U.S./World category, Page 834
Nursing home residents can get hugs again, feds say
WASHINGTON — Nursing home residents vaccinated against covid-19 can get hugs again from their loved ones, and all residents may enjoy more indoor visits, the government said Wednesday in a step toward pre-pandemic normalcy. The policy guidance from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, comes as coronavirus...
Biden immediately begins selling virus aid plan to public
WASHINGTON — The White House began highlighting the $1.9 trillion covid relief bill immediately after it gained final congressional approval on Wednesday, wasting no time in selling the public on President Joe Biden’s first legislative victory. The West Wing began an ambitious campaign to showcase the bill’s contents while looking...
U.S. budget deficit hits record $1.05 trillion after 5 months
The U.S. government’s budget deficit through February hit an all-time high of $l.05 trillion for the first five months of this budget year, as spending to deal with the coronavirus pandemic surged at a pace far above an increase in tax revenue. The Treasury Department reported Wednesday that the October...
Security camera hack exposes hospitals, workplaces, schools
Hackers aiming to call attention to the dangers of mass surveillance said they were able to peer into hospitals, schools, factories, jails and corporate offices after they broke into the systems of a security-camera startup. That California startup, Verkada, said Wednesday it is investigating the scope of the breach, first...
160 years later, Confederate constitution an ignoble relic
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — With the nation locked in debates over Confederate symbols, the very document that laid out the legal framework of a government built to preserve slavery will spend its 160th anniversary where it spends nearly every other day: tucked away in a university archive. The Confederate Constitution is...
Clinics wait to vaccinate farmworkers: ‘Our hands are tied’
With Georgia’s sweet onion harvest approaching and covid-19 vaccine arriving in increasing quantities from the federal government, migrant health centers around the state want to start vaccinating farmworkers. But there’s a catch. In Georgia and many other places around the U.S., such efforts are blocked by state policies that give...
Russia slows down Twitter, part of social media clampdown
Russian authorities said Wednesday they are slowing down the speed of uploading photos and videos to Twitter over its failure to remove banned content — part of growing efforts to curb social media platforms that have played a major role in amplifying dissent. The state communications watchdog, Roskomnadzor, said it...
Embattled California Gov. Newsom says ‘brighter days ahead’
LOS ANGELES — California Gov. Gavin Newsom sought to rally his state worn down after a year of coronavirus lockdowns, record wildfires and unfathomable sickness and death. He urged California’s nearly 40 million residents to “dream of brighter days ahead” while acknowledging mistakes that have put his political future on...
Attorneys sift strong opinions, anxiety among Derek Chauvin jurors
MINNEAPOLIS — One was anxious, worried about high emotion surrounding the case. One worried his family might be targeted. And one was delighted to receive her jury summons — even after learning she might wind up on the panel considering whether to convict a former police officer in George Floyd’s...
Judge denies bail for Trump administration aide for alleged role in Capitol siegeVideo
A Trump administration aide accused of leading rioters into the Capitol building — and violently assaulting an officer with a stolen shield — is a danger to society who should remain behind bars pending trial, a federal judge ruled Tuesday. Federico “Freddie” Klein, 42, appeared virtually in Washington, D.C., federal...
Roger Mudd, longtime network TV newsman, dies at 93Video
Roger Mudd, the longtime political correspondent and anchor for NBC and CBS who once stumped Sen. Edward Kennedy by simply asking why he wanted to be president, has died. He was 93. CBS News says Mudd died Tuesday of complications of kidney failure at his home in McLean, Va. During...
Ex-Army captain who killed family seeks release because of coronavirus
FORT BRAGG, N.C. — A former Army captain serving three life sentences for the murders of his pregnant wife and two young children in 1970 has asked a federal judge to free him because of his age and failing health. A hearing on Jeffrey MacDonald’s request for compassionate release is...
Arrested Iowa journalist pleaded with officer: ‘This is my job’
IOWA CITY, Iowa — An Iowa journalist covering a protest for racial justice was blinded when a police officer shot pepper spray in her face and jailed for hours despite telling him repeatedly that she was just doing her job, according to video played Tuesday at the reporter’s trial. Body...
