove books on the topic to the top of bestseller lists. George Floyd’s death created a new energy around making changes, though it’s not clear how lasting they will be,” said Rashad Robinson, president of Color for Change.

Heavy fighting has raged near the Yemeni city of Marib as Huthi rebels press their offensive on the government's last northern toeholdAdvertising Read moreMarib (Yemen) (AFP)Peering through binoculars, a Yemeni commander scans a forbidding desert moonscape for lurking Huthi rebels, who are ramping up a bloody offensive to seize the strategic oil-rich region of Marib. The outcome of the scorched-earth battles raging around Marib city, the Saudi-backed Yemeni government's last northern stronghold, could significantly alter the future course of a conflict now in its seventh year. Hundreds of combatants have been killed since the large-scale offensive began in February, according to local sources. Loyalist commanders say the rebels are sending wave after wave of fighters towards frontlines around Marib city, the regional capital, from seemingly inexhaustible reserves. But one Western official said he slammed the Marib offensive as a "big mistake" during direct talks with Huthi negotiators, drawing parallels with stalemated fighting during World War I that only added to widespread suffering.

It was the largest expulsion of Russian diplomats since the 2018 Salisbury poisonings. Russia in response expelled 10 US diplomats and targeted US embassy operations, also recommending the ambassador leave the country. On Tuesday, Russia expelled two Bulgarian diplomats in a tit-for-tat retaliation to spying allegations dating back to March. Moscow responded by expelling 20 Czech diplomats, paralysing the much smaller Czech embassy. While Sullivan was not expelled from Moscow, it appears that Russian government pressure influenced his decision to leave the country temporarily.

Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty Tuesday on all three charges he faced for the murder of George Floyd, capping a trial that captivated the nation nearly a year after Floyd’s death set off a reckoning over racial injustice and police brutality. They said Chauvin broke from police practice by pinning him to the street in an arrest over the use of a counterfeit $20 bill. While lawmakers and activists exhaled with the announcement of the guilty verdict, tensions over policing and racial inequality will remain. The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which would overhaul qualified immunity and outlaw chokeholds and no-knock warrants at the federal level, passed the House this year. “I'm thankful for George Floyd’s family that justice was served.

“I’m glad that he was found guilty on all charges, even if he might not be guilty of all charges,” Mr. Gutfeld said. He was quickly interrupted by Ms. Pirro, who had been muttering in disapproving tones as Mr. Gutfeld was speaking. Ms. Pirro scolded Mr. Gutfeld for his views, saying the verdict was a result of clear facts presented by prosecutors. At stake is far more than the future of Derek Chauvin or the memory of George Floyd. As she spoke, a caption appeared onscreen: “BLATANT INTIMIDATION DURING DEREK CHAUVIN TRIAL.”

Owens said Chauvin suffered "mob justice," and the verdict was very likely influenced by politicians like Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., and others who have threatened or condoned violence if the criminal justice system doesn't award them a victory. "What we are really seeing is mob justice, and that is really what happened with this entire trial. This was not a trial about George Floyd and Derek Chauvin," she told "Tucker Carlson Tonight." "This was a trial about whether the media was powerful enough to create a simulation and decide upon a narrative absent any facts." "They kept hitting that narrative, and the Democrats are happy because they realized the media supports them and that now means Democrats can get whatever they want."

In June 2020, McCloskey and his wife, Patricia, waved guns at protesters who were marching past their mansion on the way to the home of then-St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson. Trump retweeted video footage of the incident and defended the couple in a televised interview, saying it was “disgraceful” they were facing legal action. The McCloskeys were awarded a speaking slot on the opening night of the 2020 Republican convention. In a pre-recorded, four-minute video, the couple warned that liberals wanted to “demolish” suburban areas and take away gun rights. The list of Democratic contenders includes former state Sen. Scott Sifton and attorney Lucas Kunce.

(Obama didn’t take corporate money for his 2009 inauguration but relented in 2013.) Other corporate donors that gave at least $100,000 to Biden’s inaugural committee include Amazon and Google, both of which are fending off calls to be more tightly regulated if not dismantled. The American Federation of Teachers, which has been urging caution around efforts to reopen schools amid the pandemic, gave $250,000. Biden, however, brought in far less than President Donald Trump’s 2017 inaugural committee — a record-setting $107 million haul. D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine later sued Trump’s inaugural committee, alleging that it had violated its nonprofit status by overpaying to book a ballroom at the Trump International Hotel.

China’s President Xi Jinping will take part in President Joe Biden’s virtual climate summit this week. A spokesman for China’s foreign ministry said Tuesday night that Xi will attend the summit and “deliver an important speech by video.”The U.S. and China are the world’s top two carbon polluters, and tensions between the two countries have been rising in recent years over a multitude of issues. Last weekend, Biden’s special envoy for climate, John Kerry, secured an agreement with China to cooperate on climate issues and to treat the matter “with the seriousness and urgency that it demands.”Biden has invited 40 world leaders to the two-day virtual summit Thursday and Friday, in a meeting seen as a precursor to the U.N.-hosted COP26 climate talks to be held in Glasgow, Scotland, in November. Biden is trying to win back global goodwill, after the Trump administration burned a number of bridges when it came to the issue of climate change, including withdrawing from the landmark Paris accord, which Biden immediately rejoined after taking office. Biden is expected to pledge that the U.S. will cut its carbon emissions by at least half by 2030, a crucial commitment that is intended, at least in part, to convince other economic powers — including China — to offer similar pledges.

Enter email address Sign Me Up You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)By March 2020, the School of Rock network pivoted entirely to remote instruction. AdvertisementThe European Medicines Agency said a warning should be added to labels for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Experts worry the temporary halt of the Johnson & Johnson shots could complicate worldwide immunization efforts. AdvertisementA committee of vaccine experts that advises the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is scheduled to discuss the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and possible next steps at a Friday meeting.

China’s President Xi Jinping will attend a US-led climate change summit on Thursday at the invitation of President Joe Biden, in the first meeting between the two leaders since the advent of the new US administration. Biden has invited dozens of world leaders to join the two-day virtual summit starting on Thursday, after bringing the US back into the 2015 Paris agreement on cutting global carbon emissions. Xi will attend the summit via video and will deliver an “important” speech, Hua Chunying, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, said in a statement on Wednesday. But the two countries, the world’s two biggest greenhouse gas emitters, have rediscovered a common interest in battling climate change. Xi joined another virtual climate summit with France and Germany last week, where he said developed countries should “set an example” in reducing emissions and support developing nations’ responses to climate change, according to the state news agency Xinhua.

Democratic U.S. lawmakers, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Ed Markey, on Tuesday reintroduced their “Green New Deal” resolution, their set of aggressive climate goals intended to transform the U.S. economy. The plan has received backing from 103 House of Representatives lawmakers, Ocasio-Cortez said, including first-term congresswoman Cori Bush of Missouri, a vocal supporter. Republicans and Trump slammed the Green New Deal when it was first introduced, claiming adopting its goals would force Americans to cease traveling and not be able to eat meat. “The green new disaster is back,” Republican Sen. John Barrasso said in a statement on Monday, ahead of the relaunch. Separately, Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent who caucuses with the Democrats, on Monday introduced their Green New Deal for Public Housing Act.

