National News - Page 192

Chicago Police Blame Courts Amid Rising Weekend Shootings

By Omar Jimenez and Brad Parks Chicago’s police superintendent on Monday blamed the state court system for another spate of deadly weekend shootings in the city, singling out judges for releasing on bail too many people charged with violent crimes. But in a year where the number of shootings in Chicago have been up roughly 11% compared to 2020 and 63% compared to the pre-pandemic levels of 2019, there are disputes among city public officials over the significant driving factors of violence. “What we can do different is challenge the courts to render Chicago safe by holding violent offenders in

Biden Shifts Strategy: Federal Vaccine Mandates, Mask Guidance

By Jeremy Diamond, Kevin Liptak and Kaitlan Collins The steps President Joe Biden’s administration is adopting this week to re-recommend masks and require vaccines for federal workers amount to emergency actions designed to contain a new surge of Covid-19 that has quickly become the top issue confronting the White House. The moves reflect a dramatic shift from earlier messaging about the pandemic waning and signal the fight of Biden’s presidency is far from over. Biden on Tuesday explicitly laid blame for the current situation on unvaccinated people — an escalation of his use of the bully pulpit as he furiously searches with his team

DOJ Backs Texas Students Over School Hair Discrimination

By Christina Carrega The Justice Department has stepped into a legal dispute on behalf of two Texas male students who say their school district discriminated against them when they were not allowed to attend classes because they refused to cut the length of their hair that they wore in locs. “The United States has a significant interest in ensuring that all students can participate in an educational environment free of unlawful discrimination and in the proper application of the Equal Protection Clause, Title IX, and Title VI,” according to the statement of interest that was filed on Friday. The parents of De’Andre Arnold

St. Louis Reinstates Mask Mandate Amid Covid-19 Surge

By Kay Jones The city of St. Louis and St. Louis County reinstated an indoor mask mandate on Monday to try to stop the spread of Covid-19, even as Missouri’s attorney general followed through on a threat to sue over the requirement. Beginning Monday, St. Louis required those ages 5 and older to wear masks in indoor public spaces and on public transportation. Attorney General Eric Schmitt filed a lawsuit against the mandate on the day it went into effect. The mandate, intended to cut down on further spread of the virus, applies to vaccinated and unvaccinated people. Exceptions would

Biden Mandates Vaccines for VA Workers Amid Delta Surge

By Kevin Liptak President Joe Biden’s administration for the first time Monday made vaccines mandatory for certain federal workers, a significant shift toward requiring shots as the country endures another surge in Covid-19 cases. At the same time, administration lawyers have prepared a legal opinion that could pave the way for further federal agencies or businesses to require vaccines among their employees — another indication that after months of struggle to vaccine hesitant Americans, the White House is looking to more aggressive steps to inoculate the country. Speaking from the Oval Office, Biden said physicians working for the Department of Veterans Affairs would be

Richland County Faces Teen Gun Violence Crisis, Families Speak

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By Christina Maxouris Saleemah Graham-Fleming had been told she wouldn’t be able to have children. That’s why she always called Sanaa Amenhotep, the oldest of her three daughters, a miracle. The two loved each other fiercely: they had frequent “cuddle time” sessions and dedicated Friday girls’ nights. The teen would often join her mom for errands, riding in the passenger seat and snapping photos for her social media accounts, which she always kept up to date. On April 5, Sanaa stepped out with her younger sister to take some pictures near their Columbia apartment, but she never came home, her

Minneapolis Ballot Could Replace Police with Public Safety Dept

By Emma Tucker Minneapolis city officials voted Friday to approve the language of a ballot measure that will ask voters in November whether the city’s police department should be replaced with public safety department. The Minneapolis City Council approved the ballot question language, which will be presented to residents in the municipal general election on November 2, 2021. If approved, the Minneapolis Police Department would be eliminated, and a new Department of Public Safety would take its place. The public health department would take a “comprehensive public health approach to safety” and include “licensed peace officers,” according to the proposal.

Biden on Labor Shortages, Covid, Infrastructure & Voting Rights

By Maegan Vazquez and Kevin Liptak President Joe Biden conceded during a CNN town hall on Wednesday that certain businesses will remain “in a bind for a little while” with labor shortages, part of a major set of problems that’s unfurling as his six-month-old presidency reaches a critical juncture. Covid cases are rising, a testament to a vaccination effort that has stalled amid waves of disinformation and skepticism. Pent-up demand has caused an uptick in prices, leading to concerns over inflation. And Biden’s much-touted bipartisan infrastructure deal remains in a state of limbo as Republicans and Democrats rush to finalize

Lori Lightfoot’s Vision for a Safer, Stronger Chicago

By Omar Jimenez Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has been criticized as “racist” — even as a Black woman — and she’s been called “notoriously thin-skinned” but she remains determined to leave a legacy far beyond her time in office. Still navigating the Covid-19 pandemic and the record surge in violence that came with it, Lightfoot is past her halfway point as mayor, leading the nation’s third largest city. While some find her methods controversial, she finds them necessary. “It’s not the critics that count,” Lightfoot said as she walked with CNN through Chicago’s West Garfield Park neighborhood, one of the

Virginia Beach Schools Keep Mask Mandate for Fall

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By Elizabeth Stuart, Mallory Simon and Christina Maxouris The Virginia Beach school board voted against a motion which would make mask-wearing in school optional for the upcoming school year, during a heated Tuesday night meeting that lasted more than four hours. The board voted 6-4 against the effort, keeping masks mandatory for the district’s 63,000 students and more than 4,000 teachers in September. But that can still change before school reopens. Parents and community members lined up to speak out against the policy. “You’re all hypocrites,” said Annie Palumbo, who was among the evening’s first speakers. “I’m here fighting with

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