Police groups endorse Biden’s pick for civil rights chief
WASHINGTON — Some of the largest law enforcement groups in the U.S. are throwing their support behind President Joe Biden’s nominee to run the Justice Department’s civil rights division. The support for Kristen Clarke, who is nominated to be assistant attorney general for civil rights, includes some of the nation’s...
Report: Cuomo groped female aide in governor’s residence
ALBANY, N.Y. — An aide to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says he groped her in the governor’s residence, a newspaper reported Wednesday, in the most serious allegation made yet by a series of women against the embattled Democrat. The Times Union of Albany reported that the woman, who it...
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...
Senate confirms Merrick Garland to be U.S. attorney general
WASHINGTON — The Senate has confirmed Merrick Garland to be the next U.S. attorney general with a strong bipartisan vote, placing the widely-respected, veteran judge in the post as President Joe Biden has vowed to restore the Justice Department’s reputation for independence. Democrats have praised Garland, a federal appeals court...
Congress OKs $1.9T virus relief bill in win for Biden, Dems
A Congress riven along party lines approved a landmark $1.9 trillion covid-19 relief bill Wednesday, as President Joe Biden and Democrats claimed a triumph on a bill that marshals the government’s spending might against twin pandemic and economic crises that have upended a nation. The House gave final congressional approval...
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...
Lawmaker calls for halt to PennDOT plan to toll 9 bridges
The chairman of Pennsylvania’s Senate Transportation Committee on Wednesday said he wants to halt plans to toll nine major bridges on interstates around the state. Senate Transportation Committee Chairman Wayne Langerholc, R-Cambria, introduced a bill to require legislative authorization of any proposed transportation project with a user fee, even it...
Fauci: U.S. covid shots ramping up toward immunity
WASHINGTON — The nation’s top infectious disease expert says the U.S. could see significant steps toward a return to the pre-pandemic normal, even before the country reaches coronavirus herd immunity. Dr. Anthony Fauci says best estimates when enough people are immune to end the outbreak range between 70-85% of the...
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...
Huge virus aid bill nears final OK in win for Biden, Dems
WASHINGTON — Congress sped toward final approval Wednesday of a landmark $1.9 trillion covid-19 relief bill, as President Joe Biden and Democrats neared a major triumph for the party’s priorities and showcased the unity they’ll need to forge future victories. The House was on track to use a virtual party-line...
GOP struggles to define Biden, turns to culture wars instead
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden and the Democrats were on the brink of pushing through sprawling legislation with an eyepopping, $1.9 trillion price tag. But many Republican politicians and conservative commentators had other priorities in recent days. A passionate defense of Dr. Seuss. Serious questions about the future of Mr....
Biden’s first 50 days: Where he stands on key promises
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden laid out an ambitious agenda for his first 100 days in office, promising swift action on everything from climate change to immigration reform to the coronavirus pandemic. He hits his 50th day in office on Wednesday as his administration eyes a major milestone: final congressional...
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...
House to vote Wednesday on massive coronavirus aid billVideo
WASHINGTON — The House will vote to clear the $1.9 trillion pandemic relief package for President Joe Biden’s signature on Wednesday, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer told reporters. House lawmakers received the paperwork on Tuesday from the Senate after that chamber’s marathon “vote-a-rama” that ended Saturday afternoon, resulting in numerous changes...
U.S. aid to Pa. draws GOP warning to use it for 1-time costs
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania state government is expected to receive more than $7 billion from the $1.9 trillion covid-19 rescue package making its way through Congress, or almost one-fifth of its operating costs this year, with some warning that the one-time aid should be used only for one-time costs. Many across...
House approves pro-union bill despite dim Senate oddsVideo
WASHINGTON — The Democratic-led House on Tuesday approved legislation that would invigorate workers’ unions, following decades of court defeats and legislative setbacks that have kneecapped the labor movement’s once formidable ability to organize. The measure, which union leaders and labor allies have presented as a cure for decades of working-class...
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...
Looking for a covid-19 vaccine? This site can help find spares — but you’ll need patienceVideo
In an attempt to rid Americans of the tedious task of refreshing websites for hours on end, a team of 21 medical advisers, technology experts and business people are running a site that matches covid-19 vaccine providers with leftover doses to people who want one. The free service, coined Dr....
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...