China’s President Xi Jinping will attend a U.S.-led climate change summit on Thursday at the invitation of President Joe Biden, in the first meeting between the two leaders since the advent of the new U.S. administration. Xi will attend the summit via video and will deliver an “important” speech, Hua Chunying, spokeswoman at the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said in a statement Wednesday. In Alaska last month, U.S. and Chinese officials held the first high-level in-person talks that bristled with rancor and yielded no diplomatic breakthroughs. But the two countries, the world’s two biggest greenhouse gas emitters, have rediscovered a common interest in battling climate change. The talks also marked a resumption of climate dialogue halted during the Donald Trump administration, who withdrew from the Paris agreement.

President Joe Biden will announce Thursday that the United States intends to cut planet-warming emissions nearly in half by the end of the decade, a target that would require Americans to transform the way they drive, heat their homes and manufacture goods. A White House spokesperson declined to comment on the U.S. target, which was first reported by The Washington Post. It will not include detailed modeling showing how the United States proposes to meet its pledge, one administration official said. On Tuesday, Gina McCarthy, Biden’s top climate change adviser, hinted that the United States would set that ambitious goal. That would give Biden a bipartisan victory on a major domestic policy but leave the United States without a permanent, irreversible climate law.

'Myself, as a public health person, I think you can't run away from that,' Fauci said when asked about gun violence during an appearance on CNN with Dana Bash. How can you say that's not a public health issue?' Scroll down for videoDr Fauci has weighed in on gun control and says he believes it is a 'public health issue'. How can you say that's not a public health issue?' 'I don't look at this as a liberty thing, Congressman Jordan, I look at this as a public health thing.'

Under attack from the right, U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger leading the fundraising pack in 16th DistrictMarsha V. Williams of Wilmington is the lone Democratic candidate for the 16th U.S. Congressional District in the 2022 election. Kinzinger, a Channahon resident who represents the 16th District, sailed to a reelection victory in 2020. Of that latter sum, $5,000 came from Lauf's own Defense of Freedom political committee. In contrast, Lauf said she is "building a grass-roots campaign fueled by committed conservatives across Illinois' 16th District." The 16th District includes parts or all of 14 Illinois counties.

Major League Baseball ’s website has just had the best 18 days in its history – despite former president Trump telling people to boycott it. “Boycott baseball and all of the woke companies that are interfering with Free and Fair Elections,” the former president said in a statement on 2 April. But in spite of Mr Trump’s fury – or possibly because of it – Major League Baseball has had a terrific month. Opening Day 2021 was the most-watched day in MLB.TV history, the league said. The former president then said he’d been invited to throw out a pitch for the Yankees, but the Yankees denied ever asking him.

Journalists watch a screen showing China's President Xi Jinping delivering a speech during the opening of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference 2021 in Boao, south China's Hainan province on April 20, 2021. China’s President Xi Jinping will attend US President Joe Biden’s virtual climate summit this week, Beijing said Wednesday, as the world’s top polluting nations seek rare common ground despite wider political tensions. The virtual summit will be the first meeting between the two leaders since Biden became president. Beijing has said the US needs to take more responsibility on climate change, with foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying calling Washington’s return to the Paris accord “a truant getting back to class”. Xi joined another virtual climate summit with France and Germany last week, where he said developed countries should “set an example” in reducing emissions and support developing nations’ responses to climate change, state news agency Xinhua reported.

FILE PHOTO: Chinese President Xi Jinping applauds at the closing session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China March 10, 2021. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia RawlinsBEIJING (Reuters) -China’s President Xi Jinping will attend a U.S.-led climate change summit on Thursday at the invitation of President Joe Biden, in the first meeting between the two leaders since the advent of the new U.S. administration. Xi will attend the summit via video and will deliver an “important” speech, Hua Chunying, spokeswoman at the Chinese foreign ministry, said in a statement on Wednesday. But the two countries, the world’s two biggest greenhouse gas emitters, have rediscovered a common interest in battling climate change. The talks also marked a resumption of climate dialogue halted during the Donald Trump administration, who withdrew from the Paris agreement.

“If Facebook can be safer for Black people, why isn’t that the default setting?” said Rashad Robinson, president of Color Of Change. On Tuesday, a Minneapolis jury found Chauvin guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter for the killing of GeorgeFloyd. Facebook took similar steps to curb flow of misinformation and calls to violence in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election. Emerson Brooking, resident fellow at the Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab, says Facebook's handling of the Chauvin verdict is a case study "in just how far we’ve come in the past year." But Robinson and other activists say Facebook has not done enough to protect Black users from hate and abuse.

Story continues below advertisement“You got it, pal,” Biden said, in video captured by family attorney Ben Crump. In a striking scene, the man who was the vice president to the nation’s first Black president was joined by the woman he chose as the nation’s first Black vice president. “Today’s verdict is a step forward.”Story continues below advertisementBut, he added: “Such a verdict is also much too rare. “They’re a good family,” Biden said earlier on Tuesday. “I’m praying the verdict is the right verdict, which is, I think — it’s overwhelming, in my view,” Biden said.

President Biden on Tuesday, weighing in on the murder conviction of ex-Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin, left out the rioting, looting, arson and worse that broke out around the country amid a summer of unrest following George Floyd’s Memorial Day death. More than 140 U.S. cities saw repeated protests in the three weeks immediately following Floyd’s Memorial Day death. Biden, however, used his speech to focus on political solutions to criminal and racial justice reform --ignoring the rash of unrest. "The murder of George Floyd launched a summer of protest we hadn't seen since the Civil Rights in the ‘60s." CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPFollowing those remarks, he and Vice President Kamala Harris called on the Senate to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.

Chinese President Xi Jinping applauds at the closing session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China March 10, 2021. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia RawlinsChina's President Xi Jinping will attend a U.S.-led climate change summit on Thursday at the invitation of President Joe Biden, in the first meeting between the two leaders since the advent of the new U.S. administration. Xi will attend the summit via video and will deliver an "important" speech, Hua Chunying, spokeswoman at the Chinese foreign ministry, said in a statement on Wednesday. read moreBut the two countries, the world's two biggest greenhouse gas emitters, have rediscovered a common interest in battling climate change. read moreThe talks also marked a resumption of climate dialogue halted during the Donald Trump administration, who withdrew from the Paris agreement.

The refugee program was already beset with difficulties left behind from a Trump White House that gutted it. In an effort to contain the fallout, the White House held a Friday call with refugee and immigrant advocates after it reversed course on its refugee cap announcement. The White House asked for questions beforehand and selected five, according to a source on the call. “This was always meant to be just the beginning,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Monday. Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, president of Lutheran Immigration Refugee Services, pushed back on White House messaging conflating asylum seekers at the border and the refugee resettlement program.

When I think of the “border crisis”, I think of Giovanni’s gashed feet. And so we have the formula of a perpetual “border crisis”: the bigger the crisis, the more need for border infrastructure, generating more revenue. In 1989, when the Berlin Wall fell, there were 15 border walls worldwide. Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign received three times more campaign contributions from the border industry than did Donald Trump’s. His latest book, Build Bridges, Not Walls: A Journey to a World Without Borders, was published this month by City Lights

Police are looking for Gabriel DeWitt Wilson (Nassau County Police Department)One person was killed and two wounded in a shooting at a New York grocery store on Tuesday. Nassau County Police Department confirmed that the three people were shot inside the West Hempstead Stop & Shop on Long Island. Police say they received a call about 11:15 am of shots fire in West Hempstead, which is about 30 miles (50 kilometres) east of New York City. Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder told reporters there were “a couple hundred” people inside the store when the shooting occurred. The person killed was a 49-year-old employee shot inside a manager’s office upstairs from the shopping floor, according to the Associated Press.

