Biden Signs Covid-19 Hate Crimes Act to Combat Racism
By Maegan Vazquez President Joe Biden signed into law on Thursday a bill that is aimed at countering a rise in anti-Asian hate crimes during the coronavirus pandemic, saying the legislation is part of the nation’s first step toward unity. “I believe, with every fiber of my being, that there are simple, core values and beliefs that should bring us together as Americans. One of them is standing together against hate, against racism — an ugly poison that has long haunted and plagued our nation,” Biden told a group of advocates, agency officials and a bipartisan group of lawmakers inside
Biden Praises Ceasefire Deal Between Israel and Hamas
By Kaitlan Collins and Kevin Liptak President Joe Biden — having weathered the first major foreign crisis of his presidency that tested the bounds of his decades-long friendship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — touted Thursday a ceasefire deal that appears to end the bloody 11-day conflict between Israel and Hamas. In hastily arranged remarks from the White House delivered one hour before the truce was due to take effect, Biden credited his administration’s own “quiet and relentless diplomacy,” along with efforts by Egypt, in arriving at the agreement. “We’ve held intensive high-level discussions, hour-by-hour, literally, (with) Egypt, the
CNN Graduation 2021 Special to Honor Class of 2021
By Paul LeBlanc CNN will air a star-studded prime-time special on Sunday honoring the class of 2021, as millions of students across the nation graduate following a year shaped by the coronavirus pandemic. “Graduation 2021: A CNN Special Event” will air Sunday, May 23 at 7 p.m. ET on CNN, CNN International and CNN en Español. The special will feature a keynote address from Vice President Kamala Harris along with musical performances from Portugal. The Man, Andy Grammer, Lukas Graham and EARCANDY. Students from the Duke Ellington School of Arts in Washington, DC, and the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School
House to Vote on $1.9B Capitol Security Bill After Riot
By Clare Foran and Annie Grayer The House of Representatives is expected to vote on Thursday to approve a $1.9 billion spending bill to increase security at the US Capitol in response to the deadly January 6 insurrection. The sweeping legislation, introduced by House Appropriations Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro, a Connecticut Democrat, covers a range of priorities, including funding to enhance security across the Capitol grounds as well as provisions to bolster protections and increase preparedness for lawmakers, including at their district offices, and the Capitol Police force. After the House takes up the bill, it would also need to pass
Michigan Judge Dismisses Final 2020 Election Fraud Case
By Taylor Romine A Michigan judge dismissed an election fraud case Tuesday that state officials said was the last of the lawsuits challenging the 2020 election. The suit, which was originally filed by Michigan voter named William Bailey on November 23 of last year, alleged that “material fraud or error” took place when inaccurate results were shared, according to court documents. They specifically placed blame on Dominion Voting Systems, which Michigan hired for election management and voting machines. State officials repeatedly said over the last six months that Antrim County initially released incorrect unofficial election results caused by human error,
Val Demings to Challenge Marco Rubio for Florida Senate
By Dan Merica and Daniella Diaz Florida Rep. Val Demings plans to run for US Senate against Republican Sen. Marco Rubio in 2022, two sources familiar with the plan told CNN Tuesday. The planned bid provides Democrats with a high-profile candidate in a key Senate race against a nationally known — and well-funded — opponent. The Orlando Democratic lawmaker spent the last few months mulling over a statewide race and recently decided on a bid for the Senate over governor, a source close to the congresswoman told CNN. The congresswoman plans to make her official announcement in the coming weeks,
US Businesses Struggle Amid Worsening Labor Shortage
By Jeff Zeleny Patti Eisenbraun had been anxiously waiting for the pandemic to subside so the dining room and patio at the Brown Iron Brewhouse would be bustling once again. Yet the lights were off, and her business was closed here Monday — not for a lack of thirsty customers, but for a lack of employees. “We went from 92 hours to 55 hours a week,” said Eisenbraun, who opened the brewery and restaurant in 2015 with her husband, after a decade of planning. “It’s a tough business model right now to be closed during those hours.” A labor shortage
Sunrise Movement Endorses Nina Turner for Ohio Congress
By Rachel Janfaza The Sunrise Movement, a youth-led climate activist group, on Monday announced its endorsement of former Ohio state Sen. Nina Turner, further bolstering her campaign’s progressive support ahead of a special election for an open US House seat in Ohio. Turner, a top ally of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, is running to succeed former Rep. Marcia Fudge, whom the Senate confirmed in March as secretary of Housing and Urban Development, leaving an open congressional seat in Ohio’s 11th District. The heavily Democratic northeast Ohio district will hold a special election in November, with a Democratic primary in August.
VP Kamala Harris to Keynote AAPI Unity Summit
By Arlette Saenz and Jasmine Wright Vice President Kamala Harris will serve as the keynote speaker for a virtual unity summit for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders this week, her latest outreach to a community that has faced a wave of racially motivated crimes during the pandemic and is growing as a voting bloc. Harris, the first person of South Asian descent to serve as vice president, will address the AAPI Victory Alliance’s first ever unity summit on Wednesday, the group told CNN. The virtual event, titled “From Victory to Unity,” will feature celebrities like Tan France and Simu Liu
Biden Faces Pipeline Hack, Mideast Crisis and Inflation Test
By Kevin Liptak President Joe Biden was at the wooded Camp David retreat in Maryland when he first heard Colonial Pipeline had been hacked. Briefed in one of the mountainside lodges by senior advisers and aides from the National Security Council, Biden quickly realized the incident — and subsequent shutdown of the company’s pipeline supplying fuel to the Eastern Seaboard — could easily devolve into a major problem. Long lines of cars at pumps and handwritten “no fuel” signs make for potent political imagery, a fact Biden experienced firsthand when as a young senator he saw an oil crisis help
