National News - Page 89

Exasperation and dysfunction: Inside Kamala Harris’ frustrating start as vice president

By Edward-Isaac Dovere and Jasmine Wright, Worn out by what they see as entrenched dysfunction and lack of focus, key West Wing aides have largely thrown up their hands at Vice President Kamala Harris and her staff — deciding there simply isn’t time to deal with them right now, especially at a moment when President Joe Biden faces quickly multiplying legislative and political concerns. The exasperation runs both ways. Interviews with nearly three dozen former and current Harris aides, administration officials, Democratic operatives, donors and outside advisers — who spoke extensively to CNN — reveal a complex reality inside the White House. Many in the vice

Rev. Jesse Jackson expected to attend Ahmaud Arbery killing trial as testimony from state investigator continues Monday

By Devon M. Sayers, Alta Spells and Joe Sutton, As the defense cross-examines a Georgia state investigator who interviewed one of the defendants in the trial for the killing of Ahmaud Arbery, noted civil rights leader the Rev. Jesse Jackson plans to attend Monday’s court proceedings in a show of support for the Arbery family. “We will have a prayer vigil in the courthouse tomorrow morning … going to court tomorrow morning,” Jackson said at a news conference Sunday. Jackson’s expected arrival follows comments made by a defense attorney Thursday in court, who said “we don’t want any more Black pastors coming in

New bill would give descendants of Black World War II vets access to GI Bill benefits

By Shawna Mizelle In honor of Veterans Day, congressional Democrats reintroduced legislation Thursday that would provide GI Bill benefits to descendants of Black World War II veterans. The GI Bill Restoration Act was introduced in the House by Majority Whip Jim Clyburn of South Carolina and Democratic Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts. Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia is set to introduce the legislation in the Senate, according to a news release on Clyburn’s website. “While the original GI Bill ushered in decades of prosperity for post-war America, access to this prosperity was limited for Black World War II veterans who were

A closer look at the ongoing reparations movement in California and beyond

Analysis by Brandon Tensley, Legislation in Washington may have lost the little momentum that it had, but state and local governments across the US are forging ahead with their plans to design and implement reparations proposals for Black residents. Take, for instance, Evanston, Illinois. As of last Friday, the city had received more than 500 applications for its restorative housing initiative, which will disperse $25,000 for home down payments, mortgage payments or home repairs to chosen applicants, as part of the city’s reparations program. That same week, voters in Detroit OK’d a ballot measure to create a commission to mull over reparations. The

Presidents Obama, Bush and Clinton in new PSA urge Americans to support National Medal of Honor Museum

By Veronica Stracqualursi, Former Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama are asking Americans for support to build a national museum to recognize Medal of Honor recipients. The three former US leaders are featured in a new public service announcement calling on others to “join the mission” to build a national museum in Arlington, Texas, and national monument in Washington, DC, to honor recipients of the highest military award. “We salute these extraordinary Americans. We will never forget their sacrifices. We will always be inspired by their heroism,” Clinton says in the minute-long PSA video. Obama adds: “Let’s all come

Testimony resumes in Ahmaud Arbery murder trial after defense attorney’s comments spark outcry

By Mallika Kallingal, Devon Sayers and Alta Spells, After a day of explosive comments from a defense lawyer about who should attend the murder trial of Ahmaud Arbery, two new witnesses are expected in court on Friday, including a police officer who was in touch with the man who owned a home under construction that has been a focus of the case. Travis McMichael, Gregory McMichael and William “Roddie” Bryan Jr. are accused of chasing Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man, in vehicles and killing him on February 23, 2020, in Brunswick, Georgia. Defense lawyers have argued that they were attempting to make a

FW de Klerk, South Africa’s last apartheid leader who freed Nelson Mandela, dies at 85

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By Rob Picheta, FW de Klerk, the last leader of apartheid-era South Africa who shared a Nobel Peace Prize with Nelson Mandela after working to end racial segregation in the country, has died at 85, his foundation said on Thursday. De Klerk released Mandela, his subsequent successor, from prison and laboriously negotiated with him a transition to democracy, ending a decades-long segregationist system that kept South Africa’s White minority in power over the Black majority for generations. The two men shared the peace prize in 1993 for their work to end the policy, but de Klerk — who had served in governments

Public allowed to lay flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier for first time in nearly 100 years

By Veronica Stracqualursi, For the first time in nearly a century, members of the public will be able to walk on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier plaza and lay flowers before the sacred memorial site in Arlington National Cemetery on Tuesday and Wednesday. It’s the first time in 96 years that visitors have been allowed to approach the Tomb, according to Karen Durham-Aguilera, the executive director of Army National Military Cemeteries and Arlington National Cemetery. The rare chance for the public to get close to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier falls on its centennial commemoration. “The next two days will

Veterans exposed to burn pits will get expanded health care support, White House says

By Paul LeBlanc, The Biden administration on Veterans Day announced a series of new support options for veterans who had been exposed to “contaminants and environmental hazards,” such as burn pits, while serving. The steps, which the White House detailed in a fact sheet, seek to “improve our understanding of the health effects of military-related exposures, educate providers and veterans about these exposures, and provide timelier access to health services and benefits for individuals who were exposed.” Burn pits were used to incinerate all sorts of waste, hazardous material and chemical compounds at military sites throughout Iraq and Afghanistan. Eighty-six percent of post-9/11 veterans

Biden administration announces deal to provide J&J Covid-19 vaccine to people in conflict zones and humanitarian settings

By Arlette Saenz, Kate Sullivan and Jennifer Hansler, The Biden administration on Wednesday announced a new deal it brokered with Johnson & Johnson and the global vaccination program called Covid-19 Vaccines Global Access, or COVAX, to provide J&J’s Covid-19 vaccine to people in conflict zones and other humanitarian settings where government vaccine campaigns cannot reach. “We’re eager for people in these difficult circumstances to get protection against Covid-19 as soon as possible,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at a Covid-19 event. Prior to this agreement, J&J’s vaccine doses could only be used in official vaccination programs run by other governments. The Johnson

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