"I would emphasize, though, that we are fully committed to both legs of our dual mandate - maximum employment and stable prices," Powell said. Story continues"If progress towards our employment and inflation objectives slows, we will maintain a highly accommodative stance for longer," Powell wrote in the letter. Scott, while not on the Senate Banking Committee that directly oversees the Fed, has been a vocal critic of Powell. In his response, Powell said that high inflation is unlikely, and that low inflation hurts American businesses and households and constrains the Fed's ability to offset economic shocks with easy monetary policy. 'WE HAVE THE TOOLS'After a decade in which inflation was too low, the Fed is now aiming for inflation moderately above 2%.

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran's foreign ministry spokesman said on Monday that Tehran always welcomed dialogue with Saudi Arabia, but he did not confirm nor deny direct talks this month between the arch-rivals. The two countries severed diplomatic ties in 2016 and have been engaged in several proxy wars in the region as they vie for influence. "We have seen media reports about talks between Iran and Saudi Arabia, although the reports sometimes had contradictory quotes," Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh told a weekly news conference. One of the sources said the meeting, arranged by Iraq's prime minister who visited Saudi Arabia earlier this month, had focused on Yemen, where a military coalition led by Riyadh has been battling the Iran-aligned Houthi movement. Sunni power Saudi Arabia had opposed the inernational nuclear accord with Shi'ite Iran for not tackling Tehran's missiles programme and regional behaviour.

There are more than 370,000 homeowners associations across the country, collectively representing more than half of all owner-occupied U.S. homes. At a time when even the image of the American flag has become polarizing, these policies are leading to accusations of partisanship and violations of constitutional rights. The First Amendment prohibits the government from infringing on a citizen’s right to free speech, but homeowners associations aren’t government entities. Kara Wilkoff, 40, and Ben Wilkoff, 38, hung a Black Lives Matter flag outside of their home last August. “I wanted to be supportive of the Black lives in my life, my children’s lives and my father’s life.

Biden has invited 40 world leaders including Xi and Russia's Vladimir Putin to the meet starting on Earth Day, meant to mark Washington's return to the front lines of the fight against climate change after former president Donald Trump disengaged from the process. The virtual summit will be the first meeting between the two leaders since Biden became president. - 'Truant' returns to class -Biden has made climate a top priority, turning the page from his predecessor Donald Trump, who was closely aligned with the fossil fuel industry. Beijing has said the US needs to take more responsibility on climate change, with foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying calling Washington's return to the Paris accord "a truant getting back to class". Xi joined another virtual climate summit with France and Germany last week, where he said developed countries should "set an example" in reducing emissions and support developing nations' responses to climate change, state news agency Xinhua reported.

MONTREAL -- Quebec's secularism law, Bill 21, has been upheld by the province's Superior Court, with two exceptions: it won't apply to English school boards in Quebec, or to members of the provincial legislature. In a statement, the English Montreal School Board said it was "elated" by the decision. "So, I don't understand why the judge said that anglophones in English school boards can have different values than the other Quebecers," he said. But use of the notwithstanding clause shields legislation from most court challenges over violations of fundamental Canadian rights. "There's asymmetrical protection, meaning that there's protection for English school boards because of minority rights that simply cannot apply to French school boards."

Live Derek Chauvin Trial Live Updates: Chauvin Found Guilty of Murdering George Floyd Mr. Chauvin, a former Minneapolis police officer, was found guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. To proclaim this historical moment, not just for the legacy of George Floyd, but for the legacy of America. Relatives of George Floyd, the Black man killed by the former police officer Derek Chauvin, spoke out after Mr. Chauvin was found guilty of murder and manslaughter. A screen in Times Square showing the reaction in Minnesota after the jury found Derek Chauvin guilty of murdering George Floyd. Tim Walz of Minnesota and the other was to Philonese Floyd, George Floyd’s brother.

Former President Obama said Tuesday that the jury in the Derek Chauvin trial “did the right thing” by finding the former Minneapolis police officer guilty on all counts in the murder of George Floyd, but that much more needs to be done to reduce racial inequity in the US. “If we’re being honest with ourselves, we know that true justice is about much more than a single verdict in a single trial,” the 44th president said in a statement that was also attributed to former First Lady Michelle Obama. “True justice requires that we come to terms with the fact that Black Americans are treated differently, every day,” the country’s only black president wrote. “While today’s verdict may have been a necessary step on the road to progress, it was far from a sufficient once,” the statement read. Former President Donald Trump and ex-President Jimmy Carter did not immediately react to the verdict.

“We're going to have robocalls,” said McNesby, the president of the Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge #5, from his northeast Philadelphia office. Krasner's 2017 win was sealed in a primary where around 150,000 voters cast ballots, tripling turnout from the past election. “This call to accountability has grown here in Philadelphia, and I feel like he has been at the forefront of that. “I am honored once again to be attacked by President Trump, the most criminal U.S. president of my lifetime,” Krasner said at the time. McNesby said that any focus by Krasner on Trump was a distraction, and that the union would happily work with any president.

Flanked by members of the media, she and an advocate demanded that her son be released — and, under pressure, he was. The government’s effort to stand up shelters instead of more quickly placing children with their parents and relatives has accelerated concerns among advocates and lawyers. She said parents should be presumed to be fit “unless proven otherwise” and that children should be released to their parents within a few days, not a few weeks. Advocates for these migrants say that parents often go weeks without hearing from their children and can struggle to locate them. “Why won’t they let them go?”Andrea grew frustrated trying to do the same to get her son released.

AdvertisementStory continues below advertisement“I don’t want to make that sound easy,” McKenzie said of the larger “over the horizon” counterterrorism mission, as military officials call the effort to combat militants from afar. McKenzie said he had ample chance to describe his views to Biden but declined to say what recommendations he made. Echoing last week’s assessment from CIA Director William J. Burns, the general characterized an anticipated reduction in intelligence visibility as a chief counterterrorism challenge following the withdrawal. U.S. officials are exploring whether the United States could conduct surveillance flights over Afghanistan from other countries in the region, as it has sometimes done in the past. “We’re not going to reenter to reoccupy Afghanistan under any conceivable circumstances.”AdvertisementMcKenzie spoke as other top officials briefed lawmakers on the withdrawal.

As family members and civil rights leaders such as the Rev. Story continues below advertisementThe Floyd family attorney, Ben Crump, cast the verdict as a critical moment in America’s troubled history of race, policing and criminal justice. Before the verdict was announced, Floyd’s family members gathered in a hotel conference room in downtown Minneapolis and braced themselves for what was to come. The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act has passed the House but remains stalled in the Senate. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison (D) was among several top officials who acknowledged Floyd’s family in the aftermath of the verdict.

Will anything change when it comes to policing and race relations in the country? That issue does not get resolved with the singular verdict reached today in the murder trial of Derek Chauvin. What are the parallels and differences between the Chauvin trial and the one against four police officers for beating Rodney King in 1992? That is a really dark view — that nothing will change as a result of these protests over George Floyd’s death. Today, Gilead therapeutics are at work, effectively providing treatment for millions.

