National News
National News
World’s Largest Firefighting Plane May Be Sold For COVID-19 Response, As Wildfire Season Heats Up
As the company weighs its options, two Washington state legislators sent a letter Tuesday to U.S. Congress members in Western states, urging them to find a solution to continue the SuperTanker’s operations, which they described as the “biggest and one of the best weapons in battling the catastrophic fires.”
CDC Says If You’re Fully Vaccinated, You Don’t Need To Mask Outdoors (Unless You’re In A Crowd)
The CDC says people who are fully vaccinated do not need to wear a mask when they’re outdoors, unless they’re in a crowd, such as attending a live performance, sporting event or parade. People are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving the second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or two weeks after the single dose Johnson & Johnson shot.
Civil Rights Group Calls On Justice Dept. To Suspend Local Police Grants
The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund wants Attorney General Merrick Garland to suspend grants to local law enforcement until he’s sure that no federal taxpayer money is funding police departments that engage in discrimination, according to a letter obtained by NPR.
Asian Man In Critical Condition After Another Attack In New York; Police Seek Suspect In Video
In surveillance video released by the New York City Police Department’s Hate Crime Task Force, the victim can be seen being pushed to the ground by an unidentified man, who then kicks him in the head multiple times.
Hester Ford, Oldest Living American, Dies At 115 (Or 116)
Hester Ford, who was America’s oldest person living, died at her home in Charlotte, N.C., on April 17. Ford was at least 115 years old, though some records say she was possibly 116.
Military Panel Urges Taking Sexual Assault Cases Out Of Commanders’ Control
A special Pentagon panel is recommending a seismic shift in how the U.S. military handles sexual assault cases, saying independent judge advocates, not commanding officers, should decide whether to pursue legal charges in such cases.
U.S. Lifts Pause In Use Of J&J Vaccine After Vote By Expert Panel
The Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Friday after the panel voted that the vaccine is safe and effective at preventing COVID-19, and its benefits outweigh the known risks.
After Jan. 6 Breach, Washington Governor’s Residence To Get Security Upgrades
The state of Washington will beef up security around the governor’s executive residence following a major breach of security on January 6, the same day a mob stormed the U.S. Capitol.
An ‘Overjoyed’ LeVar Burton Welcomes Chance To Guest-Host ‘Jeopardy!’
LeVar Burton will host a week of Jeopardy! this summer, after nearly 250,000 people signed a petition backing the actor and director’s long-held aspiration to try out for the job that was left vacant by Alex Trebek, who died last year.
Asian-Owned Businesses Say They’re Reeling From Hate And Violence, Operating In Fear
While the issue has pervaded communities for decades, the pandemic has brought renewed attention to the issue, as groups like Stop AAPI Hate have documented upwards of 3,800 incidents — more than a third of which occurred at businesses.
FDA Inspection Finds Numerous Problems At Facility Intended To Make J&J Vaccine
Peeling paint. Cracked buckets. Employees dragging unsealed bags of medical waste. Procedures ignored. Inadequately trained staff. All of these were problems noted by U.S. Food and Drug Administration inspectors at the Emergent BioSolutions factory in Baltimore – a facility that is intended to produce materials for the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.
Where Efforts To Overhaul Policing Stand In Congress After Derek Chauvin Verdict
With the verdict against former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin now in for the murder of George Floyd, attention is turning to Congress and whether lawmakers can meet the growing demand from across the nation for meaningful changes to policing.