PoliticsYahoo NewsAmerica is about to hit a 'vaccine wall' as demand drops — with or without Johnson & Johnson
When U.S. officials temporarily paused the use of Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine Tuesday to warn patients and providers of an “extremely rare” blood clotting issue that has so far affected just six of the millions of Americans who have received the vaccine — all six of them women ages 18 to 48 — many observers worried the abrupt move would stop a substantial number of Americans from getting vaccinated. Because even before the J&J news, the U.S. was already approaching a “vaccine wall” — the point at which supply outstrips demand, the country's rapid pace of vaccination starts to slow down and every American who wants a shot can easily get whatever shot they want, whether it's Pfizer, Moderna or the one-and-done J&J.
U.S.Raleigh News and Observer‘Mommy did it,’ stabbed 5-year-old girl told her grandma, Pennsylvania police say
A Pennsylvania mother was arrested Wednesday after police say she stabbed her 5-year-old daughter multiple times. The alleged assault occurred early that morning in York, a Pennsylvania town about 100 miles west of Philadelphia. “Mommy did it,” the girl told her grandma, who had found her bleeding from stab wounds to her stomach, CBS 21 reported.
WorldAxiosU.S. imposes sanctions targeting Russian economy over SolarWinds hack, election interference
The Biden administration announced it will sanction dozens of Russian officials and entities, expel 10 diplomats from the U.S., and set new restrictions on buying Russian sovereign debt in response to the massive SolarWinds hack of federal agencies and interference in the 2020 election. Why it matters: The sweeping acts of retaliation are aimed at imposing heavy economic costs on Russia, after years of sanctions that have failed to deter an increasingly aggressive and authoritarian President Vladimir Putin. Details: The administration formally accused Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) of carrying out the SolarWinds hack, which Microsoft President Brad Smith has called "the largest and most sophisticated attack the world has ever seen."
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Video shows shooting in Ohio hospital
Police body camera footage shows a routine police pat-down of a man in a hospital emergency room erupting within minutes into a fatal police shooting after the man apparently fires a gun he had concealed in his possession. (April 15)
WorldReutersEuropean powers warn Iran over 'dangerous' uranium enrichment move
PARIS (Reuters) -The European countries party to the Iran nuclear deal told Tehran on Wednesday its decision to enrich uranium at 60% purity, bringing the fissile material closer to bomb-grade, was contrary to efforts to revive the 2015 accord. But in an apparent signal to Iran's arch-adversary Israel, which Tehran blamed for an explosion at its key nuclear site on Sunday, European powers Germany, France and Britain added that they rejected "all escalatory measures by any actor". Israel, which the Islamic Republic does not recognise, has not formally commented on the incident at Iran's Natanz site, which appeared the latest twist in a long-running covert war.
U.S.The StateBody found in Mississippi River is missing LSU student Kori Gauthier, officials say
Kori Gauthier, a Louisiana State University freshman reported missing one week ago, was found dead. LSU officials confirmed Wednesday night that a body recently found in the Mississippi rRiver is Gauthier. “Since Kori was first reported missing, the LSU Police Department, Baton Rouge Police Department and other law enforcement agencies and volunteers have taken exhaustive measures to locate her and, in the process, to determine what led to her disappearance,” LSU Chief of Police Bart Thompson said in a statement.
- WorldChristian Science Monitor
How the far-right has shifted France’s political center of gravity
As next year's presidential elections in France approach, the two front-runners are trying on each other's clothes. Marine Le Pen, traditionally a candidate of the extreme right, is seeking more moderate voters by steering her party, the National Rally, toward the middle ground of French politics. More surprisingly, perhaps, President Emmanuel Macron is veering sharply rightward, shocking many of his supporters and raising questions about the boundaries of acceptable political discourse.
WorldReutersExclusive: EU agrees to sanction two companies close to Myanmar military, diplomats say
The European Union has agreed to impose sanctions on another 10 individuals linked to the Feb. 1 coup in Myanmar and to target two businesses run by the armed forces for the first time in protest at the military takeover, two diplomats said. The measures, which the diplomats said could take effect next week, would target two companies that generate revenue for the Myanmar Armed Forces. While the EU has an arms embargo on Myanmar and targeted 11 senior military officials last month, the decision to target two companies is the most significant response so far for the bloc since the coup that ousted an elected government led by Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.