Any lesser target would thwart momentum, according to environmental activists, experts and veterans of global climate diplomacy. Even a range of cuts that includes reductions that are less than 50 percent, as the White House is considering, could spell trouble both domestically and internationally for Biden’s agenda. The agenda for the summit was still an "evolving document," Sue Biniaz, a member of Kerry's team, told reporters on Tuesday. “The responsibility feels like a lot,” one White House official who is working on Biden’s climate efforts told POLITICO. “It really feels exciting,” the White House official said.

PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona Republicans on Tuesday advanced an election bill that’s drawn fierce opposition from voting rights advocates, Democrats and prominent business executives who say it would disenfranchise voters of color. Trump’s allies have aggressively pushed allegations that the election in Arizona was tainted by fraud, but no evidence supports the claim. It’s urgent to tighten election procedures to reassure the voters who distrust the election results, Republicans say. Other Arizona election bills remain alive but in limbo, and its unclear if they’ll get enough support to advance. About 75% of Arizona voters are on the list.

President Joe Biden will pledge to cut U.S. greenhouse gas emissions at least in half by 2030, according to reports Tuesday. The voluntary 2030 pledge, known as a Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), and part of the Paris climate pact that loosely binds global efforts, was reported to the Associated Press by three people with knowledge of the White House’s plans. More than 400 businesses have signed an open letter to Biden asking for the 2030 pledge. But other major economies, including Japan, South Korea, Canada and China, have yet to put forward a 2030 NDC aligned with their long-term emissions goal. U.N. reports indicate that without the more aggressive 2030 targets, most major economies aren’t moving fast enough to meet the 2050 net-zero commitments that have dominated political platforms of late.

Then we will have the largest free trade agreement in the whole world,” Long said. It’s something we think is a great pity,” he said on a panel at the Boao Forum. Initially the Boao Forum demanded that all journalists attending be vaccinated. But that was soon rescinded, likely because there wasn’t enough time for everyone to have the two shots needed. Still, all attendees had to have a virus test before coming to Boao, and then another one on arrival.

President Joe Biden will pledge to cut U.S. greenhouse gas emissions at least in half by 2030, according to reports Tuesday. The voluntary 2030 pledge, known as a Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), and part of the Paris climate pact that loosely binds global efforts, was reported to the Associated Press by three people with knowledge of the White House’s plans. More than 400 businesses have signed an open letter to Biden asking for the 2030 pledge. But other major economies, including Japan, South Korea, Canada and China, have yet to put forward a 2030 NDC aligned with their long-term emissions goal. U.N. reports indicate that without the more aggressive 2030 targets, most major economies aren’t moving fast enough to meet the 2050 net-zero commitments that have dominated political platforms of late.

The WeekEven Fox News' Jeanine Pirro is backing the jury's verdict in former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin's murder trial, agreeing the facts "clearly" supported his conviction. The Fox host and former judge voiced her approval on Tuesday after Chauvin was found guilty of murdering George Floyd. "Clearly, the verdict is supported by the facts," Pirro said. Chauvin was convicted on charges of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter after kneeling on Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes. Judge Jeanine Pirro (yes, that Jeanine Pirro): "Clearly the verdict is supported by the facts... make no mistake, the facts are solid on this verdict, this verdict will be held on appeal."

It had been almost seven years since the first Black Lives Matter protests, in the summer of 2014 following the killings of Eric Garner and Michael Brown. It was then that activists first used the hashtag on social media: Black Lives Matter. (Justin Ide/Reuters)An August 2017 Harvard poll showed 43 percent approval for the Black Lives Matter movement and 57 percent disapproval. Trump also made the Black Lives Matter movement into a punching bag for his reelection campaign. (Doug Mills/New York Times/Bloomberg via Getty Images)Public opinion of the Black Lives Matter movement rose to a high point in the days after Floyd’s death.

The 50% target would nearly double the nation’s previous commitment and help the Biden administration prod other countries for ambitious emissions cuts as well. The emissions target has been eagerly awaited by all sides of the climate debate. The climate target is a key requirement of the 2015 Paris climate agreement, which Biden rejoined on his first day in office. It’s also an important marker as Biden moves toward his ultimate goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The 50% pledge was first reported by the Washington Post.

Google’s YouTube, which has pledged to do more to remove fake content, has not taken down a video that falsely calls George Floyd a rapist. Google, which has been repeatedly criticized for failing to keep misinformation and racist content off YouTube, did not immediately answer questions about the video. YouTube relies on artificial intelligence and thousands of content moderators to spot videos that violate its rules. Chauvin, 45, faces decades in prison and is expected to be sentenced in about eight weeks. Three other former Minneapolis officers charged with aiding and abetting the murder of Floyd, 46, are to go to trial in August.

The digital yuan, which could see a wider roll out at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, is also spurring the U.S. to consider creating a digital dollar. Any move to cut off access to the digital yuan would carry similarly high stakes, potentially prompting foreign investors to pack up and leave. “China’s digital currency is as much about data as it is about money,” he added. Even if the digital yuan could be transacted more cheaply outside of U.S.-controlled global payment systems, it’s unclear if anyone would use it. Authorities are also studying how the digital yuan can be combined with 5G networks and the internet of things.

Public interest groups determined to stay focused on the Trump administration say they have new openings for unearthing information now that the past government’s political appointees have departed. She also founded the Not Above the Law coalition of more than 100 different interest groups. And representatives of whistleblowers who spoke out against the Trump administration are optimistic additional witnesses will step forward without the same fears of retaliation. Critics say the roadblocks put in place by the Trump administration are coming down. ADVERTISEMENT“There was this massive, massive issue during the Trump administration with compliance with public records laws.

Dr Fauci has weighed in on gun control and says he believes it is a 'public health issue'. 'Myself, as a public health person, I think you can't run away from that,' Fauci said when asked about gun violence during an appearance on CNN with Dana Bash. How can you say that's not a public health issue?' Dr Fauci has weighed in on gun control and says he believes it is a 'public health issue'. How can you say that's not a public health issue?'

He compared systemic racism he said permeates the nation to 'the knee on the neck of justice for black Americans.' 'Black Americans and black men in particular have been treated throughout the course of our history as less than human,' Harris said. 'We're going to hold you to that, President Biden,' Crump responded. The White House later claimed Biden wasn’t advocating for a particular verdict but expressing compassion for the Floyd family. 'I've come to know George's family,' Biden said as he added he 'can only imagine the pressure and anxiety they're feeling.'

Biden’s concerns help explain last week’s mess: The White House announced it was maintaining Trump’s cap, then abruptly reversed itself, insisting it had been misunderstood. Allies and advocates say it exposed a faulty connection between the crisis at the southern border and the refugee program, and was a political miscalculation. The move prompted swift blowback, despite some private assurances inside the White House that it would be acceptable, according to one of the people familiar with the matter. Biden’s delay coincided with the growing crisis at the border, as the administration struggled to respond to the increase minors seeking asylum. “No.”Then, on Saturday, when Biden was asked about the refugee cap, he said the two issues were directly connected.

