National News
National News
Here’s How A Long Shutdown Of The Suez Canal Might Roil The Global Economy
Now, with the ship lodged sideways in the canal, closing off the main oceangoing highway between Europe and Asia, much of that cargo is sitting idle. It’s either waiting to transit the canal or stuck in port while owners and shippers decide what to do.
DOJ Has Charged Nearly 500 With COVID-Related Fraud In The Past Year
On the anniversary of the CARES Act, the Justice Department says that over the past year it has charged 474 defendants with fraud or other criminal schemes tied to the pandemic. The grand total that fraudsters tried to scam from the government and the public in those cases is more than $569 million.
Why Boulder Is Trying To Keep The Focus On Victims, Not The Shooter
As police in Boulder, Colo., search for a motive in Monday’s mass shooting that left 10 dead, community leaders are trying to keep the focus on victims and the needs of their families, not the alleged gunman.
Half Of The Jury In The Derek Chauvin Trial Is Nonwhite. That’s Only Part Of The Story
The jury chosen for the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, charged with murder in the death of George Floyd, is notable because it is significantly less white than Minneapolis itself.
Georgia Governor Signs Election Overhaul, Including Changes To Absentee Voting
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp on Thursday signed a massive overhaul of election laws, shortly after the Republican-controlled state legislature approved it. The bill enacts new limitations on mail-in voting, expands most voters’ access to in-person early voting and caps a months-long battle over voting in a battleground state.
U.S. Refugee Program ‘On Life Support,’ Facing Big Challenges
Among the more daunting challenges President Biden faces in the coming year will be to make good on his goal of admitting 10 times as many refugees — 125,000 — as former President Donald Trump allowed to enter the United States last year. During his presidency, Trump ordered drastic cutbacks in the U.S. refugee program.
Rachel Levine Makes History As 1st Openly Trans Federal Official Confirmed By Senate
The Senate voted Wednesday to confirm Dr. Rachel Levine as assistant secretary for health in the Department of Health and Human Services. The vote is a history-making one: Levine is the first openly transgender federal official to be confirmed by the Senate.
Timber Wars Continued: Conservationists Sue To Save Spotted Owl Logging Protections
Environmental groups have filed a lawsuit seeking to preserve protections for 3.4 million acres of northern spotted owl habitat from the US-Canada border to northern California, the latest salvo in a legal battle over logging in federal old-growth forests that are key nesting grounds for the imperiled species.
Could The Worst Of The Pandemic Be Over For The U.S.?
A year after the pandemic shut down the country, a growing number of infectious disease experts, epidemiologists, public health officials and others have started to entertain a notion that has long seemed out of reach: The worst of the pandemic may be over for the United States.
President Biden Urges Immediate Action From Senate On Gun Bills After Colorado Shooting
President Biden said Tuesday that he and first lady Jill Biden were “devastated” by Monday’s shooting in Boulder, Colo., and called on the Senate to pass to gun bills passed by the House earlier this month that would tighten gun laws.
Out Of Whack: Lack Of Homes For Sale Sends Prices Surging, Frustrates Buyers
Many Americans are ready and eager to buy a home right now. But they’re having trouble finding one. Home sales edged down 6.6% in February compared with the previous month because there just aren’t enough houses out there for people to buy.
10 Victims, Including Police Officer, Identified In Boulder Shooting; Suspect Arrested
“Our hearts go out to all the victims of this senseless act of violence,” said Boulder Police Chief Maris Herold. All of the victims have now been identified and their families have been notified, Herold said at a news conference Tuesday morning. She then read out the list of the victims.