National News - Page 92

Biden told Putin that ‘things we did not do in 2014, we are prepared to do now’ if Russia escalates in Ukraine, top adviser says

By Maegan Vazquez, The White House says President Joe Biden told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday that the United States is prepared to launch strong economic measures should Russia invade Ukraine — signaling that these new measures would pack a bigger punch than the sanctions issued in 2014 that failed to stop Russia from occupying Crimea. “I will look you in the eye and tell you, as President Biden looked Putin in the eye and told him today, that things we did not do in 2014 we are prepared to do now,” national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters Tuesday afternoon after Biden’s call

Omicron coronavirus variant partly evades Pfizer vaccine’s protection, study shows

By Maggie Fox, The Omicron coronavirus variant partly escapes the protection offered by the Pfizer vaccine, but people who have been previously infected and then vaccinated are likely to be well protected, researchers working in South Africa reported Tuesday. Boosters are also likely to protect people, Alex Sigal of the Africa Health Research Institute in Durban, who led the study team, told CNN. It’s the first experiment to directly look at how the Omicron virus might behave in vaccinated people. Tests in lab dishes using samples from 12 people who had been fully vaccinated with Pfizer’s vaccine showed the Omicron variant could

Harris brushes off question on staff shake-up after senior adviser announces departure

By Donald Judd and Jasmine Wright, Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday offered praise for her departing senior adviser, Symone Sanders, while brushing off a question about a larger staff shake up in her office. “I love Symone, and I can’t wait to see what she will do next, and I know that it’s been a, you know, it’s been three years of a lot of jumping on and off planes and going around the country, and she works very hard, and I can’t wait to see what she’ll do next, and I mean that sincerely,” Harris told reporters traveling with her in

Biden Supreme Court commission’s draft report details ‘profound’ disagreement over adding seats to bench

By Ariane de Vogue and Paul LeBlanc, A controversial commission set up by President Joe Biden to explore changes to the US Supreme Court concluded in a draft final report Monday that there was “profound” disagreement over whether to add more seats to the bench but suggested more consensus for term limits for the justices without taking a final position on the issue. The report — which was widely criticized before its release because it would not offer concrete recommendations to the President — spans hundreds of pages and also tackles issues such as the court’s emergency docket and the current state of confirmation

Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo, whose tenure included George Floyd’s murder, will retire in January

By Amir Vera, Carma Hassan and Michelle Watson Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo, whose tenure will be remembered for his handling of the George Floyd murder investigation, announced Monday that he will retire in mid-January. “After much personal reflection and thoughtful discussions with my family and Mayor Frey, I have made the decision that I will not be accepting a new term as chief of the Minneapolis Police Department,” Arradondo said. He was the city’s first Black police chief, appointed in 2017. Arradondo was chief when Floyd died while in police custody on May 25, 2020. Video of Floyd’s death ignited protests around the US

A Black job applicant is suing over hair discrimination, but the company says it was a misunderstanding

By Nicquel Terry Ellis and Cheri Mossburg, A Black job applicant suing an employer over hair discrimination is demanding an apology and policy change — but the company said it was a misunderstanding. Jeffrey Thornton filed a lawsuit this week against Encore Group, LLC, claiming the company denied him employment when he refused to cut his hair, which he wears in locs. Thornton’s complaint claims the San Diego office for the company violated the state’s CROWN Act, which prohibits employers from withholding employment based on discrimination against the protected applicant’s hairstyle. According to the lawsuit, when Thornton interviewed for the

Harris to mark Maternal Health Day of Action at White House summit

By Jasmine Wright and Jacqueline Howard, Vice President Kamala Harris will mark the White House’s first ever Maternal Health Day of Action on Tuesday when she hosts a summit with lawmakers, Cabinet secretaries and celebrities, a White House official said. At the summit, Harris will issue a nationwide call to action to the private and public sectors and announce a series of federal reports and guidance, among other things aimed at improving maternal health in the United States. The United States continues to have the highest maternal death rate of all developed countries, according to researchers. And Tuesday’s summit marks the administration’s latest

Virginia to begin removal process of Robert E. Lee statue pedestal in Richmond, governor says

By Amir Vera and Artemis Moshtaghian, The final piece of the Robert E. Lee statue in Richmond, Virginia, will be removed starting this week, Gov. Ralph Northam announced Sunday. The state reached a deal with the city to remove the 40-foot granite pedestal the Lee statue sat on for more than a century. The statue itself — one of the largest remaining historic Confederate statues in the US — was removed in September, about a year after Northam announced his intentions to remove it amid protests for racial justice. “This land is in the middle of Richmond, and Richmonders will determine the future of

Students are fed up with racist slurs and bullying. Now they’re walking out of class

By Nicole Chavez, Some Black students are being told they stink while others are being called monkeys by their White peers. The n-word has been written on the walls of school restrooms as other students are the targets of racist rants on social media. Students of color are facing racial slurs and bullying in and outside the classroom, and many who are fed up have been walking out of class, speaking at board meetings and even suing school districts. In Minnesota, a 14-year-old Black girl spoke in front of a crowd to condemn a video widely shared online that she said encouraged

US Army and FAA investigating military flyover of NFL game

/

By Barbara Starr and Gregory Wallace, The US military and the Federal Aviation Administration are reviewing a flyover of an NFL game last month to determine if the military helicopters flew too low over civilians in violation of aviation regulations. A military inquiry is underway by the 101st Airborne Division to determine if members of its combat aviation brigade violated any FAA rules when they flew very low over Nashville’s Nissan Stadium during a game between the Tennessee Titans and the New Orleans Saints. “The 101st Airborne Division is conducting a commander’s inquiry into the flyover that occurred on November 14,” according

1 90 91 92 93 94 155