President George W. Bush, the man whose administration pushed false statements to draw America into war with Iraq, said he is very concerned about the lies people spread on social media. “And I don’t know what we are going to do about that. I don’t do Twitter, Facebook or any of that stuff.”Today’s social media environment did not exist during the Bush years. But Bush and his administration found plenty of ways to spread misinformation and “untruths” nevertheless, most notably while trying to push the country into supporting their invasion of Iraq. The Bush administration’s lies were not limited to the selling of the Iraq War.

Doug Ducey said Tuesday he is sending 250 National Guard troops to the state’s southern border with Mexico amid the increased arrivals of migrants. The announcement came the day Customs and Border Protection held an open house at a new tent-like migrant processing center in the border community of Yuma. It is the first of two planned in Arizona to help agents process and temporarily shelter a growing number of asylum seekers arriving at the border. There was no immediate response from Customs and Border Protection officials. One like it was temporarily erected in Yuma in 2019, when a large number of migrant arrived during the Trump administration.

The Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol represented “something of a breaking point” for him, Mr. Card said. “I cried, and the former president, he cried, too,” Mr. Card said, speaking of that day. In the interview on Tuesday, Mr. Bush expressed his disgust at the pro-Trump mob that stormed the Capitol, but kept to his practice of not calling out Mr. Trump by name. “It kind of made me sick — not kind of made me sick, it did make me sick,” he said. Mr. Bush, who left office in 2009 with low approval ratings stemming from the Iraq war and the financial crisis, has been a frequent target of Mr. Trump, who lashed out at him during the 2016 presidential campaign and suggested Mr. Bush should have been impeached for providing false intelligence in the lead-up to the conflict.

Mr. Biden assumed the presidency during a national reckoning over race and has staked his political legacy around a promise to make racial equality, which includes an overhaul on policing, a central focus of his presidency. He has been outspoken about Mr. Floyd’s death, calling it a “wake up call” for the nation. Just after the verdict was delivered the president was on the phone with members of Mr. Floyd’s family. “We’re all so relieved,” Mr. Biden said to a group of people who included Ben Crump, the Floyd family’s attorney. “I won’t fan the flames of hate,” Mr. Biden said at the time.

Writing about John Lindsay during his 1965 race for mayor, Kempton declared, “He’s fresh and everyone else is tired.”The line brilliantly captured Lindsay’s distinction. Yang is reversing the order, having started political life as a candidate for president last year. But it’s also becoming easier to see how Yang can win the nomination and go on to become the city’s first Asian-American mayor. He was right, but, after a struggle session with union boss Michael Mulgrew, Yang recanted and blamed the mayor. Parents who are unhappy with schools and want more charter options would not get satisfaction with Stringer in City Hall.

Story continues below advertisementHarris said last week that she wants her first overseas trip to be to the Northern Triangle. To explain: It’s no mystery why people risk their lives fleeing the Northern Triangle for the United States. And the United States has done more in response than hand-wringing and haranguing the governments. Harris ought not allow the experts to leave the room until she can, with her well-known prosecutorial approach, determine what U.S. assistance has contributed to the Northern Triangle. Biden has said he wants to send $4 billion to the Northern Triangle region to (drum roll, please) quash violence, curb corruption, reduce poverty and expand economic opportunities.

Doug Ducey on Tuesday announced that he is deploying the state’s National Guard to the border and is issuing an emergency declaration in response to the growing migrant crisis that has overwhelmed local officials. "Deployment of the National Guard is critical to dealing with this crisis, and we are actively engaged in planning with the Guard," a spokesperson for the Republican governor told Fox News last week. On Tuesday, Ducey again criticized the Biden administration’s handling of the border surge, accusing it of action in the face of the crisis. "It's become evidently clear that Arizona needs the National Guard, and the White House is aware of that. The Biden administration has come under heavy fire for its handling of the crisis at the border, which saw more than 172,000 migrants encountered in March alone.

President Joe Biden must immediately keep his promise to lift Donald Trump’s xenophobic refugee cap that cruelly restricts refugee admissions in the United States to the historically low level of 15,000 per year. Though President Biden has now promised to raise the cap by May 15, that’s simply not good enough. And, though some have sought to confuse the issue of refugee resettlement with unaccompanied children at the southern border, it is important to be clear that the refugee resettlement program is entirely different. Resettlement is managed through the Office of Refugee Resettlement in a unique public-private partnership with refugee resettlement agencies. That refugee resettlement cap, after all, is set by the president with the stroke of a pen.

"Progress made over the last two weeks," European External Action Service Deputy Secretary General Enrique Mora said on Twitter. The talks, aimed at bringing Iran and the United States back into compliance with the nuclear deal will pick up again next week based on progress achieved so far, Russian and Chinese officials said earlier on Tuesday. "Today the Joint Commission of #JCPOA took note with satisfaction of the progress made in negotiations to restore the nuclear deal," said Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia's ambassador to the U.N. nuclear watchdog (IAEA), referring to the nuclear deal. In Washington, the State Department described the talks in positive terms but said there was a long way to go. Iran's chief nuclear negotiator said the talks were moving forward despite difficulties but warned Tehran would halt the negotiations if faced with "unreasonable demands" or time wasting.

U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez speaks as she and fellow Democraic lawmakers relaunch their "Green New Deal" resolution on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., April 20, 2021. REUTERS/Jonathan ErnstDemocratic U.S. lawmakers, including Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Ed Markey, on Tuesday reintroduced their “Green New Deal” resolution, their set of aggressive climate goals intended to transform the U.S. economy. The plan has received backing from 103 House lawmakers, Ocasio-Cortez said, including first-term congresswoman Cori Bush of Missouri, a vocal supporter. "The green new disaster is back," Republican Senator John Barrasso said in a statement on Monday, ahead of the relaunch. Separately, Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent who caucuses with the Democrats, on Monday introduced their Green New Deal for Public Housing Act.

Biden’s last man standing Presented by NextEra EnergyWith help from Allie Bice and Daniel PayneWelcome to POLITICO’s 2021 Transition Playbook, your guide to the first 100 days of the Biden administrationERIC LANDER must have some serious FOMO. The Senate confirmed all of President JOE BIDEN’s first Cabinet picks nearly a month ago. Biden tapped Lander to lead the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy in early January. Lander is perhaps Biden’s least-known Cabinet pick, but he and Biden have a longer history than many of his higher-profile colleagues. Monaco worked in the Obama administration as homeland security adviser and served as temporary adviser for Biden’s inauguration security.

In addition, senators have reached no consensus on whether to end qualified immunity, a legal doctrine that shields police officers from lawsuits. Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.), a former Congressional Black Caucus chair and the lead House author of police reform legislation named for Floyd, said it was “extremely important” to reform qualified immunity in any bill that passes Congress. ), one of the few in the GOP open to touching qualified immunity, was not particularly optimistic about the path forward. Senate Republicans offered their own proposal led by Scott, but Democrats blocked the measure on the floor. Since then, there’s been little tangible movement toward a strategy that could overcome a filibuster, though Schumer has vowed to put the House-passed policing bill on the floor.

Doug Ducey said Tuesday he is sending 250 National Guard troops to the state’s southern border with Mexico amid the increased arrivals of migrants. The announcement came the day Customs and Border Protection held an open house at a new tent-like migrant processing center in the border community of Yuma. It is the first of two planned in Arizona to help agents process and temporarily shelter a growing number of asylum seekers arriving at the border. There was no immediate response from Customs and Border Protection officials. One like it was temporarily erected in Yuma in 2019, when a large number of migrant arrived during the Trump administration.