CelebrityNBC NewsWhat happened to Bernie Madoff's family? Where Ruth Madoff and others are now
The death of Ponzi scheme mastermind Bernie Madoff has dredged up memories of the destruction and pain left behind in the wake of perhaps the most infamous Wall Street scheme in recent history. Madoff, 82, died while serving a 150-year prison sentence stemming from fraud charges that involved cheating thousands of investors, including the filmmaker Steven Spielberg and the actors Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick, out of billions in promised returns. In 2011, Ruth said during an interview with NBC's "TODAY" show that she did not miss her imprisoned husband, adding that "the villain of all this is behind bars."
U.S.USA TODAYNo apology owed for pepper-spraying Black and Latino Army officer in Virginia, police chief says
While he said he felt bad for how the events of a traffic-stop late last year unfolded, the police chief of the town where a Black and Latino military officer from Petersburg, Virginia, was accosted by two of his officers said Wednesday that he does not think the soldier is in need of an official apology. In response, Army Lt. Caron Nazario's legal team said Windsor Police Department Chief Rodney D. Riddle "continues a false narrative" of the case and blaming their client for initiating it. "I'm gonna own what we did," Riddle said about the stop during a news conference Wednesday in the Isle of Wight County, Virginia, community where Nazario was stopped last December while on his way home.
PoliticsReutersFord, GM among Michigan companies opposing Republican-backed voting limits
Republican lawmakers in numerous states have proposed a slew of voting limits, after former President Donald Trump, a Republican, falsely claimed he lost November's election to President Joe Biden due to widespread fraud. In Michigan, Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer has vowed to veto bills that Republicans have proposed, including new restrictions on absentee and mail ballots. The state Republican chairman, however, has previously suggested the party could attempt to circumvent Whitmer via a petition drive.
EntertainmentThe TelegraphPrince Philip's custom-made Land Rover hearse unveiled for first time
For the past eighteen years, it can now be revealed, the Duke had been quietly modifying the Land Rover Defender TD5 130, requesting a repaint in military green and designing the open top rear and special "stops" to secure his coffin in place. He made the final adjustments in 2019, the year he turned 98. The Land Rover's original role would also have been to transport the Duke 22 miles from Wellington Arch in central London to Windsor, but the pandemic curtailed the long-held plans for military parades in honour of Prince Philip through the streets of both the capital and the Berkshire town.
BusinessAxiosWhat the irrational price of dogecoin says about crypto investors
Unlike bitcoin or GameStop stock, dogecoin — a literal joke of a cryptocurrency — is not supply-constrained. If you want more of it, you can mine it — and then, presumably, sell it, given the profit margin of about 57%. Why it matters: The irrational price rises in cryptocurrencies like dogecoin perhaps help explain why 62% of crypto investors, including 58% of investors with less than $10,000 in crypto investments, expect that they will get rich from their investments in cryptocurrency.
U.S.USA TODAYDefense in Derek Chauvin trial rests after 2 days and 7 witnesses. Here are the highlights.
The defense, led by attorney Eric Nelson, called on current and former police officers, a retired paramedic, an eyewitness, a use-of-force expert, an officer who leads the department's emergency medical response training and a former medical examiner in an attempt to prove that Chauvin's use of force was reasonable and Floyd died because of his health issues and drug use. Key testimony for the defense came from expert witness Barry Brodd, who has taught use-of-force to officers in California for 35 years. Brodd was the only witness in the trial to say Chauvin's use of force was "justified" and that the prone restraint "doesn't hurt."
EntertainmentArchitectural DigestShop Troye Sivan’s Eclectic Home Style
Take a page out of the stylish young star's book, from must-have splurges to affordable accessories Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
PoliticsBusiness InsiderSecretary of State Blinken made an unannounced visit to Afghanistan after Biden announced plans to withdraw US troops from the country
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made an unannounced visit to Afghanistan on Thursday. It comes after President Biden announced plans to withdraw US troops by September 11. The Washington Post reported he wants to reassure Afghanistan the US is still committed to the country.
WorldReutersEU allows Lesotho's MG Health to export cannabis flower for medicinal use
Lesotho start-up MG Health has become the first African cannabis-grower to win European Union permission to export cannabis flower for medicinal use - which can range from relieving chronic pain to treating spasms caused by multiple sclerosis. Lesotho has helped pioneer the nascent legal cannabis sector in Africa which could be worth more than $7.1 billion annually by 2023 if new laws are introduced, the African Cannabis Report said two years ago. Launched in 2017, MG Health has its cultivation and modern processing facilities at a secluded location some 2,000 metres above sea-level in mountainous Lesotho, which is completely surrounded by South Africa.