Royal family says Harry, Meghan racism charges ‘concerning’
LONDON — Buckingham Palace said Tuesday that allegations of racism made earlier this week by Prince Harry and Meghan were “concerning” and would be addressed privately by the royal family. The comments, made in a statement issued on behalf Queen Elizabeth II, are the first from the palace since a...
Nevada bill would bar offensive school mascots, place names
CARSON CITY, Nev. — Nevada lawmakers are considering legislation that would require schools to get rid of racially discriminatory logos and mascots and require officials to push for the renaming of mountains, trails or any other geographic points with racially offensive names. The bill, which is scheduled to have its...
WHO study finds 1 in 3 women face physical, sexual violence
GENEVA — The U.N. health agency and its partners have found in a new study that nearly one in three women worldwide have experienced physical or sexual violence in their lifetimes, calling the results a “horrifying picture” that requires action by governments and communities alike. The report released Tuesday from...
World War II veteran receives medals 77 years after heroismVideo
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Nearly 80 years after a German mortar wounded him as he fought along the Mussolini Canal in Italy, U.S. Army Sgt. First Class Marvin Cornett stood proudly in a pristine uniform, this time adorned with a Purple Heart and Bronze Star. Cornett’s daughter, Jan Mendoza, proudly watched...
Smithsonian obtains vial from 1st U.S. covid vaccine doseVideo
WASHINGTON — The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History has acquired the vial that contained the first dose of covid-19 vaccine administered in the United States as part of its plans to document the global pandemic and “this extraordinary period we were going through.” The acquisition, along with other materials...
Trial for ex-cop charged in Floyd’s death forges on, for now
MINNEAPOLIS — The trial of a former Minneapolis police officer charged in George Floyd’s death is forging ahead with jury selection, even though a looming appellate ruling could halt the case and delay it for weeks or even months as the state tries to add a third-degree murder count. Prosecutors...
GM workers still unsettled 2 years after Lordstown plant closed
When General Motors ended a half-century of building cars in Ohio’s blue collar corner, 1,600 workers had to decide whether to accept the automaker’s offer to move to another factory. Those with enough seniority retired. A few started new careers. Everyone else from GM’s shuttered assembly plant in Lordstown went...
Maui residents evacuated after officials feared dam breach
HONOLULU — Heavy rains prompted evacuations over fears that a dam might breach on the Hawaiian island of Maui and officials asked people to not to return to their homes on Tuesday because flood advisories were still in effect. Officials initially thought that the Kaupakalua Dam in the community of...
University of Texas report finds ‘no racist intent’ behind song ‘Eyes of Texas’
AUSTIN, Texas — The University of Texas’ long-awaited report on “The Eyes of Texas” has found that the school song has “no racist intent,” but the school president said athletes and band members will not be required to sing or participate when the song is played at games and campus...
2 giraffes found dead after barn blaze at Virginia zoo
VIENNA, Va. — Two giraffes were found dead Monday evening after firefighters battled a blaze at a Virginia zoo, officials said. A two-story barn at Roer’s Zoofari caught fire around 5:30 p.m. Monday night, news outlets reported. The two giraffes were found after the fire was extinguished. Fairfax County Fire...
Happy campers: More overnight camps to reopen this summer
PORTLAND, Maine — There are going to be more happy campers this summer as more camps choose to reopen despite the pandemic, providing millions more kids an opportunity to gather around a campfire. Most camp directors sat out last summer as the virus raged across the country, either because of...
Oak trees to rebuild Notre Dame’s spire are felled in forest
JUPILLES, France — In a former royal forest in France, four 200-year-old oaks are being felled for wood to reconstruct Notre Dame cathedral’s fallen spire. Last July, French president Emmanuel Macron ended speculation over the reconstruction plans, announcing that the iconic spire of the Paris monument would be rebuilt exactly...