“People are concentrating their fire on Maxine Waters in a moment where a police officer is on trial for murdering a man,” said Leah Wright Rigueur, the Harry Truman professor of history at Brandeis University. Waters told the crowd Saturday night that she wanted to see a murder conviction against Chauvin for Floyd’s death. The term “Maxine Waters” skyrocketed on Facebook and Instagram after her comments, according to data from CrowdTangle, a Facebook-owned tool that tracks public insights on the social media platforms. Democrats rose to defend Waters, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi saying the comments should be viewed in the context of the long struggle toward civil rights. “Maxine talked about confrontation in the manner of the civil rights movement,” Pelosi told reporters Monday at the Capitol.

The sparring match involved an Oval Office meeting, a foul-mouthed threat from the attorney general and voting in Florida. Keefe told Gaetz that he was facing resistance from the Public Integrity Section, according to a third person familiar with the situation. Story continuesAfter Keefe and Gaetz discussed the issue, the congressman had a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House with Trump. Gaetz said Trump brought up his views on fraud connected to mail-in voting. Gaetz said that Trump then told White House counsel Pat Cipollone, who was in the room, to tell Attorney General William Barr that Trump believed Keefe’s legal theory had merit.

Photograph: Monirul Bhuiyan/AFP/Getty ImagesGeorge W Bush has called the Republican party under Donald Trump “isolationist, protectionist and … nativist” – a judgment unlikely to make the former US president new friends on the American right. Related: George W Bush is back – but not all appreciate his new progressive imageBush, who is promoting a new book, spoke to NBC on Tuesday. Bush, the son of another president, is from a political dynasty about as Wasp (White Anglo-Saxon Protestant) as it is possible to get. But Trump took down the former Florida governor Jeb Bush, the former president’s younger brother, in vicious fashion in 2016. George W Bush maintains friendly relations with former presidents including the Democrats Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, and to some has come to present a more reasonable face of Republican politics.

The GuardianJudge says Waters’ comments could provide grounds for appealBiden tells reporters he’s ‘praying the verdict is the right verdict’ Waters during the protest in Brooklyn Center at the weekend. At the White House, the president told reporters he was “praying the verdict is the right verdict, which is, I think … it’s overwhelming, in my view”. Waters said she hoped Chauvin would be found “guilty, guilty, guilty”. If Chauvin was acquitted, she said, “we’ve got to stay on the street, and we’ve got to get more active. The Chauvin trial is at the center of national dialogue.

AxiosWalter Mondale, who transformed the role of U.S. vice president while serving under Jimmy Carter and was the Democratic nominee for president in 1984, died Monday at 93, according to a family spokesperson.The big picture: President Biden, who was mentored by Mondale through the years, said in 2015 that the former vice president gave him a "roadmap" to successfully take on the job. Subscribe for freeHe was the first vice president to have an office in the White House and was deeply engaged in both U.S. and foreign policy, working closely with the president. “There was a big exhale of relief.”Mondale and Carter were the longest-living post-presidential team in U.S. history. In his 1984 presidential run, Mondale nominated New York congresswoman Geraldine Ferraro as his running mate, making her the first female nominee for vice president of any major American party. Get more from Axios and subscribe to Axios Markets for free.

Bloomberg(Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump’s 2017 tax law disproportionately targeted Democrats in high-tax states by eliminating a popular federal deduction. And of the 40 congressional districts with the largest SALT deductions disallowed under the Trump tax law, 39 are represented by Democrats.“I’m not voting for any change in the tax code whatsoever unless there’s the restoration of the SALT tax deduction. About 23% of taxpayers in her district lost an average deduction of $26,254.Steel said she doesn’t see the issue as a partisan one. “It’s hurting the taxpayers themselves.”Critics of the SALT cap say it amounts to double taxation. Nationwide, only about 11.5% of taxpayers itemize their tax returns, allowing them to claim the write-off.

WASHINGTON — House Democrats on Tuesday blocked an effort to censure Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., for telling protesters in Minnesota to get more "confrontational" if a jury finds former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin not guilty in the death of George Floyd. The House voted 216-210 along party lines to table a Republican motion to censure the California Democrat. Asked what activists should do in the case of an acquittal in the Chauvin trial, Waters said Saturday: “Well, we’ve got to stay on the street. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., defended Waters, noting that her comments did not specify any violent actions. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: House halts GOP effort to censure Maxine Waters for Chauvin comments

Don Lemon wasn’t sure readers would have the appetite for the heavy subject matter of his book “This Is the Fire,” published the year after George Floyd’s death. Chauvin was found guilty of murder for the death of George Floyd. “I’m a little bit anxious, a little bit concerned about the future of America,” Lemon said of his feelings before the verdict was announced. I think I’m just there to be honest with the viewer, to give the information as it is factually. Lemon said these talks have reignited in light of the verdict, although this time, he can just tell them to read his book.

The Paris accord, which President Trump exited but Biden promptly rejoined, was designed with the expectation that countries would embrace bigger, bolder targets over time. "The Biden-Harris administration will do more than any in history to meet our climate crisis," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a speech Monday. China, the largest greenhouse gas polluter, has said it plans to effectively erase its carbon footprint by 2060, though details remain unclear. In the United States, the power sector represents one of the best opportunities to cut greenhouse gas emissions. While the United States remains the world’s second-largest emitter, about 85 percent of emissions now come from other countries.

Last week, Univision said that it was canceling its coverage of the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants. Trump had portrayed some immigrants from Mexico as bringing drugs and crime to the country in his presidential kickoff speech. NBC said it would no longer air the annual ‘‘Miss USA’’ and ‘‘Miss Universe’’ pageants, which had been a joint venture between the company and Trump. NBC said Monday that it is ending its business relationship with mogul and GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump because of comments he made about immigrants during the announcement of his campaign. They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us.

“People are concentrating their fire on Maxine Waters in a moment where a police officer is on trial for murdering a man,” said Leah Wright Rigueur, the Harry Truman associate professor of history at Brandeis University. The term “Maxine Waters” skyrocketed on Facebook and Instagram after her comments, according to data from CrowdTangle, a Facebook-owned tool that tracks public insights on the social media platforms. Democrats rose to defend Waters, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi saying the comments should be viewed in the context of the long struggle toward civil rights. “Maxine talked about confrontation in the manner of the civil rights movement,” Pelosi told reporters Monday at the Capitol. With the deaths in recent years of Rep. John Lewis and other top Black leaders in Congress, Waters is a bridge to that earlier era of civil rights leadership.

(Chitose Suzuki/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @chitosephotoWalgreens is seen at 2427 Las Vegas Blvd., South in Las Vegas, Tuesday, April 20, 2021. (Chitose Suzuki/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @chitosephotoWalgreens is seen at 2427 Las Vegas Blvd., South in Las Vegas, Tuesday, April 20, 2021. (Chitose Suzuki/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @chitosephotoWalgreens is seen at 2427 Las Vegas Blvd., South in Las Vegas, Tuesday, April 20, 2021. (Chitose Suzuki/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @chitosephotoA retail center anchored by Walgreens on the north end of the Strip is up for grabs. The building is for sale with additional retail space available for lease, according to listing brokerage Colliers Las Vegas.