- U.S.Tribune Publishing
Pastor, girls’ basketball coach among 79 arrested in Hillsborough sex sting
A pastor and a high school girls' basketball coach were among the 79 arrested in a weeklong sex crime sting conducted by the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. Two other men were arrested face human trafficking charges as a result of what the agency dubbed “Operation Takedown,” said Sheriff Chad Chronister at a news conference Thursday. The sting was launched in the days leading up to this past weekend's WrestleMania 37, which was held at Tampa's Raymond James Stadium.
U.S.The IndependentDaunte Wright protester shows CNN his can of soup, mocking 2020 Trump comments
Donald Trump's strange prophecy of weaponised soup appeared to become a reality on Wednesday night, thanks to one of the people protesting over Daunte Wright's death in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. I've been here all four nights. I'm just standing here today with soup for my family,” the protester told cnn >CNN's Sara Sidner, winking at the camera.
WorldUSA TODAYAntony Blinken makes surprise stop in Afghanistan to sell Biden troop withdrawal
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made an unannounced visit to Afghanistan on Thursday to sell Afghan leaders and a wary public on President Joe Biden's decision to withdraw all American troops from the country and end America's longest war. Blinken sought to assure senior Afghan politicians that the United States remains committed to the country despite Biden's announcement a day earlier that the 2,500 U.S. soldiers remaining in the country would be coming home by the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks that led to the U.S. invasion in 2001.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderPelosi mocked Ocasio-Cortez and the Squad in a new book by talking like a baby: 'See how perfect I am and how pure?'
Nancy Pelosi criticized the "Squad" as posing as "perfect" and "pure" progressives, a new book says. USA Today's Susan Page said Pelosi told her some members "pose for holy pictures" while others legislate. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi criticized Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other members of the left-wing "Squad" as posing as "perfect" and "pure" progressives and rejecting the compromise necessary to achieve legislative results, a new book says.
U.S.Tribune PublishingIn 1975, Tampa police officer Richard Cloud was killed. Now we know why.
Angelo Bedami has openly told tales of his criminal past since his release from prison nearly 30 years ago. Tampa's Underground Airline, details how he smuggled drugs into the United States with stolen planes that were then crashed into the Gulf of Mexico. It involves the 1975 killing of Richard Cloud, a former Tampa police sergeant turned organized crime investigator for the federal government.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderSenate Republicans are drafting their own infrastructure plan and want to tax people for it, not corporations
Republicans are starting to draft an infrastructure plan in a bid to strike a deal with Biden. The plan could come in at less than half of the $2.3 trillion proposal laid out by the White House. A group of Senate Republicans is assembling an infrastructure plan, part of a bid to strike a deal with President Joe Biden on a package that's more narrowly targeted in scope.
CelebrityNBC NewsJennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez announce split
Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez officially called off their two-year engagement, saying in a statement Thursday that they "realized we are better as friends." "We will continue to work together and support each other on our shared businesses and projects," Lopez and Rodriguez said in a joint statement to NBC's "TODAY" show. Lopez is the mom of twins Max and Emme, 13, whom she shares with ex-husband Marc Anthony.
U.S.The IndependentDaunte Wright protesters use umbrellas as shields against police
Photographs from the third night of protests in Minneapolis following the killing of Daunte Wright showed demonstrators getting creative to protect themselves from deterrent tactics used by police. Images from Tuesday night in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, revealed a group of protesters using umbrellas to protect themselves from fumes of chemical irritants released by authorities. Hundreds of demonstrators gathered again at the heavily guarded police headquarters, which has been ringed by concrete barriers and a tall metal fence, with police in riot gear and National Guard soldiers standing watch.
“There’s no ‘both sides of the debate’ when it comes to active voter suppression.”
“Companies that do this ooze contempt for their own customers and employees who are not in the leftmost quarter of opinion.”
“The truth is that Fortune 500 companies were never taking moral stances from the goodness of their corporate hearts.”
“The truth is, the companies hold the cards…If companies stick to their guns, Georgia is likely to back down as well.”
“When a company folds to the unfounded outrage of a few misinformed nuts, they are forever at the mob’s beck-and-call.”