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.
WorldAssociated PressEXPLAINER: What are the Iran nuclear talks all about?
Negotiations to bring the United States back into a landmark nuclear deal with Iran resumed Thursday in Vienna amid signs of progress — but also under the shadow of an attack this week on Iran's main nuclear facility. After more than two hours of talks characterized by Russia's delegate as generally positive, issues were turned back over to two working groups for continued discussion and refinement. In 2015, Iran signed an agreement with the U.S., Russia, China, Germany, France and Britain that was intended to set limits on Tehran's nuclear program in order to block it from building a nuclear weapon — something it insists it doesn't want to do.
- NewsAssociated Press Videos
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)
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."
U.S.Fort Worth Star-TelegramToddler found walking alone near highway while mom dined with friend, Texas police say
Dominique Edwards was driving home late Tuesday when he saw something he won't soon forget — a 2-year-old toddling along the feeder road to North Freeway in Harris County. Police arrived to take the girl then started checking nearby hotels, according to KTRK. An 8-year-old boy and his 3-year-old brother were asleep inside, KHOU reported.
WorldAssociated PressNATO to match US troop pullout from Afghanistan
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg says the alliance has agreed to withdraw its roughly 7,000 non-American forces from Afghanistan to match U.S. President Joe Biden's decision to pull all American troops from the country starting on May 1. Stoltenberg said the full withdrawal would be completed “within a few months” but did not mention the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks set as a goal by Biden. There are between 7,000 and 7,500 non-U.S. NATO troops currently in Afghanistan.
PoliticsNational ReviewPelosi Mocked AOC, Squad Members When They Arrived in Congress: ‘See How Perfect I Am?’
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi reportedly mocked Representative Alexandria Ocasio Cortez and other members of the progressive “Squad” when they arrived in Congress amid growing tensions between the moderate and left-wing factions of the party, according to a new report. On Thursday Politico published an adapted excerpt from USA Today Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page's new book Madam Speaker: Nancy Pelosi and the Lessons of Power, which details how tensions flared early on between Pelosi and the Squad, the progressive group of lawmakers elected in 2018 that includes Ocasio-Cortez and Representatives Ayanna Pressley (D., Mass.), Ilhan Omar (D., Minn.) and Rashida Tlaib (D., Mich.). After the Squad members cast the only four Democratic votes against an immigration bill the speaker had backed, Pelosi showed little concern over their opposition, Page writes.
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.
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.
WorldAssociated PressGermany sees drop in crime during 1st year of pandemic
Germany saw a drop in reported crime last year, partly due to pandemic restrictions that kept people indoors, although there was a rise in child abuse, domestic violence and cybercrime. The country's top security official, Horst Seehofer, said Thursday some 5.3 million crimes were reported in Germany in 2020. That's a decrease of 2.3% compared to the previous year — driven by a significant drop in burglaries, robberies and auto thefts — continuing a downward trend since 2016, when the number of reported cases was about 6.3 million.
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."
U.S.The StateGov. McMaster spent $10.5M on SC education. Here’s who will get it
On Wednesday, Gov. Henry McMaster's office announced the Columbia Republican will spend $9 million out of his federal discretionary COVID-19 education account on charter school growth and $1.5 million for the state's Department of Commerce to help with workforce development. “For South Carolina to continue its unprecedented economic growth we must continue to invest in our young people,” McMaster said in a statement late Wednesday. “These grants will do just that by providing additional opportunity for our children to go to schools that best fit their needs and by giving our young workers, who were disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the resources they need to find jobs right here in South Carolina.”
U.S.The New York TimesPolice Officer Who Shot and Killed Daunte Wright Was Training Others
Officer Kimberly A. Potter was in the midst of a routine training day Sunday, demonstrating her decades of policing know-how to less experienced officers in the Brooklyn Center Police Department. Body camera video shows that the officer shouted “Taser!” while pointing a handgun at Wright, who was unarmed; she then fired a single round into his chest, killing him, in what the authorities in Minnesota have described as a deadly mistake. With protests unfolding each night in Brooklyn Center, Potter, a veteran officer of 26 years, and Tim Gannon, the department's police chief, both resigned their posts Tuesday.
- BusinessAssociated Press
Chipmaker TSMC says profit up 16.7% as demand revives
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., the world's biggest contract manufacturer of processor chips, said Thursday quarterly profit rose 16.7% over a year ago as global demand strengthened. Profit after tax rose to 139.6 billion New Taiwan dollars ($4.9 billion) for the three months ending in March, the Taipei-based company announced. Total revenue rose 16.7% over a year ago to 362.4 New Taiwan dollars ($12.8 billion).
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
PoliticsThe IndependentBiden news - live: Pelosi blocks bill to expand Supreme Court as Russia reacts to ‘hostile’ sanctions
US-Russia relations are hitting another low as President Biden announces fresh sanctions on Moscow over alleged election interference. Ten Russian diplomats are to be sent packing from the US as Washington piles pressure on Vladimir Putin over election meddling and military aggression on the Ukraine border. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has made a surprise trip to Afghanistan just after President Biden announced an end to the US military mission there, with all troops now due to leave by 11 September this year.
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."
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.
PoliticsThe IndependentRussian intelligence agent linked to Trump campaign among Kremlin figures sanctioned by Biden
A Russian intelligence agent accused of attempting to undermine US election integrity and sow disinformation was among Kremlin-linked figures targeted in Russian sanctions announced on Thursday. Federal authorities alleged that Konstantin Kilimnik "provided the Russian Intelligence Services with sensitive information on polling and campaign strategy" for former president Donald Trump in 2016. The allegations connect to findings from Robert Mueller's investigation and congressional investigations that assessed Mr Kilimnik was fed information by former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort.
- 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.
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.
WorldArchitectural DigestMore Inside Australian Phenomenon Troye Sivan’s Soulful Melbourne Home
Sivan worked with Flack Studios to transform the space while preserving the essence of its Victorian-era origins Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
U.S.The Independent‘Congress itself is the target’: Capitol police overlooked intel and were ordered to hold back during riot, report finds
An inspector general report into the US Capitol Police response to the deadly insurrection has revealed that agency officials ignored or overlooked intelligence warnings and ordered against deploying heavier crowd-control equipment against rioters. Capitol Police Inspector General Michael Bolton's 104-page review following the siege on 6 January was completed in March and has not yet been released to the public. The House Committee on Administration will discuss its findings during a hearing on 15 April.
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.
“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.”