President Joe Biden met with members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus on Tuesday to discuss pressing issues that included immigration and components of the recently enacted coronavirus package. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)President Joe Biden speaks during a meeting with members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, in the Oval Office of the White House, Tuesday, April 20, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden met with members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus on Tuesday to discuss pressing issues that included immigration and components of the recently enacted coronavirus package. Cortez Masto is one of a group of bipartisan lawmakers in the Senate trying to find consensus to pass an immigration bill. “We can have a strong border, and still have an immigration system that treats people with dignity,” Cortez Masto said.

Officials in small Arizona border towns including Yuma, Ajo and Gila Bend have called on the federal government to help them manage small groups of asylum seekers being suddenly released in their communities by CBP officials who say they don't have capacity to hold them. One like it was temporarily erected in Yuma in 2019, when a large number of migrant arrived during the Trump administration. The soft-sided processing centers are separate from shelters that Health and Human Services operates for unaccompanied children, who are housed separately from other migrants after processing. CBP is turning away most adult migrants attempting to enter the U.S. under a public health order issued at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

Doug Ducey said Tuesday he is sending 250 National Guard troops to the state’s southern border with Mexico amid the increased arrivals of migrants. The announcement came the day Customs and Border Protection held an open house at a new tent-like migrant processing center in the border community of Yuma. It is the first of two planned in Arizona to help agents process and temporarily shelter a growing number of asylum seekers arriving at the border. There was no immediate response from Customs and Border Protection officials. One like it was temporarily erected in Yuma in 2019, when a large number of migrant arrived during the Trump administration.

“People are concentrating their fire on Maxine Waters in a moment where a police officer is on trial for murdering a man,” said Leah Wright Rigueur, the Harry Truman professor of history at Brandeis University. Waters told the crowd Saturday night that she wanted to see a murder conviction against Chauvin for Floyd’s death. The term “Maxine Waters” skyrocketed on Facebook and Instagram after her comments, according to data from CrowdTangle, a Facebook-owned tool that tracks public insights on the social media platforms. “Maxine talked about confrontation in the manner of the civil rights movement,” Pelosi told reporters Monday at the Capitol. With the deaths in recent years of Rep. John Lewis and other top Black leaders in Congress, Waters is a bridge to that earlier era of civil rights leadership.

'Feeling better now,' Biden told tearful family members and listeners who gathered around Philonise Floyd's phone. Which is – I think it's overwhelming in my view,' Biden told reporters in the Oval office. The White House later claimed Biden wasn’t advocating for a particular verdict but expressing compassion for the Floyd family. 'I've come to know George's family,' Biden said as he added he 'can only imagine the pressure and anxiety they're feeling.' 'What bothered me so much was, they tried to frame that as violence,' Waters said.

During the first three months of 2019, these corporations gave about $2.8 million to the 147 GOP elected officials who later voted to not recognize the presidential election results, and to their associated political action committees. AdvertisementThe chamber ultimately donated $2,000 total to two congressmen who refused to accept the election results, according to first-quarter campaign finance filings. “The U.S. Chamber supports elected officials based on their position on issues important to the business community and their commitment to governing. The direct impact on elected officials varies. Critics of Trump’s behavior since losing the presidency and the GOP elected officials who have backed him argue that all donors should not contribute until the politicians concede that Biden was lawfully elected president.

The Issue: Rep. Maxine Waters’ encouraging police-violence protesters to ‘get more confrontational.’At a very difficult and sensitive time for our nation, Rep. Maxine Waters’ comments were an open incitement to violence (“Nan: Maxine was justified,” April 20). Ron TipaSunny Isles Beach, Fla.We need to get rid of these politicians who continue to divide our country. How does her rhetoric differ from comments by Trump that resulted in charges of incitement on Jan. 6 and a second impeachment attempt? Gary FlemingWayne, NJThe loathsome Maxine Waters is at it again. Yet when Waters calls for civil disobedience over the George Floyd trial, not a word is uttered by the left.

lobbing rhetorical bombs into the most consequential prosecution in the nation — the murder trial of Derek Chauvin in the George Floyd case. For all the downsides of his unhinged commentary, Trump never took matters to the point of jury intimidation, as the preternaturally unhinged Democratic Congresswoman Maxine Waters did over the weekend. But as the judge noted Monday, Waters’ inflammatory language offered Chauvin grounds for appeal. For his part, President Biden waited until the jury was deliberating to make the stunning public statement that he is “praying” for Chauvin to be convicted. Photo by Doug Mills-Pool/Getty ImagesIt does not matter how you hoped Chauvin’s trial would end.

AdvertisementStory continues below advertisementApart from two Army reservists and a National Guard soldier, all the defendants with military ties are veterans. Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough said last month that the agency would “take a look” at what VA could do to combat extremism among veterans. The Department of Homeland Security is stepping up its efforts to prevent domestic extremism under the Biden administration but hasn’t announced any initiatives specific to veterans. At a minimum, she said, the government can work with veterans groups to increase awareness. The overwhelming majority of veterans have no link to domestic extremism, and most bristle at being associated with the tiny fraction of former service members who do.

REUTERS/Ann WangTaiwanese contract electronics manufacturer Foxconn Technology Co Ltd (2354.TW) will dramatically scale back its planned investment in an initially planned $10 billion Wisconsin plant, under an agreement announced with the state on Tuesday. The investment was first announced to great fanfare at the White House in July 2017, when Donald Trump was president. It later said it would build smaller Generation 6 LCD screens instead, and Trump stopped discussing the Foxconn investment on trips to Wisconsin. The original Wisconsin package also included local tax incentives and road and highway investments by state and local governments, which brought total taxpayer-funded subsidies to more than $4 billion. Foxconn noted that since 2017, it has invested $900 million in Wisconsin, including several different facilities in the state.

VIENNA — Negotiators trying to get the U.S. and Tehran back into compliance with the Iran nuclear deal are making progress, according to officials, with some even saying the talks have reached a halfway point. Specifically, officials are negotiating how to restore the original bargain of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal — curbing Iran’s nuclear program and preventing the regime from building a bomb, in return for sanctions lifting by the U.S. Or does Iran unwind its nuclear progress first? Under the nuclear deal, Iran is only allowed to enrich uranium at 3.67 percent purity. Under the agreement, the data collected by IAEA cameras inside Iran’s nuclear plants will be retained exclusively by Iran for three months.

“You would laugh if you see me now — a skeleton staggers around his cell,” the post read. His personal physician, Dr. Anastasia Vasilyeva, led three other medical experts to try to visit Navalny at the prison clinic and the IK-3 prison in the city of Vladimir. He is very weak and appears to have difficulty speaking and sitting.”Reports about Navalny’s rapidly deteriorating health have drawn international outrage and concern. Despite his worsening condition, Navalny still showed sardonic humor. They also criticized the decision by the Moscow City Court to close the hearings on the grounds that the case contained sensitive information.

Former aides to former President Donald Trump are reportedly looking back at the end of his term as a major missed opportunity to encourage his supporters to get vaccinated against COVID-19. While Trump was in office, there was reportedly a "monthslong effort to get him to publicly take the lead" on pushing vaccinations. Ultimately, Trump didn't get the vaccine publicly, though former Vice President Mike Pence did. But officials were also reportedly skeptical that Trump would be open to getting the vaccine on camera. a former administration official told Politico.

90, had significantly been revised last week by Dennis Baxley, the Republican state senator who introduced it, to roll back some of the more strident restrictions in the original bill, like banning drop boxes. It passed the Senate Rules Committee on Tuesday along a mostly party-line vote, with one Republican member of the committee, Jeff Brandes, voting against it. A bill that would impose a host of new restrictions on voting in Florida passed a key committee in the state Senate on Tuesday after a fiery debate among senators and hours of citizen testimony opposing the measure. “These are the most nonsensical, off-point answers I think I’ve ever heard to questions in my life,” said Gary Farmer, the Democratic minority leader in the state Senate. The House bill, which passed a key House committee in March, also awaits a full vote later this month.

AdvertisementUS officials have made it clear, however, that military commanders did not recommend the full, unconditional withdrawal. Asked about the previous administration's orders to withdraw troops, McKenzie quickly noted that Trump's command was “conditions based." Biden’s withdrawal date coincides with the 20th anniversary of the Al Qaeda terror attack on the US that had triggered the US-led invasion of Afghanistan. McKenzie told lawmakers that terror groups in Afghanistan, including Al Qaeda and the Islamic State group, continue to aspire to attack the US“I think that’s a reasonable concern and I share that concern frankly,” he said. McKenzie said the US plans to aggressively protect the security of US troops in Afghanistan as the withdrawal of personnel and equipment goes on.

The investment was first announced to great fanfare at the White House in July 2017, when Donald Trump was president. Wisconsin will reduce its tax credits authorized for the project from $2.85 billion to $80 million as Foxconn reduces its planned investment from $10 billion to $672 million and cuts the number of jobs planned from 13,000 to 1,454, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers said in a statement. It later said it would build smaller Generation 6 LCD screens instead, and Trump stopped discussing the Foxconn investment on trips to Wisconsin. The original Wisconsin package also included local tax incentives and road and highway investments by state and local governments, which brought total taxpayer-funded subsidies to more than $4 billion. Foxconn noted that since 2017, it has invested $900 million in Wisconsin, including several different facilities in the state.

“The last deal didn’t work for Wisconsin, and that doesn’t work for me,” Evers said. Under the new deal, Foxconn will qualify for $80 million if it employs 1,454 people with an average wage of $53,875 and invests $676 million by 2026. Under the original deal, when taking into account local government incentives, the taxpayer subsidies for Foxconn totaled more than $4 billion. What exactly Foxconn will make in Wisconsin has changed since it signed the first contract in 2017 under then-Gov. The original contract was tied to Foxconn producing the flat screens it initially said would be made there.

Officer Derek Chauvin uses his knee to pin Floyd's neck for about nine minutes while bystanders shout at him to stop. President Donald Trump tweets about "thugs" in Minneapolis protests and warns: "When the looting starts, the shooting starts." June 3 — Ellison files a tougher second-degree murder charge against Chauvin and charges the other three officers who were involved in Floyd's arrest. Feb. 12 — City leaders say George Floyd Square, the intersection blocked by barricades since Floyd's death, will reopen to traffic after Chauvin's trial. April 12 — Judge declines request to sequester Chauvin jury immediately due to Wright shooting.

The jury’s guilty verdict on the former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for killing George Floyd signaled the conclusion of a historic police brutality trial and a key moment for policing and for the battle for racial equality in America. It inspired marches and largely peaceful protests coast to coast, from small towns in rural areas to America’s biggest cities. After Medaria Arradondo, the Minneapolis police chief, saw the viral bystander video of Floyd’s death, things moved quickly. There has been no revolution in racial justice or policing in the US since George Floyd was killed on 25 May 2020. But there has been progress and George Floyd’s terrible death reverberated so comprehensively around the world that even if there are setbacks or slow-marching by conservatives, the direction is forwards.

George Floyd dies after police arrest Image caption Tributes to George Floyd at a makeshift memorial Image copyright by Getty Images George Floyd dies after being arrested by police outside a shop in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Protests begin Image caption Demonstrators in Minneapolis Image copyright by AFP Four officers involved in the arrest of George Floyd are fired. Trump threatens military response Image caption Trump posing with a Bible outside a boarded-up church Image copyright by EPA President Trump threatens to send in the military to quell growing civil unrest. Eighth night of protests Image caption George Floyd’s family joined protesters in Houston Image copyright by Getty Tens of thousands of protesters again take to the streets. Memorial service for George Floyd Image caption Mourners gather to remember George Floyd Image copyright by Getty A memorial service for George Floyd is held in Minneapolis.

Senator Rick Scott took aim at ‘woke corporate America’ on Tuesday in a scathing letter condemning corporations opposed to changes to Georgia's voting laws. ‘You know that the Georgia law actually expands early voting and does nothing to suppress or curtail the voting rights of anyone,’ according to Scott. ‘And yes, the Georgia law requires an ID to vote. Georgia's big corporates come out against new voting law Coca-Cola President of North America Alfredo Rivera said the soft drink giant disappointed by the law. The law also reduces the timeframe in which runoff elections are held, including the amount of early voting for runoffs.

CNN legal analyst Jennifer Rodgers, a former longtime prosecutor with the Southern District of New York, agreed in a separate phone interview. “I don’t think it’ll be a successful issue on appeal for the reasons that the judge ended up saying, which is he doesn’t think that it prejudiced the jury,” Rodgers told Law&Crime. “It’s been instructed all along not to read any news at all during this period of time. Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill, who is presiding over the case, unloaded on Waters’s remarks as “abhorrent” to the separation of powers. (Photo of Waters by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images; Chauvin’s mugshot; and NBC News screengrab of Biden)Have a tip we should know?

Moscow — Tension between Russia and the West has escalated further this week, with Russia staging more military exercises in the Black Sea and massing thousands of forces at Ukraine's border. His government now considers it Russian territory, and while the U.S. and Europe have refused to acknowledge the takeover, the Russian military has firm control over the outcrop of land in the Black Sea. Two British warships were to set sail for the Black Sea in May, The Sunday Times newspaper reported on Tuesday, citing senior U.K. naval sources. Turkey's government announced last week that the U.S. was planning to deploy two warships to the Black Sea, but then later said the Pentagon had cancelled the deployment. U.S. officials never confirmed nor denied that the deployment had been ordered, but a Pentagon spokesman noted that U.S. vessels have operated previously in the international waters of the Black Sea.

— Global warming emissions are expected to spike this year as the world emerges from the coronavirus pandemic and economies begin to recover. That would be the second-largest annual increase in emissions since 2010 following the global financial crisis of 2008-2009, the IEA reported. Carbon dioxide emissions will increase 5% increase this year, to 33 billion metric tons, the IEA forecast. President Donald Trump pulled the U.S. out of the Paris climate agreement, a commitment by nearly 200 nations to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. The desire to return to pre-pandemic levels of economic activity will drive energy demand in 2021.

Less than 10% of Americans use mobile payments, which means a similar scenario for the United States is nowhere on the horizon. On average, mobile-phone subscriptions came to exceed one per person — about the same as in the United States. High-speed rail (of which the United States has none) reduces journey times, while linking dense urban areas with less crowded cities. Still, as of 2018, the United States imported 80.5% of its rare earth metals from China. The reality of our moment: that country is now rising on a distinctly wounded planet.